Dead Space 2 is a 2011 survival horror game created by Visceral Games and released by Electronic Arts. It was available on PlayStation 3, Windows, and Xbox 360 in January. As the second main game in the Dead Space series, it takes place on the Sprawl space station, which is built on Titan. The story follows Isaac Clarke, the main character from the series, as he battles dangerous creatures called Necromorphs and struggles with mental health problems caused by alien objects known as Markers. Players guide Isaac through different levels, solve puzzles, collect resources, and fight enemies. The game also includes a competitive multiplayer mode where security forces on the Sprawl fight against teams of Necromorphs.
Pre-production for the game started in 2008, right after the original Dead Space was released. The story added to the series’ background while focusing on Isaac’s worsening mental state. Classic nursery rhymes were used as themes in the game’s narrative and Isaac’s visions. Gameplay changes were made based on player feedback, the team’s experience, and a desire to make the game faster and more action-focused. Multiplayer was added as a separate mode due to fan requests and input from Electronic Arts.
Announced in 2010, Dead Space 2 had a large marketing campaign led by Electronic Arts. It was supported by other projects, including the novel Dead Space: Martyr, the animated movie Dead Space: Aftermath, the spin-off game Dead Space Ignition, and a mobile prequel. Reviews highlighted the game’s gameplay, sound, and level design, with many saying it was better than the first game. It sold two million copies in its first week, but later interviews with developers suggested Electronic Arts was not satisfied with its sales. A direct sequel, Dead Space 3, was released in 2013.
Gameplay
Dead Space 2 is a science-fiction-themed survival horror video game. Players control the main character, Isaac Clarke, from a third-person view through a story-driven campaign divided into levels. Isaac moves through the Sprawl space station, completing missions, solving puzzles, and fighting monsters called Necromorphs. Players save their progress manually at crafting stations or automatically at checkpoints. The New Game Plus feature lets players keep all their items and equipment when starting a new campaign. The game begins with four difficulty levels: Casual, Normal, Survivalist, and Zealot. A fifth difficulty, Hard Core, becomes available after finishing the game once. In Hard Core mode, players restart from their last save after each death and can only save three times during the campaign.
In the game, information is shown through holograms that appear within the environment. Isaac’s health and energy levels are displayed on the back of his RIG suit. Ammunition counts are shown on the weapons themselves. Opening the inventory screen does not pause the game. Players can collect and review audio and text logs during gameplay. A guideline may show the path to the next objective. While exploring, Isaac can break open crates using his melee attack or a stomp action. Two special abilities are Kinesis, which allows Isaac to move or pull objects, including using Necromorph limbs as weapons, and Stasis, which temporarily slows a target’s movement. Some areas have zero gravity, where Isaac uses his RIG suit and jet pack to move in all directions. A boost function helps Isaac move quickly through these areas. In certain sections, Isaac can explore vacuum zones but must use oxygen tanks to replenish his air supply. Before using some devices or opening doors, players must complete a hacking mini-game with a time limit. The mini-game involves a circular graphic with a bar that players must move and press a button when the highlighted area turns green. Pressing the button when the area is red causes an electric shock to Isaac.
During exploration, Isaac fights different types of Necromorphs that appear in the environment. On all difficulty levels except the lowest, Necromorphs can continue attacking even after taking heavy damage. Using his assigned weapon, Isaac must cut off Necromorphs’ limbs to kill them. He can switch between horizontal and vertical firing modes with different weapons. He can also stomp Necromorphs to deal damage. Some sections include cinematic moments, such as using the RIG suit’s jets to avoid falling debris, and quick-time events that can result in a game over if failed. Weapons can be upgraded using nodes, which are installed at crafting stations and increase weapon power or ammunition. Health packs, upgrade nodes, and ammunition can be purchased from terminals or found in the environment, on enemy corpses, or in crates. Weapon schematics can be discovered and uploaded to the store during the next visit, allowing Isaac to acquire new weapons and armor. Isaac’s inventory has limited space, and extra items can be stored in safes at save terminals.
The game includes a single-player campaign and a separate competitive multiplayer mode called Outbreak. In Outbreak, teams of four players control either humans defending the Sprawl or Necromorphs trying to kill the human team. The human team has different objectives, such as defending a point, killing the Necromorph team, or completing a technical task. Each map has five objectives for the human team to complete. After each round, players switch sides between the human and Necromorph teams. Necromorph players can choose to spawn as a Lurker, Puker, Spitter, or a member of the Pack. The multiplayer maps use locations from the main campaign but are unique to the mode. Completing matches earns experience points, unlocking rewards for both sides up to a level cap of 60.
Synopsis
Dead Space 2 is set in the year 2511, three years after the events of Dead Space. The story takes place on the Sprawl, a space station built by Earth Government (EarthGov) using parts of Saturn’s moon Titan. This happened after humans almost went extinct because they ran out of resources from mining other planets. Before this game, events on planet Aegis VII happened. An artifact called the Red Marker was uncovered during an illegal mining operation. The mining colony was funded by the Church of Unitology, a group that believes the Markers are divine and hopes for an event called Convergence. The Marker’s influence caused mental illness in the colony, then a virus-like organism that reanimates corpses into Necromorphs. These creatures overwhelmed the colony and the mining ship USG Ishimura. By the time of Dead Space 2, the Aegis VII incident was hidden, and new Marker experiments began on the Sprawl.
The main character is Isaac Clarke, a Concordance Extraction Corporation (CEC) engineer who survived the infestation on the Ishimura by destroying the Marker and the Necromorphs. Isaac is helped by Ellie Langford, a CEC pilot; Nolan Stross, a former patient of Isaac who became insane after exposure to the Marker; and Daina Le Guin. Director Hans Tiedeman, an EarthGov administrator, starts a project to build another Marker to control its power and opposes Isaac. Isaac is also haunted by visions of Nicole Brennan, his girlfriend who died on the Ishimura. Other characters include Franco Delille, a hacker from a spin-off game, and EarthGov doctor Foster Edgars. The downloadable content (DLC) story Dead Space: Severed follows Sergeant Gabe Weller, a Sprawl security officer who tries to save his wife, Lexine Murdoch, from Necromorphs and EarthGov. Both Gabe and Lexine are characters from another spin-off, Dead Space: Extraction.
Isaac Clarke, suffering from Marker-induced dementia and hallucinations, escapes from Necromorphs at a mental hospital and is guided to safety by Le Guin. He finds the Sprawl overwhelmed with people leaving, and those staying are either killed or commit suicide due to the Marker’s influence. Le Guin reveals that Tiedeman recreated a Marker using data from Isaac’s mind, using drugs to block Isaac’s memories. Isaac meets Nolan Stross, who claims to know how to destroy the new Marker. When Isaac reaches Le Guin, she reveals she is a Unitologist sent to capture him. EarthGov agents ambush her and her team, letting Isaac escape. He joins Ellie, who reluctantly guards Stross as they fight Necromorphs and Tiedeman’s forces. Isaac is tormented by visions of Nicole Brennan, who asks him to make them “whole.” To reach the government sector where Tiedeman is, Isaac must navigate the decommissioned Ishimura, causing more hallucinations.
Stross’s mental state worsens, and he attacks Ellie, injuring her, then attacks Isaac, who kills him in self-defense. Ellie helps Isaac reach the government sector but is tricked into boarding a shuttle for safety. Guided by a friendly version of Nicole, Isaac enters the government sector, letting Necromorphs destroy Tiedeman’s security forces. The Necromorphs gather at the Marker, starting Convergence. Isaac uses a machine to unlock the Marker data in his mind, kills Tiedeman, and fights a final hallucination of Nicole, who was a projection used by the Marker to merge with Isaac. As the Sprawl collapses, Ellie rescues Isaac. In a post-credits scene, two EarthGov agents discuss more Marker sites.
Gabe Weller is on patrol in the Sprawl’s mines when Necromorph attacks begin. He warns his pregnant wife, Lexine, as he returns to her. Weller is betrayed by his superior, Victor Bartlett, who reveals they were subjects of the Oracle Program, studying their survival of the Aegis VII incident and their child’s potential. Bartlett, ordered by Tiedeman to kill Marker-related subjects, is subdued by EarthGov agents called the Oracles, who take Lexine. Weller chases them, but Necromorphs kill the Oracles. Bartlett attacks Weller with a grenade before he can board a shuttle, fatally injuring him. Weller helps Lexine escape the Sprawl. An epilogue states Weller’s body was taken for study by EarthGov, and Lexine is to be killed once found.
Development
Work on Dead Space 2 began in 2008 right after Dead Space was released. The game received praise from critics. During this time, the company that published the Dead Space series, Electronic Arts, changed the name of the developer from EA Redwood Shores to Visceral Games. The studio was reorganized as a team focused on creating games in a specific genre. At the same time, the team worked on both Dead Space 2 and a different game called Dante's Inferno. A producer named Shereif Fattouh said that Visceral Games had a lot of freedom because the studio had earned trust and support from Electronic Arts due to the success of their previous projects. Another producer, Steve Papoutsis, said the team felt pressure to meet fan expectations and create a high-quality game. Dead Space 2 was made for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. These became the main platforms for the series. A version for the Wii was planned but canceled in 2011 so Electronic Arts could focus on other projects. Reports about the game’s budget differ: one level designer said the budget was $60 million and called Electronic Arts strict with spending, while the game’s director said the budget was small but did not give a number. The game took about two and a half years to make.
The development team had about 150 people at its largest. Once Dante’s Inferno was finished, the studio focused fully on Dead Space 2. Many key staff members stayed, but the creators of the series, Glen Schofield and Michael Condrey, left along with others to start a new company called Sledgehammer Games. After the first game’s director, Bret Robbins, left, Wright Bagwell became the new director. He worked on Dead Space 2 while also directing a related game called Dead Space: Extraction. Other key people involved in making the game included producers Shereif Fattouh, Scott Probst, Cate Latchford, and Rich Briggs, senior producer David Woldman, executive producer Steve Papoutsis, senior designer John Calhoun, and senior level designer Matthias Worch. Veronique Garcia, who had worked on animation for Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, was the character animator. Tony Gialdini, a longtime Electronic Arts employee, was the animation director.
The team aimed to create a more refined version of Dead Space that would attract more players. This included adding action elements and making it easier for players to control Isaac, the main character. The shift toward action was influenced by new team members, a desire to make the series more popular, and showing Isaac’s character development. Enemies were redesigned to fit the action style, but the team also kept the horror and atmosphere from the first game. The game’s special scenes were inspired by other popular games like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. The area around the Ishimura was one of the first parts of the game built to test the scale of the Sprawl. Most cutscenes were created without sudden scene changes, instead blending into gameplay. Motion capture for story scenes was managed by Cate Latchford. Actors rehearsed scenes first, then performed them in motion capture suits using over 200 cameras to create detailed character views during cutscenes.
Gameplay changes were added based on feedback from the first game. New features included destructible environments, which made the game more varied and realistic, and the ability to throw objects at enemies when out of ammunition. The team wanted each level to feel unique. Steve Papoutsis said the level set in a Unitologist Church was an example of keeping players engaged. The Ishimura level had few enemies to build tension and support the game’s themes. The art director, Ian Milham, resisted adding more enemies after some requests. Some puzzles and level designs were simplified after testers found them too hard. An early idea was to let Isaac give players hints if they struggled with puzzles. The user interface from the first game was kept, with some elements in the opening scenes showing Isaac’s mental state.
Multiplayer was a feature many fans wanted, and the team considered it while planning Dead Space 2. Artist Ben Wanat said the team added multiplayer to meet Electronic Arts’ request to expand the series’ appeal. As a compromise, multiplayer was made a separate mode. Scott Probst oversaw the multiplayer section. The team chose a scenario where human players fought against Necromorphs. They studied other games with multiplayer, like Call of Duty, BioShock, and Left 4 Dead. Playable Necromorph types were chosen based on design and fun for players. Story elements from the main game were included in multiplayer but not in a way that would spoil the single-player story for players who tried multiplayer first.
Chuck Beaver, who worked on the story for the entire series, was the story producer. He and Ben Wanat worked together to keep the game’s lore consistent. The script was written by television writer Jeremy Bernstein, who joined the team after a chance meeting at a Game Developer Conference. Antony Johnston, who worked on Dead Space and its related media, joked that Bernstein “basically took the job from me.” Bernstein wrote the script, but the story was created through teamwork with senior designers. The team decided to give Isaac a voice instead of keeping him silent, as he was in the first game. This change helped make Isaac a more relatable character and allowed him to interact with others and show more independence. One of the first decisions made was to give Isaac a voice. A concern was making sure his dialogue did not slow down the game or feel out of place. Steve Papoutsis said Isaac’s character in Dead Space 2 showed more determination after his conflicts with Tiedmann. Chapter Twelve was meant to have a lighter tone after earlier dark events through conversations between Isaac and Ellie.
Steve Papoutsis described Isaac’s character in Dead Space 2 as “broken,” shown through his actions and mental state. His mental health was represented in the game through nursery rhymes. A late-game scene where Isaac uses a needle probe in his eye was inspired by the rhyme “Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” Hallucinations of Nicole were added to explore Isaac’s mental state and reflect real-life situations where people lose loved ones. These hallucinations also showed how Isaac questioned his own sanity during the Ishimura level. The team decided early on to include more supporting characters, with a large number of female characters naturally fitting the game’s world. A staff member said Ellie, one of the main female characters, was described as the “female…” (text cut off).
Release
Rumors about Dead Space 2 began in 2009. A report from Variety said the game would be part of a trilogy and that a movie version would be made. The game was officially announced on December 7, 2009. In 2010, footage was shown at E3, and a demo version was displayed at Gamescom. The marketing budget was reported to be an additional $60 million. As part of the marketing, Electronic Arts worked with Renegade Effects to create a real-life version of Isaac's RIG suit, which became famous in the series. The suit was shown at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con. A controversial campaign used the slogan "Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2." Women with conservative views were chosen to watch violent parts of the game. A Dead Space-themed armor set could be unlocked in Dragon Age II using a code included with Dead Space 2. A closed multiplayer beta for PlayStation 3 started on September 23, 2010. Papoutsis said the game was near completion by October 2010. A demo was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on December 8, 2010.
Dead Space 2 was released worldwide in January 2011. It came out in North America on January 25, Australia on January 27, and Europe on January 28. In Germany, the game was delayed until February because the country's laws required removing the friendly fire option. A patch was created to allow players to remap PC controls after a petition from a disabled player. A Collector's Edition included a soundtrack CD, Unitology-themed armor and weapons, and concept art. The PC and Xbox 360 versions included a replica of the plasma cutter weapon. A version of Dead Space: Extraction was bundled with the PS3 Collector's Edition and standard first prints. The PS3 version also included the Rivet Gun from Extraction as an in-game weapon. Having a save file from the first Dead Space unlocked the original plasma cutter as an early bonus weapon.
On January 27, three paid DLC packs named "Hazard," "Martial Law," and "Supernova" were released. Each included themed armor and weapons. On February 11, a multiplayer contest was held where players competed against a team of game staff. Winners received new armor sets. The DLC expansion Dead Space 2: Severed was announced on January 25. Producer Scott Probst said Severed focused more on action, reflecting Isaac's role as a security guard. Severed was only available for consoles, though no reason was given for not releasing it on PC. It was released in North America and Europe on March 1, and in Australia on March 2. A final DLC added free multiplayer maps based on the main game on May 24.
Because the first game was successful, Electronic Arts expanded the series into a "trans-media franchise," sharing the story through movies, books, and other media. Multiple titles were created to promote Dead Space 2. Beaver and Wanat oversaw the media to ensure consistency. Some media was written by Johnston, who later said it might be his last work on the series.
The spin-off game Dead Space Ignition, which followed Delille's story during the Necromorph outbreak, was developed by Sumo Digital and released in October 2010 for PS3 and Xbox 360. Completing Ignition unlocked bonuses for the console versions of Dead Space 2. A mobile game by IronMonkey Studios, set during the outbreak, was released in 2011 for iOS and Android.
The prequel novel Dead Space: Martyr, written by B. K. Evenson, was released on July 20, 2010, by Tor Books. It focused on the Black Marker and Michael Altman's role in Unitology. The animated movie Dead Space: Aftermath, made by the same team as Dead Space: Downfall, was released on the same day as Dead Space 2 in North America. It followed EarthGov's investigation of the Ishimura and included survivor stories. Stross was introduced in this movie, with Cornelius voicing the character in both Aftermath and Dead Space 2.
The graphic novel Dead Space: Salvage, published by IDW Publishing on November 24, 2010, took place between the two main games. It followed salvagers who found the wreck of the Ishimura. Christopher Shy of Studio Ronin illustrated the novel. He spent about a year designing the artwork, creating sketches and paintings to match the game's style. He designed characters with a punk rock look and aimed to show the madness of Marker worshippers. Johnston said working on Salvage was exciting because it explored new parts of the Dead Space universe.
Reception
Dead Space 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, while the Xbox 360 version received "universal acclaim," according to review aggregator website Metacritic. Reviews praised the game for its atmosphere and design, with several critics calling it an improvement over the original. Thierry Nguyen of 1Up.com and Carolyn Petit of GameSpot noted that the PS3 version was more visually appealing because it included a feature called Extraction in early copies. The control scheme for the PC version was positively noted by Petit as providing an easier experience for aiming.
Nguyen gave minimal comment about the story aside from noting changes in pacing and the inclusion of cinematic setpieces as part of a general shift toward action. Andy Robinson of Computer and Video Games praised the more cinematic delivery. Gaming magazine Edge felt that Isaac's new voiced role improved him as a protagonist, praising his interactions with the cast and reactions to the environment. Simon Parkin of Eurogamer enjoyed Isaac's voiced role and noted the use of Nicole to both scare the player and explore Isaac's mind. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner cited Isaac's mental state as the main strength of the game's plot, while Petit praised the combined focus on Isaac and the Necromorph threat, citing the opening and ending sections as the strongest parts of the game. GameTrailers noted a lack of development in the cast and found the visions of Nicole wore thin over time, calling the overall plot forgettable until the final section of the game. IGN's Greg Miller praised the more personal focus of the narrative, noting the rest of the cast as enjoyable but found the mission structure lacking and the central plot surrounding the Marker fairly weak. Francesca Reyes of Official Xbox Magazine enjoyed the story's presentation and Isaac's interactions with the cast, though she felt the later narrative and handling of Nicole's appearances slowed the experience. PC Gamer's Dan Stapleton felt the story delivery had improved considerably over the first game, while Jeremy Jastrzab of PALGN called the story "remarkably well told" and highlighted the use of audio and text logs to expand the Sprawl. The focus on Isaac's mental state was frequently cited as the strongest part of the narrative.
Parkin called the sound design "second to none," and Reiner praised both the sound design and the soundtrack for emphasizing the horror atmosphere. Petit cited the sound design as a key part of the experience. GameTrailers praised the implementation of the audio design but called the soundtrack "droning." Miller found himself so immersed in the world because of the sound design that he had trouble distinguishing real-world sounds from those in Dead Space 2. Jastrzab felt that both the sound and music of Dead Space 2 should be placed among the best in games overall.
Nguyen positively noted the level design and visual spectacle of the set piece scenarios. Edge referred to the visual design as "nothing short of brilliant" and praised the use of lighting to communicate horror elements. Parkin enjoyed the greater variety of environments and the design of the set piece sequences. Reiner felt the new setting of the Sprawl evoked more unsettling horror than the abandoned ship of the original game and praised the graphical detail. Petit praised the diversity of environments, saying the altered pacing and environment helped give the game its own identity. Reyes gave general praise to the visual design of the Sprawl, while GameTrailers lauded the increase in graphical quality and environmental variety between the first and second games. Stapleton positively noted the visual variety of levels, and Jastrzab felt the graphics had improved slightly over the first game and the visual design was used better.
Nguyen enjoyed the improvements to Isaac's movement and found the gameplay solid, but faulted the later sections for repetitive combat scenarios and generic mission objectives. Robinson praised the handling of action without diluting the survival horror elements and noted the incorporation of dedicated cinematic sequences with their own mechanics. Edge positively cited the introductions of new enemies and weapons as not disrupting the established gameplay balance but faulted the game's pace during later sections for relying on waves of enemies. Parkin enjoyed the increased pace of Isaac's character growth and the tension created by aggressive enemy types, with his main complaint being the number of quick time events used during some sections. Reiner felt some spawn points were unfair due to Isaac's lack of defenses against attacks from behind but otherwise praised the gameplay tension and variety of weapons and enemies. Petit enjoyed the gameplay but found the single-player structure predictable over time, impacting both gameplay and story. GameTrailers enjoyed the gameplay, noting improvements to its design and balance over the first game, but noted a lack of enemy variety and reused encounters. Miller lauded the gameplay as an improvement over the original in its control and speed, praising the lack of backtracking and unlockable extras. Reyes called the gameplay the real star of the experience, praising its improved pacing and mechanics while noting Necromorph spawn points growing predictable over time. Stapleton generally called the gameplay and improvements over the original despite frustrations with the lack of autosaving, and Jastrzab noted the gameplay remained solid despite a shift toward action and cinematic sequences over horror-based gameplay. The multiplayer received mixed opinions; some called it an enjoyable but shallow bonus to the single-player campaign, while others found it disappointing or lacking compared to the single-player campaign.
The DLC campaign Severed received "mixed or average" reviews, with Metacritic scoring it 65 out of 100 on PS3 and 57 out of 100 on 360. Anthony Gallegos of IGN praised the more action-focused combat related to Weller's character and profession but missed the puzzle sections and felt a lack of connection to Weller despite enjoying the DLC as a fun, short extension of the game world. Petit praised the pace of gameplay and felt the sound and graphics were equal to the original but disliked the recycling of environments from the main game and found the story uninteresting.
Near the end of the game, Isaac Clarke is instructed by a Nicole hallucination to use the "Noonlight Diagnostic Machine," which extracts information stored in the human brain by the Marker objects, including instructions to destroy them. In a brief cutscene, the machine straps Clarke in and subjects him to an eye laser surgery process involving a long
Sequel
After the release of Dead Space 2, Electronic Arts aimed to increase sales for the series. To achieve this, Visceral Games added several features to the next game, Dead Space 3, due to outside influences. These included cooperative multiplayer, a greater emphasis on action than horror, and microtransactions. Wanat returned as director, Woldman as producer, and Graves continued as a composer. The game was planned to conclude the series. Released worldwide in 2013, Dead Space 3 had low sales. As a result, the team members moved on to other projects, and Visceral Games closed in 2017.