"Oh God, how are we supposed to stay safe if those things can fly?"

—Lexine Murdoch^[1]

The Flier is a winged Necromorph capable of flight encountered in Dead Space: Extraction. Its main form of attack is assaulting its prey from above.

Overview

"Please tell me those are just bats I hear..."
"Can't be - there's no ecosystem on this planet."

—Gabe Weller and Lexine Murdoch.^[1]

Fliers are one of two types of Necromorphs unique to Dead Space: Extraction, the other being the Grabber. They are uncommon, appearing in only a few stages and in small numbers, and are not very threatening - their sole attack is to fly past the player and attempt to bite or slash them with their tail as they pass. A single hit will disrupt this attack and force them to fly away, and they cannot take much damage before being destroyed. This is helpful, as they have only one dismemberment point: their thin tails. However, they are quite hard to hit from a distance, and the speed with which they can dive makes waiting for them to attack the player and then shooting them a tricky proposition.

Fliers share a similar basic body structure with the Infectors and the Leapers. A Flier seems to consist of an upper torso twisted and flayed into a shape vaguely resembling a stingray, topped by a partially-skinned human skull and possessing a 'tail', presumably composed of either intertwined nerves, a dangling spinal column, or both. The arms are twisted forwards and fused to the cheeks, forming a crude "frame" for the wings. Human lungs can be seen attached to the Flier's back, and it is possible that, similar to the Wheezers, these have been mutated into chemical production chambers and are used to help generate lighter-than-air gases that fill up the lungs and help Fliers fly. They have horribly twisted facial features, such as the skin from the jaw, and part of the face has peeled away. Their jaw has also split in two. Unlike Infectors, Fliers move only through the air and possess considerable mobility and agility, making it difficult to shoot them while they are in a dive.

A Flier is first seen in the Megavents of the Aegis VII Colony, attacking in a scripted event and then retreating without need for defense on the player's part. Comments made by the characters indicate the presence of flying creatures in this locale (including a tentative suggestion by Gabe Weller that they might be bats; only to be informed that there is no native ecology on Aegis VII). Fliers are encountered and fought in the Zero-G Therapy Room in Chapter 5, in the Vegetation Room B in Chapter 7, on the Bridge in Chapter 9, and in Maintenance Bay 47 in Chapter 10.

Strategy

• Fliers make long approaches towards you before attacking. Be patient and wait until they close in to kill them; you may end up wasting ammo if you try to pick them off from a distance.
• These Necromorphs don't seem to have any glaring weak spots, but their arms and tail can be dismembered.
• Short-ranged weapons are your best bet against Flyers; the Flamethrower, the Arc Welder, and the Force Gun can dispatch the Flier easily. The Line Gun is also effective if you aim dead center just as it attacks; you'll sever both arms and its tail.

Trivia

• There are two types of Fliers: one with lungs, and one without lungs.
• The anatomy of the Flier is similar to the Leaper, but the Flier has an open-chest in the form of wings.
• Draco genus lizards can glide using the same method as a Flier, expanding their chest bones and skin. It is unknown if the similarity is intentional.
• Strangely, all Fliers are seen to have a single glowing yellow eye. The other eye socket appears to be empty.
• According to Glen Schofield, the Flier was implemented in the first game game early on, but the team found out it wasn't working properly and wasn't fun to fight, so it was then removed completely. Later, the idea was put into semi-place with the Infector.^[2]
  • Assets for the Flier are contained within the game files of Dead Space and Dead Space 2, but the enemy type has been cut from the games completely.

Gallery

In-game shot of the Flier.

The front of the Flier.

The back of the Flier.

The Flier has a single glowing yellow eye.

The Flier's lungs and "teeth" are visible in this photo.

Another close-up of the Flier's face and underbelly.

A close-up of the "teeth" on the Flier's belly.

A close-up view of the Flier's wingspan.

A diving Flier under Stasis.

A Flier's underbelly.

Another view of the Flier as it prepares to dive.

The Flier as it comes into a dive.

A dead Flier lying on a crate, near some Slashers playing dead.

Another angle.

Very early concept art for a Flier (notice the literal fly-like look).

Concept art of an early look for a Flier.

Concept art of a size comparison between the Flier and a human.

Appearances

• Dead Space: Extraction

Sources