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Era-DSEEra-DSCEra-DSD

"That look in his eyes... Reminded me of a kid that went crazy last week. Just an engineer, but something in him snapped."
Nathan McNeill[1]

Crazed Colonists are ordinary CEC personnel who went insane due to the effects of Marker 3A on Aegis VII.

In Dead Space: Extraction, the crazed colonists attack only with their fists to the point of dropping any weapons that they are carrying to do so.[1][note 1] Some of them are equipped with some form of armor, notably various engineer, miner and security suits while others only wear their normal work clothing.[1]

Description[]

"I just got the latest report from Aegis VII. The situation's worse than Captain Mathius will admit. Forty percent of the colony's population is now showing symptoms - depression, hallucinations, more violence. People are dying down there. I know it's linked to the Marker, somehow, but I just don't have enough data. Mercer, maybe I was wrong. We need answers, by any means possible. That patient, Brant Harris, might be our last hope."
—Dr. Terrence Kyne[2]

All of those who became affected by Marker 3A's dementia showed similar psychological problems which could not be cured and only got worse with time. The first symptoms appeared to be difficulty sleeping, nausea and mild paranoia.[3] They could sometimes be treated with over-the-counter sedatives, as seen with Brant Harris and Vera Cortez, but this treatment remained highly ineffective. These symptoms did not interfere with the victims' perception of reality and allowed them to function, for the most part, normally. However, within a short time, most afflicted personnel began to suffer from mood swings and a general decrease in self-preservation. 

Also notable were visual and auditory hallucinations with increasing frequency. This stage was very short and typically lasted less than one day, as it was seen with Natalia Deshyanov.[3] Final stage colonists appeared to be immersed in total delusion or complete despair, acting on their hallucinations in either suicidal or homicidal ways.[1][3]

Crazed colonists are significantly more durable than normal humans, with some fighting back even with multiple limbs dismembered.[1] It is unknown how they manage to fight through the pain and shock of such serious injuries, but it is most likely related to the Marker's influence - boosting adrenaline levels beyond normal human ability. Decapitation is the most effective way to take down crazed colonists.

Notable Afflicted Colonists[]

Strategy[]

  • The crazed colonists appear as enemies only during Chapter 1 and in the first half of Chapter 2 of Dead Space: Extraction. As soon as the first Necromorphs show up, this type of enemy completely vanishes from the rest of the game.
  • They mimic the movement pattern of the Slashers, except that they will constantly move around to avoid shots while the Slashers are more prone to charge at the player.
    • The Crazed Colonists are more dangerous when they are attacking in groups as one of them can distract the player, giving the others a chance to approach. You must aways priorize the closest Colonists in order to avoid cheap hits.
  • Despite them being human, body shots are less effective just like with the Necromorphs.
    • Crazed colonists are susceptible to decapitation which will always result in an instant kill.
    • A Crazed Colonist often will die when they have two limbs severed, be it their legs, their arms or a leg and an arm. They are more durable in the higher difficulty settings, but even so, they are far easier to deal with than the Necromorphs.
  • The weapons available to fight them are the Rivet Gun, the P-Sec Pistol and the Plasma Cutter. The best option is the Plasma Cutter; as it is meant for fighting Necromorphs, it will overpower them.
    • If you are replaying the early chapters, the best weapon by far is the Line Gun. One single shot on the legs or the shoulders will kill a Crazed Colonist.
  • Near the end of Chapter 1, when Sam Caldwell is trying to reach the exit elevator, the game interface will become blurred as part of a hallucination, making it harder to see the enemies. Beware the Crazed Colonists coming from the dark areas.
  • In the middle of Chapter 2, when Nathan McNeill is walking alone, the Crazed Colonists can come out from multiple doors and even vents. They have multiple spawn points randomly selected in each playthrough.
  • During the Rivet Gun puzzle at the P-Sec HQ, if the player takes too long to seal off the main entrance, the insane colonists will invade it and attack overwhelmingly, causing an automatic Game Over sequence.

Gallery[]

Dead Space: Extraction[]

Other media[]

Notes[]

  1. It is important to remember, however, that numerous colonists who lost their minds prior to planet crack did use weapons when attacking others.

Sources[]

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