Dead Space 2: Severed doesn't add anything new to the gory horror formula - it just does what Dead Space does best!
Contains: Frequent Strong Bloody Violence, Horror and Gore
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Dead Space 2: Severed is an expansion pack for the recently released survival horror game Dead Space 2 that includes two standalone chapters for single player and sees the return of two characters from Dead Space Extraction, Gabe Weller and Lexine Murdock. You take control of Gabe, who's stationed on the Sprawl as a security guard, and seek to find your wife, Lexine, who is being hunted for termination by government forces. But to reach her you must blast your way through and evade the opposing necromorph alien race who are transforming everyone into ravenous and menacing virus-like monsters. The chapters are short, and unfortunately Severed can be completed in just an hour and a half, but within that short time the story develops briskly at an alarming pace, split apart by non-stop, bloodthirsty action.
The voice acting is as you'd expect in the Dead Space universe - convincing and believable for the characters the actors are portraying, and it's easily admirable the instance dialogue is injected into the game. This DLC takes on a more action-orientated approach to the horror gameplay, and while it's constantly tense, it never propels any successful scares into the mix of necromorph entrances through their extraordinary ways of manipulating the space station's ventilation systems. The action is frequent and predictable, but the Dead Space formula is so successful due to such a solidly strong gameplay mechanic in the form of strategic dismemberment that you hardly bother wasting your time trying to demean the repetition of the violence and horror.
Throughout your brief time on the Sprawl as you move closer to the shocking finale, you'll note the sense of déjà vu you feel. That's because literally all of the environments are ones from Dead Space 2 with the exception of minor details and extra blood and corpses placed around, such as a hospital and mining cave systems. The storyline also happens to run parallel with Isaac Clarke's story in Dead Space 2, and for the most part in Severed you'll be backtracking the path you took with Isaac and coincidentally equipped with the same repurposed mining tools and equipment that saved Isaac's life more than a few times on his adventure. Despite a new, cool-looking suit, Gabe has no new weapons to experiment with on the increasing waves of necromorphs that he ploughs through, and while series favourites such as the Plasma Cutter and the Line Gun are still fantastic to cut apart necromorphs limb by bloody limb, an innovative new entry would have been much appreciated for the small playing time you'll have with this single player add-on.
In conclusion Dead Space 2: Severed doesn't offer any new thrills or gameplay elements to the Dead Space formula and is over in a flash, but the revived and unaltered graphics, sound design and atmosphere that remain outstanding let this single player DLC do what Dead Space does best - spawn lots of varying types of grotesque and hideous necromorphs and give you the sci-fi weapons and equipment to cut them apart in many disturbingly gratifying ways with plenty of gore and tension.
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OVERALL SUMMARY - 8.5/10
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Good Points: Lots of bloody mayhem in an action-orientated add-on, Continues the events of the remaining characters from Dead Space: Extraction, Superb visuals and sound design.
Bad Points: Both chapters are over in a flash, No new weapons or other sections of The Sprawl to see.