Dead Space Starter Guide: The Basics Explained (2024)

This guide will provide you with information on the basics of Dead Space to make sure you’re prepared for the horrors that await you on the USG Ishimura!

This guide is for the Dead Space Remake, released in 2023!

The Dead Space franchise is not one for those weak of spirit, though if you feel the need to prove yourself then you should know the basics. Before you can spacewalk, you must learn how to space-crawl.

The Plot of Dead Space

Are you new to Dead Space and want an idea of what’s going on without any story spoilers? You are in the right place. The following segment is a prep for the game, it doesn’t reveal any of the events after you take control of the main protagonist.

In the future, the Earth has been stripped of natural resources and humanity struggled to survive. With the invention of a “Planet Cracker” ship known as the USG Ishimura in 2446, humanity was able to take chunks off planets and moons to mine the resources within. With this new means of gathering resources, humanity was able to form numerous colonies and stave off extinction for the foreseeable future.

The year is now 2508 and the USG Ishimura is on its last planet-cracking mission on a mineral-rich planet known as Aegis VII. Something went wrong aboard the Ishimura as it went into a derelict state. Following a distress beacon, the USG Kellion was deployed to perform emergency repairs on the USG Ishimura.

The crew of the USG Kellion includes Chief Security Officer Zach Hammond, Corporals Chen and Johnston, Computer Specialist Kendra Daniels, and Ship Systems Engineer Isaac Clarke.

While officially going to perform repairs on the USG Ishimura, Isaac’s primary concern is the well-being of his girlfriend, Nicole Brennan. Nicole works as a Senior Medical Officer at the USG Ishimura and her whereabouts are unknown.

Playing as Isaac Clarke, you will explore the USG Ishimura and fight to survive as creatures referred to as “Necromorphs”. These necromorphs only seek to maim and dismember anything that is not their own kind and come in a wide variety of forms. While exploring, you can encounter numerous logs of crew mates that can explain what happened aboard the USG Ishimura.

Controls

The developers have even included three presets of Controller keybindings – Default (Modern), DS1 (legacy preset from Dead Space from 2008) and DS2 (legacy preset from Dead Space 2).

Dead Space offers complete customization of the controls for both Mouse + Keyboard and Controllers. You are free to remap anything however you wish to.

For an in-depth look at the control setups for the PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, check out our Dead Space PC and Console Controls guide.

Zero-Gravity

There are times in Dead Space that you’ll be in a Zero-G environment with or without air. Dead Space 2023 will be using the Zero-G control scheme that was introduced in Dead Space 2.

For players unfamiliar with Zero-G environments in video games, it can be disorienting as one’s concept of orientation can be thrown out the window.

As you move, aim, and rotate the camera you will inevitably become unaligned with the floor so you must reorient yourself. Be sure to use the “Zero-G Align” button on your keyboard or gamepad if you get confused. This will orient you to the ship’s floor so you can get your bearings.

Use the “Sprint” button while moving in Zero-G to use boosters on our suit. To jump off the floor or land on a surface when close enough, use the “Zero-G Jump” button.

Kinesis

Isaac’s Kinesis Module allows him to grab hold of objects that could otherwise be out of reach. With this, Isaac can grab hold of item drops or interact with the environment such as solving puzzles or moving machinery.

Kinesis can also be used for combat purposes. Using objects found around the environment, Isaac can grab hold of these with Kinesis and launch them at enemies. This works best with sharp objects such as saw blades, fan blades, or even necromorph arms! With his arms, Isaac can impale a necromorph against the wall

Stasis

Isaac’s Stasis Module allows him to slow down objects or enemies to a snail’s, making them easy targets to fire upon. Though stasis should be used wisely and sparingly as without upgrades or access to stasis recharge stations, you can quickly run out when you may need it.

The stasis module is useful for slowing down malfunctioning machinery that poses a hazard to Isaac. These could be malfunctioning doors, loose power cables, fans, and more. The stasis effect wears off after a few seconds so any actions should be done quickly before time runs out.

Air

There are occasions where Isaac will be placed into an environment without oxygen, sometimes by choice! When in a vacuum, Isaac will rely on his air tank to keep him alive for a limited time as indicated by the timer on his back.

Should this air tank run out, Isaac will suffocate so be sure to act quickly when in a vacuum and use any air refill stations you may find!

Weapons and Combat

The majority of weapons found in Dead Space are actually industrial tools that would be used by the Engineers and Miners working aboard the USG Ishimura. Isaac can use these to either dismember or peel necromorphs in order to immobilize and dispatch them.

When it comes to choosing which weapon you should use, you can never go wrong with the Plasma Cutter. This weapon’s ammo is cheap and when upgraded, it’s very easy to deal with any necromorphs that come your way so long as you keep calm and aim well.

When it comes to combat, you must expose bone on a necromorph by first shooting off the flesh. Then you must shoot the bone to dismember the limb. Dismembering necromorphs is a great way to slow down or immobilize them.

Alternatively, if enough of the flesh has been peeled off you can use your Kinesis module to pop the limb right off! Necromorphs will be dispatched once enough limbs have been removed to render them immobile.

We have an in-depth guide to all Weapons and RIGs in Dead Space Remake, including where to find each weapon, where to find upgrades for it, how to prioritize their upgrades and which weapon is best against which type of necromorph.

Double-Tapping

Be wary of any “dead” necromorphs as they very well may be trying to fool you. Once you defeat a necromorph, be sure to stomp it with your foot to ensure that it’s dead. Stomping will also release any loot on the necromorph such as ammo, health packs, credits, and on occasion power nodes.

If you run into a “dead” necromorph that you did not defeat yourself, you may want to fire a shot at it from a distance. If it’s bait, it will stand up and attack you as normal. Doing this will prevent unnecessary damage that would occur had you just walked up to it and got hit by it.

And make sure to check the guide to all Power Node Locations in Dead Space so you wont miss any free upgrades to your Weapons and RIG.

Watch Your Surroundings for Clues

Wherever you go on the USG Ishimura, study your surroundings. Keep an eye out for any air vents on the walls or ceiling as these are locations necromorphs can pop out of.

Keeping aware of your surroundings can also help you find item drops that may be hidden throughout the ship. On occasion they’ll be tucked away in a corner, though they can also be contained within lockers or supply boxes. Keep your eyes open and pick up this loot whenever you can!

If you ever encounter an intact corpse of crew members, be sure to stomp on their corpse(s) to dismember them. This is especially the case if you walk into a room filled with multiple corpses. Infectors might make their way here and transform these corpses into necromorphs. Never leave a corpse with its limbs attached!

Inventory, Logs, and Map

Using the RIG button for your system, you can pull up the menu where you can manage inventory, look at mission objectives, go over logs you’ve discovered previously, and use the map.

Using the inventory, you can manage items you have picked up whether they are resources, schematics, or loot such as semiconductors. Oh, and don’t forget to check out our Semiconductors Locations Guide for the Dead Space Remake! That’s free credits!

Inventory space can be upgraded by purchasing higher-level suits. Resources are limited so use them wisely.

Using the map, you can gauge your surroundings and know the locations of save stations, workbenches, stores, and Air or Stasis refill stations. A blue line found in the map indicates the direction of your current objective. You can view this line out of the map using the “Locator” button for a quick reference of direction.

The objective menu will display and summarize Isaac’s current objectives. Items written in blue are current objectives.

A green marker indicates your current objective while blue markers indicate current other current objectives.

Side Quests are marked with orange squares on the right panel. If a quest objective cannot be completed at the time, the marker will be red.

The Database menu will allow you to go through any logs you have found while exploring the Ishimura. They are separated by chapter and can allow you to piece together the stories of crew members before or during the necromorph outbreak.

Unitology Translation Sheet

Due to the Marker’s memetic and cognitohazardous effects, victims of it tend to perceive auditory or visual hallucinations. One such effect of the Marker is the ability to write using the symbols found upon it. Here’s a quick reference for translation purposes!

If you would like some practice without the fear of necromorphs sneaking up from behind, you can do so here! Here’s some script for you to translate, have fun!

The Dead Space Remake features a lot of changes from the original release in 2008 To learn more, check out my in-depth overview of what has changed in Dead Space Remake vs the Original game from 2008.

If you need some help, we have here a large collection of helpful guides: from a starter guide to tell you all the basics and explain how the core gameplay mechanics work, to boss guides, to collectible items locations such as Power Node locations and Semiconductor locations, to Puzzle Guides, to how to make Credits and more.