E310 Preview: Dead Space 2, Can You Hear Me Now?

EA showed a live demo of Dead Space 2 behind close doors at its E3 2010 booth. The demo showed several minutes of thrilling gameplay, including a lot of the game’s new features.

While the survival-horror gameplay that made the original a hit is most definitely back, the sequel adds new effects, even more unique environments, creative puzzle solving, and voice acting for Isaac Clarke, the returning protagonist of the game. The demo shown was awesome and was a great first impression on what to expect from Dead Space 2.

The demo started off in the Church of Unitology. Shortly after entering, Isaac was attacked by a new Necromorph monster, which had a vomit-like attack. The action slowed down for really cool dramatic effect. The gameplay was then mixed up a bit when Isaac had to solve a switch puzzle. It wasn’t very difficult at all, but it was a good way to mix things up. By this time in the demo, I was craving to get my hands on this game.

There are a whole slew of new features in Dead Space 2. Isaac can now switch suits at checkpoints and each suit is designed to perform better in different circumstances. There’s also a javelin gun that shoots long projectiles into enemies and can even cut off limbs. It kinda looks like a crossbow, but ya know, from the future.

There were several portions of the demo in zero gravity, probably something that’s gonna be quite prevalent in the game. These parts of the game let you control the action in 360 degrees. The game’s graphics looked fantastic, especially the monsters. Even in its early stages, the visuals are right on point.

As a fan of the original Dead Space back in 2008, I can truly say I’m looking forward to Dead Space 2. All the scares and gruesome gameplay is back, but now with a whole bunch of new features and additions. Get ready to be thrilled when Dead Space 2 hits the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC on January 25, 2011.

Oh, and if you buy the exclusive PS3 version, you’ll also get Dead Space: Extraction, which will be PlayStation Move compatible.