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Early on in Dead Space 2, there's a moment where protagonist Isaac Clarke boards a space train. In the previous game, such a moment would have signaled a loading screen; but here, it unfolds as the following in-game sequence: After tinkering around to get it up and running, and shooting some Necromorphs, he finds out that one of the train cars is simply missing, and hence there's this huge gap that he needs to cross during transit. Rather than react to this sudden circumstance with any sort of fright or consternation, Isaac simply looks around, and nonchalantly activates his jetpack in order to fly through space a la Iron Man. It's this moment, among others, that's indicative of the fundamental difference between Dead Space 2 and its predecessor. In fact, the analogy that would most succinctly depict this difference is a movie one -- specifically the change between Ridley Scott's Alien and James Cameron's Aliens. The first installments in both series focus on civilians panicking their way through a dark spaceship while avoiding an extraterrestrial lurking horror; both follow-ups retain their predecessor's basic aesthetic while deliberately shifting from creeping tension into outright sci-fi action. Aliens introduced space marines, the power loader exosuit, and the Alien Queen; Dead Space 2 gives us scenes of Isaac flying around in zero-g, mowing down Necromorphs with an assault rifle while wearing "space marine" armor, and confidently throwing explosives with his telekinetic powers.
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