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Dead Space 2 eGuide
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Contents

  • Essentials
    • The Basics
      • The Rig
      • Basic Movement and Controls
      • Combat Tactics
    • Cast of Characters
      • The Humans
      • The Necromorphs
    • Tools of the Trade
      • Weapons
      • Integrated Equipment
      • Suits
      • Items
    • Dead Space: Extraction
      • Basic Training
      • Guns and Gear
      • Story Mode
      • Challenge Mode
      • Trophies
  • Walkthrough
    • Clarke's Log: Walkthrough
      • Chapter 1
      • Chapter 2
      • Chapter 3
      • Chapter 4
      • Chapter 5
      • Chapter 6
      • Chapter 7
      • Chapter 8
      • Chapter 9
      • Chapter 10
      • Chapter 11
      • Chapter 12
      • Chapter 13
      • Chapter 14
      • Chapter 15
    • Extras
      • DS: Ignition
      • XBOX 360/PS3
      • Achvs./Trophies
      • Unitology Alphabet
      • Downloadable Content
      • Bonus Content
  • Multiplayer
    • Multiplayer
      • Playing Multiplayer Games
      • Playing as a Human
      • Playing as a Necromorph
      • The Maps
      • Experience Points

Dead Space 2 Guide › Essentials › Tools of the Trade

Weapons

Plasma Cutter

This high-energy tool is designed for cutting through minerals. Therefore, it will have no trouble slicing through Necromorphs. You pick up this weapon during Chapter 1. The plasma cutter fires three projectiles in a linear formation. You can change it from vertical to horizontal mode by pressing the Alt-Fire button. Use it in horizontal mode to cut off legs or tentacles. Vertical mode is best for cutting off arms.

Issac's Log

Of all the weapons, I found the plasma cutter to be the most useful. Since the most effective way to kill Necromorphs is to dismember them, I used the plasma cutter to cut off limbs. In vertical mode, I shot off the arms. That would usually put a Slasher down. However, if they were coming at me fast, I switched to horizontal mode and shot off a leg or two. That gave me time to switch back to vertical and sever the arms. Since ammo was somewhat limited, I tried to conserve it as much as possible. Although the plasma cutter is not the most powerful weapon, you can use it against every Necromorph. I carried it across the Sprawl and could always rely on it as a backup weapon for dealing with all types of threats.

Upgrading

It is also a good idea to upgrade this weapon as much as possible. As you encounter tougher Necromorphs later in the game, you want to make sure you have upgraded the damage and the capacity, since it is important to be able to fire more shots before you have to reload. With increased damage, you don't have to get as many hits. It is a good idea to work toward the special upgrade. This will leave a burning flame on the target that will last several seconds, inflicting damage. This is useful against large Necromorphs that require several hits in weak spots in order to kill them.

Line Gun

The line gun fires a wide horizontal beam. By upgrading this weapon, you can increase the beam's width. With the line gun, you can cut two legs off a Necromorph with a singe shot and is even great for firing at groups bunched together. The line gun causes more damage than the plasma cutter, which makes up for its slower rate of fire. The alternate mode deploys a timed mine. Just aim where you want the mine to go and then press the Alt-Fire button. The mine will shoot out and then detonate after a few seconds, causing lots of damage to all nearby Necromorphs. This is another weapon that comes in handy for much of the game. You can purchase this weapon at the store during Chapter 2.

Issac's Log

I found the line gun to be very effective against Necromorphs. While it was slower to fire and reload, each blast packed a lot of punch. Whenever I was attacked by several enemies at once, I whipped out the line gun and fired at the legs to drop them to the ground. Then I deployed a timed mine in front of the crawling group and backed away while they blew up. As I upgraded this weapon, I was able to just fire it at waist level and cut several types of Necromorphs in half.

Upgrading

The line gun has quite an extensive upgrade schematic. In addition to upgrading damage and capacity, it increases the beam's width and lets you cause more damage over a wider area. This makes the line gun more effective at taking down groups of enemies. However, also invest your power nodes in reload to counter this weapon's slow reload time. The duration upgrade can be useful since it reduces the amount of time it takes for the timed mine to detonate. If you like using the mine, upgrade the alternate ability to increase the damage and blast area of the timed mine.

Javelin Gun

The javelin gun, a pneumatic spear launcher, is a new weapon to Dead Space 2. Fire it at a Necromorph and it will impale the target, causing considerable damage. Press the Alt-Fire button to make the recently fired javelin emit an electric charge that will usually finish off the target and will even damage nearby Necromorphs. This weapon is best used from medium to long range and has a slower rate of fire than the other weapons. However, a single shot with a zap of electricity will take care of most Necromorphs. You can purchase this weapon at the store during Chapter 2.

Issac's Log

During the early part of the campaign across the Sprawl, I used the javelin gun quite a bit. It would throw back most enemies, and after it hit, I would electrify the javelin to finish off the Necromorph and damage any other nearby ones as well. For smaller enemies, I would fire a javelin into the ground in front of them and then electrify an entire group as they walked past it. I liked this weapon even more after I upgraded it with the special ability. The explosion at the end of the electric charge made this one awesome weapon. The only downsides to this weapon were the time it took between shots and the difficulty to hit targets moving laterally instead of right toward me. To help ensure I got a hit, I always aimed for the center of the enemy's body, rather than a limb. However, when faced with powerful Necromorphs such as a Brute, I aimed for yellowish weak spots.

Upgrading

This is one weapon for which you want to upgrade the alternate mode and the damage. Capacity and reload are not quite as important as these first two attributes. It is a good idea to start at the top track of the schematic and work your way toward the special ability, picking up damage and alternate mode along the way. Once you have the special ability, the javelin will explode after releasing its electrical charge, causing even more damage to the target and anything nearby.

Pulse Rifle

While many of the other weapons are tools, the pulse rifle is an assault rifle used by the military. This gun has a very high rate of fire and shoots small projectiles. Each round does not cause as much damage as a shot from the plasma cutter. However, when you have lots of small Necromorphs coming at you, the higher rate of fire and large ammunition capacity makes up for the lower damage inflicted. When you need an additional punch, press the Alt-Fire button to launch a grenade at your target. (Just be aware that each time you fire a grenade, it uses up several rounds of ammunition.) These grenades are great for clearing out groups of small Necromorphs. You can find the schematic for this weapon at the start of Chapter 3 and then purchase it at the store once you upload the schematic.

Issac's Log

The pulse rifle is a good weapon for dealing with smaller Necromorphs. If you have enough ammo, you can also use it against medium-size enemies. I used it mostly while I was wearing the security suit, since it provided a damage bonus for the pulse rifle. As an engineer, I preferred weapons that were more precise or packed a lot of power. However, the advantage to the pulse rifle is I didn't have to aim at limbs to dismember foes attacking in a group. I could just open fire and let the rounds chew up the enemy.

Upgrading

When upgrading the pulse rifle, concentrate on damage and capacity. Since it starts out holding only 50 rounds, those go quick and you will find yourself constantly reloading. By increasing damage, you help alleviate that problem since it takes less shots to kill enemies. The grenade launcher alternate fire is a real bonus for this weapon, so upgrade your alternate ability as well. Once you get this upgraded, a grenade will blow back most Necromorphs and cause more damage. A fully upgraded pulse rifle is a considerable weapon if you have plenty of ammo for it.

Note

When playing as humans during multiplayer matches, you are always equipped with a pulse rifle as one of your two weapons. Therefore, it is a good idea to get used to using this weapon effectively against Necromorphs.

Detonator

Please click to enlarge

The detonator is one of the more unique weapons in the game. It launches an explosive mine that deploys laser trip wires. Anything that moves through these trip wires detonates the mine—including you, so be careful. Deploy mines on the ground so the trip wires go vertical, or you can launch them onto walls for horizontal trip wires. Detonator mines are very effective in narrow corridors when Necromorphs are coming toward you. Deploy them right in front of the enemy and they will walk into your mines. If you want to move on and do not want to leave any mines behind, aim at a deployed mine and press the Alt-Fire button to deactivate it. You can then pick it up and return it to your inventory. The schematic for the detonator is in Chapter 5.

Issac's Log

The detonator quickly became one of my all-time favorite weapons. Whenever I entered a new area, I quickly deployed several mines around me—especially if I saw or heard Necromorphs headed my way. A mine could take out small and some medium-sized enemies. However, even if it did not kill an enemy, a mine would damage it and make it easier to kill with another weapon. Use detonator mines to protect you when hacking a console or performing a task. When a mines blows up, you know that threats are nearby; use these as a warning and as a weapon.

Upgrading

The detonator is another weapon that requires a different style of play. You must think ahead to use it, since it requires some time to launch the mines and more time for them to deploy the laser trip wires. If you are going to use this weapon, it is important to upgrade its damage. The more damage you can add, the more effective each mine will be. A detonator fully upgraded with damage can cause a lot of devastation. Be sure to also upgrade the special ability and the radius of damage for the mine. A fully upgraded detonator in the right hands can wipe out a horde of Necromorphs.

Ripper

Upgrading

The ripper is an industrial saw that can cut through just about anything—especially Necromorph flesh. When you fire it, a saw blade shoots out and hovers, spinning, a short distance in front of you. As you move to aim, the saw blade moves with you. Step forward to cut into enemies or stay put and let them run onto your blade. Just keep the blade in contact with enemies to inflict damage until they die. For distant targets, press the Alt-Fire button to launch a saw blade. This can actually cut through several enemies. Look for the ripper schematic in Chapter 5.

Issac's Log

Once I found the schematic and then purchased the ripper at the store, I used it extensively. While I preferred to kill Necromorphs at a distance, they always seemed to jump out at me and attack at close range. This is where the ripper excels. I often carried the ripper around with me so I was ready for close-up attacks, then switched to another weapon if I needed a ranged attack. The alternate attack was great for dealing with Lurkers and Pukers when I wanted to inflict some quick damage at range. For the Pukers, this gave me time to switch to another weapon to finish it off.

Upgrading

The ripper is a great close-combat weapon. While it is quite effective as is, you can really cut through Necromorphs by upgrading the damage. It is also a good idea to upgrade duration so that each saw blade will last longer. It can be bad when you must fire another blade in the middle of sawing through an enemy. If you plan on using the ripper's alternate-fire mode, it is vital to upgrade the alternate nodes. These are all along the top path of the schematic. Once the ripper is fully upgraded, its blades will saw right through most Necromorphs at a distance. It also can wreak devastation on a group of enemies in a narrow corridor.

Seeker Rifle

The seeker rifle is a long-range weapon. It fires a single round at a time. Press Alt-Fire to change to zoom mode. This gives you a closer view to distant targets. In addition, while in zoom mode, each round causes more damage. Therefore, when using the seeker rifle, it is always a good idea to use zoom mode. Don't use this weapon at close range, since other weapons are more effective in that role. The schematic for the seeker rifle can be found in Chapter 6.

Issac's Log

At first I was not very impressed with the seeker rifle. It seemed to be just a pulse rifle that fired only one round at a time. However, I realized that when I needed to eliminate enemies at long range, especially those with projectile attacks, the seeker rifle was the best weapon for the job, bar none. I often used it to kill Lurkers since their small size made them tough to target at long range. It also worked great for getting rid of Pukers from range and for killing Nests. While equipping it meant I could not take along another weapon, the seeker rifle often made up for it when I had to deal with those distant enemies.

Upgrading

The seeker rifle's upgrade schematic actually has two separate paths that do not connect. Upgrade the alternate path completely since this is usually what you will use when attacking with the seeker rifle. These are all on the top path. It is also a good idea to upgrade both damage and ammo capacity.

Flamethrower

The flamethrower is actually a hydrazine industrial torch that you can use to set fire to several enemies with a streaming blaze. Unlike some of the other weapons, the flamethrower's range is limited. However, it is great for attacking lots of smaller Necromorphs as they come at you. The flame is wide, so don't use this for dismembering. Instead, fire it at an enemy's center to torch as much of it as possible. Fire it in bursts and then back away. The flames will continue to burn the target and inflict more damage. The alternate attack is great for causing a lot of devastation. It launches an entire fuel canister at the target that explodes on impact and damages not only the target, but also anything nearby. You can find the schematic for the flamethrower in the school toward the end of Chapter 6.

Issac's Log

The flamethrower is another area-of-effect weapon. As such, I liked using it to deal with lots of smaller Necromorphs. The key is to flame all of them and then back away while they burn to death. The flamethrower was also effective when several medium-sized enemies were coming at me. Once I set them on fire, they usually stopped charging for a bit. If you use the flamethrower, be sure you have plenty of fuel for it and don't forget about the alternate attack. Launching a flaming bomb can stop several enemies grouped close together. In addition, be sure you have another weapon to fall back on since the flamethrower can't do everything.

Upgrading

When upgrading, it is important to focus on damage and capacity, since these are the weaker aspects of the flamethrower. If you want to use the alternate fire, the top track of the schematic will let you max out the damage of the flame bomb with only six power nodes. The flamethrower requires a different style of play; therefore, it is a good idea to try it out. If it does not work for you, don't waste power nodes upgrading it and stick to other weapons.

Force Gun

The force gun is a handheld graviton accelerator. It fires a short-range, high-powered blast of kinetic energy over a wide area. It acts as a blunt blow rather than a penetrating shot. Fire it at Necromorphs to push them back while causing some damage. This will affect not only the target, but also anything nearby. This is great for when enemies are charging at you. While it won't kill most Necromorphs, it is handy to blow back several enemies that are charging you in close quarters. Press the Alt-Fire button to fire the kinetic energy in a tight-radius energy projection. This causes more damage to the target and can be fired at longer ranges. However, it does not affect other things nearby. This alternate attack can blow an enemy to pieces. The schematic for the force gun can be found in Chapter 7.

Issac's Log

The force gun is an interesting weapon. I tended to use its alternate attack more than its primary attack. It was especially useful when I had several enemies coming at me. I would blow them back with the primary attack, hit the strongest ones (or the biggest threats) with stasis, and then use the alternate fire to take out each individual Necromorph.

Upgrading

Damage and speed should be your priorities when upgrading the force gun. As you increase the damage, your primary attack is more likely to kill enemies or severely damage them. The time between shots is one of the weapon's weak points, so by upgrading speed, you can help overcome that. Finally, upgrade the alternate attack, since it can be very deadly once fully upgraded. The upgrade schematic has three start nodes. Start with the middle node, which is damage; from there you can upgrade several attributes.

Contact Beam

The contact beam is an energy projector that deals heavy damage. To use it, hold down the Fire button to charge a high-intensity blast. Then release the button to fire it at a target. This one blast will blow apart most Necromorphs. The downside is the charge time. The weapon's alternate attack is great for clearing the area around you when there are lots of enemies close at hand. Press Alt-Fire and you blast kinetic energy into the ground to push away all nearby objects. This can give you a chance to then use the primary fire. Look for the schematic for this weapon in a locked storage room in Chapter 7.

Issac's Log

I grew to really appreciate the contact beam. It is a powerful weapon. Since its function is somewhat similar to the force gun, I put my force gun in the safe and carried the contact beam with me quite a bit of the time after I purchased it. One of the first things that I did was upgrade the alternate attack and get the special ability for the weapon. This not only pushed the enemies back, but also put them in stasis. This allowed me to use a weapon rather than my stasis module to slow down enemies. Then while the Necromorphs were in stasis, I destroyed them one at a time with the primary fire. This weapon also works great against large Necromorphs as well. Just aim for their weak spots and a couple blasts with this and they will be down for the count.

Upgrading

Place seven power nodes in the top path to access the special ability as quickly as possible. Along the way, you will increase the power of your alternate attack. The next priority is charge since you want to decrease the amount of time it takes to charge up your primary shot. Unlike most weapons, you can't upgrade the damage for the contact beam.

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