Dead Space 2

F1ngers

DemoniK wrote: »

Great to hear hardcore isn't as difficult as zealot. Might go do it now

It's not that hard, just the consequences of a missed shot or in my case a mis-timed used of kinesis and you're back 2-3 hours worth of work.

DemoniK

GothPunk wrote: »

I would disagree Demonik and say that your first playthrough should definitely be on Zealot. The difficulty really ramps up the tension, particularly early on when you can't let a necro touch you.

completely agree as someone who's played other DS games - but someone who hasn't would be better off to avoid the frustration at times..
TBH - I don't regret playing on zealot first - but there were moments where all I wanted to do was throw the controller at the screen. Luckily other things meant I got a day or two away from the PS3 so I always came back for more.

F1ngers wrote: »

It's not that hard, just the consequences of a missed shot or in my case a mis-timed used of kinesis and you're back 2-3 hours worth of work.

Spot on.
And in some parts it takes a while to figure out that timing, that specific tactic. It can take hours, and many retries to get it.

johnny_ultimate

Just started tonight. Aha the simple joys of no lights, monsters and killer sound design How I love this series!

Mr Freeze

On chapter 8 on Zealot, its pretty easy on New game +, not having any difficulty at all compared to my 1st run through on Survivalist, which I found some parts quite tough.

Wont be long now before starting Hardcore!!!

johnny_ultimate

Also, this was probably mentioned earlier in the thread, but kudos to Visceral for an amazing PS3 port. I usually go 360 for multi-platform titles, but I'm thoroughly impressed at how super smooth this looks. And for being one of the rare PS3 games that actually displays in 1080p!

GothPunk

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

Also, this was probably mentioned earlier in the thread, but kudos to Visceral for an amazing PS3 port. I usually go 360 for multi-platform titles, but I'm thoroughly impressed at how super smooth this looks. And for being one of the rare PS3 games that actually displays in 1080p!

I'm pretty sure PS3 was lead platform - at least it was for Dead Space 1. I think a couple of years ago EA made the PS3 the lead platform for their HD console titles, probably to do with they make more money on the PS3 somehow.

The more you know. ~~~~* :pac:

Edit: So I'm sure you all remember the 'Your Mom hates Dead Space 2 videos'? Well there is a new series up called 'Your Mom's really bad at multiplayer'. Pretty damn funny I think.

Stomping is pretty fun after all.

Mr Freeze

Starting my hardcore run now! Gonna try the 1st save in chapter 5!!!!

KillerShamrock

CKWPORT wrote: »

Starting my hardcore run now! Gonna try the 1st save in chapter 5!!!!

I started mine today saved just before the tormentor sequence end of chap 5 start of 6, and im glad i did cause i went on to die during it due to my own mess up lol. Went on to save just before

the return to the Ishamura and died at the part in the tunnel with the 2 brutes and tones of necros

Will start again at that point tomorrow i think hopefully save around chapter 12 and 13

F1ngers

CKWPORT wrote: »

Starting my hardcore run now! Gonna try the 1st save in chapter 5!!!!

Too early imo, get to the

gym

and save after it for save 1.

Richie6904 wrote: »

I started mine today saved just before the tormentor sequence end of chap 5 start of 6, and im glad i did cause i went on to die during it due to my own mess up lol. Went on to save just before

the return to the Ishamura and died at the part in the tunnel with the 2 brutes and tones of necros

Richie6904 wrote: »

Will start again at that point tomorrow i think hopefully save around chapter 12and 13

My save 2 is at the start of chapter 11. My next save will be after the

drill ride

or as near to the final save/store as possible.

You really need to push on as far into the game with each save a possible. I saved too early with my first save and could have pushed on a little more for my 2nd save.
My third save is up for debate, as I will decide tomorrow or the next day as to how far I will push it(realistically I would like to push it as close to the final fight as possible).

Mr Freeze

I will try it again during the week! I got a bit cocky as it was easy and then the flipping 1st tripod made short work of me!!! Next I'll spend my money on med packs instead of whoring it all for nodes!!!

Overheal

just watched my cousin play the last half hour or so, went to play the first chapter of DS1, so im sure ill be giving this another go on the PC if i can eliminate the input-lag that i got the first time i tried this game.. The Plasma Cutter is fun.

Speaking of whoring power nodes is that where I should burn all my cash, just upgrade the cutter as far as it will go.

F1ngers

Overheal wrote: »

Speaking of whoring power nodes is that where I should burn all my cash,

No, you get plenty of nodes just playing the game, however if you have plenty of ammo and health, there's no harm in buying some nodes to speed up the upgrading.

Overheal wrote: »

just upgrade the cutter as far as it will go.

Definitely upgrade to it's specialty.

Adds fire damage

After that I'd upgrade your stasis and rig.
Once they're upgraded then go back to the plasma cutter or your preferred second weapon.

Hard Core playthrough: got past the

elevator and drill ride

(chapters 12-13), but it cost all my health and ammo. Had sfa credits when I got to the other side.
I 've decided to forget that and re-do from my second save and try do better.

Mr Freeze

Attempt no.2 at Hardcode tonight, hopefully I can get to chapter 5 in a few hours and save it around there, I want to save before the elevator ride anyways.

GothPunk

Joystiq have a really interesting article about the creation of the opening sequence, I'm sure you know which scene I mean. Spoilers within that link by the way I guess for anyone has yet to play the game.

I figured that it would have taken a lot of work to do but I wouldn't have thought it would take that long, and that it went through a few iterations. Joystiq also have a link to an video interview with the guy (the games producer, Rich Briggs) whose likeness was used as a basis for the character who wakes Isaac. It must be weird for him to watch the opening scene. :pac:

djkeogh

Finished this on my 1st playthrough on Zealot the other night. Man that final boss fight was hard. I got there with

Line gun - 5 rounds
Plasma Cutter - 17 rounds
Force Gun - 18 rounds.

Force gun was good against the pack but my god do they swamp you fast.

I had to take it to 4 or 5 appearances of the heart due to not having enough ammo.

Musta been hammering away at it for a few hours when I finally had a round that went sweetly and i got through it.

Just whipping through on a new game + now on casual and the amount of ammo you get is criminal compared to Zealot.

Hearing you guys now i'm tempted to try the HC run and I reckon the Javelin is the best gun in the game for it alright.

F1ngers

CKWPORT wrote: »

Attempt no.2 at Hardcode tonight, hopefully I can get to chapter 5 in a few hours and save it around there, I want to save before the elevator ride anyways.

I said it before and will say it again, too soon. Get to chapter 6, and save after the

gym

. If you think you can take the

brute

just after it, then do and save there.

djkeogh wrote: »

Hearing you guys now i'm tempted to try the HC run and I reckon the Javelin is the best gun in the game for it alright.

I started off with the Plasma Cutter and it's perfect for the early stages. But now I have my third save towards the end of the game, the Plasma Cutter is not cutting (:o) it anymore and re-spec'd my Javelin. It and the Force Gun are the business.

Got to Nicole last night and made a cuppa while watching the cut-scene, but I forgot about the

interaction and Javelined

myself...:mad::mad:

EDIT: Just finished Hard Core a few minutes ago. :D:D:D

Hard to the Core - Bing
The Final Frontier - Bing.

Was rough but fun.

chin_grin

New expansion "Severed".

http://kotaku.com/#!5768195/dead-space-2s-haunting-new-chapter-arrives-in-march

Dead Space 2’s Haunting New Chapter Arrives In March
Mike Fahey — Gabriel and Lexine from Dead Space: Extraction make their Dead Space 2 debut on March 1 as the central cast for the chilling new single-player digital download pack Severed. Here's a scream that will haunt you all day long.

I played Dead Space 2 for about an hour before I set it aside, not out of dislike, but out of fear. It's what I get for playing it in a darkened room with no one else in the house at the time. I'll get back to it though, hopefully in time for the March 1 release of Dead Space: Severed.

Gabe Weller from Dead Space: Extraction stars in this two chapter side-story, along with Lexine Murdoch and a special guest from the original Dead Space, the Twitcher.

I might not be able to make it through the downloadable content either. *shivers*

Dead Space 2: Severed will be available for 560 Microsoft points or $6.99 on Xbox Live worldwide and the North American PlayStation Network, with European PlayStation 3 players getting it on March 2.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jtEgQiZ-Kc

djkeogh

Damn, This new DLC looks good. I was all set to trade the game in this weekend but thinking I'll hold on for the DLC now and try a hardcore run while I wait.

Just when I thought I was out . . . .

tuxy

Cool! What will the windows price be for this expansion ?

koneko

They're not releasing it for PC IIRC

djkeogh

Had my first crack at Hardcore mode there yesterday and died at the train section. Completely overwhelmed. Not sure whether to try again now or not.

Mr Freeze

5th Crack at Hardcore last night :rolleyes:

Made it to Chapter 7 and stupidly died, didn't mind as it was time for bed nearly and my next save was planned in Chapter 9 or 10. Last save will be chapter 13 before the

eye poke machine, and thats a vicious cheap death sometimes

So my 1st save was chapter 5 before the cyro room's, yes definitely a bit early but no way was I risking a cheap death against the

Tripod attack in the church and the tormentor attack (not that either killed me yet in a playthrough, but it would be just my luck!)

.

ScoreX

Can't believe they're not bringing this out on pc.

wayne040576

Currently stuck on the last boss. Driving me mad. I've spent a few hours on it today with no luck . I think my problem is low ammo & wrong weapons.

I have 2 line racks 10 plasma, 12 spears and 14 detonators. The detonators are not great for the swarm because I end up hitting myself as they're so close.

I did manage to knock the heart out 3 times on one go but that's about it. Gave up with a headache .

kearneybobs

wayne040576 wrote: »

Currently stuck on the last boss. Driving me mad. I've spent a few hours on it today with no luck . I think my problem is low ammo & wrong weapons.

I have 2 line racks 10 plasma, 12 spears and 14 detonators. The detonators are not great for the swarm because I end up hitting myself as they're so close.

I did manage to knock the heart out 3 times on one go but that's about it. Gave up with a headache .

Use the spears and then electrocute the swarm with the secondary fire. They'll drop loads of med packs and ammo for you to pick up. Should make it a bit easier.

johnny_ultimate

So I'm on chapter 11 now, taking my time, but over the last few chapters I can't help but get the feeling that certain parts of this game are... lazy. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy it a hell of a lot, and some of the set pieces are excellent. I've also been won over to the 360 zero-g sequences, although still miss the more limited but effective movement of the first game.

But it's more the level design just doesn't have much oomph anymore. It's just moving from one shooting gallery to the next. Everytime I enter a big room I sigh - "here we go again". Sometimes less is more, but the difficulty curve here just seems "throw more enemies at 'em!".

Now, I can't deny this is an action game first and foremost. The combat is still brutal, unique and visceral, no doubt about it - the basic shooting is rock solid. But the motivation to move on is lower here, the atmosphere seemingly a secondary concern to stronger enemies (those darker coloured necromorphs with the trickier to dismember limbs are a particular pain). The first game wasn't perfect, but it felt more engaging for the length of the running time.

I still really like Dead Space 2, but can feel a tingling sense of disappointment as I progress. It just seems to occasionally just give into formula, although it makes the setpieces all the more effective I guess. But I can't help but feel that walking into a giant room and not having to fight monsters but hearing them would sometimes be more effective. Horror is a genre of the unexpected, but DS2 at its weakest is almost too predictable.

wayne040576

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

So I'm on chapter 11 now, taking my time, but over the last few chapters I can't help but get the feeling that certain parts of this game are... lazy. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy it a hell of a lot, and some of the set pieces are excellent. I've also been won over to the 360 zero-g sequences, although still miss the more limited but effective movement of the first game.

But it's more the level design just doesn't have much oomph anymore. It's just moving from one shooting gallery to the next. Everytime I enter a big room I sigh - "here we go again". Sometimes less is more, but the difficulty curve here just seems "throw more enemies at 'em!".

Now, I can't deny this is an action game first and foremost. The combat is still brutal, unique and visceral, no doubt about it - the basic shooting is rock solid. But the motivation to move on is lower here, the atmosphere seemingly a secondary concern to stronger enemies (those darker coloured necromorphs with the trickier to dismember limbs are a particular pain). The first game wasn't perfect, but it felt more engaging for the length of the running time.

I still really like Dead Space 2, but can feel a tingling sense of disappointment as I progress. It just seems to occasionally just give into formula, although it makes the setpieces all the more effective I guess. But I can't help but feel that walking into a giant room and not having to fight monsters but hearing them would sometimes be more effective. Horror is a genre of the unexpected, but DS2 at its weakest is almost too predictable.

Pretty much how I felt about it. It got really frustrating for me from chapter 13 on. There was one part near the end where it kept spawnng the enemies and in the end I just ran for it and adopted that strategy until the end of the game as I just wanted to get it over with. I think I introducing the stronger black variants of the enemies was one of the worse aspects of both games.

Still stuck on the last boss... I think Id have to go a few saves back and get the pulse rifle.

johnny_ultimate

wayne040576 wrote: »

Pretty much how I felt about it. It got really frustrating for me from chapter 13 on. There was one part near the end where it kept spawnng the enemies and in the end I just ran for it and adopted that strategy until the end of the game as I just wanted to get it over with. I think I introducing the stronger black variants of the enemies was one of the worse aspects of both games.

Still stuck on the last boss... I think Id have to go a few saves back and get the pulse rifle.

I just finished the game there, and the ending moments / last boss are decent and intense, but again just too many enemies being thrown at you. My main problem was enemies that worked on their own in the first half -

lurkers

especially, the first two encounters with them extremely tense - but when you just add them to the bucketload of enemies being thrown at you, they just get annoying. Some bits -

the long corridor in the Ishimura, for example

- weren't tense, it was just a matter of waiting to pass the invisible trigger point. Enemies would inevitably spawn.

As said, thoroughly enjoyed the game, but not to the same extent I enjoyed the first. For a third game, it would be great if they toned back the action and upped the horror a notch - more variety is needed. The first half of DS2 was a more than worthy successor to the first, but the second just felt like a failed attempt to artificially lengthen the game.

TheJBurner

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

I just finished the game there, and the ending moments / last boss are decent and intense, but again just too many enemies being thrown at you. My main problem was enemies that worked on their own in the first half -

lurkers

especially, the first two encounters with them extremely tense - but when you just add them to the bucketload of enemies being thrown at you, they just get annoying. Some bits -

the long corridor in the Ishimura, for example

- weren't tense, it was just a matter of waiting to pass the invisible trigger point. Enemies would inevitably spawn.

As said, thoroughly enjoyed the game, but not to the same extent I enjoyed the first. For a third game, it would be great if they toned back the action and upped the horror a notch - more variety is needed. The first half of DS2 was a more than worthy successor to the first, but the second just felt like a failed attempt to artificially lengthen the game.

i completly agree. i found the first half of ds2 was pretty awsome. up until

we return to the ishimura

. after that the motivation curve for me went down a bit. it was pretty much just shooting through one big chamber to the next. the end where you let

the necromorphs into the government sector

turned it back up and the intensity in the end is really awsome. the boss fight on the other hand for me is (like in dead space 1) still a bit to easy. even on zealot difficulty.

penev10

Finally got around to starting this last night. First two chapters were excellent, easily matching the original in terms of atmosphere but adding some more variety in terms of locations and scenarios.

Gave multiplayer a quick go too, seemed decent enough. What's the general feeling on the online modes? are they worth dedicating some time to?