Chapter 1 - New Arrivals
New Arrivals is the first Chapter in Dead Space. It covers Isaac and the security team’s arrival on the Ishimura, and their first encounters with the horrors waiting for them on board.
This page also contains IGN's original Walkthrough for Dead Space (2008). Jump to it using the anchor link below. Check out our Walkthrough for New Arrivals below
Sections on this page:
New Arrivals Walkthrough
This chapter begins with a long cutscene where Isaac and his team discuss their mission and reasons for going to the Ishimura. Although you are trapped in your chair for most of it, you can glance around and watch the other crew members mingle. Once your ship has uh “landed”, you can get up, wander around the ship, and begin the first objective.
- Nodes: 4
- Logs: 3
- Semiconductors: 1
- Upgrades and Schematics: 0
Follow the Security Team
You are stuck in a force-walk at first, so make your way toward the back of the ship. To the left is a small room where you will find the first Text Log, Background Request, sitting on the ground.
Turn around and walk forward to exit your ship and officially take your first step onto the USG Ishimura. Take a right and follow the security team all the way to the end of the walkway where you will find a door leading to the Security Check-In. Wait for the automated security system to check you in and activate your RIG, then you can go through the door ahead which leads to the Flight Lounge.
You are stuck in the Flight Lounge while the cutscene plays out around you, so take the time to grab the items scattered around. There are some Credits in the lockers by the door, and a Text Log, Sponsored Article: The USG Ishimura, on a table on the left side of the room. Eventually, the door to the Security and Transit Officials office in the back will unlock, allowing you to head inside.
Make your way to the back corner of this room then interact with the blue computer screen to Load Damage Report. This will trigger another long cutscene, during which you are trapped in the security office. Watch the events unfold in the Flight Lounge, during which you will just be helplessly waiting for the door to the elevator behind you to unlock. Once Daniels tells you to “run!” a Necromorph will burst into the security office. We cannot defend ourselves at the moment, so follow Daniels’ instruction and hot tail it through the newly opened door.
Even more Necromorphs will spawn as you make your way through this long hall, so keep running and do your best to avoid them. Once you reach the elevator, immediately interact with the panel next to the door to get it moving.
The elevator will let you out in a small lounge, where we will get our first Weapon, the Plasma Cutter, which is sitting on the table in the back left corner. Look for the glowing yellow light, which the game uses to denote Weapon and Weapon Upgrades.
With the Plasma Cutter in hand you now have access to your melee attacks: R1 to Punch, R2 to Stomp (good for breaking items on the floor, and stomping on weakened enemies).
Now we need to do a little bit of looting. Dead Space uses Blue Lights to signify lootable items, so look out for any boxes, lockers, or chests that are marked with a blue light. Loot is semi-randomized, so you might find Credits, Ammo, or Med Kits. Start by opening the two floor chests next to the table, then turn around and stomp on the glowing blue Item Box on the floor.
With all the loot in hand, approach the locked door at the back of the room. Melee the glowing circuit to the right of the door to break the lock, allowing you to pass through the door into the Tram Control Room.
Immediately on the other side of the door is a Necromorph, so get ready for your first real combat encounter. For basic Necromorphs, my advice is to always cut their legs first. Rotate the Plasma Cutter’s aim to be horizontal, then shoot the enemy in their thighs. It should only take a few shots to cut the legs, which makes them much slower. Once on the ground you can either stomp or shoot them, just remember they can still very easily hit you with a melee attack even from the ground.
Make your way down the hall until you reach the split path. Go forward first, down the slope to the dead end at the bottom where you will find some ammo. Go back up to the split and take the other path which leads into the Tram Control Room.
Immediately on the other side of the door is a security phone with a message waiting. Similar to the Logs from earlier, these phones provide a little extra story for curious players. Interact with the phone to listen in.
Go right from the phone and down the sloped path. You will find a Small Med Pack next to a dead body at the bottom. These are your main healing item, allowing you to recover a segment of health (displayed via the meter on the back of Isaac’s suit, if you haven’t noticed). You can view your healing items in your inventory, or use them automatically with the Circle/B button. Pass through the door behind the item to enter the Tram Control Room.
Replace the Damaged Tram
After another quick call with the security team you can behind exploring the control room. Without the Data Board you will notice that most of the computers in the room are unusable, so ignore them for now. You can use the Save Station on the left wall if needed, and be sure to grab the Credits off the nearby coffee table as well. On the back wall is a wall safe with an item inside, and In the back left corner a Locker next to the Cargo and Baggage Hall door.
When you are ready to progress, head out the back right door that leads to the Tram Tunnel. Go left and down the ramp to get to the bottom level. If you go forward you will find a locked door requiring Level 1 Security Clearance. We won’t be able to open that until later on, so just make a note for now.
Turn around and follow the tram the other direction. You will see a glowing blue item on the ground, the Stasis Module. This enhancement lets you use the Stasis ability by pressing Triangle/Y while aiming.
Test your new ability on the malfunctioning door nearby. Stasis will slow it down, allowing you to pass through into the Tram Station Hall. Go up the ramp to the left and you will find a Stasis Pack sitting on the floor at the top (these can be useful if you rely on Stasis a lot, but they also sell for $1250 each). There is another Save Station to your right, as well as a Stasis Recharge station on the opposite wall. The hall opposite the Stasis Recharge leads to a locked door, but there is an Item Box you can loot.
To the right of the Save Station is the Bathroom. Head inside to grab a couple of pieces of loot: Ammo in the stalls, Credits in the showers, and some miscellaneous items in the nearby lockers. Grab it all then head back into the hall.
At the opposite end of the hall is the only other unlocked door, which leads to the Tram Repair Room. As you might guess, this is where we will be repairing the Tram! Once inside, there is an Item Box straight ahead and a Medium Med Pack on some boxes to the left. In the corner to the right there are two wall safes, one of which has a Node inside.
To the left of the wall safes is a table with an Audio Log on it and to the left of that a single locker with an item inside. Go up the ramp, then down the other side where you will find a few more items: Item Box at the bottom, Ammo and Credits on the boxes near the railing, and another Item Box and some Credits by the locked door.
With all the loot in hand, go back up the ramp and interact with the Blue Screen to begin the repair process. Note the Stasis Recharge station behind the computer. It will instruct you to manually attach the claws.
Go down the ramp to the left and interact with the screen at the bottom to attach the first claw. Doing this will trigger the first enemy spawn. Hit them with the Stasis, then shoot their legs off. Get behind them to avoid their attack, then stomp to finish them off.
Go back up the ramp, hit the Stasis Recharge as you pass, then cross over to the other side. More Necromorphs will appear as you approach the computer. Deal with them in the same way you did the previous one, and don’t hesitate to spam Stasis since there is a recharge station nearby.
Turn your attention back to the computer. When you activate this claw it will malfunction and fail to attach to the tram. You need to shoot the claw with Stasis just before it latches to help it connect.
Once it is attached, go back up the ramp and interact with the main computer in the middle again to replace the tram. This will spawn even more Necromorphs, so start spamming Stasis again to stall them out then blast with the cutter.
Find the Data Board
With the tram replaced you can backtrack all the way to the Tram Control Room. Exit via the door closer to the Save Station, which leads to the Cargo and Baggage Hall. Straight ahead is a Small Med Pack sitting on the ground among some bags, and to the right, there are some Credits at the dead end.
Make your way to the other end of the hall, past the locked door, and you will find a Circuit Breaker. As you approach the Necromorph on the floor will spring to life, so be ready to shoot him down. Also be sure to grab another Small Med Pack from the ground near the Circuit Breaker.
Interact with the Breaker and switch the power for the Cargo Hall Storage to ON. This is the locked door we passed earlier, which is now accessible.
Inside the storage room is some extra loot: two lockers in the back and a Bronze Semiconductor on the shelf to the left. Semiconductors are worth a lot of Credits when sold at the Store.
Also be sure to grab the Node from the wall safe to the right of the lockers. Return to the Circuit Breaker and reroute the power to the Maintenance Bay door. Head through the door to find a Save Station and another door which leads into the Maintenance Bay proper.
This is a massive room with lots of loot to find, so let's get started by stomping on the Item Box by the railing straight ahead. Turn right and go down the ramp and you will get ambushed by some Necromorphs.
Take note of the glowing red tanks that are scattered around. These explode when shot, dealing massive damage to enemies. Wait until they get close, then shoot the tank. If you time it right you can take them all out with a single blast. Grab the Medium Med Pack off the nearby shelf, then go down the walkway to the left.
Make sure you are always listening closely, you can usually hear Necromorphs coming from afar. One should appear at the other end of this walkway, so take advantage of the explosive tank in the middle to blow it up. At the other end is the Maintenance Bay Office, which is currently locked.
Grab the loot from the wall safe to the right before heading left. Another Necromorph should spawn nearby as you explore this area. If you run you can almost always outpace them. You can use this to your advantage, and get them to chase you until you reach another tank you can explode.
Straight left from the locked door is the elevator to the upper level, but for now go around the corner instead and up the ramp to reach another little corner with some loot. There is an Item Box on the ground in the corner, some Credits on the nearby shelf, and a wall safe to the left. Exit via the other walkway to find one more Item Box and complete your trip around the room.
Make your way back to the elevator we passed before. Grab the Item Box near the railing opposite the elevator, then approach to call it down. Ride the elevator up to the second floor, exit and go left. When you reach the split in the path go left to find an Item Box in an alcove, then get back to the main path and follow it to where it turns right.
As you turn the corner the Necromorph on the ground will spring up. Make him chase you backward until you pass one of the exploding tanks, which you can use for an easy kill. Keep following the walkway and you will find yourself face-to-face with another Circuit Breaker.
Before interacting with it look to the right where you will find an Item Box and a couple of lockers, as well as a Text Log, Repair Invoice, on the chair.
Return to the Circuit Breaker. There is only enough energy to power two of the breakers, and we need the elevator, so unfortunately we will have to power down the lights. Spooky! Listening for enemies is going to become extra important now. Make your way back to the elevator. As you turn the first corner, Necromorphs will spawn on both sides of you. Run past and make them chase you toward the elevator where there are more tanks to explode. Try and catch them both in one blast if you can, but if one survives just hit them with Stasis, dismember, and stomp as usual.
Make your way back to the Maintenance Bay Office on the first floor, but be ready to be ambushed once again by three Necromorphs. I recommend running away again, trying to get them all gathered up, then finding an explosive tank to lead them to. If this doesn’t work, then instead cut their legs one by one to slow them down, then stomp while they are separated.
Once the coast is clear make your way to the Office for real. Grab the Node out of the safe on the back wall, then loot the two lockers to the left and grab the Credits off the bookshelf.
Grab yet another Text Log, Poker Invitation, from the shelf next to the wall safe.
Wrap up by grabbing the Data Board off the table next to the door.
Install the Data Board
With the Data Board in hand, we can finally go back to the Tram Control Room and complete our initial goal. But first, be sure to use the Bench to do some upgrades.
There is an upgrade grid for your Suit as well as every Weapon in the game. The grid works like this: each upgrade on the grid costs one Node, and you cannot activate a Node unless there is an active Node connected to it. You can reset upgrades any time, BUT it costs 5000 Credits which is fairly steep considering a Node costs 10,000 at the store. So be careful with your purchases!
If you want to get the most out of your upgrades, make sure to time them carefully! When you upgrade HP, your health is fully restored. The same goes for upgrading a Weapon’s capacity. If you are low on health or ammo and know there is a bench nearby, consider spending on an upgrade instead of reloading or using a Med Pack. This can make a big difference if you are low on Items!
Choose your upgrades, then exit the Office where you will be ambushed by a few more Necromorphs. Make use of any remaining tanks, or just Stasis and blast them down. This will continue to happen as you make your way back to the Tram Control Room.
When you get there, install the data board in the computer located in the small room in the back, then go to the computer in the middle of the room and interact to call the tram. Wait out a short cutscene, then we will be returning to the Kellion.
Return to the Kellion
Exit via the Flight Deck Elevator door and start making your way back to the Kellion. Use the Locator if you need a reminder of the way. Expect a few more enemies on the way, but nothing too major.
Shortly after you get off the elevator you will pass by the Flight Deck Supply Room, which was locked when we ran past earlier. Be ready for a possible enemy ambush when you walk in, then grab all the loot: Item Box on the ground, multiple lockers in the back, and last but not least the Node in the corner wall safe.
Get back on the path to the Kellion. Another cutscene will trigger when you enter the Flight Lounge. Once it wraps up exit via the Security Check-In and head into the Main Hangar Bay. Run back to the Kellion and head inside to trigger another cutscene.
At the end of the scene, you will be ejected from the Kellion and immediately put into a combat situation featuring a new crawling enemy. Unlike the walking Necromorphs the weak point on this type is less obvious. They are fast and aggressive, and harder to hit and dismember. My strategy is generally just to blast them in the face, but Stasis and stomp can also be a good strategy if you aren’t in a scramble. More Necromorphs will join the fray as the battle goes on, you can cut the legs off of those ones as normal.
Once all the enemies are gone, head back to Security Check-In as you watch yet another conversation with the security team. They will advise you to head to the Medical Deck and look for the Captain’s RIG.
Get to the Medical Deck
Cut through the Flight Lounge once again, this time exiting through the door labeled Flight Deck Tram Station on the left. On the other side is a hallway, be sure to stop in the bathroom on the right as you pass through and grab the Items inside. Expect a Necromorph ambush, then grab the Credits in the stalls on either side.
Exit the bathroom and use the elevator at the other end of the hall. This elevator lets you out at the Tram Station. You will immediately notice the Store straight ahead.
Start by selling the Bronze Semiconductor, and maybe consider selling the Stasis Packs unless you really think you will need them. If you are feeling really confident you can even sell some Ammo since you likely have a lot (otherwise, put some in Storage for later).
Make sure you purchase Suit Level 2 before you go. This will give you more inventory slots, more defense, and more upgrades on the Suit grid. If you have enough Credits you can also snag an extra Node.
Once you are done shopping, loot the chest to the right of the Store, then go into the waiting room to the left where you will find two Item Boxes by the door. We cannot use the Tram at the moment, so instead follow the Locator to the door on the other side of the room labeled To Medical. There is another Bench here if you have a Node to spend, as well as a Save Station by the elevator. When you are ready to proceed, take the elevator down.
At the bottom, go right and follow the path forward and around the corner. You will pass by yet another Security Clearance 1 door, be sure to make a note. Go up the short ramp at the end and through the door to reach the Medical Cargo Depot, and the end of Chapter 1!
Dead Space (2008) New Arrivals Walkthrough
Free Power Nodes: 2
Power Node Locks: 0
Item Schematics: None
The game will run you through the tutorial (even on a Cleared/Continue Game), so go ahead and get used to the controls. There is a small medikit in the Kellion (your ship) in one of the side bays. If you have a sharp eye (and have been reading message boards about Dead Space), you will be able to see the "There is always Peng!" figurine over the side of the hangar's walkway, although you cannot get to it until much later in the game.
Follow Hammond, Kendra and the rest of the red shirts into the Flight Lounge. Once you head inside the booth to access the damage report, you should get ready to get out of Dodge. Notice how the security guy dies? This is also why you should stand with your back to something solid when fighting Necromorphs -- so none of them can get behind you in the first place.
Escape the flight lounge's control booth through the opened door. You have no weapon (first round - if this is the second round or later, you shouldn't even be reading this). Hold the sprint button and run down the hallway. The enemies will drop in from three ceiling vents and startle your character (he will pause briefly before giving control to you again).
The enemies here won't be terribly aggressive, but don't stick around since their intention is to injure you. At the end of the hall, there is a well deserved exit. Take the lift down to the next area.
The only weapon you will get for free -- the very handy Plasma Cutter -- is in the mess over at the tool shed. The hint written on the wall of the shed (Cut off their limbs) is not random grafitti.
Unlike older zombie games that reward you for doing noggin shots (head shots), the Necromorphs in Dead Space are devoid of brain activity and need to have their limbs shredded to immobilize them. Shred enough limbs (generally two or three) and the monster will stop attacking and "drop dead".
Explore the room for items -- the lockers and footlockers with blue cards are unlockable and contain items. The black 'Xboxes' with green lamps are item containers (they can be moved and fall into crevasses), which you may have noticed earlier in the Flight Lounge. When you're ready to move on, head over to the door adjacent from the elevator. Smash open the sparking energy capsule to release the power lock on the door. There is a guy begging to be let in (no point in being a hero, he always dies).
If you've been paying attention to the controls, you know you can smash the capsule easily by pressing R1 without aiming (this saves ammunition).
Once you've got yourself something of a weapon, hop through the short hallway to the tram control room. Isaac will meet with Hammond and Kendra and you will have a mission to repair the tram. This essentially extends the game by another 9 hours.
Explore the room for lockers and other items. The lockers with orange/red cards are locked. Ignore red lamp lockers.
Head outside the other door after saving the game.
Go through the maintenance tunnels to the tram tunnel. Explore the tunnel for items and take the stasis module from the dead technician. If you were thorough, you will have read about the combat abilities of the stasis module in the Weapons section of the guide.
For this immediate puzzle though, cast a stasis bullet at the door and run past it when it opens. You'll notice a charging dock saying 'Stasis Recharge'. Check the Cheats page for a shortcut in recharging your stasis module. NOTE: Touching the door when it is moving quickly results in your head being snapped off.
Replacing The Damaged Tram Car
If you're blindly following the blue objective line, you may occasionally miss a side room (or bathroom). Be sure to clear all the rooms you come across, since you never know what you might find. And of course, refer to the in-game map for your best direction.
Head into the tram repair room for a free power node (1 of 2). Power nodes will cost you 10,000 credits so any time you have the option to collect one for free, do so (of course, you cannot sell any extra power nodes once you buy or find them.
To replace the tram car, activate the crane arms on the platform. The first crane arm will latch onto the damaged car, but the second arm will catch briefly and then retract. Use stasis on the quick-retracting arm to give you enough time to hit the crane arm activation panel (between both arms).
Once that's done, play out the expected enemy ambush, collect your winnings and leave.
Locating The Data Board And Maintenance Key
Head back the way you came (follow the blue line) and you'll be in the Ishimura's tram maintenance bay, a multi-tiered room with small elevators, Necromorphs and a lot of fighting. Your plasma cutter will be put to the test, so be sure to orient your cutting arc's orientation (90° vertical or horizontal) by aiming the weapon and pressing the stomp button (this is secondary fire).
Go to the maintenance room and locate the lift going up. Grab the maintenance key from the dead technician and fight the predictable battle back downstairs. Unlock the maintenance room, grab the data board and the free power node (2 of 2) inside. The workbench here can let you modify your existing items (Plasma Cutter, stasis module, R.I.G.), but try and hold off on doing that for now.
Back To Tokyo
Head back to the tram control room, replace the data board and activate the tram. Hammond and Kendra will head for the bridge while you need to go back to your ship. Head through the flight lounge and collect the items from the Xbox canisters you passed by earlier.
Reload the Plasma Cutter before exiting the Flight Lounge. There are a half-dozen or so Necromorphs outside the Kellion (your ship) who will ambush you once you enter it, load the damage report and exit - naturally, you should have the presence of mind to evacuate a ship that's volatile and about to explode.
Once you're done with all that, head for the tram. It's time to explore the next chapter.