It was natural to be skeptical. Competitive multiplayer seemed antithetical to Dead Space’s most acclaimed features. A profound sense of dread and an unsettling atmosphere wouldn’t seem to mesh with kill counts and hectic objective based missions. Thankfully Visceral was well aware of this, and seems to have created an experience that doesn’t replicate and reproduce the single player portions of Dead Space, but rather uses the base mechanics as a foundation to create an entirely different, but still incredibly fun experience.
The multiplayer beta was small in stature, just a single map (Titan Mines) and game type were all that were available, but it was just enough to get a taste of what’s in store. Four engineers decked out like protagonist Isaac Clarke were pitted against four Necromorphs. The engineers were charged with collecting components throughout the map to assemble a Shock Mine in the center, which, if completed, would set a detonation timer and win the match. All the Necros had to do was insure as none of that happened by (what else?) using as much violence as possible
Mechanics were a blend of old and new. The engineer obviously controls much like Isaac did in the original Dead Space. The only weapons I had at my low level were a machine gun and the plasma cutter, but when I got to level two I unlocked the javelin gun. Engineers have two melee abilities (a swipe/punch and the particularly impressive stomp) and their stasis module, which is used on enemies to severely slow their movement for a few seconds. It’s been a year since I last replayed Dead Space, but on the whole I didn’t really find too much different with the engineer. The wonderful HUD (or lack thereof) is still in place, ammo and health is collected from drops, and aiming is still a cinch. A persistent, leveling up system was also in place, those as of this writing I’ve only reached 4. The only change arrived when one team member had to carry a component; movement is considerably slower, often requiring the rest of the team for a safe escort.
The Necromorphs, on the other hands were a hell of a lot different. The Pack, the new naked toddler…thing, specializes in melee attacks. Blessed with a massive leap that seems to home in on humans, Packs move around with quite a bit of finesse. I also found that when three of us were all Packs, we seemed to absolutely eviscerate everyone we came across. They’re much more agile than humans, and could easily circle and slash around while the human characters desperately tried to line up their aiming reticule. It almost felt cheap, but I’m sure that will change with additional balances and when the player base inevitably gets a good grip on the mechanics.
Next up was the Spitter, which, if memory serves me right, was the most common enemy in Dead Space. It’s the bipedal, multi-armed human abomination we all know and love, only now under your control. Its move set included a rushing charge as well as the ability to spit acid (or whatever) at the humans. Its projectile produced an aiming reticule similar to the human’s weapons, only with the additional option of carrying a charge. It made for an interesting experience, but, of the three available, I had the least amount of fun with the Spitter.
The last Necromorph on the list (in the beta, there’s one more slot blanked out) was the Lurker. As I’m sure you can remember, that’s the one that walks on walls and has the three tails that sprout up while it’s shooting acid at you. Both the acid projectiles and wall walking ability are granted to the player as the Lurker, though I found wall-walking to be somewhat maddening. It’s still a beta and maybe I didn’t get completely familiar with it, but, while it technically worked, it was completely disorienting, a little too sticky, and not all that useful in a fast paced environment.
Necromorohs also come with a few bonuses. Let’s not forget it’s okay to get your head blown off, it’s the wildly flailing limbs that matter the most. The first time it happens, it’s quite a surprise to heave your removed – and then continue playing. When you do perish, you’re not limited to a specific respawn point. Just like in Dead Space-proper, Necromorphs can spawn through vents scattered throughout the map. It’s more strategic than you’d think; sure, it’s nice to spawn anywhere and surprise someone, but it really sucks when you do it right in front of a human and they start unloading on you as you’re crawling out. Necro’s can also see through walls, and, despite lower health, are far more agile than their human counterparts. Lastly, they aren’t guided by traditional objectives, instead motivated by an ominous voice and the words “kill” plastered all over the screen. Unitology is quite convincing, after all.
All thrown together, matches were incredibly hectic. Strategically dismembering Necromorphs as a human while simultaneous trying to acquire parts wasn’t easy to do alone; teamwork is absolutely essential. I found we always won when we kept a close defense around the guy transporting the component. More madness comes into play at the end of the sequence. If you get all the components, a timer starts in the center of the map, and you’re forced to defend that point until it runs out. With Pack’s mutilating you up close and Spitter and Lurkers hurling projectiles from afar, it was pretty tough, and a lot of fun too. Taking its cues from Left 4 Dead, that last minute is always an absolute calamity for both sides.
Dead Space 2’s multiplayer was better than it had any right to be. Countless single player games have insubstantial multiplayer jammed into the feature set, but Visceral’s work boasts significant weight and substance. The main attraction will undoubtedly remain with the single player portion, but if the multiplayer stays on course and the full list of modes is just as fun, it might be the reason to stick around.
