Players of EA Motive’sDead Spaceremake have likely had experiences with each type of necromorph in the game. Of course, fans of the original from 2008 will be doubly familiar withDead Space’s necromorphs, though the remake does not present them all identically. The remake also introduces a new variation of necromorph that players have not seen before, and with a lot of alternate or optional content via side quests, players may run into necromorphs a lot more often than they previously did.
The options that players have in combat have also been improved in the remake, with all of Isaac Clarke’s unique weapons being seemingly buffed. Benches now offer supplementary upgrades with weapon mods that can drastically affect how players wield each firearm, for example, andthe Kinesis module is now as effective as it is inDead Space 2. However, necromorphs still serve as a great threat to players, and some are much more intimidating to come across than other fodder enemies based on the player’s strategies and knowledge of each necromorph type.
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S-Tier
Phantom necromorphsare a new enemy type in theDead Spaceremake, and are appropriately designed to horrify and challenge the player on a New Game Plus playthrough.Phantom necromorphs are essentially enhanced necromorphswith more health and a greater damage output. After playing through the remake once players will instantly recognize Phantom necromorphs in New Game Plus by their unique blueish discoloration and glowing eyes. Because these types only appear in New Game Plus, though, some fans may never encounter them and could therefore remain blissfully ignorant to their difficulty.
Leapersare tremendously difficult due to their speed. Leapers can launch themselves at players through zero-gravity spaces and crawl quickly toward the player before lashing at them with their scorpion-like tails. The fact that they are low to the ground also contributes to why precise shots on their arms and tail are difficult to achieve.
Twitchersare introduced once players board the USM Valor and are notable due to being suspended in Stasis animation. This produces a glitching effect where their speed is enhanced, and they can gain on the player in an instant. Twitchers are most effectively thwarted by firing a precise shot on the Stasis module embedded in their chests, which will slow them in Stasis for players to finally get free shots on their limbsif players have depleted their own Stasis reserve.
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Dividersare as terrifying as they are fearsome. The strategy to beating them is still adherent to cutting their limbs off, but the head is also an important part of the body to dismember. The Divider will eventually disperse into multiple tendril enemies that can then swarm the player, making this necromorph a top priority for players to cut down since it can be a nuisance in a mob.
Infectorsare not so difficult themselves, since they’re so small. However, if they have opportunities to move around while a player unseen, possibly preoccupied with other necromorphs, the Infector will continue to reanimate corpses and spawnnew necromorphs.
Spittersare a more difficult variation on the Slasher necromorph type with a ranged projectile. Because manyDead Spaceenemies are melee-oriented and must shamble up to the player, players often have several opportunities to fire at a necromorph and cut it down before it reaches them. The Spitter negates that strategy since it can launch acid at the player from a distance before it is even seen, and can be particularly troublesome if players are scuffling with other necromorphs in the meantime.
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B-Tier
Huntersare a great measurement for difficulty because players are actually unable to kill them in any traditional way. That said, repeated blasts of Stasis are all players need toeffectively keepDead Space’s Hunter at bayuntil they are given one of two methods of actually killing it in scripted moments.
Lurkershave the same advantage of projectiles as Spitters do, but they are much smaller with much more manageable tentacles to fire upon. Lurkers’ projectiles fire from these tentacles raised above their tiny bodies, and well-timed and well-angled shots withDead Space’s Plasma Cutterwill eventually cut them down. Their size does mean that they can scuttle around any surface, though, and they are not to be left to the end of a mob encounter if players want to avoid taking needless hits from afar.
Slashersare as standard as necromorph difficulty gets, with the tried-and-true method of severing limbs being fully realized. There is no unique gimmick to these enemies, but they are considerably large and dish out lots of damage if players are unable to strike first.
Guardiansand theirPodsare uniquely difficult because of how they are designed. Guardians are stuck to surfaces, have long tendrils protruding from their stomachs, and continuously spew out Pods that fire projectiles from a single tendril. Many weapons are effective against Guardians, such asDead Space’s Flamethrower, but getting close at all will kill the player instantly. Pods are cut down easily enough, but they can quickly fill an enclosed space and constantly spam shots at the player.
C-Tier
Brutesare among the most formidable-looking necromorphs throughouttheDead Spaceremake, but they can be telegraphed quite easily and have exploitable weak points. Once players halt them in Stasis, firing under the Brute’s arms or legs is a reliable way to put them down for good. Without Stasis to rely upon these necromorphs can become much more worrisome.
Explodersare slow as they approach the player, but they are also remarkably quiet and the bulbous sack on the end of their extremity will detonate upon proximity for a lot of damage. If players can notice Exploders from a distance they are laughably easy to kill, since a single shot to their sacks will kill them in a manual explosion. If they are able to close the distance then players will pay the price for neglecting them or being unable to hear them coming.
Pregnantsand theirSwarmersare annoying for their own reasons. Pregnants are massive, bloated necromorphs that can be dismembered like most other necromorphs, but misfired shots on their stomachs will result in a pile of Swarmers emerging and crawling rapidly at the player.Swarmers are particularly weak to the Pulse Rifle, which has a rate of fire that washes these tiny necromorph bits away. Again, they can be irritating if the distance is closed because players will be stuck mashing the prompted button input while other necromorphs could also be attacking.
Dead Spaceis available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
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