Dead Space 2 (Gameplay #2) - The Architecture of Fear
3Dead Space 1 somehow succeeded in providing rich and rewarding exploration despite being set in a dimly lit space station which, on paper anyway, sounded like the dullest place off Earth. By designing much more varied environments to discover in the sequel, Visceral Games made it a lot easier for themselves to provide a fresh experience this time around. The creepy Unitology-related buildings in the early chapters of Dead Space 2, to take just one example, don't really resemble anything that was in the first game. Also, the frequent use of cinematic set pieces (typically within very large rooms) likewise adds an additional layer on top of the methodical traversal of dark corridors which form the basic building block of the DS survival horror gameplay.
Still, there's something to be said for the impeccably cohesive design of DS1, which skillfully tied the various parts of The Ishimura together to form an overarching spatial experience which might never have been as seamless as it could have been, but stayed consistent and believable throughout.