Dead Space Security Clearance: How to unlock each level

Dead Space Security Clearance - the Captain's Nest with Hammond
(Image credit: Motive)
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(Image credit: Motive)

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Dead Space Security Clearance is a new system that motivates you to return to previous areas on the Ishimura to plunder their riches. As you explore the ship's many decks, you'll encounter a whole heap of containers and doors locked with one of three Security Clearance levels. If you want the valuable junk contained in each, you're going to have to claim its corresponding clearance first.

Coupled with the new random encounters, it's a fun little system that makes the Ishimura better to explore in full, as you note down the locations of valuable stashes and try to make your way back to them later on. Hunting these down is a great way to prolong your playthrough or equip yourself with better gear earlier. That said, here's when each Dead Space Security Clearance level unlocks, as well as how to unlock Master Override level.

How to get Security Clearance in Dead Space 

To get Security Clearance, you're going to have to progress the story, which means if you want the loot from certain locked rooms and containers, you'll often have to return to them later on. Here's when each specific level of Security Clearance unlocks: 

  • Security Clearance level one: This unlocks at the end of chapter two when you get the Captain's Rig from the Morgue on the Medical Deck.
  • Security Clearance level two: This unlocks in chapter four after you head to the Bridge Deck and talk to Hammond in the Captain's Nest.
  • Security Clearance level three: This unlocks in chapter seven when you collect Mining Supervisor Dallas's rig from the Mining Deck.

There are locked Security Clearance containers and rooms scattered all over the ship, but generally, the rooms are more important to go back for. While the containers just have ammo or credits inside them, the locked rooms often have nodes and semiconductors of different rarities that you can sell at the store. The more important Security Clearance rooms and containers are the Master Override ones, which I'll explain in the next section. 

How do you get Master Override clearance in Dead Space?

Master Override is the top level of Security Clearance on the Ishimura, but unlike the other levels, you won't just get it by progressing through the story. You'll have to complete the You Are Not Authorised side quest that unlocks in the Captain's Nest on the Bridge Deck when you see Hammond there during chapter four.

The quest requires you to locate Crew Rigs in the different sections of the Ishimura and then return to the Captain's Nest to create your Master Override clearance. It's worth noting that Master Override containers hold Dead Space weapon upgrades, so that's the primary reason to unlock it. 

Sean Martin
Senior Guides Writer

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.

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