5th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Dead Space 2

        The Dead Space franchise is one of the most interesting in the recent years.  The best part of the franchise is that it is part survival horror and part science fiction.  Which is pretty unique in video games.  The next closest thing to Dead Space are the Alien versus Predator games.  Which are no where near as good or popular as this franchise.  Since the first Dead Space, this franchise has shown through sheer power of the story of the series that this is a title to be reckoned with.  Much like some horror movies, fans can either go very deep in the world of Dead Space; like reading the books, comic books, and watching the movies.  Or they can just play the games.

       Dead Space 2 is the best game of the two games that makeup the franchise on the XBOX 360 and PS3 so far.  The incredible changes to interface, movement speed, and even the way  in which the game handles upgrades and such make this a big step forward for the series.  There are plenty of things that stayed the same in Dead Space 2 from the previous installment.  Aspects like music, sound effects, and incredible graphics that have all ways been a hallmark of the series remain.  Dead Space 2 is the BEST example of what modern video games can become when it comes to games giving the player a cinematic feel without the player feeling as though the entire game is on rails.

     The new range of enemies requiring different weapons to deal with them; in addition the player can telekinetically pick up objects or parts of slain enemies to kill enemies or solve puzzles.  While some of this was present in the first game, the second expands this making a real part of the game.  Further immersing the player into the game.  All of this mixes up the game so that the player is both driven by the story but also driven by what could be coming next. 

     Since this game came out in January; There has been a lot of digital water under the digital bridge.  But Dead Space 2 and the whole franchise is certainly very much worth some notice in this year of incredibly impressive titles.  And in the history of video games as a whole I believe that both Dead Space and Dead Space 2 are definitely worthy of top sports when compared to series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.  Even with Dead Space 2’s forgettable multiplayer; the game is definitely one of the best and most unique games of the year.