Visceral On Dead Space 2: Less Horror, More Action

Survival/horror fans everywhere love what Dead Space did for the genre. But at the same time, the designers want to remind us that action really is a focal point for the impending sequel.

During an IndustryGamers interview with Visceral Games senior vice president Nick Earl, we learn that Dead Space 2 is going to "empower" the player; i.e., he will feel stronger and more capable than he did in the original title. After completing Dante's Inferno, which launches next week, Earl confirmed that their two main teams will do some supporting content for the latter title but then shift their attention to Dead Space 2. Said Earl:

"We're more focused on the action than the horror this time. We're more empowering to the player. We've got a lot of feature innovation and we feel comfortable because we have something with resonance and we have something that's so capable."

EA has really charged over the past couple of years, hot on the heels of CEO John Riccitiello informing gamers that his company would make a dedicated return to quality. He said this after a relatively bad 2007 and ever since, we've been quite happy with the games EA has churned out. Developers like DICE and Visceral have certainly helped and with Dead Space 2, we're expecting nothing but greatness. However, in regards to the "more action" bit; we should say this- one of the original's primary appeals was its total creep-out factor. This comes from periods of inactivity...we hope Visceral understands this.

Related Game(s): Dead Space 2

2/3/2010 10:31:16 AM Ben Dutka

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Comments (53 posts)

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shaydey77
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 10:53:24 AM
Reply

"However, in regards to the "more action" bit; we should say this- one of the original's primary appeals was its total creep-out factor."

Definitely agree. The action should only be as good as the story. Heck this even reminds me of parts of what I will be expecting from Heavy Rain. True emotion.

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 10:53:38 AM
Reply

Can't say I'm entirely please with this news. I think it's a bad choice to reduce the horror. Being creeped out was one of the best features of the game. The boss battles were kinda boring as they were all action and no puzzle. Hope they aren't screwing up this great game.

10 up, 1 down

Qubex
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:26:23 AM

They are damned if they do and damned if they don't though... gamers, in general I think, are looking to see an evolution in this I.P; similar but not exactly the same... so I guess they have to think of enhancing/tweaking certain game aspects a little, or shifting the balance to make/show this evolution of sorts...

Its a fine line to tread, a difficult balance to achieve... and if done wrong, smell as bad as 10 year old matured Blue cheese. Let's hope they get it right... for their sakes, otherwise more lay-offs.

Q!

"i am home"

Last edited by Qubex on 2/3/2010 11:26:55 AM

4 up, 1 down

Alienange
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 2:02:24 PM

I don't think they are damned if they don't. The creep factor was the best part. The controls were great. To turn this into a run and gun is basically turning it into Wolfenstein. There's countless games that have you running around shooting monsters. Why jump into that swamp when you have something really creative on your hands?

I think the problem with Dead Space, other than being a new IP, was that it lacked depth. There was maybe two puzzles in the whole game and the rest was fetch quests. It played like RE4 in space, but lacked the depth.

I guess we'll see what DS2 really has to offer when it gets here.

4 up, 1 down

SvenMD
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 2:11:38 PM

Alienange I know this is some rough news for you - I know you really liked the original and you're STILL playing it.

I thought it was a great game and really doesn't need that much changed. I would rather they stick with the horror aspect as well. The silence when you're out in space with nothing but your breath - it's awesome. I will say this game wasn't totally creepy, but it was an awesome good time.

I also don't think Isaac will transition over well to action. He was kinda clunky, which is great for a horror game, but won't really work with more action.

I will withhold judgment for now...but I see this going somewhere bad.

2 up, 0 down

Alienange
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 4:43:11 PM

SvenMD - You know I started a thread in the forums about getting Platinum trophies and ever since then I had been eying my Dead Space wondering if I'll ever Platinum the thing...

As you say I have recently fired it back up to complete it on "impossible" mode (the only thing left before plat) and you know what? It's a damn terrifying game on impossible.

Seeing as how Isaac is just an ordinary guy, it just seems silly that all of a sudden he'd be Duke Nukem because he happened to survive an alien attack.

1 up, 0 down

lMephisto
Friday, February 05, 2010 @ 9:25:19 AM

Is it just me, or Visceral is using that sucky "Inspired in XXX" to rip off stuff? Come one, Dante's Inferno came to be some kind of Spin Off of GoW because they were "inspired by it", and now they are "inspired" in RE5 for DS2.

Gimme a break Visceral, your name is worth something because Dead Space was something else... an ORIGINAL, UINIQUE experience. Keep ripping off stuff and your name won't be worth a dime in less than a year.

0 up, 0 down

Mr Bitey
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 10:53:38 AM
Reply

So the best survival horror game to come out in the last few years, is now going to become an action game? Bad news indeed :(

Last edited by Mr Bitey on 2/3/2010 10:54:02 AM

13 up, 0 down

Godslim
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:52:54 AM

so true man keep it as a survival horror i loved the first one

2 up, 0 down

Bandit King
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 10:56:23 AM
Reply

"Less Horror, More Action"
Boo! That stinks, RE5 is too heavy on the action and does not have enough tension/scare factor, Dead Space was perfect. I blame online multiplayer, in the aftermath of PSN/XBL developers are making games more and more action oriented(and by default generic)just so they can add in a cheap multiplayer component. Its quite sad really, as games like Resident Evil were never created to be player vs player death matches, this isn't Socom people. They were all about the atmosphere, puzzle solving and item/ammunition rationing.

Last edited by Bandit King on 2/3/2010 10:57:05 AM

10 up, 0 down

Ultimadream
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 1:49:26 PM

RE5 is a pure example to why this is a bad stategy.

10 up, 0 down

Naztycuts
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:04:37 AM
Reply

Couldnt have said the last line better Ben, I think they better be careful with the horror:action ratio because survival horror is a way underrated genre and too much action could destroy it, I think the Resident Evil Franchise is a prime example 1 and 2 they tried to scare you 3 not so much, 4 was a step back in the right direction, but 5 just felt like an act/adv game or an action blockbuster starring Bruce Willis nothing scary about it and thats what disappointed me the most about that last installment. Don't skim too much on the fear factor Visceral or you'll ruin the sequel, feeling like you overcome the odds is "empowering" to me, not killing everything with one hit.

3 up, 0 down

JackieBoy
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:10:48 AM
Reply

Ain't that a bitch. Someone else see what I see? RE1 - creepy as hell, RE2 - more action, still creepy. By the time we will have Dead Space 5, it will be pure action title like RE5. Now I have an announcement to dev - THIS GAME IS SUPPOSE TO BE CREEPY AS HELL, NO EXCUSES! Think about it...

8 up, 0 down

ed_winchester
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:19:45 AM
Reply

"More action" could just mean more variety. I enjoyed the first one but sometimes felt it was a bit 'samey'. Arent they using a different environment in the sequel? as opposed to the whole thing taking place on board a ship? As long as "more action" doesnt mean over-the-top cheese-fest, we'll get along just fine

2 up, 0 down

fuk u
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:21:33 AM
Reply

that is odd.. I thought the whole drive of the game was based on the ill fact of how freaking freaky it is. Well hopefully they still bring the scary and just make Isaac a fighter instead of a survivor/scavanger I mean im sure it will be just a horrific if not more than DS1. I am looking forward to playing a ass-kicking Isaac but I want to be freaked-out too...

0 up, 0 down

fuk u
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:22:51 AM
Reply

it is based on a ship agian, but this ship has a City built in it...

0 up, 0 down

Tim Speed24
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:34:58 AM
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NO,NO,NO....I want to feel like Isaac not Nathan Drake. The immersion was great in the first one.

Walks away sad.....

5 up, 0 down

Feregrin
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:46:30 AM
Reply

Oh come on! They gonna go down the RE5 route? Forget it, I'm not buying DS2.

2 up, 1 down

Geobaldi
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:54:04 AM
Reply

The creep factor is one, if not the primary, reasons the original was so good. Resident Evil definitely doesn't do it anymore. Now another title gets it right and they want to take it away? *sigh*

Looks like I gotta hope another Fatal Frame comes stateside.

2 up, 0 down

Lex Luthor
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 4:06:34 PM

Sorry man, Fatal Frame is stuck on the Wii

0 up, 0 down

Geobaldi
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 5:12:41 PM

I know :( But I'll still play it.

0 up, 0 down

fuk u
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 12:02:07 PM
Reply

I see they were working on Dantes Inferno. They instilled alot of gore into that that game.. kinda of subject but did you know that there will be user created content for Dantes Inferno? which you can make trials for your fellow players. You'll be able to select arenas, monsters and modes and stuff them into a challenging romp that can be downloaded by all from a central server.
They then rate the experience, placing you somewhere on a leaderboard. Scaling that, and collecting silver to spend on new toys to populate trials with, will provide a meta-game. Now that is some cool DLC-

4 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 12:51:40 PM

I didn't know that, I'm glad I preordered that sucka. So psyched.

1 up, 0 down

Naztycuts
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 12:03:16 PM
Reply

Can we get an exclusive survival horror game Sony?

1 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 5:07:31 PM

Siren, definitely one of the last survival horror to retain the survival horror element.

3 up, 0 down

Feregrin
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 4:59:37 AM

SIREN: Blood Curse. :)

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 12:46:33 PM
Reply

While I loved Dead Space, it looks like Dead Space 2 is gonna be a pass for me now. Bad move.

5 up, 1 down

Ultimadream
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 12:56:34 PM
Reply

Bad Move indeed, It wasnt the action which i adored of DS1, in that aspect it was just like any other over the shoulder 3rd person action game, it was the horror that made it what it was, the suspense was beyond modern horror movie standards. Also the violence/disgust enhanced the experience to... i dont want D.S to be a military game.

8 up, 0 down

fuk u
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 1:03:09 PM
Reply

maybe they will get it right... im hoping they will cuz im looking forward to this game man! lol

0 up, 0 down

rogers71
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 1:06:30 PM
Reply

This could go with the earlier "Pachter" article. This is a sign of the times folks. Companies are trying to satisfy the younger generation that gets bored if they are not constantly running around shooting things.

Incredibly bad move. The first game had the perfect ambience and horror/action ratio.

I smell trouble. We could see a beefed up Isaac that is running around pummeling all that gets in his way. Maybe EA has been talking to EPIC. BAD, BAD MOVE!!!!!!

1 up, 0 down

BikerSaint
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 1:10:15 PM
Reply

Hey Visceral games,

If you promise to keep scaring the sh*t out of us in DS2.......

... then we'll promise to keep buying our shorts in those 6-pack bundles!!!!!

0 up, 0 down

Alienange
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 2:06:21 PM
Reply

Dead Space on impossible mode is a very scary game. Constantly running low on ammo, taking multiple shots just to take off a limb... that is one crazy ass game. The only way to switch it up and "empower" the player in this type of game is by giving him bigger and badder weapons. I fail to see why they would do that. The weapons in DS are some of the best we've seen in a game in quite some time.

0 up, 0 down

www
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 2:35:18 PM
Reply

Guess RE5 went action and Dead Space is following suit.

How would you guys know its a bad move, wait till its out.

Last edited by www on 2/3/2010 2:36:50 PM

0 up, 3 down

Kowhoho
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 3:15:16 PM

We aren't saying it will be a bad game; our main worry is that it may lose it's identity as survival horror. That's what Dead Space is all about. It would be like making the next Final Fantasy an psychological thriller, totally preposterous.

4 up, 0 down

BTNwarrior
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 2:37:49 PM
Reply

And once again I loose hope in EA

1 up, 0 down

kevyd09
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 3:11:15 PM
Reply

i loved the 1st but to me it wasnt that scary, the fear games scared me more!!
i want the 2nd dead space to be the same action but a lot more scary please

0 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 3:11:24 PM
Reply

who preordered Dante's Inferno? isn't getting good reviews xD.

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 5:11:42 PM

That would be me :) Thankfully I know what I like more than your average reviewer. I enjoyed the DI demo, and the only other Demo I ever enjoyed was GOWIII. So I know what's up.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/3/2010 5:22:15 PM

2 up, 3 down

Oxvial
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 5:31:51 PM

nobody more in the boat?

well at least I'm not gonna sink alone.

Last edited by Oxvial on 2/3/2010 5:31:59 PM

0 up, 0 down

WorldEndsWithMe
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 6:57:24 PM

They are just Jealous because Dante is a more interesting character than Kratos and could crush his puny blades with Death's Scythe.

Last edited by WorldEndsWithMe on 2/3/2010 6:58:08 PM

1 up, 2 down

backatcha00
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 9:05:12 PM

i preordered DI...cant wait to goto hell!

0 up, 0 down

Shams
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:07:49 PM

I'll wait for GOW3. I'm more curious to see how San Monico Studios will push the envelope, than to see how Vicseral studios will borrow from it. As for the story, after playing all iterations of GOW, I would be more interested in what a new ip would bring, but the story in DI, while told in beautiful cinematics, feels a bit tacked on, rather than inspired.

1 up, 0 down

Shams
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 11:11:17 PM

Oh yeah, and Kratos would totally disembowel Dante with his own Scythe, after accusing him of being a cheap copy and an imposter.

2 up, 0 down

Banky A
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 4:15:25 AM

I honestly don't know how Dante is more interesting than the Ghost of Sparta...

The Death boss battle was so pu**y BUT the rest of the demo was fun as Hell. Getting the awesome Scythe definitely was the lamest 'badass' battle I've played. For me... okayzzz.

Kratos rips things apart with his hands and chains, alllllll the time.
:D

1 up, 0 down

Oxvial
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 1:15:02 PM

actually kratos would win if he grab Dante with his hands...Kratos strength is Herculean!

Last edited by Oxvial on 2/4/2010 1:15:48 PM

1 up, 0 down

Snaaaake
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 4:09:30 PM
Reply

Hope Visceral know what they're doing.

0 up, 0 down

FM23
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 5:31:34 PM
Reply

Doing the same thing Resident Evil did is a bad idea. I thought the first game had alot of action in it. I feel like this is going to play like Red Faction, where a million and one monster will be popping out of a vents targeting you. I loved the horror in the first game, so why change what rewarded you with some good reviews. And for people saying it had no depth, remember you had to dismember enemies to kill them and some, you had to focus on certain areas so you wouldn't cause more problems for yourself. I think that is enough depth, but the being everybodies assistant thing was annoying.

0 up, 0 down

fuk u
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 8:24:46 PM
Reply

I pre-ordered DI. 59.99 like anyother game plus a bunch of extra goodies and a sweet looking game at that. I wouldnt say it is better than GOW3 but I wont say its any less than GOW3 either.. Dantes Inferno is just flying under the radar and as GOW ends Dantes Inferno Begins ~

0 up, 0 down

just2skillf00l
Wednesday, February 03, 2010 @ 9:49:54 PM
Reply

This is all do to changing Isaac's character for the second DS game, IMO. They are trying to make Isaac more of a Kratos, thus, changing the gameplay. After all the sh** Kratos has been through, he's not gonna wimp out or be afraid of anything. I feel like they Isaac's new persona is affecting the gameplay to an extent. Bad move indeed. The horror factor IMO is what made Dead Space such a unique and engaging game. Take that out, and like many others have said, you've got Resident Evil.

Gotta say though, Resident Evil 4 was awesome. 5...was, well, IMO, a gigantic leap in the opposite direction of 4. Don't know what it was, the controls, the graphics (couldn't be), oh...yeah, the protagonist wasn't Leon + the difficult controls = epic failure.

0 up, 0 down

Shams
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 12:15:53 AM

I have a feeling that they are ramping up the action to facilitate the inclusion of mp. But I ultimately agree: that this will ultimately detract from what made this horror/survival game so great, just as RE5 screwed the pooch on that one.

0 up, 0 down

___________
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 1:02:26 AM
Reply

NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what is it with developers and destroying their games?
DEAD SPACE IS A FU**ING SURVIVAL HORROR GAME FOR FU**S SAKE PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO ANOTHER RESIDENT EVIL 5.
im going to stop reading articles about dead space 2 because the more i read the more pissed i get and the more worried i get.
i want dead space 2 to live up to the expectations its predecessor set up.
dead space was a fu**ing fantastic! game, maybe even the best of 08.
please visceral PLEASE! dont turn this game into resident evil 5.

0 up, 0 down

tanner1
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 6:36:42 AM
Reply

Here, here.

0 up, 0 down

lupus
Thursday, February 04, 2010 @ 9:14:12 AM
Reply

thats g4y man - i want the horror!

0 up, 0 down

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Visceral On Dead Space 2: Less Horror, More Action

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