Chapter 3. Disappointment.
The scenario. I don't like where they took the story, but it's their franchise and they decide where the story goes, so no ranting about the story. It's epic and Hollywood-like. Nothing special.
Human enemies. Not only because they are dumb as hell, but because it changes the "death" experience. In original DS we saw, heard (audiologs) and read (text logs) people's deaths and sufferings. If you are a mentally normal human (and if you bothered reading the logs, of course) then it will terrify you. Isaac didn't kill people in 1st title, killed 2 in 2nd title because he had no choice. And now an army of unitologists and a completely new character Danik. On Ishimura we read logs about that mad unitologist scientist, then at the end of the game, we see him killing a guy tied to a chair. And WHO THE HELL IS DANIK?! Ok, next.
The monsters. They have so much armor on them, that all the embarrassing mutations of human body are covered. The monsters aren't scary. And they ARE a lot faster. Previously the sprinted to you. Now they group their body, cover their head with claws and slide to you as if the floor was covered with butter. DS taught us that one well-placed necromorph is scarier then a dozen running in your face. There are so many of them, that bodies often disappear the moment you bring'em down! And now they don't stalk the corridors. They are always in the vents. Making them smarter and giving them cheater-spawning-behind-your-back ability are not the same. Their appearance is predictable. If on your way from point A to point B a couple of coffins or vents didn't provide you a necro, then they sure will on your way back to point A. I really respect Visceral for the brave things they did before. They were criticized for lurkers being baby-necromorphs. Then they added the Pack and those tiny explosive babies to DS2. That was brave. Now we have the same mobs, but those are just Dogs and Starved people?! That is a huge step towards the casual player and by that I mean those of age from 12 to 16. For Gods sake the game isn't even PEGI 18+!!!
The single player design. Now this is not even funny. Do you remember in DS2 when we revisited Ishimura Ellie said that necro's swarm the medical deck and our train broke right there. I really smiled. In DS1 there are 3 of us. Kendra and Hammond are not engineers and Kendra is protected by Hammond at first (makes sense), so we fix the ship alone. As we see they are having a hard time as we do. In DS2 we've been in stasis for 3 years. We know no one here. Who can help us fighting and fixing things? Ellie (pilot and a woman) and crazy Stross. So we're alone. OK, makes sense.
In DS3 there are 5 ppl, warming their butts there while I fetch like an errand boy. Norman and Carver are military men, for fu** sake! And all the time: OHMYGODWHATISTHAT and were alone and they are still in group. This must be luck. We meet up. Yay. The second later: OHNOEVERYBODYTAKECOVER. We're separated. I'm alone. And they are still in a group! Come on!!!
Next. Isaac. He was cool in DS1. He remains silent, but everything he does and all his thoughts are of the one who holds the controller. At the end we see him exhausted. It's almost rewarding. Same in DS2.
In DS3 he's running everywhere like he's immortal. I can't feel like trying to survive when Isaac says "it's probably swarmed with necromorphs but the resources are worth looking!". And no more Nicole...yeah, he's done with the guilt, but...in a log in the first room he claims he lost he's soul in those events, when Norman explains their mission Isaac says "No! I'm done with that! Find someone else...". We believe him, cuz we've been there. And he goes there without fear or hesitation like superhero. But that's not a big problem among those I stated first.
It's not the whole list. Plasma cutter is indeed worthless. And you go through the dark corridor and there is a locked door with a stupid sign "Co-op"...yeeeah, so atmospheric!
The settings aren't scary...at all. The rooms and corridors are similar to each other. And they are twice bigger, for co-op of course, and the size of these settings ruin the whole isolation claustrophobic atmosphere.
There is definitely less blood in Dead Space 3. Just compare what is left from the necromorphs in DS1 and DS3. Another step towards kids.
Where are the dynamic shadows in DS3? You could take a lantern in previous games and see the shadows play around you. DS1 and DS2 both had a great lighting. DS3 looks very static comparing to them.
And last one - puzzles. They are as simple as they can be, showing the real target group of DS3.
The idea of body temperature was great! That would be a great survival element, but no! Visceral are too afraid to make the game challenging except throwing a ton of annoying enemies at us.
Technically dead space 3 is a good game,if we forget for a time that it is Dead Space.I don't regret the money I paid. I'm thankful to visceral for what they've done so far, but DS3 is a game for kids.
Thanks for reading.