Dead Space 2 Details Spilt News

While Game Informer continues to tease info from its incoming Dead Space 2 cover story, it seems details from that issue have already been spilt onto the net, including a tease of multiplayer action in the sequel and reams of info on the game's location.

This news comes from relyonhorror.com, which notes that Dead Space 2 is set three years after the first game on a space station called The Sprawl. Predictably, there's a break-out on The Sprawl similar to the one on the Ishimura and once again it's related to that religious relic from the first game, the Marker.

Now, the leading authority on killing space necromorphs (which sounds like a job description to avoid where possible), Isaac Clarke is sent to The Sprawl and gets to see the outbreak unfold from the start this time around, although he's apparently been psychologically tormented by the events of the first game.

EA is going to be expanding on Clarke's character by adding lines of dialogue for him in the game, which is in stark contrast to the blank slate approach that was taken with the first title. There's also going to be more emphasis on suit customisation and upgrades by the sounds of things.

The Sprawl itself is a lot bigger than the Ishimura, with more wide open spaces replacing the hallways and locked doors of the original. The space station is effectively a micro-society, which consists of areas such as a shopping mall, church, and school.

According to the game's Art Director, Ian Milham, The Sprawl is "Organic, haphazardly constructed, long-term place that's built around the remaining shards of one of Saturn's moons - the first planet-crack ever. Like any real city it is not all built by one person. Some stuff was built up, and some areas, corporate areas, government areas, and public areas."

EA is promising more puzzles in the sequel, as well as more control over Isaac in zero-gravity, which will include the ability to control Isaac's drifting direction and shoot weapons in mid-air. Enemies, on the other hand, have been approached from a cat and mouse gameplay angle rather than the haunted house feel of the first title.

Isaac will be after enemies as much as they are after him and, speaking of enemies, they sound as gruesome as ever: dead, naked children with no lips; skeleton men with their insides spilling out; tentacle necromorphs with giant pincers, and pack-hunting Stalkers appear to be amongst the highlights at this stage.

In terms of weapons, a new Javelin Gun apparently features in the Game Informer reveal, which allows players to pin enemies up against a wall for Isaac to presumably do what he wants with them which, given his mental instability, could presumably be anything.

And finally the multiplayer, which EA wasn't specific about, although Ian Milham did reveal this little titbit of info: "All I can say is it's really fun, and you'll get to strategically dismember your friends." We're intrigued. Let us know your thoughts in the comments...