Reading the internet, I generally just come away feeling like every game I enjoy is the worst thing ever made. It honestly really annoys and depresses me to constantly see games I love shat on by seemingly everyone. Obviously that's pretty stupid of me, but it is what it is. Everything I Love is Terrible. To blow off some steam I thought I'd write (probably poorly, I don't do a lot of this) about those games that I enjoy that either everyone else seems to hate, or get a significant amount of hate from certain groups.

Starting with a game someone just dared to post something positive about on another, larger forum that you might be familiar with. That game is...

DEAD SPACE 3

I really enjoyed Dead Space 3. Yup. That's your signal to stop reading. I am a crazy person. Because, objectively, Visceral Games would have been better off chiseling a drawing of poop into the back of a disc. People probably would have enjoyed that well rendered drawing of poop a lot more.

Look, okay. I know. Dead Space 3 has some problems. It has a weapon building/upgrade system built specifically for microtransactions. Thanks EA. On the bright side you can build excellent weapons without needing to drop a dime, but it's still a system that is so obviously designed around microtransactions that it's pretty gross. It has human encounters that just don't jive with the series and what we all love about it. I never found the encounters out and out bad, they're not offensive or anything. However, said encounters are there and they're not something you really want to engage in but you have to anyway. It's a bummer. Carver is fucking lame. Ellie has prominent cleavage for whatever reason (it doesn't bother me, but I totally understand people calling it out as gross).

But I still loved it. It is my second favourite game in the series after the original.

Blasphemy, right? Liking Dead Space 3 more than Dead Space 2, which depending on who you ask is either at least a serviceable sequel or miles ahead of its predecessor? Truly, my taste is awful.

The big thing, where Dead Space 3 clicks for me, is its environments/world. You see, I liked Dead Space 2, but after Dead Space 1 and the Ishimura to me the Sprawl really just felt like a series of videogame environments, it just never felt like a place. If you ask me, one of the most special things about the original Dead Space is the Ishimura, the feeling that you are on this massive Planet Cracker. That everything on this ship became a nightmare, and now you have to make your way through this nightmare and find some way out. The Ishimura was almost like a character itself, and that feeling that it existed I think really helped enhance what little creep/scare factor was there.

Dead Space 2 tried show us this nightmare as it happened, and I do think it opens quite strong in that regard (it certainly has one of the most memorable openings to any game I've played). But somewhere along the way I stopped feeling like I was on a space station and more like I was making my way through a series of videogame environments that were designed in an attempt at addressing a criticism of the first game's lack of variety. It just never felt consistent. I just had trouble buying that these places really existed within the Sprawl.

Don't get me wrong, making my way through these environments was fun, but I just really missed the sense of place that I got from the original Dead Space. (on the bright side, returning to the Ishimura in 2 was a fantastic, dreadful moment)

Dead Space 3 did a much better job getting back to this element that I loved about the original game. I once again really felt like I was exploring a real place when I was making my way through the decrepit old fleet of ships, and I much preferred this atmosphere. Once down on the planet, I again felt like I was making my way through a facility that existed. As far as I'm concerned Dead Space 3 really nails it on the atmosphere and sense of place, which for me is something I love about the series and its potential. There's a consistency to the environments that I really appreciate and Visceral did a great job really making you feel like this place had this very strong history. I think in part because of this sense of place and history I actually found Dead Space 3 creepier than Dead Space 2.

I know I'm criticising Dead Space 2 a lot in my explanation of why I enjoyed Dead Space 3 so much, but it's the things in Dead Space 2 that let me down that I felt Dead Space 3 managed to improve upon that are a big part of why I like the game. This isn't meant to be a "Dead Space 2 sucks, Dead Space 3 is better" post, I like Dead Space 2, I just don't like it as much as the other two main entries into the series.

I love Dead Space 3's bosses. Especially the final boss. Yup, that boss that Brad and Patrick crapped on on numerous bombcasts. I loved the way Dead Space 3 ended. It was fun. It was ridiculous, but it was fun. It was just so crazy, and I really enjoyed it. I can't help it, I like videogamey boss fights. I like video games, and I don't care when video games dare to just be video games. I also think Visceral, with Dead Space, make pretty damn good video games. I liked Dead Space 1's final boss fight/cliche giant worm because it was videogamey, too. I didn't enjoy the way Dead Space 2 ended. I didn't particularly enjoy being chased by the ubermorph whilst being pelted by projectiles and such from random lurkers. But what I really didn't enjoy was Dead Space 2's final boss. It just wasn't fun, and in Visceral's efforts to avoid being "videogamey" with its final boss they also avoided designing an enjoyable boss battle.

Another thing about Dead Space 3 I really enjoyed? Its weapon system. In spite of the gross implementation of microtransactions (even if there's absolutely no need to resort to them). I know people want survival horror from Dead Space, and that as the series has gone on Isaac has become more and more overpowered. I can understand if that kills any kind of horror factor for people, but personally I can still find things creepy and threatening even while feeling powerful.

I really enjoyed building my weapons in Dead Space 3, modifying and upgrading them. Experimenting with different combinations and gradually building a pair of devastating weapons. And as the game went on, I kind of appreciated feeling reassured that in spite of fearing what lurked around the next corner, or being overwhelmed that I had the firepower to in most cases come out the victor. For me, personally, Dead Space 3 does a great job striking a balance between being a fun action game to play while also being a scary and creepy horror experience. This is something I enjoyed in Dead Space 2 as well (though I found it less scary because of my problems with the game's setting and atmosphere). And even in the original Dead Space to an extent (you're certainly powerful in Dead Space, but not to the extent of Dead Space 2 or 3), though Dead Space is much better at being less an action game and more a scary game (obviously your mileage may vary).

So, that about wraps it up, I guess? My reasoning for enjoying Dead Space 3. You probably don't agree with anything I've written, but hey, at least you now understand just why it is I like this game in spite of it having been decided that it is terrible. My taste is pretty awful. If you managed to wade through that poorly structured and worded jumble, kudos.

Everything I Love is Terrible.

Next up? I'm not sure, currently I'm playing through Skyward Sword again because I loved the game and was feeling frustrated by hate for it being drummed up again. (Though in Skyward Sword's case I'm not really willing to accept that it's just my taste being awful, Skyward Sword is a legimately fantastic goddamn video game goddamnit. :P)

I'm thinking if I write another of these it'll be about the much maligned Dragon Age 2, a game that is indeed very flawed that I managed to thoroughly enjoy anyway (it will also be a fine example of my taste being terrible, since I don't particularly like Dragon Age Origins. I know, I'm a terrible person). I'll probably be revisiting it with Dragon Age Inquisition on the way in October.

I agree with most of your points, but the problem I had with Dead Space 3 is that it isn't a horror game. Dead Space 1 was the first survival horror game I liked since Silent Hill 2. Taken on it's own merits though Dead Space 3 is a good game.

Skyward Sword is a good game but would have been better with a standard controller, and you are batshit insane for thinking that DA2 is anything better than mediocre.

I am okay with this statement. :P

I never played it because of the mixed reception from people who, otherwise, love dead space 1+2 and because the demo left a really sour taste in my mouth, but I'll give it a try since it was one of the free games on ps plus this month.

Even though I pretty much disagree on every point, I can respect the reasoning and I enjoyed the article. Personally, I think the weapon system killed the game for me. I really enjoyed learning the nuances of each weapon, and how they each played differently in the first two games. On the other hand, I played most DS3 with some variation of a machine gun, with the rocket launcher/blast shield combo making a lot of endgame trivial. I also found the environments a little samey in 3, and none of them had the sort of impact that levels such as the Isimura had in 2. I had serious misgivings about how they handled almost all the characters in 3 as well.

I had a fun time with the game just for the combat system.

I just finished it because of PS+ and I have very mixed feelings about this game. I loved the first two with Dead Space 2 being one of my favorite games of the generation so I came away from Dead Space 3 liking it overall. The game feels like it doesn't know what it wants to be, though. Dead Space 1 was a survival horror game and Dead Space 2 was an action game, Dead Space 3 wants to be both. It tries to be eerie and scary in the first third of the game but then they throw 100 enemies every encounter that are easy to deal with. If the encounters were more spread out and the enemies were harder to deal with maybe they'd have that horror bit. As it stands you're a walking tank that can't be taken down. Then you get down to the planet were it turns into action unless you go underground where it suffers from the problem the first third of the game had. And on top of that they add human soldiers and it feels like an afterthought.

I thought the environment was kind of bland. It copied a lot from of the first game and the ice planet didn't really seem interesting enough to be different from any other ice planet. The first game was kind of bland looking but it's the first game in the series and is supposed to be a horror game. The space stuff in the first game was interesting too since it hadn't been done that way in any mainstream game. Dead Space 2 had a fantastic environment in part by taking place on a space colony which allowed it to be diverse. Locations looked different but they looked like they belonged in that world. Dead Space 3 has two environments until the end.

I think the problem with the admittedly fantastic ending was that there was no real lead in for that. There was no sense that the game was gonna be that insane. It's kind what makes the DLC better. Everything the DLC feeds into the insane ending. Dead Space 3 suddenly veers into it during the last fourth.

The weapon system didn't really mean anything to me either way. I only used the weapon that the first two games had and was able to get through the game quite easily. The only times I died were when I wasn't paying attention and the environment killed me.

And let me just say the save system is god awful and I have no idea why they decided to do that. It auto saves inventory and progress separately. When you save and quit it only saves inventory. You have to reach certain points in the game to save your progress. I've had to replay entire side missions and points in the game that were frustrating because I saved and quit.

I want to like this game more than I do but I just can't. To me this was a disappointment.

@meatball: If you wanted to know @rorie thinks Dead Space 3 is the best entry in the franchise and listed it on his Game of the Year list.

In other words, you are not alone on this site.

I agree with everything you wrote. Finally got to play this coop recently, and I am enjoying it even more.

I enjoyed this game a lot, just not as much as 1 & 2.

I don't know, my biggest problem with Dead Space 3 was probably how samey the supposedly new environment felt. Once on the planet, I felt like I spent 90% of the time in windowless corridors. They might as well have been on the fucking space ships this was supposed to be a departure from. They even logic-leaped some jarring no-gravity sections into the planet stuff. Like, seriously? I get that the Dead Space games are about four different design tricks recycled in creative ways, but you can't say, "you're on a planet now, things are going to be different, except they're identical." The outdoor stuff was neat, I like the idea of fighting the environment as much as you are the enemies. It actually adds the threat of, "I don't want to fight these guys because, not that I couldn't kill them, but doing so might wind up getting my ass frozen." But they never really follow through with that. It's about an hour - generously - of worrying about that before they give you the gear and say, "we were never going to take a risk here, how about you buy some guns?"

I actually respect this type of post a lot though. I often find myself on your side of the argument. Don't ask me about the BioShock games, I'll be flayed. But this stuff encourages discussion, and I learn more about games when I actually have to think about why I liked or disliked them. So, awesome. Keep it up, dude. I'm sure I'll end up agreeing with a lot you say, I just happen to be with the seeming majority this time.

@hatking: I forgot about that. It would've been interesting if you had to come up with ways to keep yourself warm in that environment as you're fighting enemies. That would've allowed them to have their cake and eat it too if because of that the enemies were spread out a bit more and tougher but it comes off as a reason to change your suit again.

Explain yourself.

@video_game_king: If you play it on the hardest setting with only the handgun its pretty hard to manage your health and ammo. Which makes it incredibly tense when you are low on both and a monster appears out of nowhere.

@sethphotopoulos: Exactly. I guess they probably wanted to avoid the Lost Planet comparisons though, not that two games can't share a mechanic and setting and still be entirely different things. Oh well. Despite being disappointed by Dead Space 3, I'm happy to look at the series as one of the best big projects of that generation of consoles. I go back and play Dead Space, and sometimes Dead Space 2, every October.

Listen man, you and me can be part of the Dragon Age 2 apologist club any day of the week, but I found Dead Space 3 to be sort of a massive bummer on all accounts, aside from the weapon customization system being legitimately neat (albeit easily abused). On its own merits, it's not a bad game, but compared to the two before it? Blehhhhhh.

I really enjoyed Dead Space 3. Where it falls down for me is the ultimate reveal of the mythology and some of the character stuff. There shouldn't have been a love triangle involved. I agree with you on the environments. Some really good work there. The spaceship graveyard is one of my favourite areas of all time. I love that whenever and wherever I can get it.

I always said that one of the biggest problems Dead Space 3 had was that it was the third Dead Space game. At some point the well runs dry and no matter what you do, it's just never going to feel fresh again. I enjoyed them all for very different things, and didn't have as much a problem with Dead Space 3 as the rest of the world, but Dead Space 1 is still probably the favorite. DS3 was another one of those games that was technically sound so people who didn't like it would start digging deep trying to make mountains out of anthills. This is why some of the biggest complaints from the most vocal detractors were "oh man Carter shows up out of nowhere and it ruins everything I mean so unrealistic!" and of course everyones favorite "you wanna know why DS3 is awful? The moon.. man the moon." Which was especially annoying after the game based on zombies in space actually does a decent job explaining how the whole moon shit works but even seasoned critics suddenly turn into rambling children that just heard someone say titties for the first time and just can't stop giggling.

I will say that in a way I enjoyed the ending for it's twisted take on closure.

I guess I'd argue that Dead Space 1 wasn't much of a horror game either. Or that it completely failed in being one. I never once felt threatened in that game. You just had too many incredibly powerful tools at your disposal.

The most successful horror games--in my book--are ones where combat doesn't feel great. Dead Space is just too much of an action game.

But I really really love the first one. I've played it 3 or 4 times now and have turned several friends on to it. I liked 2, and I'm going to give 3 a go now that it's free on PS plus.

I never played Dead Space 3, though I did watch a Let's Play of it. Honestly, I didn't have too much of a problem with it, up until the DLC epilogue when Necromorph Moons EVERYWHERE WHAT.

@hollitz: As I said in a previous post it only works as a horror game if you just use the pistol and play on the hardest difficulty.

I didn't mind Dead Space 3, but it clearly was the lesser of the three games.

I usually do not prefer silent protagonists in games, but holy shit did I wish Isaac went back to not talking.

Hm. Although I haven't played any Dead Space aside from a few minutes of the first, it's fun seeing people defend games that have a poor reputation. Your points certainly make sense, particularly the part about Dead Space 3 having a more believable world than 2. For what these games appear to be going for, that seems important. Well written stuff.

I don't know about Skyward Sword though...that one I have played. I didn't hate it or anything, but it just seemed boring. I'm glad there are people who like it though! I'm sure part of my distaste for it is that I really wasn't ready for another Zelda when it came out.

I never played Dead Space 1 or 2. I'm terrible with horror. Steam says I've played Amnesia for eight hours. Lies. Those eight hours are from a friend playing it, or from me staring at the title screen.

Dead Space 3 was a fun co op game. Probably the only way I could stomach any horror game is by playing with a friend over the Internet, or with a friend yelling at me while we're sitting on the same sofa. But there was a point in Dead Space 3 where the game just breaks. The weapon customization systems, while fun, are horribly unbalanced. By the end of the game, I was wielding two dual-rocket launchers with blast shields.

There's a point in Aliens where Ripley duct tapes a flamethrower to a rifle. It was just like that moment, when I crafted those two awesome weapons of destruction. The moment you knew that nothing in the universe could stop you. Maybe that's what the writers were going for? Where it's revealed that Isaac is the true monster? I don't know. But at that point, it was no longer Dead Space. I was Space Rambo.

Still, scary stuff is fun with friends around. Especially Dead Space 3's co op, which I think it nails perfectly. That elevator ride with Carver. You know the one. That was great. Especially when I was playing as Isaac.

The entire argument whether it's survival horror or not is pretty silly anyway. The first Dead Space was definitely a horror game - whether you want to slap the arbitrary "survival" tag on it or not is up to the individual. Modern survival horror games simply aren't as demanding as they were in the past, largely due to improved game design.

Pesonally this game killed the franchise for me.

I barely played it at all. I installed it on Origins since I got it as part of a Humble Bundle and booted it up. Got past the opening section and got a little into the Isaac section before I had to shut it down and head out. The next time I booted the game up, it started all the way from the first UNSKIPPABLE cutscene starring Isaac that took forever to get through the first time and I did not have the patience to sit through it again.

With my backlog the way it is, I don't see myself ever going back to it. Somewhat of a shame as I did enjoy the first two and, despite what the interwebs say, I wanted to experience the game and judge it for myself. Ah well.

@corruptedevil: I found DA2 interesting. Sure, it was a train wreck but it was an interesting one. The plot revolved not around some grand world ending plot but a specific character and the city he lived in.

It had its flaws for sure but I thought it was at least an interesting failure. And I really liked some of the characters.

I'm playing it at the moment from Plus and its way too fetch questy. 'Go over to this area and find 3 things.' 'Then go over to this other area and find another 3 things for this MacGuffin we need to build.' And the combat scenarios, I'm just bored by them. You go into a room and guys pop out, another room, guys pop out. Rinse and repeat. I can't remember if they were like that in DS1 or 2 but it certainly feels more monotonous now and not 'scary' at all. A jack in the box is only scary once, maybe twice, when its the same over and over it's just laughable.

The set up actually seemed kinda cool too, Issac on the run from the Unitologists because he can destroy markers, yeah that makes sense and fits for a sequel idea but adding humans just makes for boring enemies in what makes this a pretty by the numbers third person shooter. Dismemberment isn't even really a thing anymore with the weapon types you can create. I stick to the plasma cutter mainly but its not really worth it if the enemies don't take any strategy for it.

I also liked the floating flotilla and I thought that would be a pretty neat area to explore, flying around from one ship to another, metroidvania ish. Maybe even unravelling the stories of each individual ships origin, and to its credit it did have some of that, but now I'm down on the ice planet and it's just bland as hell to look at.

I like the idea of this series, but the whole self-flagellation shtick (i.e. but my taste is clearly horrible, this game I love is obviously poop pressed onto a disc) wears thin pretty fast. I realize when people do that, they're trying to head off criticism by taking their detractors' words out of their mouths, but it just comes off sounding weasely and unconfident.

So you like games everyone else hates... Well, don't apologize for it. Fucking own that shit!

I liked it a lot more than I was expecting, given how much "this game is poop" is was hearing from various corners of the internet. I liked it way more than Mass Effect 3, if we're comparing games in the "violent futuristic space 3rd person shooter games published by EA that end in 3" genre.

I also wish I could have played Skyward Sword, but my Wii was long gone by the time that came around.

I enjoyed the game, but for me it was obviously the weakest one in the series. The human combat parts were okei but could have been handled better.
The first one is one of my favorite games of all time. The 2nd game was an overall improvement, but it didn't click as much as the first one.

I hated 1, thought 2 was great and didn't really have a problem with 3.

I agree: Dead Space 3 was pretty terrible. There were some decent scares...maybe two or three at most, but other than that it may as well have been Resident Evil 7. Loved DS1, loved DS2, but hated DS3.

@meatball: I loved skyward sword aswell.

Hah, well, the whole self-flagellation schtick really is down to a lack of confidence somewhat. I legitimately get down on myself when seeing games I like receive a thoroughly negative response. It's not so much about attempting to head off criticism.

This is something of an attempt to own liking Dead Space 3, explaining just why I actually like the game. I certainly need to learn to own liking what I like and not caring so much when something I like receives hate.

If I do more of this thing, I guess I'll try to tone that stuff down a bit, but it'll probably be written while something has gotten me down about a game I like and I'm in the mood to be like "god I suck." while ranting about just what it is I like about a game. :P

I never played it and still can't bring myself to. I bet it isn't as bad as I make it out to be in my mind but I knew from the first co-op gameplay trailer that they showed that it was a different beast.

You have to write one of these about Skyward Sword. I'll help you defend that game to my death.

I loved 1, liked but have mixed feelings on 2, and I'll try 3 now that its on PS+. So we'll see how that goes.

Interested to see your piece on Skyward Sword, as I also feel its got a weird reputation from people with strange expectations. I've been replaying Twilight Princess, and pretty much every problem I have with that game was responded to/fixed with Skyward Sword's design. Difficulty, rupee economy, item usefulness, motion controls, side quests, and just straight up world design.

I'll glad to read your take on Skyward Sword, because that game is great and receives a lot of undeserved hate.

I honestly feel the same way about everyone hating what I like. Why do motherfuckers gotta yuck my yum? Anyway I haven't played Dead Space 3 but I did hear a lot of bitching about it so it was interesting to hear from someone who enjoyed it.

@corevi: Heres why I have to disagree with your comment. First off the first game was very successful and being scary. but lets be realistic. after the first two games. Are you really going to be scared much? This is like watching the first Alien movie and then watching the second one. after the first two movies. are you really going to get scared that easily when you know whats about to happen? Not really, you cant go and blame the game just because you cant get as easily scared. I enjoyed the game for a few reasons, Coop being the biggest one. Secondly was the story and just the sheer fun of mass killing of the infected wit ha friend. It was a great time and very fun. and yes we still had our moments of getting scared. and some parts of Coop were just brutal, especially in the areas marked for Coop only.

Using Alien as comparison is actually right on the money but for the exact opposite reason you used it. Alien is a horror movie, Aliens is an action movie. Dead Space is a horror game, Dead Space 3 is an action game. For better or worse they expanded on original concepts so much that they lost what made them tense and "scary". Which isn't necessarily a bad thing I like Aliens quite a bit. So not that it makes the game bad on it's own Dead Space 3 just isn't the same experience the first to were.

Don't let the internet fool you, Dead Space 3 isn't a bad game. Is it a great Dead Space game? Ehh it's O-k. Is it better than any Resident Evil? Yup, although that is a really low bar.

For people like myself that love sci-fi Dead Space was this beautiful fantasy come to life. Industrial design, wonderful atmosphere, great gameplay. Dead Space 3 doubles down on the action but that didn't ruin any of the awesome set pieces the series was known for.

To this day Dead Space is a really unique blend of action and puzzle solving that isn't some bland search for an eagle shaped medallion for an eagle shaped hole. The shooting feels great and the movement has just enough weight to be satisfying but not cumbersome.

It's such a goddamn shame they decided to shutter this franchise just because DS3 wasn't some runaway success. An entire series thrown into a dark corner because of one slip up while Resident Evil keeps trudging on in all its delinquent shortcomings.

EDIT: Also I completely agree with your assessment of Dead Space 2. The Ishimura felt like this old school ship that you got to explore while playing space-repairman. Thing is I completely didn't mind! All the puzzles hidden behind Isaac having to repair yet another precious life support system felt good and looked awesome. Look at this big machine you need to tinker with in order to not die - it's awesome. Dead Space 2 was as you say, kind of this videogame environment. Here is a nursery, kinda spooky huh? After the great Ishimura, the Sprawl aesthetic of a future mall yet felt kind of lame. I didn't really want these cohesive environments, I wanted more engine rooms and intricate machines to interact with.

I also really enjoyed DS3. Couldn't recreate the atmosphere from the first two, but it was still fun to play, especially in co-op. The story kinda fizzled out, unfortunately.

I thought the weapon customization system was top notch, wish more games had something like that. There were so many different options and the end result felt unique.

Never used micro-transactions and managed to craft an awesome mini-gun type of weapon. The default was supposed to be high-ammo count, rapid fire rate, low damage, but by cramming damage mods into it I got a super effective tool of destruction. Sure, it kinda broke the game and removed the survival aspect completely, but it was so damn satisfying to use.

I would not be against another installment in the franchise, to be honest.

Dead Space 3 is the only game out of the series that I don't ever revisit because I just could not get past all the negatives of it. I mean it is cool to mess with the different combinations, but why pick this series to implement this feature? When I have some crazy assault rifle minigun with a rocket launcher attached to the under barrel of it, how am I supposed to be scared? Any tension that the end of the game was trying to build up did nothing for me because I knew my big Rambo gun was going to shred anything to pieces in less than a second.

That's not even mentioning how we went from "Haunted Mansion the Spaceship" to "Dawn of the Dead Space" to "Generic Campy Sci Fi". The story was so campy and cliche that I wanted to shoot Isaac. How did we get to this point in the series where there are love triangles between characters? Not necessary at all.... and don't get me started on the whole moon thing either... that whole explanation was just mind numbingly awful. I did like the initial beginning mini open world segment where you're in space with all the old broken ships. I thought that was a cool way to explore the history of Dead Space, but once you hit planet side it basically just goes far south from there.

Maybe one day I'll decide to try it again, but it is definitely not a priority for me.