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For fans of Dead Space 1, merely hearing the name Ishimura would’ve been enough to break out in a cold sweat. For newcomers, hearing Necromorph-slaying badass extraordinaire Isaac Clarke grow apprehensive would’ve produced the same result. It is for gaming what the Nostromo is for film, a name synonymous with horror and death.

And Developers Visceral exploited that ingrained fear to full, not by throwing grotesque new monsters at you, but by doing something far more intimidating – nothing.

As you board the ship it’s calm. The walls are clean. The hallways are silent. After all the violence that preceded it this sudden, unholy peace shreds your nerves like nothing else.

Then, when Visceral finally do pull the trigger, the monster you face is not fodder, but a gorilla-like Brute, transforming what should have been a moment of release into a panic-laced stepping stone to ever greater terror.

In terms of atmosphere, Dead Space 2’s Ishimura is a pitch-perfect homage to the first game, and when combined with the sequel’s greater action focus you’ve got something every inch as demanding on player skill as it is on your composure. It’s oppressive, uncompromising, and unpleasant, all in the best possible way.