When you think of FPSs, or well, nearly any game involving a gun and a protagonist, it’s easy to assume that by planting a bullet between an enemy’s eyes, you’ve disposed of them properly. Their corpse falls to the ground, and you’re free to move on, dropping more fiends like flies in your wake. In Dead Space, this notion is turned on its head with the incorporation of a process affectionately known as “strategic dismemberment.”

“Strategic dismemberment is a fancy way of saying that you have to rip the enemies apart limb from bloody limb, because we wanted to challenge you with enemies that were relentless. They keep coming at you, no matter what you do, until you literally cut them into pieces,” explained producer Rich Briggs in a recent interview with TGR.

With that said, the possibilities a Necromorph could put to use to add you to its body count are practically endless. Remember, some creatures can still function without their heads, so that’s why you’ll need to remember to take out vital limbs such as legs to at least slow the creature down. Remember that by shooting what seem to be pregnant monsters, you run the risk of being attacked by that mother’s growing children. If you blow off a Necromorph’s arm, does it not have another? These are all things that will have to be taken into consideration.

“Dismemberment makes you really think about each shot, which supports the resource management that is a staple of survival horror. If you unload into an enemy’s body, you’re going to run out of ammo very quickly. If you take off their limbs, you’ll slow them down, save ammo, and ultimately succeed.” The ability to make quick decisions, think on your feet and discover what will be the best way to take down your attackers will be at the forefront of conventions that will make Dead Space stand out from the gaggle of survival horror games out there.

Strategic dismemberment—learn it, use it and love it, because as Briggs puts it, “ripping enemies apart with blood flying all over the place looks pretty cool.”