Summary
Death lurks aboard the USG Ishimura in theDead SpaceRemake. If Isaac Clarke and the player are to survive the grotesqueterrors and horrorsthat are out to kill and desecrate him, then they will need to invest wisely in the upgrades of both their RIG suit and an arsenal of weapons that they will scavenge whilst fighting hordes of Necromoprh monsters in theDead SpaceRemake.
There are plenty of upgrade benches throughout the USG Ishimura, and each can be utilized inDead Space2023 to make the player strongeragainst their monstrous enemies. To use the upgrade bench, players will need power nodes. This scarce resource should be the player’s priority of the player, due to it being the only way to get the best upgrades inDead Space.
Updated on July 02, 2025, by Jake Fillery:With Dead Space (2023) celebrating its gory first birthday, there’s no better time to get back into the game and enjoy the frights that await Isaac Clarke on board the Ishimura. It’s one thing to want, but it’s another thing to need, and players are definitely going to need the best upgrades in Dead Space (2023) if they are to survive the necromorph hordes, and not jump out of their skin the next time one bursts from a vent or behind a door. With so many enemies in the Dead Space remake, Isaac Clarke can be given a boost of confidence from powerful weapon upgrades and hearty RIG suit upgrades, allowing him to become a necromorph-killing machine, so long as players know which upgrades to focus on first.
12Suit Level 2
Purchased At A Shop For 10,000 Credits, Providing 18 Inventory Slots & 5% Boost To Armor
The easiest way to feel safer inDead Spaceis toupgrade the RIG suit. This is a vital part of upgrading Isaac Clarke, not just through cosmetic additions to the suit, but through actual increases to his character. The RIG suit can be upgraded multiple times throughout the horrifying survival adventure, but the first one is going to make players immediately feel the difference whenever they are unfortunate enough to get hit.
The first upgrade to the suit is an utter blessing, as the increase to inventory slots allows players to carry more ammunition and health packs, ensuring their demise will not be so light, as there is nothing more tragic than leaving behind some gear because the inventory is full. The permanent boost to armor is also going to be a lifesaver, as the less damage dealt, the safer players can feel.
11Health Upgrade
Increase Health to 225 (5 Nodes Required)
Staying alive is the player’s main priority inDead Space. To do that, players will need to make sure that they have plenty of HP so that if they do get attacked, they will be able to walk it off or heal it back. Investing power nodesinto the RIG SuitHP upgrades is beneficial, and means Isaac Clarke can withstand more deadly and frequent attacks.
As the game progresses, enemies will become harder to fight, and grow in numbers,leaving Isaac Clarkein need of more health to combat these monsters. Prioritizing health should be a central focus, as it will mean that players do not have to restart on death so much, and, on harder difficulties, it means players won’t have their game end prematurely. Having health upgrades will make players more confident in each confrontation with a Necromorph, and they won’t fear their enemies as much, considering their staggering health pool, further enhanced by their medical items.
10Plasma Cutter - Damage
Increase Damage to 200 (6 Nodes Required)
The plasma cutter will be the first weapon that players find inDead Space, and it will remain their go-to. It’s by far the best weapon inDead Spaceand will be the best at taking out limbs in quick succession. It’s the iconic gun of theDead Spacefranchise, and theDead Spaceremake only emphasizes whythat’s the case.
Players should invest heavily inthe upgrade treefor the plasma cutter, and focus their points on the damage. By focusing on damage, players will be able to cut off the limbs of the Necromorphs more easily and with less waste of ammunition. In fact, the Plasma Cutter is easily the best weapon inDead Space. There’s a trophy players can unlock where they only use the Plasma Cutter, and this is not entirely difficult, since upgrading the weapon will see them easily hack off the limbs of Necromorpsh with ease, especially with its cheap and affordable ammo always accessible to the player.
9Kinesis Range
Increase Range to 30 (2 Nodes Required)
Kinesis is a fun mechanic inDead Spaceand a true lifesaver. By upgrading the range of kinesis, players will be able to pull objects towards them that are further away. This can help them grab a consumable item that is further away or a throwable weapon that could save their life.
As players board the USG Ishimura, they will find an assortment of throwable weapons, from poles to vent fans and more. Players can throw these items at Necromorphs to damage them, and by having a greater range of kinesis, they will save ammo in the long run. By increasing the range, players can rip off sharp points of dead Necromorphs from further away, using an effective weapon to save ammo, or save their life if they have run out of said ammo.
8Plasma Cutter - Capacity
Increase Capacity to 23 (8 Nodes Required)
There is nothing scarier than unloading a full clip of ammo into one of the many disturbing monsters inDead Spaceand finding that there’s an empty click, and players need to reload before firing again. Running out of ammunition in the magazine can be the difference between life and death, which is why investing in the plasma cutter ammo capacity is a great idea.
It’s a decent upgrade to focus on, especially early game. Players may still be getting used to the firing mode of the plasma cutter, and a higher ammo capacity means more room to miss. Additionally, the plasma cutter will need the extra capacity when Necromorphs spawn in larger numbers. With the Plasma Cutter holding strong as the best weapon inDead Space, players should invest wisely into it, and not waste Nodes on other weapons, even to experiment. Increasing the ammo count of the Plasma Cutter may be pricey, but it means more shots, and more safety.
7Stasis Duration
12 Second Duration (5 Nodes Required)
Stasis can be a lifesaver, especially in situations where larger Necromorphs charge toward the player. Some instances will have players completely overwhelmed, and they won’t be able to react as fast as John Wick to take them out. Luckily, there is a Stasis Duration upgrade, which will permit players to freeze and slow their targets for longer than normal.
Slowing targets for a longer duration is great. It will give players time to reload, get out of the tight corner they find themselves trapped in, or even provide an opening of attack. Players definitely should not ignore the Stasis Duration upgrade.
6Stasis Energy
6 Energy Points (3 Nodes Required)
Using Stasis can be expensive, and players might not always have a Stasis station or a consumable on hand to keep them using it. Luckily, the Stasis Energy upgrade will help, as players will effectively double their uses of stasis, providing them with more window of opportunity to use this life-saving skill.
Stasis Energy is one of the best suit upgrades in Dead Space, and for good reason. Isaac Clarke will have a better chance at survival if he doesn’t run out of Stasis, so using this upgrade will mean players can use fewer Stasis Modules, and have more chances of not getting trapped.
5Stasis Zone
2.25 Size Upgrade (3 Node Upgrades)
Early on inDead Space, players willobtain a Stasis Module. This ability allows players to effectively slow time, causing a time dilation that makes objects and people move at an extremely slow rate. Players can use stasis on Necromorphs, which makes them move incredibly slowly. This makes them easier targets.
Upgrading stasis should be another priority of the player, as Stasis can be upgraded in different ways. Both ways are useful. Players can extend the time dilation of stasis with upgrades, meaning enemies are slowed for a longer period of time. They can also extend the radius of stasis, meaning more enemies are stunned in a certain vicinity.
4Plasma Cutter - Rate Of Fire
225 RPM (3 Nodes Required)
Cutting off limbs is perhaps the easiest and fastest with the trusty plasma cutter. However, it can be even quicker if players invest in the rate of fire upgrades. By investing power nodes into this specific tree, the rate of fire for the plasma cutter will feel like a precise machine gun that melts through Necromorph limbs like butter.
The initial firing rate for the plasma cutter is reasonable, but slow. With an upgraded one, players won’t have to worry about getting stabbed, bitten, or worse, as the Necromorph charging forward will be a corpse again in no time thanks to a faster rate of fire.
3Plasma Cutter - Heat Accumulator
Damage Over Time (11,000 Credits, Chapter 3)
In theDead SpaceRemake, the Heat Accumulator can be bought from the store in the Control Room once players reach Chapter 3. By taking this upgrade to the bench, players will be granted a power node and an extended upgrade path, as long as they have the 11,000 credits to purchase it.
Despite the price, the heat accumulator is well worth the fee, as it applies damage over time to each shot. This means that each shot on targetwith the plasma cutterwill eat away at the Necromorph’s limbs, and make killing them far easier.
