JBoc924Survival Horror, it’s a genre that’s usually not as mainstream as say, a first person shooter or even an RPG. Survival horror is also a genre that seems to be having a hard time finding a sure platform on which to stand on, in order to succeed in pleasing fans and keeping up with the times. Resident Evil had to go through changes, to keep it from getting stale. But those changes came at the expense of the franchise’s,past, ability to instill fear in the player. Dead Space then came along, to much acclaim, it brought about a new hope in what seemed to be a dying, confused genre. The game offered a solo experience that is as much atmospheric as it is action-packed. It was actually scary to go through the Ishimura’s many corridors. Flashforward and here we are now, in the midst of receiving the sequel to Visceral’s survival horror classic. In the midst of experiencing multi-player in the Dead Space universe, for the first time.
Upon firing up the Dead Space 2 multi-player beta,selected, players are greeted with a familiar type of main menu, though this time it’s blue in color instead of the dirty brown that beautifully splattered the original’s main menu. You have single player, blocked out, and multi-player as the main modes to choose from. Seeing as how this is a beta, multi-player is our only route.
You have the choice to either engage in a quick-match, or if you have friends who’ve also received the beta key then you can all partake in a group match, not called that exactly. But it pretty much entails you being the leader of a party and then inviting your friends to join, before finally looking for a match you all can participate in together. But, as aforementioned, since this is a beta, you have to be sure your friends have received codes as well. On to the actual action.
Only one map is available to choose from, which if I recall correctly is titled Titan mines. Finding a match is pretty easy, with a player cap of 8. Ideally, 4 humans and 4 necromorphs. I didn’t get a chance to experience a full 4 vs. 4 match, but needless to say, the 3 on 3 feuds I took part in got quite intense. So in those regards, as a multi-player mode in a survival horror game, it delivered.
The human side each takes the role of a generic miner that resembles Isaac. You have the basic abilities Isaac had in the original game. You’re able to stomp, melee attack, and select from two weapons that are available in your initial load-out: the plasma cutter and the pulse rifle. These two weapons work just how you remember them in the first game. But, since the graphics have been upped, all the blood splatter looks even more beautiful. Seeing how the multi-player mode is objective-based, you gain levels and as you do, you’ll gain access to new weapons to be better suited to take out the necromorph horde. And speaking of necromorphs…
I just have to get this out of the way, playing as the necromorphs reminds me a lot of playing as the infected in the Left 4 Dead series. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just worth noting. The difference being, obviously, the third-person perspective of the game as opposed to L4D’s first person orientation. I got the chance to play as the lurker, spitter, and the pack. All of them each control in their own unique way.
The pack is quite agile and boasts a mean jump. He also has quick slashes that he can use to drain the opposing side’s life-force. His special move is triggered when making a successful leap at a human player. It then turns into a pure-button mashing affair. The quicker you’re able to mash on the attack button, the more damage you’ll inflict. Personally, I don’t recommend this method of executing due to the fact that most of the time you’ll always lose the button mashing war, and you’re also leaving yourself open to enemy fire from behind while you’re busy trying cut away at your foe.
The lurker is also an interesting necromorph to take the role of. Just how they do in the games, you’re able to attach yourself to any surface and travel along it. At first it might get a little getting used to the swift camera shifts when you’re quickly going from wall to ceiling and back to wall again, but it’ll feel like second nature in no time. You can attack with slashes and also if you hold the trigger, press the opposite trigger and you’re able to shoot projectiles at the enemy, making the lurker an ideal long-range necromorph to play as.
Lastly, you have the spitter. Personally, he’s (she?) my favorite to play as when I’m on the necromorph team. This is the classic necromorph that attacked Isaac in hordes in the first game , and will continue to do so in this sequel. Playing as the spitter is quite fun, with a press of a button you can gain a speed boost in the direction you’re facing, which will come in handy when taking enemy fire. You also have slashes in your move=set, but what’s the most fun about him (her?) is the actual…spitting. It works like a charm you simply hold a trigger to aim and then press the opposite one to let out toxic spit that can go pretty long distances. It’s sort of like a sniper, especially if you spawn above all the action. Very intuitive.
It was previously mentioned how the multi-player was objective-based. This works by having the human side tracking a beacon and then bringing it back to a certain spot. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. While the beacon is marked on-screen and you’ll always know how close, or far, you are to it, once you get it, you need to rely on your team-mates to watch your back. Reason being, you can’t run when in the possession of the beacon, so it’s up to any teammates around you to keep enemies away from you and secure you on your way to the hot-spot. You’re not restricted from shooting though,but it’s a wiser idea to let your allies do the shooting for you until you place the beacon down. There is a timer, so things will get pretty intense as the human side tries to take out all necromorphs on their way to victory.
That’s the basic gist for what’s offered on the beta. This was all based on my personal experiences. If I didn’t mention somethings it’s not that I left them out, it’s just that I didn’t get a chance to do those things, if there are indeed things I missed. So far, Dead Space 2’s multiplayer mode is a very entertaining addition to what was once thought of as being better off without such a mode.
That’s it for tonight, hope you guys enjoyed my impressions on the beta, come back tomorrow for a review of the new DLC chapter for Castlevania Harmony of Despair. Goodnight!
