We here at Destructoid have been hearing all sorts of rumors relating to Dead Space 2 and a multiplayer mode. From what we know, it's definitely happening, but it's nothing we can declare as fact until we have the press release in our hand, because this is the way the videogame industry works. With that in mind, here's the latest evidence, a job listing from EA that seems to reveal the mode.
Electronic Arts is currently looking for a "Senior Online Level Designer" to work on the Dead Space franchise. Applicants must be able to "Conceptualize, script, direct, and build online levels for the game." The game in question is not explicitly listed as Dead Space 2, but it is referenced as a Dead Space game on the PS3 and Xbox 360. What else could it be?
From what we've heard before, and from what this job listing says, it seems to me that Dead Space 2 multiplayer is most definitely happening. What could it entail though? Space marine vs. Space marine? Space marine vs. Necromorph? Necromorph vs. Necromorph? That remains to be seen, but we'll be scoping out the details and letting you know what we find.
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
3:00 PM on 11.15.2009
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In what way is Dead Space at all like System Shock??
@News
Multiplayer could be very interesting in the game. Non TPS/FPS genres always provide the most interesting multiplayer scenarios (Splinter Cell for example).
did you fucking play SS2?
everything in dead space is identical besides the creatures and even the fucking storyline has parallels
@Bruceleethree
Are you confusing this with Bioshock?... I never played System Shock, but from what I hear I can't see any stolen similarities really.
I guess by putting multiplayer into a single player game they're trying to reach out to a wider audience. But every game doesn't NEED multiplayer..
clearly all of you are too young to remember systemshock 2.
it was made by the guy who made bioshock and its the EXACT same formula - random isolated area where everything went to shit and you try to solve what happened by collecting tapes left by the dead..
Oh, wait.
But if resources go to multiplayer that could have gone to single-player, well, the multiplayer had better be fucking good.
Since when was taking bits from a great game, combining them with bits from another great game (Resi 4) and producing a great game a bad thing? I'm not seeing the logic there
As for multiplayer, one thing I enjoy about Dead Space is that it has none. If it were to be co-op of some sort that could be cool. Competitive however seems a bit silly to me
To help revive and modernize a stagnant, nearly dead genre. Just because something is a survival/horror doesn't mean you have to experience it alone. Resident Evil 5 was a great start on learning how to implement multiplayer into it, now they just need to learn how to re-craft it so it's scary instead of just tense.
What I don't get is why people complain about having an optional multiplayer choice.
Thing is, the effort and resources they will spend to develop the multiplayer mode could be used to enhance the single player experience. Plus, Resident Evil 5 wasn't scary at all, and the the co-op certainly didn't help.
Unless they provide some kind of branching story for the Co-Op mode, maybe, but anything else I can't see why they'll bother.
Allow me to help you get it. Like others have said as well, adding multi-player, even if it is just tacked on, takes at least some resources from the single-player game, which is what we will all be getting Dead Space 2 for. To do this just to have something extra to put on the back of the box, knowing full well that two months after release, NO ONE will be playing this online, is just sad.
Also, whenever a game like this that is blatantly made for single-player adds a forced multi-player mode, it tells us that game developers are buying into this whole "games can't just be single-player any longer" crap. To gamers like me and many others who enjoy single-player games more than multiplayer games, this is a bit of a worrisome development. I don't want to lose my single-player gaming experiences like BioShock, Dead Space or Fallout 3 in favor of needless co-op, deathmatches and MMOs.
And I don't care what you say, nothing will ever be as scary when you're playing alongside someone else. That's just how it is. Imagine yourself being stalked by some sort of madman or fucked up creature, and you're all alone and don't know what to do to get out of the situation. Toss in one of your best buddies right there with you, and sure, you may still be screwed, but would you be as scared as you would if you were on your own? Of course not.
There's just no reason for Dead Space 2 to have even a minimal amount of attention diverted from what will be an excellent single-player mode to add in some tacked on multi-player that no one freaking wants, because they will still keep playing their Call of Duty, Halo or Left 4 Dead anyway.
This excuse has never made sense in my mind. The existence of a multiplayer mode very, very rarely has any significant effect on single player. How many games have you played where the single player offers an excellent experience, but multiplayer is either sorely lacking or non-existant, and you think it could be done much better? Probably dozens. How many games have you felt the multiplayer should have just been cut so they could tighten up the single player experience? Probably a handful at most.
Funny enough, RE5 is one of the only games I'd see as a fathomable answer for the second question, though I personally disagree with the sentiment; I absolutely loved the co-op.
"Plus, Resident Evil 5 wasn't scary at all, and the the co-op certainly didn't help."
I know that. I even said that. I said they need to make it actually scary instead of just tense. But it was still a great start for implementing a co-op system in general.
Multiplayer isn't needed in every game. It's a waste of time, energy and resources. Unless a game starts out with a big focus on multiplayer, it's just not worthwhile. Wrong decision here, EA.
For starters,
"Also, whenever a game like this that is blatantly made for single-player adds a forced multi-player mode, it tells us that game developers are buying into this whole "games can't just be single-player any longer" crap."
I'm hoping you mean 'forced' as in unnatural, not as in mandatory, because if you mean mandatory your whole argument just became fucking stupid. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there.
With that out of the way, I already went over why claiming the resources argument is big wad of hullabaloo. A solid, captivating single player has nothing to do with multiplayer. Any developer worth their salt would polish single player with the same amount of fervor whether or not there's a group working on multiplayer. As far as I know, they're usually an entirely different, completely dissociated staff anyways.
Now, I won't lie, the text in the article makes me think of a competitive mode instead of co-op, and that's much more sketchy in my book. I don't inherently support it or think it will be great, I just don't think people should be up in arms over something they don't know about one way or the other. That's the internet, I suppose. If it is a competitive mode, I sincerely doubt I'll enjoy or make regular use out of it. That being said, I support their efforts to expand their game and audience, whether I wind up liking the results or not.
For the hypothetical you threw out there, no, I would be more comforted to have a friend in that situation. But that's just one situation, you can't narrowly define a genre by one possibility. No, the standard single player horror formula is not as effective with a second player added in. That doesn't even come close to meaning that you could never change the formula, add new things into the equation and come out with a different result that parallels or even exceeds what you get now. You can be just as lonely with two people as you can by yourself.
I absolutely love single player games, don't get me wrong. The majority of the games I play are RPGs, both Western and Japanese. Co-op has always been my idealistic future of video gaming, no matter what the genre. I'm honestly quite sad that developers seem afraid to deal with co-op in story-driven games. I would love nothing more than to have a friend online be able to play Rita while tackling Barbos in Vesperia, guard my back as Wrex while infiltrating ExoGeni in Mass Effect, or team up as Lone Wanderers to clean out the ghouls in Tenpenny Tower. I'd like to think I'm not completely alone on that sentiment.
This might lead to as much comedy as the black night scene from 'holy grail'.
Is it possible we will see scenarios where a player gets their leg blasted off in zero g and it floats away as they try to hop away to a far wall?
One can hope.
Although I think zero gravity 3rd person MP would be cool if done right.
Dead Space 2 better come to PC.
Perhaps multiplayer could weave an interesting mechanic. An extra player who could assume the role of a different character, such as a P-Sec, playing in a completely separate part of a level yet able to communicate with an engineer player, operate controls and/or go places that the other can't. Everyone's jumped down the "it must be deathmatch" route.