It pains me to say this, but I like it less than the first one. I think the shift and greater focus on action elements make this game worse than the first.
Yes, controlling Isaac is more enjoyable overall than the first game, and the game has good narrative construction (Isaac is such a sick fuck in this game, I love it), but I think the focus on action ultimately makes this game a less special and memorable final product than the first game. I also don't like the supporting characters in general; I think they take away some of the feeling of isolation from the first game.
The first game handled moments of horror so well, and maybe because Isaac is harder to control, the tension was much higher overall in the first game compared to this one.
When these games take on this idea of being more action-oriented, they often repeat various "generic" gauntlet scenarios like other games of this type. In the first game, the experience felt more unique to me, while in the second game, these moments always ended up reminding me of a gauntlet in one game or another. This makes the game feel a bit dragged out. I even thought that in the last third would be more horror oriented because of the place Isaac was going to explore, but the game practically doubled down on combat and action, unfortunately.
And this loss of identity compared to the first one is my biggest criticism of Dead Space 2. That said, it's still a good sequel; the game still executes the UI brilliantly like the first one, the weapons are enjoyable to use, and the game as a whole is still worthy of some playthroughs. And of course, pukers and stalkers will always be the bane of my existence.
Yes, controlling Isaac is more enjoyable overall than the first game, and the game has good narrative construction (Isaac is such a sick fuck in this game, I love it), but I think the focus on action ultimately makes this game a less special and memorable final product than the first game. I also don't like the supporting characters in general; I think they take away some of the feeling of isolation from the first game.
The first game handled moments of horror so well, and maybe because Isaac is harder to control, the tension was much higher overall in the first game compared to this one.
When these games take on this idea of being more action-oriented, they often repeat various "generic" gauntlet scenarios like other games of this type. In the first game, the experience felt more unique to me, while in the second game, these moments always ended up reminding me of a gauntlet in one game or another. This makes the game feel a bit dragged out. I even thought that in the last third would be more horror oriented because of the place Isaac was going to explore, but the game practically doubled down on combat and action, unfortunately.
And this loss of identity compared to the first one is my biggest criticism of Dead Space 2. That said, it's still a good sequel; the game still executes the UI brilliantly like the first one, the weapons are enjoyable to use, and the game as a whole is still worthy of some playthroughs. And of course, pukers and stalkers will always be the bane of my existence.