You can read part one here
Ghost of Nicole: Moment of truth. Isaac! Who am I? Am I your friend? Your lover? The one shred; one light; one bright, shining star you clung to in this Universe? Or am I your guilt? Crushing the life out of you because you can’t get over the fact that I’m dead? That you feel responsible? Who… Am… I?!? Why do you keep fighting me? Why can’t you let go?
Isaac Clarke: Cause you were my everything. And if I let you go, I’ve got nothing left.
[Nicole’s face changes into the one she had when she was alive.]
Ghost of Nicole: Step four: Acceptance. Now you’re ready to finish this.
[She turns around and walks away.]
The above dialogue takes place towards the end of Dead Space 2 and initiates the final act of the game. For far too long Isaac can’t let go of Nicole and his guild about her death. It’s very interesting that the 4th and last step is not about actually letting go but the acceptance of what she meant for him and without her he is left with nothing. It’s the point where for a few seconds Dead Space stops being a horror video game and becomes a love story. We witness Isaac’s broken heart from the loss of the only person who ever mattered to him.
Cause you were my everything. And if I let you go, I’ve got nothing left.
But Isaac needs to let go of her so he can start healing himself. So he can found the strength to destroy the marker.
I can’t even count the amount of people I have seen living a life that is not a life because they simple can’t let go of the past. Being stuck in our past traumatic experiences and keep reliving them while suffering from survivor’s guild will keep us from enjoying the present joys and pleasures.
Unfortunately loss is something all of us will experience in one way or another. Sometimes through the natural progression of life, sometimes because simple shit happens, and I have enough of personal experience of the latter.
Letting go of the past and the ones we have lost doesn’t mean we have to forget about them nor pretending that we are fine and their absence is not painful. Letting go means that we made our peace that the ones we have lost will only be alive in our memories.
The conversation Isaac had with Nicole’s ghost were hallucinations and a way to beat himself for not saving her life. Is to that same ghost he has to confess his deepest fear.
...if I let you go, I’ve got nothing left…
At the final boss fight the Marker uses Nicole's ghost in a final desperate attempt to defeat Isaac. But Isaac is now stronger. He has acknowledged his darkness and his bigger fear, and he can now start healing… you can start healing!