Master Dead Space's terrifying threats. Learn the weaknesses and effective strategies for defeating Slashers, Leapers, Lurkers, Infectors, Brutes, and more.
This guide details the enemy types encountered in Dead Space, their weaknesses, and recommended strategies for combat.
| Enemy | Weaknesses & Strategy |
|---|---|
| Slasher | The basic enemy. Shoot a leg off, then take out an arm while it's on the ground. Aim horizontally at the feet. A female variant spits; encountered rarely. |
| Leaper | A torso that leaps. Aim low to hit them. Not many encountered in the game. |
| Lurker | Also known as 'Babies'. Have three tentacles that shoot barbs. Shoot two tentacles to stop attacks. If they get close, they jump on you. |
| Infector | Fast and difficult. Attack immediately with any weapon and do not let them jump on you. They turn dead bodies into super slashers quickly. |
| Pregnant | DO NOT SHOOT THE BELLY, as this will also spawn many swarmers. Aim high at the shoulders to defeat them quickly. |
| Swarmer | Also known as 'Crawlers'. Chunks of flesh rolling on the ground. Use the Contact Beam alt-fire, Flamethrower, or Force Gun. Alternatively, let them jump on you and quickly tap the button to shake them off (risk of damage if not fast enough). |
| Brute | Mini-boss encounters. Requires about three Stasis blasts. Aim for the yellow parts on their back after turning them, or aim vertical cutter blades into their shoulders. Line racks and mines also work. They die when an item drops out. |
| Divider | Tall, rushing enemies. Aim at their long legs, then use force blasts on their detached parts (hands or head) that crawl and can jump on you. One force blast eliminates all parts. |
| Guardian | Attached to walls, they shoot 'bady' eggs from a single tentacle. Shoot a canister at it or aim for its four wall-attached tentacles. Do not get close. Ignore egg fire unless taking minor damage is unacceptable. |
| Exploder | Suiciders with a large yellow bomb on their side. Shoot the bomb. The bomb can be used with Kinesis or as a canister if the morph is killed alone. |
| Twitcher | A fast slasher with a Stasis mod. Use the Force Gun for an easier fight. |
| Tentacle | Can grab and drag you, or simply try to damage you. Aim for the yellow parts. Use the Cutter during dragging sequences for easier aiming. |
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