As an avid fan of the Dead Space series with countless hours across the games, I was eagerly awaiting the Dead Space remake. This modern reboot adds improved visuals and quality-of-life changes, while keeping the terrific atmosphere and tense gameplay intact.
However, survival is brutal amidst the nightmarish necromorph outbreak aboard the USG Ishimura. As engineer Isaac Clarke, utilizing the in-game store effectively is mandatory for making it through this horrifying ordeal alive.
In this definitive guide, I‘ll be sharing insights on all items in the store, their strengths and weaknesses, recommendations, tips and tricks gleaned from my years of experience in previous Dead Space games.
Isaac Clarke using a Store to purchase ammunition and weapons
Overview of In-Game Store
Here‘s a quick glimpse of items available for purchase or sale:
- Weapons: Plasma Cutter, Pulse Rifle, Flamethrower and more
- Ammunition: For equipping corresponding weapons
- Weapon Upgrades: Improve damage, reload speed, area-of-effect and handling
- RIG Suits: Boost health, armor and oxygen capacity
- Recovery Items: Restore health, stasis and oxygen levels
- Valuables: Sell for earning precious credits
Efficiently utilizing the store is mandatory for survival, especially at higher difficulties where resources are scarce.
For example, upgrading the Plasma Cutter with the Cartridge Rack attachment drastically increases ammo capacity, while the level 3 suit boosts health by 50%. This combo allows you to shred through necromorphs without quickly running out of bullets or health packs.
Next, we‘ll explore all the items, attachments and abilities to prioritize:
Overview of Weapons
Here‘s an overview table of prominent weapons available:
| Weapon | Type | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Plasma Cutter | Precision mining tool | Free |
| Pulse Rifle | High rate-of-fire assault rifle | 7,000 Cr |
| Flamethrower | Devastating short-range fire weapon | 11,000 Cr |
| Ripper | Gruesome circular saw blade | 8,000 Cr |
| Line Gun | Wide-arcing high-powered energy beams | 9,000 Cr |
| Contact Beam | Extremely damaging directed-energy emitter | 9,000 Cr |
| Force Gun | Efficient crowd control device | 11,000 Cr |
I‘ll share specific insights into key weapons next:
Plasma Cutter
The Plasma Cutter is your default starting weapon. This versatile, quick-firing mining tool is perfect for dismembering limbs or severing heads with its rotating plasma blades.
Plasma Cutter with attached upgrades slicing through necromorph
It has great handling thanks to low recoil, making scoring consecutive headshots easy. Ammo is cheap at just 100 credits per pack too.
Downsides are its short range, forcing closer-quarter engagements. It also slows down dramatically when hitting bone.
Overall it‘s a reliable jack-of-all-trades weapon with great balance across key stats. The Plasma Cutter tears through flesh rapidly with its tight bullet spread while retaining sufficient ammo capacity, especially after upgrading.
Pulse Rifle
The Pulse Rifle is a rapid fire military-grade assault rifle shooting high-caliber pulse rounds.
Pulse Rifle ripping necromorphs
It truly shines against clusters of fast-moving slashers and swarmers thanks to a blistering rate of fire and a large 40 round magazine size.
Alternate fire mode shoots proximity mines great for setting traps or ambushes. One major weakness is its accuracy over distance thanks to pronounced bullet spread.
Upgrading clip size and damage via the schematic lets you mow down small mobs without needing to constantly reload after combat.
Flamethrower
Easily my favorite weapon in Dead Space, the Flamethrower turns any necromorph into ashes with satisfying burn effects.
Flamethrower roasting a group of slashers
It inflicts extreme damage over time which stops enemies dead in their tracks. Surprisingly ranged too thanks to the arc of flames.
Great for corridor ambushes around corners or against crowds bottlenecked into a narrow hallway. Just be wary of burning all oxygen in a room accidentally!
Contact Beam
At 9000 credits, the Contact Beam is the most expensive kinetic weapon. However, this directed energy mining tool absolutely disintegrates any enemy with a single burst.
Contact Beam vaporizing a slasher into bloody chunks
Ammunition is rarer to find though and has a slow reload time. I reserve it exclusively for crushing tough foes like Brutes.
Upgrading contact beam damage via circuits makes it one-shot groups of necromorphs easily. It‘s incredibly satisfying to see enemies ragdoll from the explosive impact force!
Weapon and Suit Attachments
Here are some of the most game-changing attachments:
Weapon Upgrades:
- +2 Damage – Increased dismemberment and kill potential
- Quick Reload – 33% Faster reloads
- +10 Ammo – More total ammo and rounds per reload
Suit Upgrades:
- Level 2 Suit – +25% Health
- Level 3 Suit – +50% Health, +1 weapon slot
- Level 4 Suit – +100% Health, +2 weapon slots
For example, upgrading the Pulse Rifle with +2 Damage lets you rapidly smoke standard slashers and swarmers without needing to empty entire mags.
Whereas the Legendary Level 6 suit boosts all stats by a whopping 200% making you an ultra-durable damage sponge against hordes!
I highly recommend buying Level 2/3/4 suit improvements as early as possible. The extra health and damage resistance allow you to survive engagements when ammo/healing items are scarce. This is especially true on the tougher difficulties where margins for error are razor thin.
All Recovery Items
Recovering mid-battle is critical for continued survival. Here are the recovery items:
| Item | Usage | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Large Med Pack | Restores 25% Health + Oxygen | 10,000 Cr |
| Medium Med Pack | Restores 15% Health + Oxygen | 5,000 Cr |
| Small Med Pack | Restores 5% Health + Oxygen | 2,000 Cr |
| Stasis Pack | Fully recharges stasis meter | 2,500 Cr |
| Oxygen Tank | Greatly restores breathable air supply | 500 Cr |
I suggest carrying 3-4 med packs minimum when starting a new area, as well as 1-2 oxygen tanks in case you get trapped in a vacuum. Being caught without recovery items mid-battle leads to a swift death in higher difficulties!
All Valuables for Credits
Looting valuables throughout the USG Ishimura and selling those at the Store terminal is the easiest way to earn credits for purchases:
| Valuable | Sell Price |
|---|---|
| Diamond Semiconductor | 50,000 Cr |
| Ruby Semiconductor | 15,000 Cr |
| Gold Semiconductor | 5,000 Cr |
| Silver Semiconductor | 3,000 Cr |
| Bronze Semiconductor | 2,000 Cr |
Diamond semiconductors are ultra rare but fetch extremely high valuations in the store. I locate secured lock boxes using a bank‘s security terminal then hack those open to have the highest chances of locating these.
Fun fact: On New Game+, you retain all your inventory and credits from the first playthrough. This allows buying extremely overpowered gear right from the start!
Store Item Spawning Locations
If short on cash, here is where to find specific store items aboard the USG Ishimura:
Weapons and Upgrades:
- Schematics – Unlock new weapons and attachments
- Defeat enemies to earn credits for purchases
Ammunition:
- Storage containers and crates
- Corpses of dispatched necromorphs
- Buy ammo packs from the Store
Recovery Items:
- Wall-mounted boxes and crates
- Lockers and rooms in the Medical wing
RIG Suits:
- Secured lockboxes requiring hacking or codes
- Hidden weapon caches
Valuables:
- Inside secured lockboxes
- Common in Engineer crew member corpses
Also, whenever low on ammo, backtrack to a safe hub area allowing item respawns such as the Tram station or Medical wing to re-loot crates.
Recommended Store Purchases
If lacking credits, I highly recommend buying:
- RIG Suit Level 3 – Survival necessity
- Flamethrower – Wreck mobs at close range
- Contact Beam – Extreme damage for Brutes
- Stasis Packs – Critical for strategic dismemberment
Even on New Game+, I always upgrade to the Level 3 suit before anything else. The huge health boost is too useful to overlook during intense battles.
Effective Usage Tips
Here are some pro tips for mastering store gear:
- Dismember, don‘t shred – Severing limbs via vertical/horizontal cuts disables foes. Conserve ammo.
- Stasis liberally – Use stasis energy to slow necromorphs then strafe around them for easy dismemberment.
- Combine close and long-range weapons – I prefer Plasma Cutter + Contact Beam loadouts.
- Utilize environment – Use barrels, exposed electric wires, gas lines to ignite/shock multiple necromorphs.
- Always Be Running! – Sprint away from danger towards doorways or vents. Use stasis liberally to slow pursuers while fleeing.
Finally, here‘s an example illustrative battle strategy:
Against a Brute, use stasis to freeze it, then blast the fleshy yellow explosive sacks with the contact beam. This causes high damage and momentarily stuns it. Next, switch to the plasma cutter and focus horizontal/vertical cuts on its blade arms to sever them. Then deliver the finishing blow as the stunned Brute attempts to rise.
Approaching battles tactically using all tools available gives you the highest chances of survival, even when grossly outnumbered!
Conclusion
And there you have it, a comprehensive guide covering everything you need to know about the Dead Space remake in-game store!
Carefully upgrading equipment and managing resources, even on subsequent speedrun attempts, are mandatory for enduring the nightmarish necromorph outbreak engulfing the USG Ishimura. This guide dives deep into all the gear, mechanics and stats across weapons, upgrades and other items to spend credits on wisely.
As an seasoned Dead Space enthusiast myself, I hope these tips help both franchise veterans and newcomers master utilizing the store for effective weapons loadouts when strategizing against terrifying creature outbreaks! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments!
