The Ones We Leave Behind: Thoughts On Dead Space 2
2In many ways, Dead Space 2 is the game Resident Evil 5 (or even RE4) should have been; i.e. a truly atmospheric survival horror experience which also happens to be a very solid third-person action game with well thought out mechanics which appropriately emphasize the protagonist's desperate struggle against overwhelming odds. Some people have complained that DS2 is not actually scary as such, but on the whole I've personally found it to be a rather unsettling experience which oscillates effectively between a nerve-wrecking sense of foreboding on the one hand and pulse-quickening terror (admittedly of the cheesy, monster closet variety) on the other.
Even more importantly, this particular Space isn't quite as Dead as one might think since Clarke is often in direct contact with fellow survivors, and the interactions with these additional unfortunate souls makes the player much more emotionally invested in the story. This is further facilitated by Visceral Games' somewhat controversial decision to do away altogether with the "silent protagonist" convention which characterized the first game. It's actually quite refreshing to hear Isaac Clarke talk with other people and discuss mission objectives; not the least because it gives the character some much-needed agency after the essentially drone-like state he was in for much of Dead Space 1.
In strictly narrative terms, Dead Space 2 is a slightly more ambitious take on the traditional horror story while still having both feet firmly planted in familiar genre territory. The "dead girlfriend" plot device was a rather contrived one-trick pony in DS1, but once DS2 gets going it takes the basic idea into some twisted but also unexpectedly poignant new directions. I haven't finished the game yet, but it's a testament to the improved storytelling that I really want to see how it all ends.
EDIT: I've now finished the game. The ending was fairly predictable but with a few clever parts and it opens up some interesting possibilites for the next entry in this series.