Shadows of the Damned

 Shadows of the Damned Review

Kid Safe: Very Low (0.5  / 10)                             Game Quality: Very High (9.0 / 10)

Genre: Third Person Horror Shooter

-          This game is characterized by its style of gameplay and the environment where play takes place. As a third person shooter, players will be taking a control of a character in which they can see, essentially, over their shoulder. This gameplay aspect also features a heavy focus on the use of a wide variety of firearms and weaponry to attack, disable, and kill one's opponent. Likewise, as a horror game, the environments are often dark with frightening themes such monsters, creatures, and things of nightmares.

Internet Requirements: None

-          Shadows of the Damned, to the best of our knowledge, does not feature any internet requirements. The game is entirely single-player with no multiplayer functionality to speak of. Likewise, it does not appear to feature any kind of "score tracking" or "leaderboard" system for players to compete with. Finally, we have not heard any information concerning the possibility of downloadable content to extend the game's value.

Story Summary: In Shadows of the Damned, you take the role of Garcia Hotspur, a demon-hunting,

tequila drinking, motorcycle riding man who is on a mission to save his girlfriend from the clutches of Fleming, the Lord of the Demons. Diving straight into the Underworld itself, Garcia travels with his wise-cracking friend and firearm, Johnson, a former demon that has the ability to change into anything useful you think of including torches, guns, and even artillery cannons. Taking a note from cult-classic, gore-intensive films like KillBill, Machete, DeathProof, and more, Shadows of the Damned throws the player into their very own Grindhouse movie as the shoot their way through everything in their path in an effort to save Garcia's girlfriend, Paula, from an eternity of endless torture in the Underworld.

Kid Safe: Very Low (0.5 / 10)

-          Foul Language: Very High - Not Recommended for Children

o   Shadows of the Damned features an incredibly high amount of foul language in both English and Spanish. The English curse words are as follows: "d*mn", "s*it", "h*ll", "c*nt", "d*ck", "f*ck", "motherf*cker", "a*shole", "b*tch", and "b*stard". Spanish curse words include the following: "c*bron", "p*ndejo", and "p*ta". These words are heard at a near constant in both combat as well as cut scenes, most often from the main character Garcia. Likewise, the words "c*bron", "p*ta", and "f*ck" are almost staple words in his vocabulary; literally saying them just about everytime he speaks to someone or heals himself. The game even goes so far as to comment on how many times the f-word is dropped; one character was quoted as saying "Someone was dropping enough F bombs to start World War III". Curses are used constantly without emotional provocation.

-          Violence and Gore: Very High - Not Recommended for Children

o   Shadows of the Damned, keeping with its Grindhouse inspirations, is both incredibly violent and gory; almost to a comedic level at some points. Players will be fighting monstrous and demonic creatures of a wide variety. Likewise, as a third-person shooter, players will be using a number of different weapons that include torches, pistols, machine-guns, shotguns, and explosives. Players must kill their enemies to proceed.

o   Engaging in combat is a very gory situation. Enemies will spray bits of flesh and blood when they are shot; as well, bullet wounds will leave large searing holes in an enemy's flesh. Players, depending on what weapon they use, are able to blow the limbs and head off of their enemy, sending the severed appendage splattering in bits of gore and causing blood to spray almost comically, acting more like it was being sprayed from a fire hose than a real body. If players score a headshot, the camera will often slow down to focus on the player's kill: moving into a slow motion shot of the bullet hitting the enemy and watching the enemy's head explode into small gooey bits. Once an enemy is downed, their body turns bright orange and burns away into ash.

o   Aside from combat, this game is VERY gruesome. As players are exploring the Underworld, they will run into a large amount of gory and grotesque scenes. Several examples include the following: While walking through the streets of the Underworld, there are multiple occasions where human bodies and flesh are in gargantuan piles; so big in fact that they have broken through the side of buildings and windows and are just spilling into hallways and into rooms. There is a forest where children and/or child-like creatures have been hung by nooses from the tree branches. There is a scene in which your "girlfriend" picks up her own dismembered head and puts it back on. There are multiple situations where a character will either explode in a gory fountain or have their flesh fall off to reveal one or more creatures that had been hiding underneath. There is a scene where a creature tears out the still beating heart from his chest and eats it. There are also allusions in fairy-tale to characters who have been dismembered, committed suicide, and even choked to death on their own musical instruments. These are but a few of the examples...I will be honest in saying that there a whole lot more.

             

-          Sexually-Related Content: Very High - Not Recommended for Children

o   Shadows of the Damned features a very high amount of sexually-related content, especially near the middle of the game. This sexually-related content takes place primarily in sexual reference as well as partial and half-nudity. Beginning with sexual reference, the game makes a massive number of allusions to our jokes concerning sexual activity or commonly accepted sexual terms. One of your weapons is, quite literally, named the Boner. Later in the game, when the character Johnson is aroused by a telephone sex-line, the Boner transforms into the "Big Boner" where the weapon suddenly extends to three times its length and is held at waist level. Other references include scenes referencing the act of cunnilingus, fellatio, other sexual acts. Players will also see a number of signs perpetuating the sexual industry including billboards of half-naked women in compromised poses as well as signs that read "XXX Girls", "Strippers", "Sex", "Erotic Cabaret", and more.

o   As for the nudity, most of the women are scantily clad. Paula, the main character's girlfriend, is most often seen wearing nothing but lingerie. Likewise, other female characters are often depicted wearing exceptionally revealing attire that shows off a fair amount of both cleavage and buttocks. There are also scenes of topless women gyrating and dancing in an erotic fashion; their breasts are fully visible. One of the most interesting situations with nudity are two scenes where a giant stripper is dancing topless while the player runs along a long stretch of road. As the player approaches a gap in the road, the stripper either arches or bends of the gap so that the player can run across her half-nude body; allowing them to run across the top of her breasts/nipples or into the cleavage of her butt.

-          Use of Drugs and Alcohol: High

o   Shadows of the Damned features a high amount of drugs and alcohol, most specifically alcohol. Starting off, there are scenes where characters are smoking cigarettes, however these are generally uncommon. On the contrary, the usage of alcohol is highly encouraged in this title as it is actually used to heal the main character. Players will pick up either "Hot Sake", "Tequila", or "Absinthe" and will use it to heal themselves of any damage they have taken. When consuming the alcohol, the screen will momentarily blur, however these are the only repercussions of imbibing it. Players will also be able to find vending machines and merchants that sell alcoholic beverages.

             

Game Quality: Very High (9.0 / 10)

-          Graphics / Visuals: High

o   Shadows of the Damned does the best with what it has. Using what is called the "Unreal 3 Engine", a slightly older program used to build game visuals, the developers Suda 51 have made one of the best looking games to date using this engine. The title has three major strengths: incredible environments, solid characters, and interesting enemies.

o   Starting off with the environments, you can tell that a lot of thought went into the creation of the Underworld. As you play through the game, players will progressively experience a fully-realized world made up of areas very different from one another. Moving through a haunted, demon town, players will walk through a twisted representation of the human world filled with houses, shops, and taverns that has been populated by monstrous creatures of the night. They will move from it into a forest of twisted horrors, gravestones, and monsters until they reach the catacombs and eventually, Fleming's castle, a twisted spire of torture, death and pain. Don't take this the wrong way, not everything is dark and forboding: heck...there are several levels that suddenly change pace: reverting to a classical "2D Arcade" style where Garcia is flying from left to right as a paper-cutout fighting off cartoony versions of the Underworld's denizens.

o   As for the characters and the enemies, Suda 51 have done an incredible job. Human characters look and feel pretty believable, the exception being some minor problems with facial expressions and muscle movement; sadly this is more a restriction of the Unreal Engine than a fault of the team. Likewise, the monsters and demons are all well-thought out and developed. Not only will players run into your basic bi-pedal demon spawn, they will run into a re-imagining of the Grim Reaper (better known as the three Sisters Grim), twisted and caged enemies covered in spikes and ready to run you down, electrical monsters covered in power generators and armed to the teeth with TEETH. I would hate to spoil every creature, therefore I will only commend the team for having developed an entire list of interesting and creepy monsters.

   

-          Audio: Very High

o   I can't tell you what is better here, the music or the voice acting; either way, the audio for Shadows of the Damned is an absolute treat. Starting with the voice acting, every is actor is absolutely top notch. Not to mention that they hit your average expectation of a dramatic voice-role through a proper delivery of emotion, feeling, and really conveying the soul of their character; they do so much more. Little things do so much to make this so good. There is always a light and occasional banter between Johnson and Garcia; it's almost always funny, and yet, not overplayed to the point that I got tired of hearing them talk to each other. Likewise, another example that really stands out has to do with a side-feature in the game where players can find and read fairy-tale books about the different monsters and creatures they are fighting. While Johnson is by all means vocal and rather well-read, what I found a great deal more fascinating was the one fairy-tale read by the main character, Garcia. The voice actor not only captured the emotion of the scene, but he also captured another much more subtle thing about the character: Garcia has problems reading English. It was faint, but apparent, and gave a whole new level of understanding about this character SOLELY through how he read a storybook; not many can claim they have done that.

o   Right up there with the voice acting is the music. Overflowing with a host of Spanish Guitar, the music really sets the tone for just about everything that happens in the game. A soft, subtle, neutral tune carries players smoothly through a loading scene. This will occasionally move up to a solid strum that keeps the pacing of the game. Hard and fast rock guitar really builds the mood and sets a gamer's heart racing when action has them fighting and running for their lives from the legions of the Underworld. This is one of the only soundtracks that I think I would truly want to own for my own personal enjoyment: it's just that good.

-          Gameplay / Playability: Very High

o   With solid, varied, and interesting gameplay along with a catering towards both new and experienced players, Shadows of the Damned checks every box. Starting with playability, Shadows of the Damned features a tried and true control scheme that is highly familiar to other titles of a similar nature such as Resident Evil 5, Dead Space, and Gears of War. However, the game does not skimp on its explanation of controls. Fully introducing every concept from looking around and walking to the usage of a massive artillery cannon, there was not a single thing that I felt was left out. Controls are introduced with big, visible demonstrations of everyone button you need to push and how you need to push it. Even then, let's say you weren't paying attention and missed an explanation of one thing or another, the controls are a quick two-button click away; allowing a player to pull up ANY previously viewed control introduction at any time with a full breakdown of functionality and buttons required.

o   Well, players will certainly know how to control the game, but how is the gameplay? The answer: Excellent. There was never a single point where I found myself wanting nor did I ever feel that the gameplay was getting stale or boring. There was always some new enemy, some new weapon, or some new boss-creature to keep me guessing and keep me trying new things. Heck, occasionally there was even brand-new GAMEPLAY. There was several scenes, as we mentioned previously, where the game suddenly changes from a third person shooter to a 2D Arcade shooter reminiscent of Gradius; you even fight a major boss this way! Other examples include interesting uses of the established game and weapons; like one scene where you have to go bowling for demons using a massive skull bomb that you can launch from one of your firearms. Shadows of the Damned always keeps the player entertained and the gameplay fresh and interesting.

          

-          Dollar-Value: High

o   Overall, Shadows of the Damned has a pretty high dollar-value. So long as you can get around the intensely adult-rated content, you will have a blast. While the game is only about 9 to 11 hours total, every minute is a visceral and exciting experience that will leave you wanting more. I can only hope that they might release some downloadable content that might build upon the game or perhaps add something extra that players might be able to follow. If you or your gamer are a fan of Grindhouse or violent-action films, this is the title for them.

Recommendations

-          Being a shooter and a horror title, there really aren't any kid-friendly titles that we can recommend in the genre. Just about anything of a similar nature features a high amount of adult rated content. However, if adult-rated gameplay is alright for you, I would recommend either the Resident Evil series, specifically number 4 and 5, and the Dead Space franchise. Likewise, if you enjoy the "entering the Underworld to save your girlfriend" storyline, we would also like to recommend Dante's Inferno.

FEAR 3

 FEAR 3 Review

Kid Safe: Low (3.0 / 10)                             Game Quality: High (8.5 / 10)

Genre: First Person Shooter

-          These games are characterized by the viewpoint and weapons used in the title. In a first person shooter, you are looking down the barrel of a gun as though you yourself are holding the weapon. Likewise, as the term "shooter" implies, the game specifically uses guns and firearms.

Internet Requirements: Moderate

-          FEAR 3 features a moderate amount of internet requirements due to the presence of online multiplayer as well as cooperative gameplay. Players are able to hop on the internet in order to compete against other players in a number of internet-based game modes as well as work cooperatively with another individual to play through the game's story together.

Story Summary: In FEAR 3, you take the roll of Point Man, a trained and deadly psychic-soldier who

uses his powers to overcome in surmountable odds, along with his dead-but-not-gone brother, Paxton Fettel, a deranged apparition that uses his psychic and ghostly powers to assist his brother on his quest. As Point Man and Fettel, you are tasked with escaping a prison facility where Point Man is being held and escaping to Fairport, a city in turmoil that is being slowly destroyed by your mother's incredible psychic powers which are causing her deadliest nightmares to manifest into reality as she comes closer and closer to giving birth to a third, and ultimately more deadly, offspring that may very well bring about the end of the world.

Kid Safe: Low (3 / 10)

-          Foul Language: Very High - Not Recommended For Children

o   FEAR 3 features a very high amount of foul language in the form of the following words: "f*ck", "s*it", "p*ss", "a*s", "a*shole", "d*mn", and "b*tch". These words happen regularly throughout both gameplay as well as in cutscenes and dialogue between characters. "F*ck" and "S*it" are probably the game's favorite words as you will often hear these words from enemy soldiers, with them letting at least a couple of f-bombs per firefight. Most all characters will cuss whether they are upset/provoked or not.

-          Violence and Gore: Very High - Not Recommended For Children

o   FEAR 3 features an exceptionally high amount of violence and gore. Being both a horror title as well as a first-person shooter, blood, death, and destruction are the name of the game. Players will be encouraged to fight, maim, and kill human soldiers, crazed civilians, and monstrous creatures. Players will be using a wide variety of weapons to dispatch their enemies including knives, pistols, shotguns, machines guns, rifles, grenades, mechanized-battle suits, lasers, and several environmentally based explosives including gasoline barrels and fuseboxes. All enemies that you are fighting are attempting to injure or kill you.

o   When being shot, enemies will elicit a large spray of gore from their bodies that will often splatter on the surrounding area including on walls behind them and on the floor and any nearby items (chairs, boxes, desks, etc.). When killed, enemies will often simply drop to the floor like a ragdoll. Certain weapons, such as explosives or shotguns, will cause decapitation as well as dismemberment; resulting in limbs being blown clean off and leaving a gaping, bleeding stump where it once was. Other attacks will result in enemies completely evaporating in a red mist. Finally, certain weapons will cause enemies to burst into flame; resulting in the enemy running around or flailing around, attempting to put out the flame, before succumbing to the pain after several seconds and falling to the floor dead.

o   Aside from combat, the full game features a gruesome amount of extra gore; especially while exploring the city of Fairport. While we would be unable to list everything in the game without giving you a multiple page breakdown, we will highlight a few of them. Players will witness an entire team of soldiers slaughtered by a monstrosity that rips their limbs off, leaving only one alive to slowly bleed to death due to a leg having been torn off. In a custcene, protagonists Fettel and Point Man will be shown breaking one soldier's neck followed by slicing another soldier's throat open with a knife. Players will find people who have been killed, tied up, and then hung from the ceiling. Players will also play through a sewer that, quite literally, has more corpses in it than water.

             

-          Sexually-Related Content: Low

o   FEAR 3 features a low amount of sexually related content which only takes place in two scenes. The first is a brief depiction of a mostly nude young woman; however, despite her nudity, finer details like nipples or genitalia are not visible. Secondly, there is a scene in which a character makes reference to having been raped; finer details are not shared however.

-          Use of Drugs and Alcohol: None

o   To the best of the reviewer's knowledge, FEAR 3 does not contain any amount of drug or alcohol usage.

             

Game Quality: High (8.5 / 10)

-          Graphics / Visuals: High

o   FEAR 3 features a relatively high level of graphical and visual quality. The game's major strengths, however, are not absolutely mind-blowing graphics but rather the incredible amount of detail that has been put into the world players are exploring. Rather than having players move from Generic Room A to Generic Room B to get to Generic Room C, the team for FEAR 3 put an exceptional amount of work into making a unique and flowing experience. Moving from the cramped, desolate cell of a prison to a festering sewer overflowing with death, players make their way to a Spanish slum before jumping out of the frying pain and into the flame of Fairport where everything has been twisted to a ghastly vision of what it once was.

o   Take these incredible and interesting environments and add finite details to them and you have yourself a winning formula. More than once, I found myself wandering around any given area and just looking at every little thing that had been included. Radios left on, a fan still spinning, books lining a shelf, fallen papers here and there, a knife that was accidentally left out, old dishes still in the sink: all of these factor out to a believable and interesting world that has been fully realized and faithfully created by this game's team. Not only that, but all of these finer details really help to boost the game's horror aspect by putting you in believable and terrifying setting that seems all too real.

   

-          Audio: Very High

o   While FEAR 3 certainly has some decent graphical quality, it's real strengths lie in its audio presentation. The voice acting is decent and all of the performers do an excellent job in most areas, however the game's greatest strengths lie in its ambient noises and music. First, the music is absolutely excellent in carrying the action (or terror) to its peak. Hard, fast-tempo beats rock players as guns blaze and soldiers cry for help, making almost every firefight a major event and really getting players' blood pumping. As the action starts to slow down, so too does the music, to a very calm, neutral tone if at all. Finally, as players start to explore the darkened areas of the world and wander warily through the invaritable haunted houses, the music starts to drop. Low, soft, and utterly creepy, the music in these terror-filled corridors did almost as much work as the visuals.

o   Even better than the music was the ambient noise. Although subtle, the wide-variety of very soft and simple sounds contributed both to a believable environment and a terrifying world. The soft static of radio, the dripping of water in the distance, the soft crumble of collapsing stone, a barely noticeable growl in the darkness, a single, unexplained footfall on soft dirt; all of these are just but a minute example of what players will hear while playing this game. Just thinking about some of these gives me the shivers.

-          Gameplay / Playability: High

o   FEAR 3 features a relatively high level of both gameplay and playability. Starting with playability, this game does several things right. First off, any player that is familiar with most first-person-shooter control schemes will be able to easily pick this title up and go. For those that aren't quite familiar, however, are taken care of as well. FEAR 3 slowly introduces its players to a large variety of controls and gameplay concepts slowly over the course of the two levels while providing clearly visible onscreen prompts as to what buttons need to be pressed. There were one or two elements that the game failed to introduce, but generally it did a great job.

o    Now for gameplay. FEAR 3's gameplay, while a touch short, is excellently done. Just looking at the single-player story, players will move cleanly from guns blazing firefights to absolutely gut-wrenching walks through utterly terrifying mazes of horror only to be moved into a fight for their life against monstrosities and then back again. The pacing is very well-done and never gets overly boring as it always keeps players guessing and experiencing something new. On top of that, players will be able to explore the game in two different ways: as Point Man, your average gun-toting soldier with the power to slow down time, or Fettel, an apparition with the ability to psychically attack enemies or even possess them and force an enemy to fire on his former allies. If all of this isn't enough, the game will reward players based on performance and how they play; unlocking many achievements and challenges that will progressively give players more health and abilities to fight their enemies with.

          

-          Dollar-Value: High

o   Overall, FEAR 3 has a pretty high dollar-value. The game is well-made with some excellent gameplay that can be played either single-player or with a friend right there at home. On top of this, players can replay the game as different characters to experience a whole new set of powers. Once players are done with the story, FEAR 3 also features a well-rounded and rather enjoyable online-multiplayer option that is one of the better ones available on the market. The only major downfall is that this game is rather short, somewhere in the range of 5 to 7 hours depending on the player, and there isn't much more to do than the multiplayer after playing through the game as both characters.

Recommendations

-          If you are looking for a game with less mature rated content, I would highly recommend taking a peek at Battlefield Bad Company or Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. If you are itching for a more shooter-intensive experience, I would check out either the Call of Duty series or Crysis 2. If you want a more horror-focused experience, Dead Space, the original FEAR, and Silent Hill 2 or 3 are all excellent choices.

Dead Space 2

Dead Space 2 Review

Kid Safe: Very Low                     Game Quality: Very High

Genre: Survival Horror

-          This game features a focus on horror themes and attempting to escape the terror that has overtaken the situation. This game may contain situations that are scary for some players and scenes of intense blood and gore.

Internet Requirements: Moderate

-          Dead Space 2, while having an extensive single-player story campaign, features an impressive internet-based multiplayer aspect where players can play online with other individuals. Likewise, additional content will be released for this title sometime later on that will be sold (and downloaded) through the internet.

Story Summary: In Dead Space 2, you step back into the boots of survivor and engineer, Isaac Clark,

who, after the events of the first game. Now, waking up from a coma on the massive space-station, The Sprawl, you find yourself once again fighting for your life. You must battle both your own developing insanity along with the undead monstrosities that are quickly devouring the Sprawl as you attempt discover the truth behind what happened both to you and the residents of the brutally overtaken space-station.

Kid Safe: Very Low

-          Foul Language: High

o   Dead Space 2 features an extensive amount of foul language, primarily in the words "F*ck", "*S*it", "Motherf*cker", and "D*mn". These words are regularly encountered throughout the entire game in general dialogue, in text-based articles and journals, and in cutscenes between characters. Players are able to trigger a stream of profanity by punching or stomping the ground, which results in the main-character spewing frustrated curse-words. The language is constant throughout gameplay.

-          Violence and Gore: Very High - Not Recommended for Children

o   Dead Space 2 is, by far, the goriest and most violent game that we have reviewed to date. This title features an extensive amount of both violent scenes as well as depictions of blood, gore and viscera. To begin, the creatures and monsters that players must fight are constructed from the bodies of those that have been killed by others. The very first scene of this game consists of a person waking Isaac from his coma, only to have a creature sneak up behind him and impale him through the chest and head; resulting in the man transforming into a mutilated beast that attempts to murder and devour the main player. Every monster is constructed of the mutilated remains of one or more dead human beings.

o   Not only this, but the primary way to kill the monsters, named "Necromorphs", consists of dismembering the creatures. Players are encourage to use different weaponry to blow off the arms, legs and heads of both monsters and corpses to keep them from reanimating and attacking them. Should the monster/corpse not be initially attacking them, players are encourage to stomp on dead bodies to remove limbs such as the arms, legs, and head.

o   There are multiple scenes in which non-player characters are attacked and murdered, main of which are ripped limb from limb. One disturbing scene in particular features a mother who calls over a "Necromorph" infant and cradles it before the infant explodes and sprays gore and viscera across the entire room. The game also features a creature that desecrates the corpses of fallen human beings to transform them into beastly monsters.

             

-          Sexually-Related Content: Low

o   Dead Space 2 features a low amount of sexual content. While the game has no focus on sexually related activities and does not feature any inherent nudity, this title does feature one creature of particular note. Known as the "Spitter", featured in both single-player and multi-player modes, the creature is the monstrous remains of human female who is seen holding and squeezing her breasts with her human hands while she attacks players with the spiked limbs protruding from her back.

-          Use of Drugs and Alcohol: Low

o   Dead Space 2 does not feature any known instances of drug or alcohol usage. However, the game does make reference to individuals using medication overdose in order to take their own lives.

             

Game Quality: Very High

-          Graphics / Visuals: Very High

o   Dead Space 2 features an exceptionally high quality of graphics and visuals. First, to start with the positives, everything in the design of the game feels fully realized. As you walk, explore, fight, and occasionally break through the massive space-station that is The Sprawl, you find that the world around you is fully realized. You find yourself walking through a variety of districts, the majority of which that has been hand-picked and designed to provide the feeling that you are, in fact, walking through a space-station several generations old. Each level reveals decimated apartments and living quarters, shopping districts, engine and science labs, and even elementary schools. Each chapter of the story reveals more and more destruction across an entire city in space.

o   Not even this, but the graphical design for every level and structure is physically impressive to look at; even by today's standards. Almost every structure and creature appears realistically in front of you. Metal appears hard and smooth, blood splattered and dripping slowly runs down and cakes upon surfaces, and candles flicker against the darkened background of space. On top of this, every monster and creature you encounter is fully designed from the mutated body of one or more deceased individuals, creating entire range of beasts ranging from a standard "zombie-like" horror to a 15 foot tall monster constructed of the tied together pieces of different corpses.

o   The only complaint concerning this title's graphics are as follows: the remaining corpses. Respectfully, I know that this is a family-focused website, however since this is not a family-focused title, it seems legitimate to bring this up. While everything else seems fully realized and designed, the remnants do not. These "left-overs" appear as little more than graphical "dolls" that have just been painted over with a gory pallet and left to provide poorly-done atmosphere to a well-done game. While it does not overly distract from the title, it was rather annoying to me as a fan of survival-horror games.

           

-          Audio: Very High

o   If there is a single there that stands out with Dead Space 2, it is the absolutely excellent audio quality. While the music is perfect and helps to add to the atmosphere, the real kicker is in the truly-amazing ambient sound; it adds everything you need to the gameplay. Walking through any given hallway, you are prone to hear the soft tinkle of claws against metal as a creature runs through a vent or the pounding footfalls of someone running a floor above you. Or perhaps the overarching environment doesn't scare you; maybe it's just that which is directly around you. You will hear the screaming sobs of a woman trapped in her apartment or the heavy breathing and soft roaring of a creature slowly following you in the rafters overhead.

o   While this game does not feature an outstanding musical score, the soft instrumental accompaniment attributes to the scares the player feels. A violin, quickly gathering pace, scratches upon your nerves as you try and walk down a hallway. The sudden absence of all background noise, filled out by only the soft breathing and steady thumping of Isaac's heart, is more terrifying then any score could have provided. This game does EVERYTHING a title should with its ambient audio quality and I cannot think a single place where they have faulted.

-          Gameplay / Playability: High

o   Dead Space 2 features a relatively high quality of gameplay and playability. To begin with, the controls for this title are relatively simple and blend well into the gameplay. I very rarely found myself wondering what button performed what action as the lay-out was relatively simple to all other games of the genre. Likewise, for sequences of gameplay that were out of the norm, the controls were generally of a simple nature and quick and easy to pick up. Likewise, all of the gameplay is extremely varied in a manner that keeps each situation and chapter fresh.

o   One of the truly fascinating elements of gameplay that blew us away was how the cut-scenes and regular gameplay were constantly mixed and matched. The game seamlessly moves from the standard game to the character talking and interacting with irregular elements, such as main characters from the story or extreme situations versus the monsters, and then back again. A perfect example was a mind blowing sequence where Isaac slide down a collapsing tram line, fighting off necromorphs, only to be ejected and hang upside down by one foot fighting off a second onslaught of monsters.

o   However, while the controls are generally simple (very often exact in comparison to the original title), the game has this strange problem of not telling you what those controls ARE. The tutorial aspect is a bit slow on the uptake, often tending to drop you into scenes of extreme danger and then, while you are running for your life, popping up a small window telling you how to keep from being eviscerated. I won't deny that each action is explained eventually, it doesn't often help to find out that you can use certain items as weapons after having been mauled by an undead monster 5 times in a row before you find that information out.
          

-          Dollar-Value: High

o   Dead Space 2 has a relatively high dollar-value that is perpetuated by its well-rounded options and gameplay. To begin with, the game-experience is always kept exciting and new as new and interesting environments and elements are constantly introduced. Not only will players be fighting through the haunted corridors of The Sprawl, but they will be fighting the Necromorph threat upside down, inside, and even outside of the Sprawl in deep space; hurtling through the stars as you fight for your life against the gruesome beasts that the Necromorph infection has created in a 12 hour game.

o   That said, maybe fighting the infection on the Sprawl alone just isn't your calling. Maybe you want to have some friends along for the ride. This title features an extensive multi-player campaign akin to the Left 4 Dead series that can be played on the internet. This series allows individuals to play as both Humans and Necromorph monsters in 4 vs. 4 battles as the Human attempt to stop the outbreak. Players are even able to level up, similar to designs such as Call of Duty or Battlefield Bad Company.

o   The only downside to the above mentioned design is that the gameplay feels a bit roughly put together. While enjoyable, there are extreme balance issues that need to be fleshed out between the Necromorph monsters and the Sprawl security teams. While this is a relatively minor complaint in the scope of things, it affected gameplay strongly enough that I always debated whether I wanted to attempt to play multiplayer modes.

Recommendations

-          Sadly, we cannot think of a single survival horror game that has been rated lower that M by the ESRB rating system. However, as we have suggested in previous reviews, you may wish to take a look at the Resident Evil series. While this title involves blood, gore, and zombie-monsters, it is also one of the lightest horror titles on the market and offers a large number of available games.