Crazy Engineers and Space Zombies

Game: Dead Space 2

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC

Release: January 2011

In Barack Obama's State of the Union, he urged Americans to praise the nerdy kids. Why? Because they're the ones who are going to grow up and solve all the worlds problems. So give more credit to those geeky engineers and scientists. Well Mr. President, Dead Space 2 took your message to heart.

Issac Clark is the most badass engineer I have ever seen. Not since Gordon Freeman has a dork endured so much action. Dragged through tunnels and hurled into space? No problem. Drill through a mine so you can crash into the sealed-off government section? Cinch! Impale a necromorph onto a glass window so it shatters and decompresses the room? Achievement unlocked!


Ok ok enough of the silly protagonist praising. Issac Clark returns in another adventure more fucked up then the last. He survived the events on the Ishimura just to wind up in a straitjacket. Instead of a ship he is trapped on the Sprawl, a densely populated metropolis built on a shard of Titan, one of Saturn's moons. Once again he has to differentiate between those who want to manipulate him and those who just want to get out alive. Once again the religious zealots are going nuts and trying to bring about a space zombie apocalypse. And once again it's up to Issac to destroy the Marker--source of all the bad juju.

Yes the plot follows the same pattern of the first game. This does not mean that the game is boring and repetitive. New characters and setting are more then enough to freshen things up. This cookie cutter plot is also well done thanks in part to Issac finding his voice, and well performed acting by non-playable characters.

The new gameplay mechanics are also rock solid. Kenesis returns from the first game with a new twist. The technique can be used to impale enemies with rods, spikes, or claws. New weapons also add to the carnage, but I found myself sticking to the Ripper and Plasma Cutter. The later has a new special ability that adds fire damage--sweet! The best change, however, is Issac no longer has to lunge in zero gravity. He now has thrusters that can easily move him around in any direction. This is truly a delight because the controls are so smooth, and the level design is well thought out.

Dead Space 2 is one of those games I can play again and again. The action is so intense that it literally leaves me on the edge of my seat. The story is not original, but it is very well executed. The added improvements to gameplay are awesome, and there is even a multiplayer that I haven't had a desire to play. I'm having too much fun with the single player. Snerts Snazzy Score grants Dead Space 2 the top honors--Full Price!

The Good, The Bad, and The Undead

Game: Undead Nightmare (Red Dead Redemption Expansion)

System: Xbox 360, PS3

Release: November 2010

Saddle up partners it's time to hit the trails. There's a trouble a foot. Some dam fool has risen the dead. Now they walk the earth, and only you...what's that? You've heard this one before. Oh...

Undead Nightmares is a decent run of the mill zombie experience. John Marston watches his family turn into zombies, but manages to avoid getting harmed. He locks them in a room, and sets off to solve the mystery. Along the way he visits everything and everyone from the main game. Only now there's zombies, the four horses of the apocalypse, and some new guns for shits and giggles. Eventually some random mystical character finds John and helps him save the day.

Gameplay is the main reason for more Red Dead, and things have been altered slightly to fit the zombie motif. There are new weapons, horses, and side quests. The most interesting weapons are the torch, explosive rifle (think cannon balls from a boom stick), and the deadly blunderbuss that shoots body parts. Finding and taming the four horses of the apocalypse is a neat touch, and picking flowers now provide upgrades like phosphorous bullets. The other side quests are predictable fetch like crap (more on that later) that I mostly ignored.

Luckily the AI and combat can be extremely intense compared to the main game. There are different classes of zombies that will seem oh so familiar to Left for Dead veterans. There are chargers, spitting zombies, and fast moving crawlers that move around on all fours. Enemies will surround you quickly if you stand still, and ammo is scare until the later half of the game. Zombies will also pull you off your horse, and the undead wildlife will relentlessly chase you. The gameplay and AI are hands down the best feature of the Undead Nightmares.

Missions on the other hand are repetitive and predictable. Go to this town and help the survivors. Go here and find a clue. Go there for some flowers. Oh now go back to that town because they're being attacked again. Each town you save unlocks a new gun, and provides a new save point with some ammo crates. You can also only fast travel between towns you save making this feature key to completing this game. There are probably six-ish quests that relate to the main story, and the ending seems abrupt. Call me picky, but I wanted a little something more like that one locomotive mission to Mexico.

Undead Nightmares is a fun experience, but it's nothing special. Playing more Red Dead Redemption is always welcomed, and this was probably the games saving grace. The new gameplay features were neat, but the missions were boring. The story was cookie cutter zombie horror in a cookie cutter western setting. Snerts says Gamefly this bad boy. No need to buy, but it's sure fun to try.