DEAD SPACE 2
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This is perhaps the second real 'achievement' I have obtained in my 360
history. Given that at present there was no FAQ posted for this online, I felt
compelled to write one up. Please note that I will not hesitate to spoil
anything here, so if you happen to be reading this before you have even
I've been playing games now for 33 years, the first of which I 'beat' was
Pitfall II for the Atari 2600. My god that was a long time ago. By now, I
Evil 2 without saving in under 3 hours. I was pretty consistent with my pace,
as long as I managed the inventory well enough it was pretty easy to do. This
What is Hard Core? ............[01]
About the Guide ...............[02]
General Advice ................[03]
Weapon Advice .................[04]
Enemy Advice ..................[05]
Chapter Advice ................[06]
Chapter 1 ....................[C01]
Chapter 2 ....................[C02]
Chapter 3 ....................[C03]
Chapter 4 ....................[C04]
Chapter 5 ....................[C05]
Chapter 6 ....................[C06]
Chapter 7 ....................[C07]
Chapter 8 ....................[C08]
Chapter 9 ....................[C09]
Chapter 10 ...................[C10]
Chapter 11 ...................[C11]
Chapter 12 ...................[C12]
Chapter 13 ...................[C13]
Chapter 14 ...................[C14]
Chapter 15 ...................[C15]
Credits .......................[07]
The buzz about this mode is out there. No kidding, you have limited
ammunition, decently tough enemies and only 3 saves during what is known as a
6 hour campaign. Hard Core mode is not physically tough to complete; rather,
it is the constant stress and panic that can be overwhelming. I highly
recommend that you finish the campaign on a basic level, and then again on
You can expect Zealot-level quantity of ammo per pickup, and about Hard-level
weapon-damage-to-enemy and enemy-damage-to-you. This is not Zealot as you will
I am not going to tell you how to fight, as you should know before starting.
is where it is in other modes. I won't be breaking down damage specs from the
weapons to pinpoint which is best. What I will do is offer you advice on how I
ran the campaign, including where and when I saved, the weapons I brought to
the table, and how to tackle each enemy type reliably. You will find that I
break down the reasons why (and why I didn't go with the others).
I will not be spelling out every step of the campaign; rather, only sections
that can be particularly troubling and suggested tactics for 'mini-bosses' and
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There are certain things to know immediately.
from your save point. Let the wasted time slip from your mind and get
back at it. If you start over again immediately, you will be
of 6) in case you fail the do-or-die dragging section. He takes a good
number of shots, and you don't want to start over from the beginning.
I was literally one second from failing before I blew him away. If you
of Tripods. I will give you advice for blowing through this later, but
You will need to buy your ammo from the start - the drops just won't
cut it. They will keep you alive in the interim until you find a
store, but I tended to carry 50-60 extra plasma rounds at all times.
Once I started using the Ripper, I carried about 20-30 blades at once.
Reliance on the Ripper cut the plasma usage down hard, as one blade
would tear through multiple enemies, as opposed to 15-20 plasma rounds
Stomp your enemies after they die. Make sure that they drop their
Be liberal with healing. In the regular campaign I would happily run
around with 60% health, but here I was concerned if I only had 90%
filled. Don't overuse and waste it, just don't leave it in your pack
Don't blow out the windows unless you have to. There is a spot in
Abuse the respec-healing trick. From Chapter 7 on, when you use the
rig and leave the bench. Go back into it and reset all of your nodes,
and BAM! Full health. Total cost for that is half of the price of a
full health kit, so use this trick when you need it. Make sure to
You should know how to handle all of the weapons and enemies proficiently
before you even start, that much is given. I chose my weapons for their
overall reliability and applicability to any given situation. It's also about
your placement for certain encounters, so that you can get a drop on the enemy
This is the only weapon I ever used in DS1, because of the range,
immediate impact, rapid fire and decent damage. At max damage here
(plus the added flame effect), you can take down most enemies with 4-5
precise shots. This should be a powerful mainstay in your arsenal.
same time. Your ability to miss a primary fire, and then retrain the
be overemphasized. The definitive close quarters beast in terms of
DPS, throw in the long distance range attack (for times of crisis),
Great, but you can't bring back a missed shot and there are too few
rounds in the chamber. And the secondary file can kill you. It comes
Decent, but chews up the ammo and doesn't do anything for reliably
Great in theory, but you better hope they walk over it. And that you
don't.
Force Gun-
This was something I played with in DS1, but to be frank I've never
even pulled the trigger here. I've heard that it is very competitive
with the Ripper, but I don't recall the damage in the DS1 version being
very dramatic, as the elites took 4-5 shots and several seconds to
kill. Kill time is my problem here, as I can kill an elite slasher in
The Contact Beam was great for Brutes in DS1. The alt-fire gives great
crowd control, but you don't even get it until Chapter 7. No defense
against Spitters, Pukers or Lurkers. It just feels like a one-trick
Decent at range, but if you have it equipped when they invade your
Throw it in the first trash can you find.
Cutter. You have no need of air, so only apply one extra node for it.
Ignore the TK damage increase. Stasis needs duration and energy
quite evenly, so spread them around here. The Plasma Cutter needs
damage, speed and some capacity and some reload. Damage (and the
special) is the easy priority. The Ripper needs both duration and
damage quickly, as both apply to DPS. Everything else is secondary
on this weapon. By the end of the game you will be maxing out all
and the two more into the same arm. That should do it.
over its arms and face to kill it for good.
Spitter/Puker-
The approach is then the same as for the Slasher. The Puker will still
It's actually best to use this weapon, as you destroy the bodies
immediately this way causing them to drop their items on the spot.
are already on the ground and you lose the items they would have
Dangerous, as if you miss it will knock you down and he will still be
in your face when you get up. Very easy to die this way, as two hits
pretty low), which will drop him where he is. Move the blade up across
the body and arms, and he's done. Once practiced, it's the safest and
you and wait for them to charge you. Only one will come at a time, and
sense, otherwise use the Plasma Cutter only. Don't use secondary fire
miss as reloading isn't as quick as the Plasma Cutter is.
or so of your health. This is great compared to Zealot mode where it
would one-shot you no matter what. Still, don't let it happen.
the same arm. Same as the Slasher. Don't hit the belly or you will
and then his torso. Chances are he will be dead before the babies pop
out, but if they do they will be instantly destroyed. This is the best
hit the arms and head, because you won't really get his tail. He will
tear you apart in a matter of seconds, and he is rarely alone.
him to pieces. It's the safest way to go.
*note: In my opinion, this guy is easily your biggest threat in the
Swarmer (babies in Pregnant's belly)-
*note: Destroy any available dead bodies before the infector appears,
distance. Stasis him, and then blast off his arms.
There are four of them in the game, and I will deal with each encounter
1. If there is an available explosive canister, grab it before he can
see you, stay out of sight and then pop out and throw it in his face
2. If not, stay out of sight, pop out and stasis him. Blast away at
his tentacles as they are all centered in his midsection and slowly
move out as he awakens. He will be dead before he can do anything.
Do not use the Ripper, as he will tear your head off before you get a
at range. This method is dangerous and unnecessary.
saw the sacs apart at close range with primary fire. He will drop as
soon as your blade touches all three. I have done this several times
smaller piece until they stop moving. Uses a lot of ammo this way.
[C01] Chapter 1:
The only concern here is the Tripod. This is something you should be
When you start up the train, some enemies will rush through the
When you are hanging upside down, I avoid using kinesis and just blast
You can generally blast out the window here safely. Overall, this
Coming to the rounded staircase just before the elevator, an infector
is in front of you making a new slasher. Kill it and his new friend
right there, and then hesitate to charge down into the fray below you.
Let the infectors do their work, and kill everything as they funnel up
the stairs. It's not worth charging into the group to get surrounded.
I avoid blasting out the window in this level, and make the slashers
funnel into the door. It's not worth risking it this far into it
In your first encounter with stalkers, stand at the door they break,
and take out their legs as they charge you. Kinesis is a good idea
Nothing too critical in this chapter.
Make sure you grab the Ripper schematic here, but don't start using it
Save before the do-or-die dragging sequence in the chapel. The save
point is in the room where you have to TK the three objects to crawl
The first fight here can be a decent challenge if you are unprepared.
It's a giant open area with a huge statue of a marker to one side. Run
the hallway you came from. Kill it here, a two leapers will spawn and
rush you. Force them to come to you, and nail them when they round the
corner into the hallway. Once they are on you, hope for the best.
Step out of the hallway, and as soon as you cross the threshold into
the big room a second pregnant will spawn right behind you. Kill it,
and then run back to where you fought the leapers. Four more will show
up, two at a time. After all that, run across the big room towards the
store. Turn around and face back into the big room as a third pregnant
shows up. Blast it, and finally you can move on.
The stalker sequence should be your first real test with the Ripper.
Cause them to activate, and then stand in a corner where you have a
path in front of you and a path to the side. You should see several of
their heads poking out looking at you. They will mostly be coming at
you from the center of the room, so face in that direction. If you
hear a scream and don't see one running at you, whip 90 degrees and
take out the one coming from your side. It's rare, but happens.
In the hallway before the school, 3 groups will charge you. Take out
the cysts as you proceed, and watch for a the first two groups coming
from the front, and the third from behind. They are all ranged
attackers, so keep the Plasma Cutter out until you get inside the
The only concern in the school is the gymnasium. Make sure to stomp on
all of the bodies before hacking the panel, as an infector will bring
them to life. Keep the Plasma Cutter out until all of the crawlers are
dead (4, I think) and then focus on using the Ripper to cut through
everything else. Hold your ground on the stage and force them to come
Exit the school and head to the transit station. The fight with the
brute can go badly, or seriously quick if you are prepared for it.
Immediately grab all loose ammo around the room, pick up the statis
canister by the door, and run over to the side of where he drops in.
When he lands, I am facing his right shoulder. Once he hits the
ground, fire the canister, close the distance and begin sawing into
his shoulder with the Ripper. As the stasis wears off, reapply it
from your reserves and continue sawing into him. After about three
stasis charges, he will collapse on the floor, never having been able
to move an inch. Don't get smart and try to have him run into a
Advance towards the elevator to Chapter 7, but stasis and kill the
Use the Ripper to chop up the advancing enemies. Repair the elevator,
The elevator ride is crazy, so bring a lot of health, a lot of Plasma
Rounds and one or two stasis packs. Once the first tripod bursts in,
he will do so in the window to the left of the switch that activates
it. My technique is to run to the other side, stasis them and then
blast away. Always keep moving, as they appear to spawn in different
places at different times around you. Just hold on and survive, that's
all I can say. Don't worry about what you've used - there is a store
Remember that there is a cyst right above the door when you exit the
room after the elevator, and another next to the store. Don't get
In the next major encounter, proceeding across the floor will trap you
between lasers that detonate the opposite window. This has the
potential of killing you if you miss the target, so before advancing
into the room, stand in the preceeding hallway and aim the glass with
the Plasma Cutter. As the door starts to close between you and the
room, blast the glass. You will hear the air being sucked out as the
There is nothing more to really speak of until the section where life
two stalkers advance on you from the door. Hack the panel and move on
Remember to get the Peng treasure - everything in there is valued at
55,000 and trust me you will need it. Keep the Ripper out and mow down
the enemies as they funnel towards the mainframe hatch. Blast the
the Plasma Cutter to shoot down the three lurkers. Move to the node
door and turn around to rip up the ambushing leaper. He jumps onto the
Upon stepping out to fix the solar array, immediately launch and
dash/fly down to the left. Engage the nest immediately with the Ripper
before doing anything else. There is a ton of air on the array, so
take your time and make sure to open every crate. When ready, repair
it, use the ejector to fly back down to the transit station and start
Your air is running out, and the enemies are infinite. You just have
to hold out until Ellie unlocks the door, so make sure to keep moving
in a circle around the room. The Ripper is best for this, because
everyone will be running up to you to say hello. The only problem with
this idea are the pukers that nail you from out of nowhere, so just do
the best you can. It's best to bring as much health as you can manage
before starting, as there is a store just before and after. As Ellie
is wrapping up things up, get moving to the door and back into it when
she tells you its ready, but don't go early because they will surround
In the beginning you will see an infector through the window doing his
it, and rip them up from there. Don't chase them down hoping to make
After dashing through the rings of fire, charge right up to the nest
The immediate beginning of this chapter has several leapers and a
slasher pounce on you. Move far enough towards the opposite elevator
to activate them, then run back and turn the corner on the platform.
Unless they have a direct path to you on the walkway, they will treat
you as if their line of sight is broken, so use this to your advantage
Use the Plasma Cutter to blow away the Crawlers in front of you and on
the wall. Ride up the next elevator.
Open the door and move in far enough to cause the puker to begin
walking toward you. When he gets in your line of sight, take him out
with the Plasma Cutter, and then step further in the room to activate
the two lurkers. Doing it this way splits up the fight.
When you get to the place to repair the tram, remember that there is a
squiggly head under the big cog. It will choke the heck out of you at
As soon as you summon the tram, hightail it back to the elevator and
stand in it. Two elite slashers will spawn, and ordinarily would run
through both entrances at the same time and murder you, but this way
you ambush the ambushers. One of them will drop right in front of you,
The next section is decently hard, and your last challenge before save
#2. Several stalkers and 2 exploders are hiding in here, and must be
systematically hunted down. There are basically three waves. The
first is two running stalkers and then a crawling stalker. After
a couple more stalkers coming after you. If you start running, chances
are the stalkers will catch you, so its best if you pick a spot and
defend it. Once you make it to the far right corner, the final wave of
stalkers (2-3) and an exploder will appear and chase you again. Once
cleared, prepare to stasis and kill another guardian. Head down the
Like the brute, this fight can go easy or really, really bad, so that's
why I say save before. The tank can take 6 shots at this level, and
you have no need to kill a single tripod. Once you descend to the
floor, pull both available canisters out and drop them, as the battle
will not start until the first one is fired. Once a can explodes, the
timer to replace it starts ticking. When ready, quickly launch both
and prepare to deal with the first tripod. My sincere advice is to
stasis it and rapidly blow off a single arm, which will impede its
movement and threat level. Keep it under stasis in this condition
while racing around to fire 4 more shots. Once successful, get to the
Ah, the Ishimura. I love this level. No threats at all until the
Handle the brute basically in the same fashion as before - stasis it
You will need to have enough stasis in reserve to handle the second
that will charge you shortly. Once you move forward enough to spawn
the Plasma Cutter at distance. This will soften him up for the
that springs right after he dies. In the dark, several enemies spawn
in what would have been in front and behind you, but this way you keep
them all in front, only to run them all down with the Ripper. Ride the
After decontamination, the hallway has enemies that come from both
sides, and they will not follow you back in the decon room. My advice
is to pick off those in your immediate vicinity, and then run all the
way left with your Ripper leading the way. Once there, turn around and
head all the way to the exit. You may encounter a few popping up
Fix the centrifuge, and then head back to decon. Several pack will
bust in from opposite sides, and 4 pukers/slashers will drop from the
ceiling. Rip everything, and leave.
On your way out, an elite slasher will be playing dead on the floor.
Once you get back to the tram loading station, there will be two elite
slashers and swarmers in the area, and another enemy that climbs up
onto the platform. Use the Plasma Cutter to keep everything at bay
After the ride to medical, keep the Plasma Cutter out killing
everything in the hall in front of you at range, as there is a lurker
Once you enter the cryo chamber, move to the far side as two elite
slashers and two exploders will come at you, one at a time. Use the
Switch to the Ripper and hack the panel. Before opening the door, you
will be rushed by four enemies that can be taken down at close range.
Proceed until the section with the lightning pouring out of the
machine. A lurker will crawl up the rail, which is not a problem, but
two leapers will attack when you ride the elevator down. Use the
apart. For that purpose, I recommend either running into the room
downstairs next to the elevator, or riding the elevator back up.
Pull out the battery, and walk backwards through where the electricity
was. Enemies will spawn in front and behind, so cut the legs off of
the one that you are now facing and run back to the door by the
elevator. Take them down from here, but know that they will not follow
you inside the room. Once cleared, you are safe to move to the tram
Fly past all of the lurkers, not stopping for ammo and run to the door
leading to the bridge section.
pukers to come to you by staying out of their line of sight, and
waiting for stalkers to charge. Finish what you came for here, and
The first threat is a short stalker section, which actually happens in
stages. Kill the first two facing down slope, and then run all the way
to the door to initiate stage two. Once you are at the door, turn
around and take them out facing up slope. The second group contains
stalkers and crawlers, so swap back and forth between the Ripper and
In the next major area, while preparing to change out the battery, you
will be assaulted from several directions. For the most part the
safest option is the Plasma Cutter, so stick with that unless it makes
After moving to the next room, you will be dragged out into space.
Advance on the nest and rip it to pieces quickly. Move on through the
Take the upper walkway section in stages. The Plasma Cutter is good
to have for the initial part, but once the two lurkers are dead swap
back to the Ripper. The latter half of the walkway has an elite
Stomp Stross's body for an audio log of him talking to his wife.
The elevator up seems daunting, but its not bad if position yourself
well and apply a simple strategy. If you position yourself across from
the switch that activates it, and on the right hand side, then the
enemies will consistently drop in the corner on your left and the
corner on your right. Keep the Ripper ready to go, and quickly sweep
the legs out from under one and then chew up and kill the other. Once
they are dead, return to your position. Do this consistently and you
will come out of this with very little damage. Stasis is an option,
but don't rely on it as there are too many waves and they won't stop
coming if you haven't killed them all yet.
When you move across on the machine to get the new junction, keep the
Ripper out to saw up the two slashers that climb over the railing.
Once you grab the card and ride back, have the Plasma Cutter out to
take out the puker at range, as you are a sitting duck for several
You will have to quickly change weapons on this crazy ride, and I
highly advise blowing through your stash of plasma rounds hard, as a
store is available at the beginning of 13. While riding the machine,
stand in front of Ellie the whole time. Only a couple enemies ever
spawn on the left side, as most will climb up right next to you. For
anything that climbs up, kill it fast and keep a solid watch for
lurkers. It is these that will do the most damage to you here. If
I say ignore the red canisters, as it takes too long to be really
accurate and if you hit with it you will kill one maybe two. I tend
Make sure that you have what you need from the store before attacking
the necros that are advancing on the door. The Plasma Cutter is the
best option for the entire event here. Hack the panel and continue on
After the slaughter, poke your head out the door and have the enemies
In the round room just before the lab, open the door and watch an
infector run off to do its work. Let it, because if you chase it an
exploder will drop in behind you and trap you against several elite
enemies. This will no doubt kill you, so wait at the door and take
If you open the node-locked door, a Divider will attack you when you
are outside. If you don't mind the risk, take whats inside.
Another section just like the end of the Ishimura, except that you
can't run. Force the pukers to come to you, and wait out the stalkers
Don't screw up the section with the spinning lasers. Use whatever
weapon you feel you need, but expect slashers and the explosive
This is the last real challenge before your final save. In the three
floor room, a veritable army will be coming after you, and you can't
get them to follow you back through the door. I have watched my Ripper
tear apart four of these guys at the same time here, which is nuts.
It makes no sense to just run for it, so stand your ground when
necessary and charge them when its a good idea. Just remember that
they have to run or jump along the walkway and won't leap over it, so
use that to your advantage.
Eventually the endless tide will cease, and you can advance to the
The final obstacle is another brute, with the same style of entrance
as the first one in the transit station. He will spawn when you near
the door, so charge him and stasis/Ripper him to pieces. This time
Resupply and use your third save. The challenge of this mode is now
Go slow and patient on the eye poke. If Isaac is scared you will
As soon as the regenerator appears, saw off his legs and arms,
'killing' him and then place him into stasis. This gives you plenty
of time to hack the panel. If he is still 'alive', he will attack you
In this entire chapter, your goal is to simply run, and ignore all
drops and enemies that aren't in your way. Rip up those that are, and
it. I knocked the regenerator over when I did it.
Activate the zero-G section and rush through it. Ignore the nest and
Now... slow down and be patient. The regenerator, while deadly and
unceasing, cannot stand against your Ripper and stasis unit. It's
impatience that kills people here.
Buy everything you think you need from the store, and be liberal about
weapon fire. There's no harm in buying everything you can carry.
If anything is in front of you, kill it. If you are waiting for a
door to open, turn around and guard your rear, backing through the
door when it opens for you. When you enter the indoor sections, use
the Ripper on everything that spawns before proceeding outside. While
Unload everything you have on the final boss's forms. You should be
pretty familiar with this part by now. Hope your healing holds up,
MAKE SURE TO SAVE! Your in-game rewards are well worth the time
