Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Very scary shooter with severe violence, gore, and cussing.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 18+?
Any Positive Content?
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Dead Space 2
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 14 parent reviews
Based on 36 kid reviews
Kids say this game is extremely gory and scary, with plenty of jump scares and intense language that make it suitable for mature players, preferably 13 and older. While many appreciated the gripping story and gameplay, they strongly advised against letting young children play due to its excessive violence and disturbing content.
- extreme violence
- scary atmosphere
- mature themes
- intense language
- suitable for teens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's It About?
Taking place 500 years in the future, DEAD SPACE 2 is a sequel that begins shortly after the events from the first game. Isaac Clarke, an engineer assigned to restore a mining ship's damaged communications systems, awakens from an amnesiac spell on the Sprawl, a giant metropolis orbiting Saturn. He finds himself wrapped in a strait-jacket while being interrogated by an officer, during another relentless attack by the vicious "Necromorph" creatures. You, as Clarke, soon discover you're suffering from dementia caused by an ancient artifact you found in the first game; and not only must you escape the carnage, but must also find a mysterious woman who claims to have a cure for your illness. Played from a third-person perspective, the game has plenty of nail-biting moments as the enemies jump out from the shadows with claw-like appendages, ready to impale you.
Is It Any Good?
Dead Space 2 is terrifyingly good -- if you can stomach the gore and you enjoy fright-filled moments. You'll acquire many high-tech weapons, melee attacks, and powers such as telekinesis, which allow you to pull objects toward you (such as a nearby crowbar or even human bodies) and push them back toward the various types of Necromorphs. Along with wandering the creepy corridors and rooms on the Sprawl, Dead Space 2 also lets you visit other locations not revealed in this review for fear of spoiling the surprises. The game features high-definition graphics, cinematic camera angles, and Hollywood-quality music and sound effects. Along with the solo campaign, which should last about 12 hours, multiplayer has been added to the franchise with online support for up to 4-on-4 matches. Electronic Arts' mature space adventure lives up to the hype and sets the bar high for other videogames in 2011. But be sure you like being scared before you buy, as this is one to play with the lights off and speakers turned up.
Online interaction: Gamers can take the fight online against human opponents (humans versus Necromorphs), up to four-on-four, and chat with each other via headset microphone to strategize. Language is not filtered and can be unpredictable.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of these survival horror games. Do players enjoy the scary moments, not unlike a game of Silent Hill or Resident Evil, or is it the intense action sequences as you fight to stay alive against hoards of alien creatures? Or perhaps it's the sci-fi setting in the 26th century that appeals to players the most? A combination of all three?
Could EA have made the game with less violence, gore, and profanity and make it just as thrilling?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 3 , Windows , Xbox 360
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Electronic Arts
- Release date : January 25, 2011
- Genre : Survival Horror
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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