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Dead Space weapon upgrade locations

The best Dead Space weapon upgrades will drastically improve your chances of survival, providing stat boosts as well as alternative modes of fire.

Tracking down the best Dead Space weapon upgrades is vital if you’re looking to stand a chance against the endless tide of necromorphs. The Dead Space remake gives players more upgrade options than ever before, and our complete list of weapon upgrades and where to find them will help narrow down your options.

The best Dead Space weapon upgrades can be accessed at a bench. Each upgrade also gifts you with an additional Dead Space power node, which you can ordinarily find scattered throughout the Ishimura. They’re quite rare to come by outside of purchasing them from the shop, so it’s important to use them wisely if you’re looking to upgrade your weapons to their full potential. Without further ado, here are the best Dead Space weapon upgrades in what’s shaping up to be one of the best PC games of the year.

Dead Space weapon upgrade paths

Each weapon in the Dead Space remake has a unique upgrade path with nodes to improve damage, ammo capacity, reload time, and rate of fire. Not every node yields an upgrade, but unlocking the best weapon upgrades requires inserting the Power Nodes adjacent to one another. This allows you to extend the branches of the upgrade path accordingly.

Dead Space weapon upgrades: Isaac Clarke viewing the interface of the upgrade bench, which displays the current unlocked upgrade path of the plasma cutter.

In addition to the more traditional method of unlocking Dead Space weapon upgrades, the remake has gone a step further by introducing specific upgrade parts for weapons. These special parts can be found on the Ishimura as schematics and integrated into that weapon’s upgrade path when visiting a bench.

You can also find weapon upgrades locked in Dead Space Master Override containers and rooms, though you can only gain access to these by completing the ‘You Are Not Authorised’ side mission. These upgrade parts can range from a considerable increase to a particular stat, or special upgrades as seen in Dead Space 2, such as incendiary ammo that can make a huge difference to how combat plays out.

All Dead Space weapon upgrades

Dead Space weapon upgrades can be found throughout the Ishimura as you complete Isaac’s story, and can be identified from afar by the yellow light they emit, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble picking them out in the darkness.

Here are all 21 Dead Space weapon upgrade locations, in order of appearance:

  • Plasma Cutter – Cartridge Rack: Located on the row of chairs under the graffiti immediately as you enter the Ishimura Clinic in Chapter 2.
  • Plasma Cutter – Heat Accumulator: Available to purchase from the store for 11,000 credits in Chapter 3.
  • Pulse Rifle – Kinetic Autoloader: Available to purchase from the store for 11,000 credits after finding the Pulse Rifle in Chapter 3.
  • Ripper – Ricochet Tracer: Available to purchase from the store for 11,000 credits after finding the Ripper in Chapter 3.
  • Flamethrower – Gellified Hydrazine: Available to purchase from the store for 11,500 credits after finding the Flamethrower in Chapter 3.
  • Pulse Rifle – P.C.S.I Custom Magazine: Located in Electrical Systems Storage on the Bridge in Chapter 4. You can access this room by using kinesis to move the boxes blocking the door and shooting at the fuse to disable it.
  • Contact beam – Supersymmetry Tether: Available to purchase from the store for 12,000 credits after finding the Contact Beam in Chapter 4.
  • Line Gun – Ionized Capacitor: Available to purchase from the store for 11,500 credits after finding the Line Gun in Chapter 5.
  • Ripper – Angled Launcher: Located on the desk in Flow Supervisor B. Andonov’s office on the Flow Control deck in Chapter 6.
  • Force Gun – Subsonic Oscillator: Available to purchase from the store for 12,000 credits after finding the Force Gun in Chapter 6.
  • Flamethrower – Macroliter Fuel Tank: Located on the floor inside the Utility Room in Chapter 7. You can reach this room by switching on zero gravity via the circuit breaker and descending to the lower floor, though you’ll need Dead Space security clearance level 3 to unlock the door.
  • Plasma Cutter – Weighted Blades: Located on a bench in the Maintenance Locker Room on the Communications Hub deck in Chapter 8.
  • Pulse Rifle – High-Yield Grenades: Located in a locker in Water Purification in Chapter 10. You can access this room by acquiring the Dead Space Master Override.
  • Line Gun – Precision Lasers: Located in a locked chest between Hydroponics Central Hub and the Mining Tram Station in Chapter 10. You’ll need the Master Override to open it.
  • Contact Beam – Diffraction Module: Located in a locked chest in Tools Storage on the Mining deck in Chapter 10. You can access this room by manipulating the crates blocking the way via kinesis
  • Ripper – Carbon-Fiber Blades: Located in a locked chest just to the right of the bench in the Machine Shop on the Engineering deck at any point after you gain the Master Override required to open it.
  • Contact Beam – Portable Heliotron: Located on the desk in the Bioprosthetics Locker Room on the Medical deck, though you’ll need security level 3 to access it.
  • Line Gun – Photon Energizer: Located in a chest in Lab Storage on the Medical deck. Again, you’ll need security level 3 to open the door to the room itself.
  • Force Gun – Gravitic Amplifier: Located on the desk in the Guest Consultant’s Suites on the Crew Quarters deck in Chapter 10.
  • Flamethrower – High-Pressure Nozzle: Located in a locked chest within the Deluxe Shift Bunks on the Crew Quarters deck in chapter 10. You can reach this room by retrieving the battery from the Deluxe Quiet Bunks to activate the circuit breaker and reroute power to the doors. Once again, you’ll need to Master Override to open the chest.
  • Force Gun – Suspension Module: Located in a locked chest at the Hanger-Cargo-Tram Control on the Cargo Bay deck. And yes, you’ve guessed it: you’ll need the Master Override to open it.

While the plasma cutter reigned supreme in the original horror game, Isaac Clarke’s arsenal has received significant changes in the Dead Space remake. Be sure to pair them with the best Dead Space suit upgrades to tear through necromorphs with ease. While you’re here, take a gander at our Dead Space review, as well as our guide to the Dead Space cast if you’re looking to put voices to names.