Dead Space

The identically-named game for Android and iOS platforms can be found at this page.

Overview

Isaac Clarke

Dead Space is a third-person science-fiction survival horror game that was created at EA's Redwood Shores studio. The story takes place on the USG Ishimura, an enormous planet-cracker class ship. The player controls Isaac Clarke, an engineer sent along with a small maintenance crew to investigate the USG Ishimura after it is stranded in space and all communication is cut off. However, neither Isaac nor his team have any idea what is waiting for them aboard the ship. An alien life form known as the Necromorphs have taken over the ship and infected the entire crew. It is up to Isaac and his companions to get a grasp of what has happened aboard the ship and, more importantly, survive.

Background Information

Isaac Clarke works for a mining company in the 26th century called the Concordance Extraction Corporation (C.E.C.). The company uses large ships called Planet Crackers, which are used to literally tear planets open by extracting large sections of the crust, or corks, and mine the valuable resources that they contain. The first Planet Cracker class ship is the USG Ishimura, the largest planet cracker in service. Right before the events of Dead Space the Ishimura was cracking Aegis 7. Isaac has an ex-girlfriend who is a crew member on-board the Ishimura named Nicole Brennan. The story of Dead Space doesn't reveal much about the history of the relationship, but it is revealed that Isaac and Nicole both care deeply about each other. When the Ishimura transmits a distress signal, a voluntary crew of five is sent on-board the small USG Kellion to fix the problem. Isaac volunteers, along with Zach Hammond, two other unnamed members, and Kendra Daniels to go to the USG Ishimura. Another key element to the plot of Dead Space is Unitology. Unitology is a religion that has crew members believe an ancient, possibly alien artifact called the Marker is the key to an eternal afterlife. Many of the USG Ishimura's crew members are Unitoligists. It is possible that the Marker has more influence on the USG Ishimura's mining mission than expected.

Story

Isaac Clarke, Kendra Daniels, Zach Hammond, and two unnamed men are on-board the USG Kellion and are heading to the USG Ishimura to respond to its distress signal. Isaac is viewing a video log of his ex, Nicole. As the Kellion is about to dock into the Ishimura, a malfunctioning magnetic field causes it to crash land. The crew members enter, and when Isaac checks the status of the Ishimura, a creature known as a Necromorph immediately kills the two unnamed crew members. Isaac gets separated from Kendra and Hammond as a result. Isaac repairs the ship tram system so Hammond and Kendra can go to the bridge for more information and goes back to the Kellion. As soon as Isaac reaches the Kellion's controls, the Kellion abruptly explodes and traps the three on-board the Ishimura.

Concept art for the USG Ishimura

Isaac begins to do tasks for Hammond and Kendra to improve the condition of the ship. First, he goes to the Medical Deck to get the deceased captain's R.I.G. From this the three learn the condition of the ship; overrun by Necromorphs, almost all of the crew were killed and turned into more Necromorphs. The Necromorphs are revealed by Kendra to be an alien lifeform capable of reanimating corpses.

Later, while the Ishimura is being bombarded by meteors, Hammond seals and releases a Necromorph in an escape pod. At this point, Isaac starts seeing cryptic messages of Nicole saying "make us whole again." After manning a turret to halt the meteor bombardment, it is revealed somebody or something is preventing the resupply of oxygen on the ship. Meanwhile, Kendra grows suspicious of Hammond and his knowledge of what has happened on the ship.

Isaac returns to the Medical Deck to concoct a poison to destroy the oxygen blocker. Here he encounters the first significant survivor -- Dr. Challus Mercer. Mercer is a crazed Unitologist who believes that the Necromorphs are the successors to the human race and that the reanimation process is the only way to achieve eternal life. Mercer attempts to stop Clarke's actions by releasing an unkillable Necromorph on him.

Barely escaping, Isaac goes to the Hydroponics Deck to restore oxygen. Here Isaac sees Hammond barely able to breathe. Once Isaac defeats the giant slug Necromorph that was preventing oxygen production, Hammond disappears. Kendra (who keeps seeing her dead brother in hallucinations) sends Isaac to the Mining Deck to send out an S.O.S. beacon.

Here Isaac encounters Nicole who is apparently alive and well. The beacon gets received by the military ship, the USM Valor. Unfortunately, the Valor also received the escape pod that Hammond sealed. Apparently the single Necromorph in the pod was enough to cause the Valor to lose control and come crashing into the hull of the USG Ishimura. The crash causes Hammond to urgently respond in a video message; somebody had jammed his signal before so he couldn't reach Isaac. In addition, Isaac also learns that the USM Valor was actually sent to destroy the Ishimura.

Isaac is sent aboard the Valor to get a part for an intact but unusable shuttle on the Ishimura. Another survivor from the Ishimura, Dr. Terrance Kyne, contacts Isaac. Kyne is a Unitologist who accidentally killed the captain. Kyne tells Isaac that an artifact called the Marker is on-board the Ishimura and is responsible for the Necromorph infection. He urges Clarke to return the Marker to the Aegis 7 colony in a shuttle. Before leaving the Valor, Hammond is ripped to pieces by a Brute (mini-boss Necromorph) and dies immediately. Kendra, while in doubt of Hammond earlier, is still greatly affected by this. She tells Isaac to follow Kyne's instructions but to be careful.

Isaac battles a Necromorph

Kyne meets up with Isaac and tells him that the Marker was unearthed by the colonists on Aegis 7, and that a gigantic creature that controls the Necromorphs called the Hive Mind was also found. In this chapter Isaac also can discover that the current mining operation is illegal and most likely financed by the Church of Unitology. Also, Clarke defeats the unkillable Necromorph from earlier, which prompts Dr. Mercer to allow himself to be killed by a Necromorph, an act he believes is the first step to achieving the second life that the Church of Unitology looks forward to. Isaac then retrieves the Marker and brings it to the shuttle for its return to Aegis 7. As Clarke is about to leave with Kyne and the Marker on the shuttle, Kendra kills Kyne. She reveals that she is really an agent sent to retrieve the Marker. She also reveals that the Marker that was found on Aegis 7 is really an experiment and man-made. According to her, the Marker was based off of another Marker found on Earth centuries earlier. The new Marker was a disaster and was buried, only to be unearthed by the Ishimura. Kendra then takes the shuttle and abandons Isaac on the Ishimura. Nicole makes another appearance to help return the shuttle. However, Kendra uses an escape pod on the shuttle to land on the colony below.

Isaac takes the shuttle to Aegis 7 to return the Marker to its rightful place. When Isaac puts the Marker back on it's pedestal, Kendra encounters him once again. This time she reveals that Nicole has been dead all along and Isaac was just receiving hallucinations from the Hive Mind. In addition, the large chunk of planet being held above Aegis 7 by gravity tethers begins falling. Kendra proceeds to take the Marker back to the shuttle. As she is about to leave, the Hive Mind emerges and crushes/smears Kendra. Isaac is able to kill the Hive Mind and quickly flees on the shuttle as the giant piece of planet destroys the colony. On the shuttle, Isaac removes his helmet and views Nicole's message one last time; this time, however, he cuts it short willingly. As he turns his head, a terrifying vision of Nicole attacks him. The credits roll.

Main Characters

Isaac Clarke

Isaac Clarke, system ship specialist

Isaac Clarke is the silent protagonist of the game. Isaac is a system ship specialist and engineer traveling aboard the Kellion to investigate and repair the USG Ishimura. He is also trying to find his girlfriend Nicole, who happened to be working on the USG Ishimura.

Kendra Daniels

Kendra is a technologist and also a part of the team sent aboard the Ishimura to repair its communication systems. She is also the main source of information and the main objective giver to the player throughout the whole game.

Zach Hammond

Zach Hammond, senior security officer

Hammond is the senior security officer aboard the Kellion and even when all hell breaks loose in the USG Ishimura, he still insists on moving on with their mission-- however, as time goes by, he gives up on that objective and focuses on trying to get himself, Isaac and Kendra off the ship.

Challus Mercer

Doctor Challus Mercer is one of the few survivors aboard the USG Ishimura and he is a devout Unitologist. He also serves as the main antagonist during the course of the game.

Terrence Kyne

Kyne is the Chief Science Officer of the Ishimura doesn't show up until later on in the game and asks for help from the surviving members of the Kellion team. He is rather eccentric, perhaps even downright crazy, but still he offers to aid Isaac in stopping the nightmare aboard the Ishimura.

Nicole Brennan

Nicole is Isaac's girlfriend and a medical specialist that has been assigned to the Ishimura. The game starts with a video message from Nicole to Isaac, asking him for help after the ship's infestation by the Necromorphs.

Chapters

In total there are twelve chapters in Dead Space.

• Chapter 01: New Arrivals

• Chapter 02: Intensive Care

• Chapter 03: Course Correction

• Chapter 04: Obliteration Imminent

• Chapter 05: Lethal Devotion

• Chapter 06: Environmental Hazard

• Chapter 07: Into the Void

• Chapter 08: Search and Rescue

• Chapter 09: Dead on Arrival

• Chapter 10: End of Days

• Chapter 11: Alternate Solutions

• Chapter 12: Dead Space

Gameplay

Dead Space stays relatively close to the conventions of other popular third-person action games, but also sticks to its horror roots.

Isaac isn't a soldier, so he isn't always equipped with proper weaponry. He mostly uses repurposed engineering tools. The Necromorphs on the Ishimura are both stronger and faster than Isaac so he must use his wits to take them out. Unlike other shooter games, if the player runs out of ammo there is no fallback weapon. This means that players will have to use Isaac's heavy duty mining boots and melee attack to stomp and smash his enemies, respectively. This encourages the player to conserve ammo and attack the Necromorphs' limbs to reduce their combat effectiveness. EA has named this strategic dismemberment.

Strategic dismemberment at work.

Isaac's main weapon, the plasma cutter, presents the player with multiple options for eliminating his foes, depending on the situation. For example, cutting off an alien's head will cause it to thrash blindly and become an easy target, while going for its appendages might slow it down enough for the player to safely get by without using too much precious ammo. Early alien encounters are relatively easy to begin with but become increasingly more complex as the player progresses through the game. Players will eventually encounter more advanced forms of Necromorphs, including pregnant Necromorphs which have a tendency to spew out hundreds of flesh-eating parasites, and discover that indiscriminate shooting is not such a wise idea.

Isaac comes across stores in many areas that allow him to purchase ammo, med packs, air canisters, and more. Additionally, he can sell items for Credits and even store items in a universal safe. Throughout the game, he also comes across Power Nodes that allow him to upgrade his weapons and suit at Benches.

Logs

Throughout the game, Isaac will come across video, text, and audio logs that fill in the story of the USG Ishimura before and during the Necromorph infestation. There is a series of audio logs from an engineer on the ship named Jacob Temple that are found in chronological order. In them, Temple documents his attempts to repair several parts of the ship during the Necromorph infestation. It is worth mentioning that Temple is not only similar to Isaac in that he visited the same parts of the ship, but he is also extremely resilient; he managed to traverse many sections of the ships without dying or being driven insane by the dementia that was spreading throughout the ship.

No Known Survivors

In August 2008, EA launched NoKnownSurvivors.com, a weekly updated interactive website that filled in story about Dead Space before release. The site features 3D animations and voice overs that tell stories of fellow crew members aboard the USG Ishimura.

Misplaced Affection

This story tells the story of organ replacement technician, George Greggs who falls in love with an officer named Jane Gauthier. Gauthier and her squad were helping fight an apartment fire. As Gauthier was trying to escape the building, the front door closed on her hand, severing her middle, index and ring fingers. Gauthier is then sent to Greggs for replacements fingers, which is when Greggs falls for Gauthier. George and Jane are scheduled to go on a date but before they can, the Necromorphs attack the USG Ishimura.

Development

How Dead Space came to be made is not the story of your typical EA game.

The game's executive producer, Glen Schofield, and his long-time co-worker, Brett Robbins, had been dreaming of making a sci-fi horror game for a long time. They were given a chance to pitch their idea to Paul Lee, the former president of EA. Lee was extremely impressed and asked what they needed. Schofield responded "Let me hand-pick a team, put me in a corner, and leave us alone." Lee agreed, as long as they had something to show within six months time. After the time had elapsed, Schofield and crew had a playable demo ready. The demo was given to all the higher ups at EA including then COO John Riccitiello. They were amazed by the game and instantly gave the project the green light, and tagged it as a possible trilogy.

It was revealed by Warren Ellis that much of the structure and narrative of Dead space was penned by himself. Ellis announced the following on his "Bad Signal" mailing list ( http://mailman.flirble.org/mailman/listinfo/badsignal)

Oh, I got released from an NDA the other day, so I can finally say that I wrote a bunch of the groundwork, backstory and structure on the forthcoming EA videogame Dead Space, which recently got a comic prequel from the hands of Antony Johnston and Ben Templesmith. I believe there was at least one other writer on the project, but I’m sure there’s some of me in there somewhere.

Ellis’ has revealed two previous game contributions: Hostile Waters: Antaeus Rising (2001) Cold Winter (2005).

Multimedia

Dead Space: Downfall DVD box art

Dead Space is being turned into a multimedia franchise by EA.

Anybody that wants to learn more about the plot of Dead Space can check out a six issue comic book mini-series published by Image. The comic is written by Anthony Johnston (Wasteland) and is illustrated by Ben Templesmith (30 Days of Night). All issues are now available in stores.

An animated Dead Space movie, called Dead Space: Downfall was released October 28, 2008 on Blu-Ray and DVD.

In July 2009, EA announced that they, in partnership with Temple Hill associates Marty Bowen and Wyck Godfrey, plan to pitch a Dead Space film to studios once they have chosen a script and creative direction of which they approve. They have already appointed D.J. Caruso to the position of director.

Developer Diaries

After E3 2008 EA started releasing developer diaries in order to get more information out to the masses and also to show case the unique aspects of Dead Space and its production process. So far there have been eight developer diaries that have been released.

• Dev Diary #1 - Getting the Greenlight - YouTube
• Dev Diary #2 - Developing the Story - YouTube
• Dev Diary #3 - Audio - YouTube
• Dev Diary #4 - Strategic Dismemberment - YouTube
• Dev Diary #5 - Creating Horror - YouTube
• Dev Diary #6 - Zero G - YouTube
• Dev Diary #7 - Animation - YouTube
• Dev Diary #8 - Art and Necromorphs - YouTube

Animated Comics

EA issued an animated version of the Dead Space comic series (6 issues) that has been running since March of 2008. The animated version was for generating hype as much as it was making it easier for people following the game to see the events leading up to Dead Space.

• Animated Comic #1 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #2 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #3 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #4 - Gametrailers
• Animated Comic #5 - Gametrailers

• Animated Comic #6 - Gametrailers

Cheat Codes (PS3)

Dead Space on the PS3 comes with cheat codes, which can be entered on the Pause Menu. The following codes can only be used once during a single play through:

• 1000 Credits - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Square
• 2000 Credits - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle
• 5000 Credits - Square, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Triangle
• 10000 Credits - Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle, Square,Square, Triangle
• 2 Nodes - Triangle, Square, Square, Square, Triangle
• 5 Nodes - Triangle, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle, Square, Square, Triangle

These codes can be used any number of times throughout a playthrough.

• Refill Oxygen - Square, Square, Triangle, Triangle, Triangle
• Refill Stasis - Square, Triangle, Triangle, Square, Triangle

Note: Players can use these codes and still earn trophies on that play-through.

Weapons

There are seven weapons in Dead Space. Each weapon's damage, ammo capacity, speed, and reload can be upgraded. Also, every weapon has an alternate fire mode. The weapons are:

• 211-V Plasma Cutter

Plasma Cutter

Initially a tool used for the cutting of rock and other objects, the Plasma Cutter is essentially Dead Space's pistol. It holds 10 shots to begin with, but can be upgraded to hold 20 shots. It shoots on a vertical plane but its alternate fire mode flips the gun so that it shoots on a horizontal plane, which is useful for dealing with wider enemies or cutting legs. After fully upgrading the Plasma Cutter's damage, it becomes one of the most powerful and versatile weapons in the game, as a fully upgraded Plasma Cutter can cut through almost any enemy limb with one shot, ammo is fairly abundant, and the ability to switch the firing plane allows for easier dismemberment. Moreover, the range of the Plasma Cutter is as good as the Contact Beam. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Tool Time' achievement/trophy. Additionally, using only this weapon on a single playthrough will unlock the 'One Gun' achievement/trophy.

Statistics: Initial Cost: 0 Shots Per Sec: 1 Damage: 10 Ammo Capacity: 10 Ammo Cost: 1200 (6 shot)

• SWS Motorized Pulse Rifle

Pulse Rifle

The standard assault rifle used by marines and security personnel. Unlike most of the other game's weaponry, the Pulse Rifle is an actual weapon, and not a tool that Isaac uses as a weapon. The gun works on essentially the same principle as a rail gun. It uses magnetic induction coils to shoot a round at high speed. It initially holds 50 shots, but can be upgraded to hold 200. Its secondary fire is a 360 degree bullet explosion, useful when you're surrounded. Focused fire on limbs can severe them, but at the cost of more time. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Autofire' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 7000 Shots Per Sec: 0.20 Damage: 5 Ammo Capacity: 50 Ammo Cost: 1250 (25 shot)

• PFM-100 Hydrogen Torch Flamethrower

Flamethrower

The flamethrower is your standard flamethrower. It is great for torching the Necromorphs, and works well in close-quarters. Since the Necromorphs' limbs are so fragile, the flamethrower even has the ability to dismember foes. It's secondary fire is a straight flame projectile with limited range. The projectile consumes 10 rounds of ammo when fired. Additionally, both firing modes can set a target on fire, which causes it to burn for a few seconds dealing damage over time. The major downsides to the flamethrower are its high rate of ammo consumption, scarcity of ammo pick-ups, and the inability to use it in vacuum environments due to the lack of oxygen. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Live with the Hot Ones' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 11000 Shots Per Sec: N/A Damage: 0.75 Ammo Capacity: 125 Ammo Cost: 1000 (25 unit)

• RC-DC Remote Control Disc Ripper

The Ripper

Another tool that Isaac turns into a weapon, the Ripper is essentially the game's chainsaw. It initially carries 8 blades, that when fired, leash onto the gun and can be used to plow through foes. The secondary fire of the Ripper shoots a saw-blade powerfully straight ahead. The game also seems to favor ammo drops for this weapon. So having it in your inventory with the Plasma Cutter will ensure that at least two of your four weapon slots will be sufficiently stocked with ammo for large scale enemy encounters. The Ripper is also very thrifty in terms of its ammo consumption as both the primary and secondary fire modes both consume one round of ammo. Moreover, you can also use Kinesis to grab a saw blade after the tether disappears after firing the weapon in primary mode. You can then shoot the saw blade using Kinesis to get even more use out of that one round. Getting 30 kills with the Ripper will unlock the 'A Cut Above' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 8000 Shots Per Sec: N/A Damage: 8 Ammo Capacity: 8 Ammo Cost: 1800 (4 shot)

• IM-822 Handheld Ore Cutter Line Gun

Line Gun

The Line Gun is basically a super powered Plasma Cutter, except it only has a horizontal shooting plane. It also has a wider range than the Plasma Cutter and is much more powerful. The ammunition has explosive capabilities, and the gun holds five "line racks" when first acquired. It's secondary fire launches a single ball of mines in a straight line, which has a delayed fuse. The Line Gun's secondary fire is capable of blowing Necromorphs to pieces and at its max level can even kill Isaac if used in a confined space. Moreover, the primary fire is capable of killing enemies without even dismembering them when shot at the enemies center of mass. The blast from the primary fire is also capable of cleaving through multiple targets with one shot, so try to group the enemies appropriately when using it. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Eviscerator' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 9000 Shots Per Sec: 0.5 Damage: 16 Ammo Capacity: 5 Ammo Cost: 2000 (2 shot)

• Handheld Graviton Accelerator (aka Force Gun)

Force Gun

The Force Gun is a pushing tool. Likely used by the miners for breaking into rock, the gun can be described as having "shotgun-like" qualities. It is extremely powerful, but only at close range. At longer distances, the gun's primary fire does little to no damage at all. The secondary fire of the weapon compensates for this by turning the Force Gun into a makeshift grenade launcher. The force bomb that it launches is capable of detonating on impact with an enemy. If the bomb fails to hit it will roll around on the ground for a short period of time before detonating. At its maximum damage level the primary fire is capable of shearing off the limbs of a Necromorph at close range and the secondary fire can blow an enemy to pieces on impact. The gun holds 8 shots when it is first acquired. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Pusher' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 11000 Shots Per Sec: 1 Damage: 20 Ammo Capacity: 10 Ammo Cost: 900 (3 shot)

• C99 Supercollider Contact Beam

Contact Beam

The Contact Beam is one of the final two weapons attained by the player, the other being the Force Gun, about half way through the story. The Contact Beam is analogous to a sniper rifle. The primary fire has a short charge duration, but when fired unleashes a hellish beam that destroys most enemies in one blast that can traverse the length of a room or corridor with ease. The ammo for this weapon is very expensive. Moreover, the initial ammo capacity is only 4 rounds. Its secondary fire works sort of like a jackhammer, and it creates a powerful blast of energy that shoots through the ground, damaging all nearby enemies. It is likely that when fully upgraded, the Contact Beam is the most powerful weapon in the game. Getting 30 kills with this weapon will unlock the 'Full Contact' achievement/trophy.

Statistics : Initial Cost: 9000 Shots Per Sec: N/A Damage: 100 Ammo Capacity: 4 Ammo Cost: 2000 (1 shot)

Modules

There are two unique modules in the game that Isaac acquires early on. These modules help greatly in traversing the ship and defeating enemies.

• Stasis

Stasis meter on back

Acquired in chapter 1, the stasis module allows Isaac to drastically slow the movement speed of both Necromorphs and inorganic objects. An object or enemy hit with stasis turns a blueish color and is dramatically slowed down for a period of time. (The amount of time something remains slowed down can be upgraded). Stasis is used throughout the game to slow down hazardous moving parts, but it can also be used by Isaac for Necromorph crowd control.

• Kinesis

The kinesis module is given to Isaac by a dying woman in chapter 2. The kinesis module allows Isaac to grab objects from afar and move them around, similar to the Gravity Gun in Half Life 2. Through upgrades, the distance that Isaac's kinesis module reaches can be upgraded. The kinesis module is used primarily to solve environmental puzzles, to clear debris, and to manipulate large pieces of equipment on the Ishimura.

Common Enemies

Name	Description	Sub-Specie Variants
Brute	A large and strong Necromorph that can charge with great speed. It can also throw small projectiles.	Black Brute (enhanced version of the Brute)
Divider	This tall and slender Necromorph has the ability to divide itself into multiple segments when shot.
Exploder	This rather small Necromorph has an appendage that will explode if it gets near the player. However, this appendage can be used against it - shooting it once will cause it to violently explode, taking the Exploder and nearby enemies with it.
Guardian	While unable to move, this Necromorph has six deadly tentacles and fires out "pods" that will in turn attack you with exploding projectiles. If Isaac gets too close to the Guardian while it is alive, the Guardian will literally rip his head off.	Pods (usually "born" from Guardians, they have one tentacle that launches a projectile at you) Immature Guardian (weaker version of the Guardians)
Infector	This bat-like Necromorph has pretty much the sole-purpose of infecting corpses, thus turning them into new Necromorphs.
Leaper / Scorpion	This is a Necromorph most commonly found in the Zero Gravity areas. It attacks with its large tail, very much like a scorpion would.	Black Leaper (enhanced version of the Leaper)
Lurker	Reanimated infants that roam the corridors. They attack with three barbed tentacles that fire quills. They also have a leap attack that allows them to pounce on Isaac at close range.	Black Lurker (enhanced version of the Lurker)
Pregnant	This large "fat" Necromorph carries a payload of smaller Necromorphs. It is also "equipped" with two large blades. To prevent the unleashing of the Necromorphs inside, the Pregnant must be killed by severing one of its legs and immediately following up with the severing of one of the arms.
Slasher	The most common form of Necromorph, and the first the player will encounter. It attacks using two large blades that have emerged from the host's hands.	Black Slasher (enhanced version of the Slasher)
Swarmers	These are very tiny Necromorphs that travel in large groups. Kill them all before they get close to you, as they can jump short distances and rip away at your flesh.
Twitcher	This is the fastest Necromorph. They are reanimated human marines with Stasis units built into their backs.
Wheezer	This is the only Necromorph that won't attack you directly. On the other hand, it can contaminate its surrounding environment with toxins because of its highly expanded and relocated lungs in its back.

Unitology: Alien Language

The glyphs scratched and written in blood along the walls of the Ishimura are not random, but are in fact a runic alphabet created to enhance the game's atmosphere. There are two locations in the game (Chapter 1 and Chapter 6) that offer a fuzzy glimpse of the rosetta stone for this alphabet. After completing the game, a few final words dissolve from English to Unitology, giving players a crisp starting point for translating the words. For interested players without that kind of patience, much of the work has already been done. (Article contains full spoilers!)

Phrases also appear floating among the menu screens before starting the game itself, and there is even a hidden meta-game that directs players to an Electronic Arts webpage to unlock a code that can be entered with the controller. Fully unlocking the code requires finding a secret symbol in each chapter.

Bonus Suits

EA offered a preorder bonus to players purchasing the game through GameStop.

Scorpion Suit (pre-order suit)

GameStop's description: The strongest in the game. It offers increased toughness and inventory slots above what lower level suits provide. Hold off the Necromorph onslaught for longer, and hold more items and weapons. While supplies last. This suit is also available on the PSN Store and Xbox Live Marketplace.

The Scorpion Suit has 25% Armour, and it has the maximum inventory slots.

Console-associated Suit

Left to right, PS3 exclusive suit and 360 exclusive suit

Each console is given one exclusive rig, picture right, to match the associated console themes.

• Playstation 3 - The exclusive suit for PS3 players is the "Obsidian" suit. It features a full black suit and a blue visor light to match the associated colors of the PlayStation brand.
• Xbox 360 - The exclusive 360 suit is the "Elite" suit. It features the white-ish color of the stock 360 with a green visor light to match the associated colors of the Xbox brand.

The Obsidian and the Elite Suits both have the maximum inventory slots. The Elite Suit has 10% Armour, and the Obsidian 25% armor

Downloadable content:

PS3 Exclusive Dead Space suit

The following Downloadable content has been released for both Xbox 360 and PS3 in their respective online stores. It was originally released on the The Xbox 360 Market place and PlayStation Store Europe on Nov 13th, while the US and the world wide PlayStation Store received the content on Nov 20th.

• Astronaut Pack: Adds a new Astronaut Suit and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper.

• Big Gun Pack: Adds the Steam Punk Force Gun, the "ultimate in Necromorph-killing destruction" gun.

• Heavy Damage Pack: Adds increased firepower and new skins for the Plasma Cutter, Contact Beam, Pulse Rifle, and Ripper.

• Hot Rod Pack: Adds flame graphics for the Flamethrower and Pulse Rifle.

"Scorpion" suit

• Military Pack: Add a new looks and enhanced power for all 7 weapons.
  $4.00 / 320 MS points

• Pedestrian Pack: Adds new looks for the Contact Beam, Plasma Cutter, and Ripper.

• Scorpion Pack: Adds an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun, all decorated in an new red Scorpion Skin.

• Scorpion Weapon Pack: Add faster death-dealing Plasma Cutter, Line Gun, and Force Gun in new red Scorpion skins.

• Speed Kills Pack: Adds faster-firing Force Gun, Line Gun, and Plasma Cutter.

• Tank Pack: Adds an upgraded Level 5 Suit and powered up Flamethrower, Force Gun, and Line Gun, all covered in Unitology script.

PlayStation 3 Exclusive Packages

360 exclusive suit

• Obsidian Weapon Skin Pack: Adds weapon skins in jet-black PLAYSTATION 3 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.

• Obsidian Pack: Adds an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle, all in jet-black PLAYSTATION®3 colors.

Xbox 360 Exclusive Packages

• Elite Weapon Skin Pack: Adds weapon skins in Xbox 360 colors for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle.

• Elite Suit and Weapon Skin Pack: Add an upgraded Level 5 suit, and weapon skins for the Line Gun, Plasma Cutter, and Pulse Rifle in Xbox 360 colors. The suit was originally available as a free download for a limited time.

PC System Requirements

• These are the system requirements for Dead Space (found on the back of the box):
• OS: Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or Vista
• CPU: 2.8 GHz Processor or better
• RAM: 1 GB or more for XP (2 GB for Vista)
• DISC DRIVE: 1x or faster DVD-ROM drive
• HARD DRIVE: At least 7 GB
• VIDEO: 256 MB or more memory card (NVIDIA GeForce 6800, ATI X1600 Pro, or better)
• SOUND: DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card

Xbox 360 Game Installation

Dead Space requires 6.6GB of space to install on an Xbox 360 HDD. Dead Space can be downloaded through "Games on Demand" on the Xbox Live Marketplace. It cost 1600 Microsoft points.

Soundtrack

Cover of the Dead Space soundtrack

The soundtrack for Dead Space was released on November 11, 2008 and was composed by Jason Graves.