Dead Space 3 is known as the black sheep of the main Dead Space trilogy. While it retains most of the gameplay elements as its predecessors, Dead Space 3's larger focus on action set pieces and fighting hordes of enemies made it stray far from the franchise's survival-horror roots. Add in cooperative play, and Dead Space 3 just wasn't scary anymore for many fans of the terrifying Necromorph threat.
There were a bunch of new additions to Dead Space 3, but one of the most polarizing ones was its weapon crafting system. Instead of solely relying on weapons found throughout the campaign, Isaac Clarke and newcomer John Carver could also make their own weaponry. While this allowed players to get creative with how they handled the game's many enemies, the weapon system ultimately broke the game because of how easy it was to create overpowered weapons. Still, the idea is worth not forgetting entirely.
How Dead Space 3's Weapon Crafting Works
Setting aside pre-built weapons like the Plasma Cutter and Submachine Gun (all of which can be disassembled and modified), most of Dead Space 3's weapons can be crafted with Blueprints found around the world. Players can build weapons using resources accrued by killing enemies, exploring, or paying for them with real money (they could also find specific parts strewn around levels). No matter how players choose to create a weapon, each one is made up of at least a single frame, tool, and tip.
Yet complications arise when considering the weapons in Dead Space 3 can have a maximum of two tools, two tips, two attachments, and eight upgrade circuits. With so many customization options, players can get crazy with weapon crafting provided they have the parts and resources. Dead Space 3 players can make weapons like a rapid-fire Line Gun that shoots high-damage horizontal energy beams for its primary fire, while its secondary fire can lob timed proximity mines that detonate when an enemy gets too close. What's more, the eight available upgrade circuits only serve to increase the capabilities of whatever weapons they are attached to.
Too Many Overpowered Weapons Ruin Dead Space's Survival-Horror Elements
Because of how easy it is to create overpowered weapons (especially if players reach New Game+ or have no qualms about microtransactions), Dead Space 3 can quickly devolve into a shooting gallery. With giant, versatile weapons in hand, players can go through entire levels blasting Necromorphs apart. This is made even easier since Dead Space 3's weapons use a universal ammo system to compensate for their variety. When combined with the new co-op component, players can breeze through the game without so much as a scare.
That isn't to say Dead Space 3's weapon crafting system was all bad, as it let players feel like Isaac Clarke engineering their own custom weaponry, while providing them with more personalized methods of handling enemies (though playing as deuteragonist John Carver - an EarthGov soldier - doesn't affect a player's engineering skills). The biggest problem with weapon crafting was how easy it was to create overpowered, adaptable weapons. If developers put stricter limitations on resource acquisition, weapon modifications, and implemented a per-weapon ammunition system, weapon crafting could be used in a future Dead Space title. Considering the success of 2023's Dead Space remake, EA and Motive Studio could eventually work on fixing the messy elements of Dead Space 3.
Dead Space 3 is available for the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360.
