Mastering the Haunting "Premeditated Malpractice" Side Quest in Dead Space Remake

The Dead Space remake wouldn‘t just be an astronomical leap forward in nightmarish visuals and white-knuckle action. Motive Studios has faithfully recreated the USG Ishimura to reward observant players with fascinating side content beyond Isaac‘s journey, like the unsettling "Premeditated Malpractice" quest.

The Quest That Redefines Environmental Storytelling

While Dead Space garnered acclaim for its pioneering dismemberment combat and chilling atmosphere, veterans praise its environmental narrative crafted through text/audio logs. The remake expands this subtle approach via optional objectives, asking you to play detective aboard the stricken Ishimura.

"Premeditated Malpractice" manifests as a five-step investigation into Chief Medical Officer Challus Mercer, an original character created for the remake. Across ruined wards and bloodied operating theaters, you‘ll unravel disturbing secrets that contextualize the outbreak.

This guide provides in-depth walkthroughs for each troubling objective, preparing you to solve the macabre mysteries behind the Ishimura‘s downfall.

Unlock Requirements & Mission Overview

Unlock: Finish Chapter 5 of the main campaign

Start: Collect Tissue Sample from Cryo Chamber

Length: 5 Objectives Centered on Dr. Mercer

Reward: "Final Regeneration" Silver Trophy

Your objectives involve scanning the sample, finding patient records, investigating the physician‘s connections to the Necromorph outbreak, and finally facing his work firsthand…

Objective 1: Scan the Tissue Sample in the Main Lab

After wrapping up Chapter 5‘s events, backtrack to the Medical Deck and enter the Cryogenic Chamber. You‘ll find a console containing a "Tissue Sample." Interact with it to officially launch the "Malpractice" questline.

You‘ll immediately gain an objective marker leading to the Main Lab. This area serves as the hospital‘s primary research nerve center. Seek out the main computer terminal near the entrance. Interact with it to automatically scan the sample, unlocking brief footage of Dr. Mercer meeting a mysterious "benefactor."

With the first misdeed documented, an administrator message updates your RIG mission database with the second task: locate a man named Harris‘s ICU bed.

Location: Main Lab, Medical

Enemies Encountered: Lurkers, Pukers

Suggested Loadout: Plasma Cutter, Force Gun

Objective 2: Find Harris‘s ICU Bed in Tram Maintenance

The ominous leads continue in the Tram Maintenance sector, a dingy industrial area. Your goal is the Intensive Care Unit hiding somewhere within the grease-stained halls.

Ascend to the upper levels via the main lift. Breach through a damaged door halfway up to discover a small med bay. Inside you‘ll spot an ICU bed belonging to a "Dominic Harris." Interact with the bed‘s monitor to trigger a chilling hologram playback.

In the recording, Harris accuses Dr. Mercer of illegal experiments on unwitting inhabitants. But the physician rebuffs him by discussing a shady "contract" protecting his work. This breakthrough update officially confirms Mercer‘s secret research into the Necromorphs ravaging the ship.

Location: Intensive Care Unit, Tram Maintenance

Enemies: Lurkers, Leapers, Exploders

Loadout: Contact Beam, Force Gun, Stasis

Objective 3: Investigate Mercer‘s Work in Ore Storage

After that tense revelation, your next task involves locating data in Ore Storage potentially connected to Mercer‘s experiments. But upon opening your map, you‘ll notice the objective remains inactive for now.

Ore Storage won‘t become accessible until Chapter 7. Play through the intervening chapters first, equipping the following gear to counter enemies guarding the classified intel:

Suggested Loadout

• Primary: Contact Beam
• Secondary: Seeker Rifle
• Tool: Stasis

After the chaos in Hydroponics, you‘ll regain story access to Ore Storage. Follow your RIG‘s waypoint deep into the shadowy tunnels lined with minerals from Aegis VII.

Keep an eye out for security measures like laser grids – use Stasis to halt the beams while squeezing Isaac through. Disable any opposition and proceed towards the waypoint marker to eventually locate another console tucked away in a remote corner.

Interface with the terminal to trigger an ominous transmission from the "benefactor." They ominously allude to supporting Dr. Mercer‘s work to sabotage the Ishimura from within – stunning evidence he helped architect the Necromorph outbreak!

Location: Ore Storage

Enemies: Leapers, Lurkers, Dividers

Suggested Loadout: Contact Beam, Seeker Rifle, Stasis

Objective 4: Find the Bridge Report

More clues behind the good doctor‘s treachery await aboard the Executive Shuttle Flight Deck. This objective‘s marker points you towards the uppermost Bridge area of the ship‘s Main Atrium.

Battle through the former crew dining plaza transformed into a war zone, using Stasis and dismemberment tactics to put down aggressors.Ascend the emergency ladders to reach this objective‘s location on the elevated bridge.

Seek out a console tucked under the central balcony. Interact with it to uncover another grim hologram – this time between Captain Matthius and his terrified wife as the crisis consumes the vessel.

The transmission ominously references secret orders to eliminate evidence of Mercer‘s experiments. Even the commanding officers couldn‘t contain the horror once the Infector infiltration began…

Location: Bridge, Main Atrium

Enemies: Pukers, Exploders, Infectors

Suggested Gear: Force Gun, Flamethrower, Stasis

Objective 5: Confront Mercer‘s Work in Hydroponics

For the unsettling quest‘s climax, your RIG updates with directions towards the Hydroponics Deck and the elusive physician‘s personal laboratory. This last phase will test your survival instincts facing Mercer‘s "research" head-on.

Follow the waypoints through the verdant gardens tainted by bloodshed and biomass growths. Seek out the Central Hub facility where you‘ll discover a locked entrance to the "Diagnostic Lab."

Slice the obstacle with precision before descending into the dark, foreboding tunnels. At the end lies an audio log console providing Dr. Mercer‘s final, spine-chilling confession affirming his role orchestrating the outbreak.

Yet downloading the evidence also releases a disturbing Necromorph amalgam built from his numerous test subjects. While extremely resilient, cutting off all four arms to deliver a killing blow through Stasis and the Contact Beam‘s charged shot remains highly effective.

With Mercer‘s vile handiwork laid bare, the side quest finally concludes, unlocking the silver "Final Regeneration" trophy. Through Isaac‘s heroic investigation, we uncover how corporate corruption enabled the Nakmura-Mercer experiments, dooming the USG Ishimura. Not all nightmares aboard stem from warped alien tissue…human darkness proved equally destructive.

Location: Hydroponics Central Hub

Enemies: Enhanced Necromorph Boss

Recommended Gear: Contact Beam/Force Gun

With Mercer‘s twisted machinations thwarting containment efforts, the sage advice of Dr. Terrence Kyne still haunts my ears upon joining the USG Ishimura repair crew:

"The Hydroponics log symbolizes the latest Ugly Event arising from putting money over ethics. But with the Ishimura, the worst is yet to come…"

Conclusion

Through "Premeditated Malpractice," the Dead Space remake‘s creative ambitiously expands the environmental storytelling put forth in Motive Studio‘s previous work revitalizing Star Wars: Squadrons. By interweaving text logs with side objectives, players now actively investigate the Ishimura‘s downfall instead passively receiving exposition.

Piecing together Dr. Mercer‘s illicit connections makes comprehending the outbreak‘s scale more tangible while offering genuinely unnerving moments facing off against his experiments. It represents a quest exemplifying the project‘s meticulous attention to enriching a horror classic without sacrificing its brilliant core formula.

Now you possess the tools to navigate Mercer‘s horrific handiwork across five challenging objectives. But more importantly, uncovering his misdeeds should reinforce exploring off the beaten path when prowling the Ishimura‘s bloodied halls. As this walkthrough demonstrates, some of Dead Space‘s most compelling narratives await beyond main missions⁠—you need only shine a light to uncover the darkness!