"A hydrazine torch typically used for precision mining or prospecting on frozen worlds. The nozzle can also spray a “wall” of flame to clear large patches of ice quickly. Does not operate in vacuum."

—Tool description.^[1]

The PFM-100 Hydrazine Torch Flamethrower, or Flamethrower for short, is an industrial tool used in the extraction of various ores and minerals during mining operations.

The Flamethrower has commonly been re-purposed into a weapon during Necromorph outbreaks.

Design Details

The PFM-100 Hydrazine Torch Flamethrower was originally designed to project a liquid hydrazine flame of 500 to 4,000 degrees Celsius onto the layers of ice that trapped valuable ores within comets. When used against frozen meteors, the flame will cause the solidified water within the meteor's cracks to melt, splitting the rock into pieces without much trouble.

The hypergolic fuel canister is clipped to the underside of the torch via a series of metal braces, which when needed, can be forcefully ejected from the tool as a makeshift fire grenade.

Operation

The PFM-100's long cone of flame can ignite several enemies at once and target individual limbs, but overall, the weapon suffers at long-range. Thus, its best use is immolating swarms of small enemies in close quarters.

Prior to upgrades, the Hydrazine Torch deals very low damage, usually requiring up to several dozens of flame units just to defeat a single Slasher. When upgraded, however, it will make short work of even Enhanced Necromorphs in just mere seconds.

In Dead Space, the Flamethrower's secondary fire shoots a ball of flame that explodes on contact. Upgrading changes the flame's color from yellow, to orange, to blue, indicating its increasing temperature.

In Dead Space 2, the Flamethrower's secondary fire launches a lit canister of explosives that detonates after a few seconds on its own, or immediately upon contact with an enemy.

In Dead Space 3, a Flamethrower is constructed via a blueprint. This new Flamethrower, however, is vastly weaker compared to the original version.

In Dead Space (2023), the Flamethrower's secondary fire launches a wall of flames which will incinerate enemies that make contact with it.

Location

• In Dead Space, the Flamethrower Schematic is found right near the entrance to the Medical Wing, beneath a crate that can be moved with the newly-acquired Kinesis Module. If somehow not acquired, it automatically becomes available in the first store interacted with after completing Chapter 3: Course Correction.
• In Dead Space 2, its Schematic is found in the Titan Station Elementary School, after the standoff in the gym, found in the back of a classroom near the exit.
• The location of the blueprint for it in Dead Space 3 is in Chapter 11 in the Co-Op: Archaeology, behind a door that requires a Torque Bar.
• In Dead Space (2023), the Flamethrower can be found in the Engineering Deck, which can first be accessed in Chapter 3. On the way to the main engine room, there will be a narrow fleshy corridor with an dead engineer stuck on a wall, grab the Flamethrower off him.

Upgrades

In the remake, the Flamethrower has three Upgrade parts that can improve its effectiveness when installed:

• The Gellified Hydrazine can be purchased in the store upon reaching chapter 3 and makes the secondary fire's fire walls burn longer.

• The Macroliter Fuel Tank increases the weapon's maximum ammo capacity. It can be found in a Security Clearance Level 3 room labelled "Utility Room", which can be found in the trolley section of the Maintenance floor in the Mining Deck. In order to reach this room, the gravity must first be turned off using a circuit breaker outside of the room where the SOS Beacon is found, then float down below the rails and search for the room hidden behind some corrupted growth.
• The High-Pressure Nozzle increases the primary fire's range and can be found in a master override chest in the deluxe bunks of the crew quarters.

Variants

• Hot Rod Flamethrower (DS1)
• Tank/ Unitologist Flamethrower (DS1)
• Military Flamethrower (DS1)
• Bloody Flamethrower (DS2, damage +5%, reload speed -10%)

Combat Tips

• While using primary fire, the Flamethrower's voracious ammunition consumption necessitates short bursts; however, just one will wipe out an entire group of Swarmers.
• The Flamethrower inflicts knockback, and the flames themselves will stick to enemies for a short time, inflicting additional damage
• Each use of the alternative fire consumes ten units of fuel, and the blaze it creates lasts for a few seconds, making its best use creating firewalls to weaken incoming Necromorphs.
• Take care not to step in the fire, lest Isaac, too, be set alight
• In Dead Space, the lack of oxygen experienced whilst passing through a vacuum makes the Flamethrower unable to function; this also applies in areas poisoned by Wheezers, since they use the same 'limited oxygen' code as vacuum areas. However, the weapon's fuel, hydrazine, is hypergolic, meaning it will ignite when in contact with an oxidizer, and is typically used with a liquid oxidizer in a separate tank. EA corrected this error in some later games, in which Isaac can use his Flamethrower even in a vacuum, but the Dead Space remake returns the flamethrower to becoming non-functional in vaccuum.
• A large buildup of flames can reduce the framerate, so it is advisable to use this weapon sparingly on lower performance computers.
• The Flamethrower is very effective against Brutes because a Brute, once burnt with the Flamethrower, will back away from the player and not attack until the fire goes out. Its retreat buys time to hit it in a weak area with another weapon or use a Med / Stasis Pack. Alternatively, in conjunction with Stasis, a Flamethrower with maximum damage can finish off a Brute that has fallen with two to three alternate fire shots.
• Body shots, while damaging, waste scarce hydrazine; it is more efficient to aim for the limbs and allow the continued damage of the fire burn them off.
• Although its flames deal knockback, even full engulfment does not prevent enemies from attacking; therefore, it is essential to have plenty of room to run through while the fire takes its toll
• A slow but effective tactic in areas not under quarantine is to give a target a burst of flame and go through a door through which it cannot pass. Repeat the process until all targets are destroyed, but be advised that being aware of inbound Necromorphs is essential lest one deliver a nasty surprise from behind.
• Even a standard Flamethrower (with no upgrades) can kill a Drag Tentacle within seconds

Dead Space: Extraction

• In Extraction, the Flamethrower's high efficiency, coupled with its ability to halt the movement and attacks of, and deal lingering damage to, multiple enemies makes it one of the best crowd control weapons in the game. Moreover, even on Hard difficulty, for most enemies its Secondary Function is at most a two to three hit kill.

Dead Space 2

• The Flamethrower returns with a new alternate fire: a lit canister that explodes after a few seconds or upon contact, setting enemies ablaze. This uses 25 units of fuel, and deals lethal damage to all enemies caught in the explosive radius, with enemies outside the lethal radius quickly falling victim to its ferocious burn damage.
• The Flamethrower against the Ubermorph is completely useless, as the flames don't damage it. Try using a different weapon against it.
• The Flamethrower has three levels of damage: 4, 8, and 12. At 8 damage, the Flamethrower becomes one of the deadliest and most ammo-efficient weapons in the game: it stuns Slashers for upwards of two seconds for only a few units of fuel, and even on Zealot difficulty, simultaneously lighting multiple limbs delivers a quick kill. The stun effect provides precious time in which to focus on other enemies, find objects to use as Kinesis weapons, or to run up and melee the enemy to conserve ammo.
• The Flamethrower is a very useful tool against The Pack, killing a small group in seconds. It also maintains efficiency at higher levels of difficulty, with one to two units of fuel being sufficient to kill an incoming pack member instantly.
• Be aware that the Flamethrower cannot stop charging Stalkers, nor does it have any effect upon the heavily armored Ubermorph at any level of difficulty or upgrade.
• Both the Flamethrower's primary and alternate fire modes sometimes take a hundred units of fuel to subdue a Guardian.
• The Flamethrower no longer dismembers enemies directly, but its increased damage there still makes them the ideal place to aim.
• Burning enemies can die even while grappling with Isaac.
• While aiming with the Flamethrower, Isaac moves considerably faster than with any other weapon, almost walking speed; therefore, utilize the increased mobility to torch enemies while on the run.
• If aimed upward, the player can arc the flames to increase their range, which is definitely worth the practice when dealing with Pukers and Exploders.
• Be aware the Flamethrower is at its strongest when in large rooms where the player can move around freely or while fighting only a few Necromorphs. It is a poor choice for players unaccustomed to hit-and-run tactics or without detailed knowledge of Necromorph spawnpoints.
• Using the Flamethrower against Leapers is generally not advised because it will simply set the Leaper on fire, and not stop its leap outright.
• The uncomfortably long time that it takes to kill tougher Necromorphs, such as Tripods and Brutes, even with well-placed shots, on higher difficulties makes using a weapon with greater range than the Flamethrower a better option. Also, the close range required to score a hit, coupled with both Necromorphs' considerable reach and speed, makes using the flamethrower against them extraordinarily dangerous.
• In addition, the Flamethrower will cause enemies to drop their items, which makes it a viable option for scavengers.

Dead Space (2023)

• The Flamethrower consumes 1 unit of fuel per 0.5 seconds. Stopping the fire in this duration will discard that unit, similar to the Contact Beam's primary fire.
• The Flamethrower got a major damage buff compared to the original counterpart functioning very closely to its Dead Space 2 counterpart.
• The Flamethrower's Alt fire in the remake has been completely reworked into a Fire Wall that sets multiple enemies ablaze. This consumes 25 units of fuel, and deals considerable amounts of damage to any enemies caught in it, especially when upgraded.
• The Flamethrower is an excellent tool for dealing with Swarmers and Divider components as a few short bursts from the primary fire will be able to subdue them, upgraded or not.
• With the new pealing system added in the remake, a great use for the Flamethrower is to fire a short burst from the primary fire to weaken them, then dismember the Necromorphs with a weapon of your choice.
• The Flamethrower's secondary fire is extremely effective againsts Guardians as it can kill it in mere seconds regardless of how much it is upgraded due the fact the flames deal damage over time.
  • The primary fire can work surprisingly well on them too. However, due to the Flamethrower's short range (unless you have the High-Pressure Nozzle upgrade), it is very risky to go up close to them without stasis.
• Both the Flamethrower and the Force Gun's secondary fire modes are proven to be a deadly combo. When one sees a group of enemies, aim the Gravity Well to lump said enemies into one location. Then, ignite the Flamethrower's Alt fire and provided they are both somewhat upgraded, it should kill the enemies. Even if they still remain afterwards, a few shots from any weapon should officially kill them.
• Much like in the original Dead Space, the Flamethrower is completely unusable in vacuums. Although unlike the original, it can be used in toxic hazard environments. These include areas like the part in Chapter 5 where you have run to the Security Station to restore air to the deck which was a vacuum in the original.
• The Flamethrower's primary fire works wonders when fighting Twitchers if one can keep the reticle on them as the wide spread of the flames are able to puncture the Twitcher's stasis unit leaving them vulnerable.

Trivia

• The Hydrazine flame's temperature is between 400 and 5000 degrees Celsius, depending on its damage level. Most metals usually melt between 1000 and 2000 degrees Celsius, yet Advanced Necromorphs can withstand such heat (at least in Dead Space). Starting in Dead Space: Extraction and later continued in Dead Space 2 the weapon is much more capable of roasting Necromorphs and all but the strongest variants will die quickly when being burned.
• The PFM-100 seemed heavier in the first Dead Space than its sequel, being fired from Isaac's hip when in action, while in Dead Space 2 Isaac holds it up and aims it like a lightweight handgun when firing. The height and arc of the flame cone is also higher than in the original game.
• When the Flamethrower's damage is increased to its maximum, its flame is blue instead of the usual reddish-orange.
• Despite its name, the PMF-100 wasn't intended for combat, it is rather an oversized blowtorch.
• In Dead Space 2, the fact that Necromorphs that have been lit on fire, especially Slashers, will writhe around screaming, swinging their arms wildy in an attempt to put out the flames implies that Necromorphs are capable of feeling pain.
• In Dead Space 2, Slashers that have items to drop that die by the Flamethrower, perform a death animation in which the Slasher flails momentarily, then collapse to the floor before finally going limp. No other Necromorph has a unique death animation for the Flamethrower.
• Strangely, you can't use the PFM-100 when encountering Wheezers. This is probably due to the fact that the gas emitted by these Necromorphs shares the same scripting properties as a vacuum, in which the Flamethrower is useless.
• The first time Isaac encounters a Pregnant (Chapter 6 of DS2), it is alone. So it is possible to use just one unit of fuel with at least two upgrades of fuel duration, and let the Pregnant burn. This may take some time, but on Hard Core mode it saves ammunition.
• When Isaac, or Gabe, is hanging upside down, fuel canisters discarded during reloading will soar upwards instead of falling to the floor.
• During the Second World War, the German Luftwaffe used hydrazine as the fuel of the world's first rocket powered interceptor: the Messerschmitt Me 163.
• Like most of the weapons, the Flamethrower has its own achievements and trophies, for example killing thirty enemies with the Flamethrower earns "Live With the Hot Ones" and "Necro Flambé" in Dead Space and Dead Space 2, respectively.
• In Dead Space 2: Severed, the Flamethrower is the only weapon, excluding the Plasma Cutter, found next to a group of dead Sprawl Security (as opposed to purchased at the Store).
• The Flamethrower has the largest ammo count in Dead Space 2.
• The secondary function's grenade in the second game can be put under Stasis. This doesn't do much other than lengthen the detonation time and may even waste Stasis energy as the canister itself is rather difficult to target and may explode before the shot of Stasis energy hits it.
• When fired in a dark room, its flame will not actually light up the area. Whether this is intentional or not is unknown.
• The Flamethrower can be used against the Marker at the end of Dead Space 2.
• At the end of Chapter 9 of Dead Space: Extraction, during the fight with The Spider, one can use the Flamethrower in space.
• In Dead Space 2, the Flamethrower is the only weapon to not have 2 DLC variants.

Gallery

The Flamethrower in The Art of Dead Space (2023).

Render of the Flamethrower in Dead Space (2023).

Another render of the Flamethrower in Dead Space (2023).

Artwork of the Flamethrower.

Isaac finding the Flamethrower in Dead Space (2023).

Isaac wielding the Flamethrower in the remake.

The Flamethrower in action in the remake.

The Flamethrower's firewall in the remake.

The Flamethrower fully-upgraded in the remake.

Render of the Flamethrower in Dead Space (2008).

Isaac wielding the Flamethrower in the original game.

The Flamethrower in action in the original game.

Isaac attacking an Infector with the Flamethrower.

Isaac using the Flamethrower on a Slasher.

The Hot Rod Flamethrower skin.

Isaac wielding the Flamethrower in Dead Space 2.

Bloody Flamethower with a matching Bloody Vintage RIG.

The Flamethrower in Dead Space: Extraction.

The Flamethrower seen in Dead Space: Aftermath.

The "Live With The Hot Ones" achievement/trophy from the original game.

The "Necro Flambé" achievement/trophy from Dead Space 2.

The "Live With The Hot Ones" achievement/trophy from the remake.

Sources