TheDead Spacefranchise has been at the forefront of horror for many years, now including aremake of the first game complete with restored cut content. No one else does Lovecraftian sci-fi quite likeDead Space. In the games, the player takes on the role of engineer Isaac Clark as he finds himself on a quest to destroy ancient alien artifacts that cause the dead to rise up as violent abominations called Necromorphs.
To accomplish that task, the player will gather a litany of weapons in each of the three games. When the most effective way of disposing of most enemies is to focus on dismembering them instead of headshots, the game provides the player with plenty of weapons designed to either tear apart or absolutely obliterate the player’s foes.
Updated July 09, 2025 by Ritwik Mitra:Dead Spaceis one of the most legendary survival horror trilogies of all time. Dismembering necromorphs while roaming around claustrophobic hallways and scary areas makes for a great time, with players constantly looking over their shoulders every step of the way. It’s the dread and panic induced in theDead Spacegames that make them such a blast to play through, even if the third game ended up sacrificing a lot of what made these titles special in the first place.
TheDead Spaceremake has been a runaway success, opening up a lot of areas and recontextualizing the weapons so that they appear at appropriate moments. Players can now use them in situations that do a great job of illustrating what they’re best at. Given the sheer number of weapons that have appeared across the series, there’s no better time to check out which ones are the most useful of the lot.
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15Seeker Rifle
Sniper rifles have become commonplace in most video games. Many players love the idea of taking long-range potshots at enemies and watching them crumble after a few shots. This type of weapon was eventually integrated intoDead Spacein the form of the Seeker Rifle, which appears from the second game onward.
Some people might dislike the idea of not being able to use this weapon in the remake, but that’s a small and pretty silly gripe in the grand scheme of things. The third game even allows players to craft this weapon without using a scope, letting players blast enemy limbs and heads off in an extremely satisfying and visceral manner.
14Kinesis Module
While the Kinesis Module isn’t a weapon in the traditional sense, fans ofDead Spaceknow perfectly well just how useful this tool can be in the right circumstances. It allows players to use telekinetic technology to move objects out of the way and solve puzzles whenever the games mandate it.
However, the use of the Kinesis Module in combat should also be highlighted. This tool allows players to use the environment itself as a weapon against the many necromorphs that are trying to hunt them down. The fact that the blades of the necromorphs themselves can be used as a weapon is proof enough of just how dynamic and interesting kinesis is in the heat of battle.
13Rivet Gun
The Rivet Gun is basicallyDead Space’s take on a machine gun in a futuristic world. It’s a weapon with a rapid fire rate that can absolutely decimate most necromorphs that are unlucky enough to come in contact with the player.
However, do keep in mind that the Rivet Gun is virtually useless without upgrades, prompting many players to drop this weapon from the get-go without any substantial investment. However, if players make the effort to upgrade this weapon, then they’ll be rewarded with a weapon that is useful in a whole host of scenarios barring fights against more powerful foes with specific weaknesses.
12Plasma Cutter
Those familiar withDead Space,or games like it, may recognize one of the most iconic weapons in all of gaming. The Plasma Cutter is the first weapon the player receives in the whole franchise. It is essentially a pistol, but throughout the whole series, it proves to be quite effective at putting down the Necromorph menace.
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The weapon fires a short line of plasma either horizontally or vertically, making it quite useful when facing off against enemies whose only weakness is having their limbs cut off. In addition, its status as a pistol makes it useful for longer-range, accurate shots.
11Bolas Gun
Dead Space 3introduced a lot of new and interesting weapons to the franchise. Although many will argue the third entry in the series pushed past a lot of the horror elements in favor of an “action-packed” storyline, it’s hard to deny that many of the weapons players can create can add a lot of entertainment value to the release.
The Bolas Gun is a great example of this phenomenon and is easily one of the most entertaining guns inDead Space 3. The firearm is capable of producing electrified bolas-like projectiles that can stun enemies, as well as slice through their limbs. Depending on how players build the device, it will produce bolas that can bounce or remain stationary upon contact and continue to spin for a short duration.
10Devil Horns
Those who have playedDead Space2may remember the overpowered Hand Cannon, a foam finger gun that instakills most enemies and allows Isaac to yell “Bang” or “Pew” whilst firing. InDead Space 3, it was brought back but now as a foam hand in the shape of devil horns. Its reload animation now including Issac headbanging to a metal guitar riff.
The weapon can be unlocked after completing the game on Classic Mode during New Game+. As it appears inDead Space 3, the finger’s stats can be modified though with very little noticeable effect as the Devil Horns are already the strongest weapon in the game.
9Line Gun
Take the idea of the Plasma Cutter, and make it bigger. That is how the Line Gun works. The gun is slower, but it makes up for it in a number of ways. For one, the gun’s base damage is much higher than the Plasma Cutter, and with upgrades can cut through Necromorph limbs like butter.
The line is also bigger, allowing the player to line up shots that can cut off multiple limbs in one shot. The biggest difference between the two is that the Line Gun includes an alt-fire mode that shoots timed mines. If timed correctly, the player can easily dispose of a whole crowd. The weaponshines on next-gen consoles courtesy of the brilliant remake.
8Contact Beam
If the player needs something that will obliterate the enemy in just one or two shots, there is the Contact Beam. This weapon is designed for one thing only, to hit as hard as possible. Because of this, the gun requires charging before effectively firing its main shot, so it may not work best in a small, cramped area.
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However, if the player does find themselves being swarmed the gun also includes an alt-fire just for the job. It is a seismic wave that blows all objects in front of the player away, at the very least giving them some space.
7Ripper
It is easy enough to see how a gun that shoots and levitates massive circular saw blades can be an effective weapon in a game. As its main fire, the Ripper spins and levitates the blade a short distance away from the player. From there, the player has full control over the blade and can control it to slice off the limbs of any encroaching enemies.
If the range is an issue, the alt-fire simply shoots the saw blade at high velocity, shredding any enemy that stands in its path.
6Flamethrower
Flamethrowers are the quintessential weapon in any horror setting, at leastthe ones deserving of a revival. Fire in general is typically useful when faced with natural threats.Dead Spaceis no different. Its primary mode of fire is simple, shoot a wide stream of fire at the enemy. However,Dead Space 1and2have different alt-fires.
The first game allows the flamethrower to shoot a big ball of fire that will explode on contact. In the second game, the flamethrower will instead launch a lit canister that will explode after a few seconds if it does not come into contact with an enemy.
