The Dead Space franchise has two things in abdundance: enemies that look like roadkill and ways to divorce those enemies from their limbs. The majority of Dead Space's arsenal is repurposed mining equipment, so players can enjoy everything from laser cutters to space chainsaws. Most of them are awesome, but that doesn't mean they can't be ranked.
Ground rules for this list are simple. The weapons included are from base games only, so spinoffs and DLC/Microtransaction weapons are strictly off-limits. If a weapon appears multiple times in the series, it'll be judged as a whole rather than from an individual game version. And all weapons must come pre-built, so the custom weapon combos from Dead Space 3 are similarly out of the airlock. We're looking for the gnarliest weapon that any player could encounter — but who will come out on top?
14 S.C.A.Fℱ Submachine Gun ♔
Rounding out the bottom of this list, we have the submachine gun from Dead Space 3. A sore thumb in a universe where most of your weapons are badass repurposed heavy machinery, the submachine gun is... just that. It's a submachine gun. No bells, no whistles.
Of couse, the boringness of this weapon might have been forgivable if it was good. Unfortunately for the S.C.A.F troops who carry them though, this firearm is about as useful as screen doors on a submarine. Its damage output is puny, it eats through ammunition like it just finished a diet and it's very quickly outclassed by whatever prison-style junk gun the player can make next. There are very few bad guns in the Dead Space series, but this is unfortunately on൩e of them.
13 Flamethrower 🐓 🀅
The ultimate Xenomorph extermination tool, Dead Space's version of the weapon is less 'Ellen Ripley' and more 'Zapp Brannigan': most of the time it's useless. The PFM-100 only functions in an atmosphere, meaning it couldn't be used for vast swathes of the original game. Although this issue is fixed by the setting of Dead Space 2 where there's plenty of oxygen around, it loses points for spending the better part of the first game idle.
When the flamethrower does work, though, it's a great companion to have when surrounded by swarms of little enemies. It suffers heavily at range, however, and without upgrades you'll find yourself throwing a lot of Hydrazine fuel into killing standard and specialized Necromorphs. It's no slouch, but most of the time there's far better weapons at your disposal.
12 ꦡ ꧟ Seeker Rifle
Introduced in Dead Space 2, the Seeker Rifle is the mandatory Space Sniper Rifle™ that must be in every sci-fi game. But in a series where the the phrase "REMOVE THEIR LIMBS" might as well be written on your helmet, a sniper rifle might not sound like a strong contender versus an explosive launcher, especially with enemies that love close range ambushes in twisty corridors. Not exactly the ideal envir🃏onment.
But find the right environments to use it? This gun can be your best friend. Popping Necromorph heads at long range can buy you time as they blindly flail around, or use it for precise strikes on vulnerable points. The Seeker Rifle is another weapon that's very strong in the right places, but suffers from a lack of flexibility.
11 Ripper
The wonderfully named RC-DS Remote Control Disc Ripper lives up to its title: it's a buzzsaw powered by space magic that turns Necromorphs into paste. Especially when upgraded, the Ripper can chew through standard enemies like it was... well, a gravity buzzsaw. Even better, the player is always likely to have some ammo on hand for it, as it's one of the most ammo efficient weapons in the game.
Even if it makes the Doom Slayer proud, though, the Ripper is far from perfect. Keeping the blade under control and actually hitting anything can be harder if you're a newer player or in a stressful environment — like, say, a horde of scythe-handed zombies swarming you. It also suffers from low starting damage, though this can be remedied. Difficult to master but easy to love, the Ripper is one to have in your back pocket.
10 S.C.A.F𝓡 Bullpup Rifle
Unlike its smaller submachine cousin, the S.C.A.F Bullpup is actually surprisingly okay. In fact, it might even be great. Only seen in Dead Space 3 as the standard gun for S.C.A.F soldiers, the Bullpup Rifle does surprisingly good damage with high precision. With t🧸he right upgrades, it can be a valuable tool even into the lategame, especially against human enemies.
It suffers from a similar issue to the submachine gun in terms of boring design, and the usual gripes with precision guns in a game that loves hordes. But thanks to Dead Space 3's somewhat controversial 'universal ammo' system, you're unlikely to ever run out of slugs. It's not going to be your favourite weapon, but you're sure to use it well on your journey through Tau Volantis.
9 🍃 Motorized Pulse Rifle
Another future-flavored assault rifle, the Motorized Pulse Rifle is a stout companion in most situations you'll find yourself in throughout the series. Bursts from the rifle will totally halt most enemies save for Brutes, and it makes quick work of fast nasties like Twitchers. Shot for shot it's one of the weakest weapons in the game, but it excels past that limitation thanks to an insanely high fire rate, great stopping power and a deep magazine.
Better still, later games equip it with an underslung grenade launcher that completely shreds groups of smaller enemies at high ammo cost, lending even more flexibility to an already well-rounded weapon. The Pulse Rifle is one you'll almost definitely use as a general primary weapon outside of large enemy encounters, and for good reason.
8 🉐 Contact Beam
Its official name may be the 'C99 Supercollider Contact Beam', but 'death cannon' might be more appropriate. Designed to split meteors in half, the Contact Gun requires a brief charge-up before delivering a massive blast that annihilates most Necromorphs in one shot, even at base damage. It's similarly fantastic against large enemies, taking huge chunks of health and viscera off them in an instant.
Of course, there are downsides. The long charging time for its best attack gives enemies ample time to close distance, and is fairly difficult to wield with proper rhythm. Plus, in the first two games, ammunition for the Contact Beam is scarce. It's an undeniable beast of a weapon, but a steep learning curve and resource scarcity hold it back amongst the other titans.
7 Javelin
Introduced in Dead Space 2, the Javelin Gun is equal parts terrifying and awesome. Firing massive steel spears with high range and accuracy, it can skewer enemies to floors and walls. Even Ubermorph armor is fair game for the gigantic projectiles this weapon uses, and even though it's painfully slow, you can guarantee your foes will feel every shot.
But what happens when a horde is coming towards you? Just use the handy alt-fire, which remotely electrifies the bolt and fries anything in its radius. Whilst not the best choice for large group fights, especially ones which require a lot of skirmishing, the Javelin makes single enemies or small groups into a breeze. This techno-crossbow doesn't mess around.
6 Force Gun
A more nimble version of the Line Gun, the Force Gun is a short range shotgun that quickly becomes a player's best friend. Primarily designed for the close range, frantic encounters that the Dead Space series is known for, the Force Gun is an example of a weapon which becomes godly when used in combos. Stasis and a Force Gun is enough to drop most foes like a sack of mincemeat, and a combo of its alt-fire and main fire is a highly efficient way of moving through enemies at low health.
Of course, as a shotgun analogue, the Force Gun has a highly limited effective range, and using it against enemies that produce creature swarms such as Pregnants might end up putting more trouble in your lap. But in most of the environmဣents in Dead Space, the Force Gun is a force to be reckoned with.
5 Detonator
A weapon which only appeared in Dead Space 2, the Detonator is a laser-mine gun that moonlights as a grenade launcher. It is what it is, and that's very good. Suspicious of a vent? Blast that sucker open and lay an explosive surprise for ambushers. Horde of meaty nightmare ghouls coming down a hallway? Fire and wait. There's no better way to turn enemies into red mist when you don't want them near you.
That said, one small downside of this weapon is that Isaac can set off the tripwires himself, or get knocked down if he's too close when they go off. Whilst not likely to happen often due to the bright lasers and small knockdown radius, it's a pretty humiliating way to go.
