Before Dead Space remake official launch, Motive Studio, the developer, confirmed that it would have a secret ending. Since it was released, a lot of people have been trying to find it—albeit not all have been successful. If you are one of those searching for the secret ending, brace up to be terrified.
Dead Space remake was mostly a recap of the 2008 version with glaring upgrades in graphics and game mechanics. Arguably the biggest deviation from the original was the secret ending. To find the secret ending, you will need to work harder.
Firstly, you need to play through the entire game once to unlock the New Game Plus mode. This mode allows you to carry all your weapons, suits, upgrades, and credits, as well as a promise of rewards that will lure you back in.
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So, if you just finished the game for the first time, congrats. However, the ending you will see is still the same as the one from 2008. It is easy to feel like you have been conned at this point or that you did the wrong thing. Don’t worry, you are right on track.
So, what happens when you start the New Game Plus mode? If you don’t have the game already, you can get it here.
New Game Plus in Dead Space remake is a hunt for marker fragment
If you accept the lure of Dead Space’s New Game Plus, you will be greeted with a screen that explains the potential discoveries to you. To see the Dead Space alternate ending, you must collect 12 Marker Fragments scattered around the USG Ishimura in the New Game Plus.
Apart from collecting the marker fragments, the New Game Plus also throws up additional tasks that you must overcome to unlock the secret ending. So, don’t think the New Game Plus will feel repetitive. If you have been struggling to find all 12 Marker Fragments, this guide will make it easier for you.
NOTE: If you accept the challenge to hunt for Dead Space’s alternative ending, it is important to mention that you have to get the 12 Marker Fragments in the right order. Chapters 5 and 10 have two Marker Fragments each while Chapter 9 has none.
Without Further chitchats, here is how to find all 12 Marker Fragments in the right order.
Marker fragment #1 (Found in Chapter 1)
The first market fragment is the easiest to find. It is located in the Maintenance Bay Office on a shelf that is close to the Data Board. You may need to bump the papers on the shelf around with a melee or hit them with the Plasma Cutter to make the marker more visible. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Find the Data Board”.
Marker Fragment #2 (Found in Chapter 2)
When you enter Dr. Kyne’s office, there is a hidden room that is blocked off by a shelf. Use your Kinesis to lift the shelf out of the room’s entrance. While in the room, look for a suspicious décor and you will find the second Marker Fragment. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Find a Shock Pad”.
Marker Fragment #3 (Found in Chapter 3)
The third Marker Fragment is found in the engine room and can easily be missed. You will find it behind the power sub-station o3 where you must put the power core while trying to turn on the engines. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Manually Ignite the Engines”.
Marker Fragment #4 (Found in Chapter 4)
The fourth Market Fragment is on the floor of Break Room on Floor 3. You will find it just below a video of the excavation area of Aegis VII. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Reroute Power from Electrical Systems”.
Marker Fragment #5 (Found in Chapter 5)
You will find the fifth marker fragment on the desk of Dr. Mercer’s office. Hopefully, you will have a stomach for gory scenes because the office is strewn with gut-twisting experiments. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Lift the Lockdown”.
Marker Fragment #6 (Found in Chapter 5)
The sixth market fragment is also located in Chapter 5. However, this time you need to head to Cryogenics on Floor 4 and look at the top of the cryogenics chamber located in the center of the arena. You will need to use your kinetic module to get it. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Acquire the Liquid Nitrogen”.
Marker Fragment #7 (Found in Chapter 6)
This is arguably one of the most difficult Marker Fragments to find. It is located in the East Grow Area of Hydroponics. Take a flight from where you unlock zero gravity and you should see it at the top of that very corner. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Inject Wheezer 07”.
Marker Fragment #8 (Found in Chapter 7)
Once you have acquired the Security Clearance Level 3, open the Mineral Samples room and you will find the 8th Marker Fragment on a shelf in the Mineral Processing Area. There are other supplies to loot before leaving the area. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Find the SOS Beacon”.
Marker Fragment #9 (Found in Chapter 8)
After solving some pipe puzzles to fix the communication matrix, you will find the 9th Marker Fragment floating in a large hole within a corruption close to the Communications Control panel. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Activate the Comms Array”.
Marker Fragment #10 (Found in Chapter 10)
In Chapter 10, find the Deluxe Shift Bunks. Power up the door and you should find your prize sitting on a desk by the Inquiry Desks. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Destroy Tendril in Chief Steward’s Office”.
Marker Fragment #11 (Found in Chapter 10)
Your job is not done yet in Chapter 10 after getting the first Marker Fragment. There is a second one in the Crew Quarters. Once you walk in, you will find it on a desk inside the Deluxe Shift Bunks after a dialogue with Dr. Kyne. This is one of the easy grabs. The objective that will lead you to this fragment is “Destroy Tendril in Deluxe Quarters”.
Marker Fragment #12 (Found in Chapter 11)
If you have got to this point, you can heave a sigh of relief for a job well done. Head back to the hangar and engage the Cargo Crane to move it along. The last Marker Fragment is in the southeastern corner of Cargo Bay, the same area you will find Peng’s treasure.
Assemble the 12 Marker Fragments
Once you get all the 12 Marker fragments, head back to the crew deck. Navigate through the luxury quarters and then to Captain B. Mathius’ room. Interact with the table and place the 12 markers. Once you do it correctly, the lights will go off and turn on again. Isaac’s vision will blur for a few seconds.
That’s it. Exit the room and finish Dead Space remake like you normally would. Now you can enjoy the alternative ending. You would also unlock an achievement trophy for your extra work.
Dead Space secret ending explained (Spoiler Alert!)
If you don’t like spoilers, this would be a good time to drop off the post. If you don’t mind, let’s get to it already. In the original ending, Isaac is attacked by his last vision of Nicole as he tries to escape Ishimura and the screen abruptly cuts into the credits leaving his fate hanging in the balance. That is already terrifying.
In the alternate ending, Isaac Clarke is sitting at the controls of his ship and Nicole approaches from behind. Clarke mentions to her that although he was ready to go home, he needs to build “a little something first,” implying creating more Markers. Apparently, Clarke has lost his mind and is being controlled by the Marker.
Building more of the Markers would mean unleashing the Necromorphs on other planets. As the camera pans behind, we find Clarke’s discarded helmet lying on the floor. This alternate ending may change the course of the series or simply fill up the three years gap between Dead Space 1 and 2.
In the original Sequel, Clarke wakes up in the hospital three years after the first game and has no memory of what happened. It is possible that Motive Studio will release a spinoff or DLC that will follow what happens before Dead Space 2.
The secret ending suggests that Clarke may have done terrible things within the three-year gap and was probably recovered and taken to the hospital.
If Motive Studio goes in the direction of a DLC, it is possible that we would see that DLC as early as 2024 or even before the end of the year. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait for another decade for a Dead Space 2 remake.
