Dead Space 2, the new installment of Visceral Games' survival horror franchise, has got to be one of the most captivating and chilling experiences presented on a gaming console to date. The cutting edge art and graphic development on top of the amazing story writing contribute to what seems like a perfectly balanced and immersive experience.

Once again the player is observing the world through the eyes of Isaac; though this time he seems to have forgotten his identity, as well as his purpose on board the space station know as 'The Sprawl'.

As the events of the game unfold, Isaac quickly learns about the deadly Necropmorphs which are essentially a swarm of undead, committed to corrupting all human life aboard the station. This isn’t too much of a problem as the player has an arsenal of weapons and psychic abilities including telekinesis and time-manipulation which can be used to hold back the hordes of creatures hell-bent on total annihilation of sentient beings.

If the burden of dealing with this destructive, external threat isn't enough of an obstacle already, there is also an immense internal struggle taking place within Isaac. Amnesia and hallucinations of occult and alien symbolism plague Isaac along his journey and force him to put together all the pieces required to remember important past events. With a little help from Isaac’s fellow ‘mental patients’, it doesn’t take long to gain a little bit of insight. This is especially helpful as it answers some of the fundamental questions for players who have not completed the first game.

The atmosphere in Dead Space 2 is very uneasy and can be terrifying at times (especially when played in an isolated, dark room). These factors combined with the periodic occurrence of crab-like zombies jumping out of their hiding places, help to create a truly engaging and scary environment which remains consistent throughout the entire journey. The somewhat new and exciting way in which space is presented and the amazing vacuum effect used to represent sound and light in some parts of Dead Space 2 sets a very high creative standard for future sci-fi games to compete with. These unforgettable aspects only add to the overall high level of enjoyment achieved by this incredible game.

-Mitchell Fitzpatrick