Nightmare mode is the hardest difficulty on Dead Space (mobile). It is highly recommended that players are able to beat Normal and Hard difficulty with ease before attempting this difficulty. Pre-game knowledge can easily be the difference between life or death.
Preparation[]
- The player needs to be skilled at the touch screen controls and have a suitable amount of upgrades on your weapons, RIG, and Stasis.
- Recommended upgrades are HP, Air, Damage, Capacity, Reloading speed, Energy, and Duration. The firing speed is a personal choice as is the reloading speed.
- It is recommend having at least a Level 3 RIG and at least one fully upgraded weapon (which cannot be done in the beginning unless you buy stuff from the DLC Store for actual money from your iTunes).
- The Heavy Pulse Rifle is not needed to beat the game on this difficulty but can come in handy (purchased in the store for 200,000 Credits).
- The player should know the layout of the game well by now and be able to pinpoint locations where Necromorphs will appear out of vents and know how to act during quatantine lockdowns.
- Having a Level 4 RIG comes in handy during these lockdowns as well as fights against Brutes and The Boss.
- Ammo drops are less common than in Hard as are Credits.
- Necromorphs are able to take and deal more damage so make sure to use your Stasis wisely.
- When fighting Brutes, don't try to get the Brutal achievement on this difficulty.
- Remember you cannot start a Nightmare mode from a New Game+ so use your credits and Power Nodes wisely.
- If you use modules from the DLC Store, make sure you know which one will work best for you.
Strategy[]
- Your HP will not regenerate normally so avoid necromorph attacks at all costs and refrain from using explosives at close range. Don't be wasteful; every bit increases your chance of winning.
- When fighting keep your distance and don't forget about Stasis, it will be one of your best friends.
- When fighting Brutes, Stasis it, get behind it, and take out is legs with the Line gun's primary or secondary fire. Run away, dodge the organic bombs, Stasis it again, then hit it once or twice. Repeat this process till it dies.
- Remember an Exploder's pustule can be your best weapon. Don't hesitate to blow it up when it's near other Necromorphs or cut it off and throw it with Kinesis.
- When fighting The Boss, Stasis the oncoming Necromorphs and kill them with the Boss's tongue attack (one-hit kill guaranteed).
- The Boss's weak spots on its chest and tentacles suspending it are best to be hit with the Plasma Cutter (make sure it's damage is upgraded) or the Line Gun (upgraded damaged recommended). Save Core Extractor ammo for its final tenctacles and its head (if you don't destroy the one on its head you'll die and have to start over). A RIG Level 4 is highly recommended, but a Level 3 will do.
- Try and save credits for a better RIG, only buy ammo when absolutely needed (before a tram, before a lockdown, before the Boss, before a Brute, etc.). Recommended not to buy Power Nodes unless you already have a Level 3 RIG along with a good amount of spare credits after buying one.
- Always save one Power Node after using the Bench, you'll need it for Power Node locked rooms. Which can contain Power Nodes, valuable ammo, and high amounts of credits.
- Remember there aren't any health or Stasis packs, so after a lockdown or in a free room, feel free to stand around to regenerate Stasis and HP, as well as reload all your weapons.
- Brightness is recommended to be up all the way, as well as keeping Auto Reload on (for having to tap the ammo indicator to reload can be a real pain and may accidently shoot wasting ammo).
- More expeirenced players should feel free to increase the look sensitivity so they can whip the camera around faster to catch any Necromorphs trying to ambush you.
- Always be aware of traps. Before hand knowledge of when Necromorphs will drop down can be the difference between life and death.
- When fighting in space, remember to watch not only your HP, but your air. Restore your O2 whenever you have a spare moment. Using Stasis on a Necromorph or cutting of their legs to restore your O2 is very helpful.
- Watch your finger placement, you don't want to accidently waste Stasis.
- Aim carefully when fighting Pregnants, bursting its sac and releasing Swarmers is an insant death probability if any get on you.
- If a Swarm get on you, kill them as quickly as possible. They drain HP incredibly fast and allow other Necromorphs to attack you.
- Be careful when blowing up an Exploder's pustule or an explosive canister. They can hurt pretty bad and they will knock you down, leaving you open to Necromorph attacks.
- Don't fight the Brute head on, even if it's in Stasis, it's a suicide mission no matter how much HP is left in your RIG.
- If you see a Swarm coming along with other Necromorphs its up to you to choose what to Stasis. You can Stasis the Swarm and kill the Necromoprh or Stasis the Necromorph and kill the Swarm. No matter what focus on making sure the Swarm is killed, they can drain HP incredibly fast on this difficulty.
Trivia[]
- Don't rely on the Peng treasure at the end. But it can be helpful for getting a higher level RIG, Power Nodes, or the Heavy Pulse Rifle in New Game+
- No matter what difficulty you play, doing a grapple scene will do what it's supposed to (cut off a Slasher's arm or kill a Lurker).
- Same with the Store, it won't cost more credits to purchase something.
- Getting Power Nodes, Credits, and Modules from the DLC store can be VERY helpful when first starting this mode.
- Your HP will only regenerate fully on the sequence between every chapter. You cannot recover while playing like in the lower difficulties, making nightmare much more challenging.