Very sly of you, Steve Papoutsis. EA has announced that a demo for Dead Space 2 will arrive on December 21, constituting as an “early gift this holiday season”.

“The holidays are a great time to enjoy all forms of entertainment, and we can’t wait to give horror and action adventure gamers a taste of what awaits them in Dead Space 2,” said Steve Papoutsis, Executive Producer of the Dead Space franchise. “Releasing the demo five weeks before launch will not only re-connect players with our hero Isaac Clarke, but will also give them the opportunity to experience firsthand various jaw-dropping scenarios. It’s gonna be awesome”

The demo puts players in the boots of Issac Clarke, venturing through the feasibly “safe” Church of Unitology — that is, until the Necromorph outbreak on the Sprawl. Players have the opportunity to test out the new Javelin gun, the updated stasis recharge, and the enhanced telekinesis ability. Players will also wear the advanced suit, whose jets allow Issac to have complete control in zero-gravity space.

Dead Space 2 launches for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC on January 25, 2011.