Impossible mode is a difficulty option added to the Dead Space remake, throwing players into intense, challenging battles against necromorphs aboard the USG Ishimura. This mode works a bit differently from the way it did in the original 2008 game, featuring something akin to a permadeath mechanic to make it more difficult. Here’s what you need to know about Dead Space’s Impossible mode.
Tips and Strategies
In the Dead Space remake, Impossible mode is the same as Hard, in terms of enemy difficulty, but with a twist: there are no autosaves, and instead, you must manually save in order to record progress. Moreover, if you die, that save is reverted to Hard mode, essentially implementing a permadeath feature.
You’ll have to restart the game from the beginning to try again. This means you’ll need to be extremely careful when playing Impossible mode, as one mistake can send you back to the start of the game.
To unlock the mode, you need to first finish the game on any difficulty.
Save Trick
However, there are a couple of strategies you can utilize to make your life easier. The main ones are for manipulating the permadeath feature. The most important piece of advice is to quit to the main menu before Isaac Clarke gets eliminated. Thankfully, the animations in this game take a little while, so you’ll have plenty of time to quit out before the game counts your demise.
Likewise, you can also have a backup save stored on a USB stick or in the cloud, just in case. This way, if you accidentally get taken out and lose your Impossible mode save, you can revert back to the older one by downloading the backup. Keep this in mind as you make progress through the game.
Recommended Weapons
In terms of loadout, there are a couple of weapons we highly recommend, but whichever ones you choose, make sure you don’t carry too many on you at any given time. The game gives you ammo for whichever weapons you carry, but since you can only focus on upgrading some of them, it’s not worth wasting the resources on them.
These are the recommended weapons:
Plasma Cutter
When fully upgraded, the Plasma Cutter is one of the most powerful weapons in the game, allowing you to de-limb your enemies. This gives you plenty of opportunities to run away from your foes without wasting ammo.
Pulse Rifle
The main automatic version of the Pulse Rifle is decent, and works well as a backup in case your Plasma Cutter is out of ammo. The main reason to have the Pulse Rifle is for its grenade launcher alternative fire option, which can down some of the tougher enemies in the game.
Force Gun
In Dead Space, you’ll frequently come across hordes of necromorphs and they’re not easy to deal with. However, using the Force Gun can save your life, as it knocks back multiple enemies at once. Use this weapon if your foes are getting too close for comfort.
Rewards
What exactly do you get for completing Dead Space on Impossible Mode? Aside from earning the Epic Tier 3 Engineer achievement/trophy, these are the in-game items you’ll acquire:
Hand Cannon (Foam Finger)
The Hand Cannon is a joke weapon that turns up the silliness to 11. It’s a red foam finger that actually shoots deadly rounds. As Isaac uses it, he yells “pew, pew, pew” and “bang, bang, bang,” which is just as wholesome as you’d expect.
Burnished Suit
You also gain access to the Burnished Suit, an all-black version of Isaac’s traditional outfit. It’s a nifty-looking costume, for sure.
