Death animations are a staple of horror-related video games. It’s a decent example of the player's failure to keep their character alive, and will show them the graphic and gruesome ways in which they have gotten their character killed. Dead Space features some great death animations, and the 2023 Dead Space remake adds a new level of detail to some truly gruesome deaths.
Some of the most gruesome deaths in the Dead Space remake come from the many deadly Necromorph types that are out to kill Isaac Clarke. Other candidates for the worst deaths in the game worst are due to the faulty machinery of the USG Ishimura, which proves that Isaac Clarke needs to watch his footing.
8 Brute’s Brutality
One of the largest Necromorphs that will torment and try to destroy Isaac Clarke is the Brute. This hulking mass makes a real mess of everything in its path and is quite difficult to kill. Due to its incredible strength, and weakness on its back, the Brute can likely kill Isaac in a gory fashion.
The death animation at the hands of the Brute involves the monstrous Necromorph crushing Isaac under its weight, before eating him and pulling him apart by his torso. It’s gruesome, just as to be expected from Dead Space.
7 Hunter’s Prey
The Hunter has its name for a reason, and it will hunt Isaac Clarke for many intense segments throughout Dead Space. Considering it cannot be killed, and will regenerate its limbs, it can be a difficult and memorable enemy. Encountering the death animation from the Hunter only reinforces how horrific it is.
Dying at the hands the Hunter will see Isaac lifted into the air by the sharp spikes of Hunter’s arms. A furious Necromorph will then repeatedly stab at Isaac, tearing him limb from limb, and eventually settling on the removal of his head.
6 Electrocution
There are many dangers aboard the Ishimura. Considering that Isaac Clarke is on board a space vessel with many wires and electrical components, it's no surprise that he might find himself taking the wrong step. Isaac can step on exposed wires, and electrocute himself.
Sadly for Isaac, his RIG suit doesn't appear to be insulated to take on the full electrical overload of the Ishimura. Isaac Clarke will stand on the spot, twitching as he is pulled into the air by the electrical current, and then he will explode into a gush of body parts.
5 Processing Beam Mistakes
The technology of the future can be dangerous, and the processing beam proves that. This gigantic gravity-pulling device can destroy anything in its path, including humans. If Isaac Clarke accidentally slips into the processing beam, he will die instantly, and in a gruesome way. Not even the trusty Plasma Cutter can get Isaac out of this one.
Isaac will not only be set on fire, but all of his limbs will also be pulled from his body until he is reduced to nothing but burning flesh. It’s a quick and gross death that proves how dangerous jobs are in Dead Space’s future, even without Necromorphs running around in the vents.
4 Twitcher’s Torment
The Necromorphs are a great threat thanks to their difficulty to kill, and the intense damage that they do. Isaac's one advantage is that the Necromorphs can be fairly slow. However, all that changes when the Twitchers are introduced into the game. These Necromorphs are fused with stasis and can be intensely fast.
Getting killed by a Twitcher could unlock a unique death animation in which the Twitcher will use stasis to finish Isaac off. This will leave the now-deceased Isaac walking in slow-motion until his upper body slips off of his legs, and his separated legs continue to walk for a bit.
3 Hostile Head Takeover
After killing a Divider Necromorph, Isaac will watch helplessly as body parts fall from the dead body, and begin to attack him. One of the more gruesome parts of this is the head, which will crawl on the floor with tendrils sticking from the neck hole. It wrestles with Isaac, and if players fail the button-mashing QTE, they die.
In their death, the tendrils will squeeze Isaac’s head clean off. The tendrils will then burrow into the neck, and use Isaac’s body as a new vessel. It’s creepy and gruesome to see Isaac walking around as a zombified version of himself.
2 Leviathan’s Tentacle Adventure
In some scripted segments in Dead Space, Isaac will be grabbed by a tentacle and dragged through the corridors of the Ishimura. This tentacle belongs to the Leviathan, and if Isaac fails to destroy the tentacle in time, he will be killed in a not-so-nice way.
The first Leviathan tentacle grab will have Isaac Clarke pulled through a crack in the wall, leaving him crushed, with his bones and body deformed as the Leviathan tentacle attempts to pull him through a small gap in the wall.
1 Hive Mind Snack
There’s perhaps no Necromorph truly larger than the Hive Mind in the Dead Space remake. This is the ultimate enemy, and the latest ambition of Isaac Clarke, considering he has nothing left at this point. This intense final Dead Space boss fight will see Isaac Clarke take on the Hive Mind.
Failure can be bound to this difficult boss fight, and if that’s the case, Isaac can be a pretty good snack for the Hive Mind. The Hive Mind will lift Isaac, chew off his limbs, and then discard the parts that they do not want to eat.
Dead Space is available now on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.