Feeder — deadspace

"I told them not to eat the infected... then they started changing. They became sensitive to bright lights. Just shining my flashlight would send them into a violent rage! I've disabled the elevator to trap them down there. God rest their souls."

—Private Sam Ackerman

The Feeder is a unique Necromorph created from the corpse of a human who has ingested Necromorph meat. Feeders were notably encountered on Tau Volantis, formed from starving S.C.A.F. soldiers who began eating the Necromorphs they had killed.^[1]^[2]

Overview

Appearance

"Ackerman! Is that you!? I smell you! I smell... FRESH MEAT!!!"

—S.C.A.F. soldier undergoing transformation into a Feeder.

The Feeder is extremely skinny and its torso is grotesquely emaciated, with its bones and skeletal system clearly visible beneath parchment-thin skin. This gives them increased agility and lets them jump from various platforms and move quickly. A majority of the Feeder's head reveals the skull of the human host as all cartilage, flesh and skin has been removed while its jaw stretches out from its mouth, becoming wide enough to fit a human's head. The Feeder's hands have been distorted into bloody talons used for hacking and slashing their victims. Its mouth has a hidden array of sharp teeth made from their jaw bones which can expand outwards like mandibles.

Transformation and Behavior

"Ackerman, don't leave us! We must all be MADE WHOLE!!! MAKE US WHOLE! MAKE US WHOLE!"

—S.C.A.F. soldier undergoing transformation into a Feeder.

Dead_Space_Feeder_Necromorph_Sound_Effects_HD — Dead Space Feeder Necromorph Sound Effects HD

Feeder sound effects

The process at which a human being turns into a Feeder is a slow but steady one: when a human ingests Necromorph flesh, this tainted flesh begins to kill off their internal organs one by one and take them over. The human then becomes sensitive to bright lights and grows ravenous, desperately consuming more flesh to satisfy their hunger, including that of other humans. Eventually, their vital organs are attacked internally by the Necromorph infection and the victim dies, their corpse being reanimated as a Feeder, a creature that retains the same desperate need to consume flesh.^[1]

Enhanced Feeders during one of Isaac's battles with the . — Enhanced Feeders during one of Isaac's hallucination battles with the Cult Leader.

While some cases of SCAF soldiers eating Necromorph corpses can be attributed to Marker Dementia, most were the result of desperation, the soldiers finding themselves trapped in snow-covered shacks with nothing else to eat.^[1]

Throughout the game, Feeders are found scuttering around in search of any source of food. They have heightened auditory senses,^[2] relying on sound to navigate their surroundings and locate their prey. Their visual sense is slightly impaired as a result; while they are incapable of seeing their surroundings with clarity, a glimpse of light will attract their attention. When startled by either light or sound, Feeders will attack aggressively in waves. Later on, Isaac encounters the Enhanced version of these enemies while exploring the inner cavity of the Nexus. This variant has double the health and damage than their normal brethren.

Death Scene

Feeder_Death_Animation_-_Dead_Space_3_(HD,_60_FPS) — Feeder Death Animation - Dead Space 3 (HD, 60 FPS)

If the player fails to escape the grapple, the Feeder will jump off his back before quickly approaching, jaws stretching wide open. It bites onto Isaac's/Carver's face, before pulling his head off, resulting in decapitation.

Strategy

As Feeders are auditory-based Necromorph forms, they rely primarily on sound. Walking slowly and at a distance will prevent the player from getting harmed by them. Alternatively, throwing objects around the Feeders with Kinesis will temporarily distract the Feeders. Similarly, do not shine the weapon's flashlight on them, as it will definitely attract them.
In situations where combat is unavoidable, it is best to run around the area in circles while wielding a weapon capable of crowd-controlling such as a rapid firing Pulse Rifle, or a Telemetry Spike with a Diffraction Torus.
A modified Force Gun, specifically the Ground Diffractor and an Acid Bath attachment works well, as the Acid Bath does damage over time, combined with the Diffractor's large radial spread should manage to kill weaker variations in a matter of seconds.
Contrary to every other variant of Necromorph that has been encountered to this point, the Feeder's weak point is its head; a single well placed shot from even a relatively weak weapon will destroy its head and cause it to die instantly.
Using a suspended Ripper as a primary tool and an Electrocution module as a secondary tool will make short work of them so long as Isaac is in a corner and none are behind him.
Any gun with a Survey Charge upper/lower tool fired at a crowd of Feeders will annihilate them.
A Tesla Core with the Diffraction Torus will work as it causes the electrical shot to spread to surrounding enemies, taking out a large group of feeders in one shot.
A Pneumatic Torch with the Compressor (making a Magnesium Afterburner) can also be particularly effective against swarms of Feeders.
The Bolas Gun upgraded with a few +1/2/3 Damage circuits, along with a Rate of Fire upgrade is very useful for taking out feeders. The bouncing bolas will kill regular feeders in one shot and enhanced with two. Alternatively, use the lower tool to fire anchored bolas that stick to the ground when shot. Back into a corner and shoot a few anchored bolas onto the ground in front of you and laugh as the Feeders get slaughtered.

Trivia

Concept art of fighting off Feeders on the surface of . — Concept art of Isaac Clarke fighting off Feeders on the surface of Tau Volantis.

Feeders seem to be based on Wendigos, which are Algonquian mythological creatures created when a person resorted to eating human flesh. The victim would become obsessed with consuming human flesh, becoming violent towards others, even when other food sources were nearby. Eventually, the victim would become almost skeletal, growing each time they ate a meal, their hunger never satisfied.
There is a collection of disturbing logs in the play area where the player must retrieve a snow-suit. They contain tips for combating the Feeders and document the struggles of Sam Ackerman, who was hiding from a bunch of his colleagues who were in an early stage of becoming Feeders. These Feeders are eventually encountered during the search for a snowsuit after landing on Tau Volantis.
- Based on an audio log left by Sam Ackerman, one of the soldiers who ingested Necromorph flesh claimed that he could actually smell Ackerman. He then described the scent as "Fresh meat!", indicating that Feeders may have an increased sense of smell.
Curiously, playing an obviously loud audio log in the proximity of Feeders will not attract them to the player's presence.
- Similarly, opening doors does not alert surrounding Feeders, while stomping storage containers and performing melee swings may or may not attract their ire, depending on the relative distance between the player and the nearest creature.
Feeders' movement is almost completely silent due to their light weight.
Feeders largely replace the role of The Pack in Dead Space 3. However, the Pack does make a comeback in Dead Space 3: Awakened. Feeders are considerably faster than the Pack, and failure to keep them at a distance will result in you getting swarmed very quickly. Like the Pack, Feeders die instantly from headshots, making them one of the few Necromorphs that do not require strategic dismemberment.
Feeders make noise, and can usually be heard once a player enters a room. The sound resembles clicking and a squeaking noise a monkey or chimpanzee might make. Also, if the player shines a light directly in a Feeder's face for a split second, it will hiss angrily and try and locate the source. If the light is held up too long, it will detect the player and trigger an attack with its fellow Feeders.
Feeders are the only Necromorphs that will not attack unless provoked; this allows the player to distract them by throwing objects and avoid them completely, therefore being able to conserve ammo. There are times, however, where Feeders will spawn already aware of the player's presence, and the player has no choice but to kill them to continue.