‘Dead Space 2’ is one of the scariest games ever made

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Back in 2008, EA Games dropped one of the scariest games in this generation of gaming, Dead Space. A horror game set in the emptiness of outer space, Dead Space brought back that fear factor gamers had when space horror debuted in the mid-’90s with the classic video game Doom. And with any successful first outing, there has to be a sequel, right?

Dead Space 2 takes place three years after the original game, with players once again taking the role of Isaac Clarke. At the start of the game, he wakes up in a hospital, apparently having been in a coma the past three years with no memory of what happened in the first game. From the moment Isaac wakes up, the nail-biting action and horror begin with virus-infected zombie-like humans, “Necromorphs,” trying to kill you. They jump out of empty rooms, crash through walls, drop down out of the ceiling and continually chase you and block your path in darkened and dimly lit areas of a space station called Sprawl.

While you’re trying to survive and escape, you’re also trying to find the source of the spread of the virus and end it once and for all, at the same time getting creepy flashbacks of your girlfriend, who died in the first game. Despite the fast-paced action and violence, the story throughout the game is rich and in-depth, dealing with human emotion and the guilt of bad choices. But don’t worry, it isn’t necessary to play the first game to enjoy the sequel; its story can stand alone.

The graphics are top-notch, giving the environment a souped-up haunted house feel with smooth and fluid animations. Monsters jump in and out of the view and the eerie sounds throughout the chapters will keep you on your toes. You really have no idea when you’re going to have to fight.

The limited edition version of the PS3 game comes with a prequel to the series, Dead Space: Extraction, previously released on the Wii. The game is compatible with Playstation Move and adds a bit more depth to the story. Everything with Dead Space 2 is worth the price of admission. Just don’t let the kiddos get a hold of it.

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