History YMMV / DeadSpace

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Japan has a rather unusual affection to the Dead Space series. If you ever go into the FPS side of Japan (which is a niche market there), you will occasionally see references to it, even in many other [=FPSs=] as well. The fact that there are ''complete'' wikis dedicated to translating the entire series from English to Japanese despite not having an official translation there ''at all'' should tell you something.

** ''[[VideoGame/DeadSpaceRemake Remake]]'': [[MadDoctor Dr. Challus Mercer]] lacks the Marker-induced insanity he had in the original, but [[AdaptationalVillainy commits far greater crimes]]. A devout Unitologist who seeks to escape death through gaining the [[ArtifactOfDoom Red Marker's]] favor, Mercer starts by having a mentally-vulnerable Brant Harris transferred to his care, where he takes advantage of his mental illness to manipulate him into agreeing to being turned into the Hunter, who he has help him kill survivors onboard the Ishimura. After things truly go to hell, Mercer's sabotage of the ship leads to several decks that may have held the line being overwhelmed and the crew onboard slaughtered. When a group of survivors from the Hydrophonics Deck enters the Medical Deck, Mercer captures them, gruesomely experiments on them, and leaves them to be turned into Necromorphs. When confronted by [[ActionSurvivor Jacob Temple]] on the Crew Deck, Mercer puts him into stasis and shoots him in the head, intentionally dragging out his death for far longer. A [[TheFundamentalist crazed religious fanatic]], Mercer claims he is acting on behalf of humanity's future, when in fact he [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist only cares about his own eternal reward]].

** ''VideoGame/DeadSpace2'': [[TreacherousAdvisor Daina Le Guin]], a [[ChurchOfHappyology Unitologist]] aboard the Sprawl, became obsessed with the comatose [[PlayerCharacter Isaac Clarke]]'s capacity to produce more Markers to spread the Necromorph infection. Opting to steal Isaac to take his knowledge, Daina [[VideoGame/DeadSpaceMobile tricked Karrie "Vandal" Norton]] into unleashing the Necromorphs onto the Sprawl, massacring the government sector and killing almost every living thing about the station. Manipulating Isaac to draw him near, [[OmnicidalManiac Daina]]'s ultimate plan was to kidnap Isaac and send the resulting Markers across the galaxy in a Necromorph plague to consume life.

[[redirect:YMMV/DeadSpace1]]

* AntiClimaxBoss: The Hive Mind. It is the final boss, but is often considered easier than the Leviathan and the Space Slug. The best weapon is the Plasma Cutter, which you'll have been upgrading from the start, its attacks are fairly easy to dodge, and it's incredibly obvious where to shoot. The only real challenge lies in aiming while Isaac's hanging around upside down, and you'll have had practice with the Drag Tentacle. Not to mention there's a store and workbench right before the fight to sell you everything except Plasma Cutter ammo and upgrades.
* BrokenBase: Get a large group of ''Dead Space'' players together in one room, and then immediately ask them whether or not this is one of the scariest horror games ever created. [[SchmuckBait We'll wait]].
* CatharsisFactor: During Chapter 10, [[spoiler:Mercer puts himself on the mercy of an Infector to turn himself into a Necromorph and, in his eyes, ascend. A quick enough player can get to the room where that is happening and kill the Infector before Mercer's transformation is done and the idea of locking him out of his ascension is quite pleasing for how much of an asshole he has been.]]
* ClicheStorm: A [[spoiler:fake]] ArtifactOfDoom is found on a planet about to be strip-mined by a MegaCorp, and suddenly all hell breaks loose? Somehow, the [[ActionSurvivor engineer]] is better at surviving than the [[RedShirtArmy actual military]]? There's a massive GovernmentConspiracy about the [[OurZombiesAreDifferent freaky space zombies]]? [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools Fun]], but not exactly breaking new ground.
** WordOfGod admitted that the series is a love letter to the sci-fi and sci-fi horror genres in general.
* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: Many people consider the Plasma Cutter the best weapon by far, and therefore play through the entire game using only it (the fact that there is also an achievement for doing exactly this doesn't help). It does good damage per shot, it can switch between wide and tall shots on the fly to more easily cut off limbs, and you can fit more Cutter ammo [[InventoryManagementPuzzle into a single inventory space]] than any other weapon except the [[MoreDakka Pulse Rifle]] and the [[VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck Flamer]]. Even if you don't plan on using the Cutter, it's still a good idea to pick one weapon and use it exclusively for one simple reason: '''enemies only drop ammo for weapons you have equipped'''. If you carry the maximum of four weapons, you'll constantly be low on ammo for all of them, while if you carry just one, you'll always have plenty of ammo for it, and can even afford to sell some of it off for extra money to spend on Power Nodes. You can then use those Power Nodes to fully upgrade your one weapon easily instead of having to spread out less Nodes between four weapons, plus your suit, plus your Stasis and Kinesis modules, resulting in none of them getting upgraded very much.
* CrossesTheLineTwice: The Lurkers are actually dead babies that the Necromorphs have had no qualms with assimilating into their ranks. Think zombie babies are bad? Wait until you see the grapple kill Isaac uses against the Lurkers, which involves him throwing it to the floor ''and punting it across the room like a football''.
* EvilIsSexy: [[spoiler:Kendra Daniels, she even was named one of the "Hottest Video Game Babes of 2008" by Maxim Magazine.]]
* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Japan has a rather unusual affection to the Dead Space series. If you ever go into the FPS side of Japan (which is a niche market there), you will occasionally see references to it, even in many other [=FPSs=] as well. The fact that there are ''complete'' wikis dedicated to translating the entire series from English to Japanese despite not having an official translation there ''at all'' should tell you something.
* GoddamnedBats: Swarmers are mostly annoying... unless encountered with other stronger Necromorphs, at which point they become annoying AND threatening.
* GoodBadBugs: When fighting a Brute, run down some stairs. ''They will turn and '''walk away from you'''.'' At which point you can unleash hell on them. Same happens if they're confronted by a narrow doorway, even though they have been shown to be able to completely demolish doors when the situation requires them to.
** Necromorphs have trouble with doors. In fact most times they can't even get through an open door to leave the room they spawned in.
** ... You can even use doors [[https://youtu.be/-_k-9SR-Tlk?t=12m57s as weapons]].
** You can make [[NintendoHard Impossible Mode]] much easier by exploiting a bug. Start a NewGamePlus, purchase the Military Suit and defeat the final boss. Skip the credits, don’t save your game and when you immediately start a new game, you will be delighted to see that Isaac is still in the Military Suit!
* HarsherInHindsight: Anyone who read ''Literature/DeadSpaceMartyr'' will likely cringe anytime the phrase "Altman Be Praised" is uttered since that book reveals that [[spoiler:Altman was trying to stop the Marker's destructive influence and prevent it from being used as a weapon but he was eventually brutally murdered by corrupt [=EarthGov=] officials who proceeded to twist the events of his death into making him the martyr of their new religion centered on the Markers, the very opposite of what he was trying to achieve.]]
* IronWoobie: You'll really want to give Isaac a hug after his ordeal is over.
* ItsEasySoItSucks: According to some, unless you're on your first playthrough you don't want to play Dead Space on anything below Hard.
* ItWasHisSled: [[spoiler:"NICOLE IS DEAD"]] twist is known for virtually anyone who enjoys survival horror.
* MemeticMutation:
** About Isaac's [[CherryTapping Curb Stomp]] '''[[DoomyDoomsOfDoom of DOOM]]'''.
** Japan has one of Isaac as well: his speech. Due to Isaac not talking too much in the early games, his speech in Japan is ''always'' put after one of his iconic masks, like this: (三)>.
** Electrontic Arts [[note]]An infamous typo in a folder's name the PC version of the game creates upon installation.[[/note]]
* MoralEventHorizon: Both {{Big Bad}}s.
** [[spoiler:Mercer killing a bound and gagged Temple and Cross with a screwdriver to the top of the head to make it easier for an Infector to help them "ascend".]]
** The entire scene with [[spoiler:[[MissionControl Kendra's]] killing of Kyne and revealing that she's TheMole]].
* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: "QUARANTINE LIFTED."
* {{Narm}}: The Hive Mind's death scene if you fail to escape it's grasp is quite horrific... Until you realise Isaac's scream as he's torn in half is a stock scream rather than his voice actor doing so for whatever reason.
* NightmareRetardant: The Hive Mind. All of the previous enemies, like the ones detailed above, kept you on your toes and your gun pointed up and into the shadows of the ''Ishimura'''s bowels just in case they try something. With the Hive Mind just ''there'' when you fight it, it's not as scary.
** At any rate, the NightmareFuel is restored if you simply look at the [[spoiler:chunk of Aegis VII that's free-falling ''just'' above where you fight the Hive Mind]].
* OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow: "Great, you fixed the engines so we won't crash. Now you have to go and shoot down all the asteroids that are about to smash us to pieces. After that, there's this giant monster in hydroponics that's screwing up our oxygen..."
* ParanoiaFuel: You will DREAD going into a room full of corpses... Not because of what killed them, mind you [[spoiler:but because the corpses themselves might try to off you.]]
** You may develop an extreme phobia of ventilation shafts from this game as well.
** Screw that - where did all that inert biomass growing all over the walls, floors, and ceilings come from? Ordinary dust, which is made up of dead skin that has flaked off. Bet you want to dust every single surface in your house now, don't you?
** After one of the first Necromorph encounters, you may find yourself somewhat wary of elevators.
** The Hunter, AKA: that damn regenerating Necromorph. Similar to the SA-X from ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'', although it lacks the magnificently tense scripted scenes. Still, just ''knowing'' it's around somewhere in the ship is quite freaky.
* PortingDisaster: The PC version of the game wasn't as bad as many other examples (the original CD version of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' or ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'' come to mind), but it definitely has not held up to the test of time and has many issues with running on modern systems despite only being one and a half hardware generations old. Movement controls cannot be rebound away from WASD, v-sync locks the game to 30 fps, the mouse slows to a crawl above 60 fps, and the antialiasing solution causes significantly blurring of the graphics, to name just a few issues. It also lacks the DLC costumes from the console versions.
* ScrappyWeapon: The [[VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck Flamethrower]] is the most common choice for the worst weapon in the game by far. The weapon does pitiful damage (being a flamethrower in a game where dismemberment is the key to victory) and is a major MasterOfNone as other weapons do everything it can much better ([[ChainsawGood The Ripper]] is a better close ranged weapon, the [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Force Gun]] and the [[MoreDakka Pulse Rifle]] are better at crowd control, and the [[{{BFG}} Line Gun’s]] mine is a better trap). Add to that it’s voracious ammo consumption and you’ve got a weapon that’s almost completely unusable.
* SerialNumbersFiledOff: Compare and contrast ''VideoGame/RunLikeHell''. To quote Chapter 11 of [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Dead%20Space/index.html the Let's Play of DS]];
-->Run Like Hell follows '''a character in deep space''', separated from his '''girlfriend, who's trained in medicine'''. The station has been attacked by a '''previously unknown alien race''', which has massacred basically everybody. The main character's lady '''sometimes sends him messages to show that she's okay'''.\\
\\
The enemies, too, are quite similar. There are "Cutters", with '''scythe-blades for arms'''. There are "Brutes", who are '''huge, heavily-muscled berserkers who can resist massive gunfire'''. There are "Scouts", '''creatures with a scorpion tail'''. There are "Scout Sprites", breakaway enemies '''that serve as suicide bombers'''. There are "Elites", who can '''take human heads and put them atop their own bodies'''. And there is "Biomass", which '''converts the environment into an area appropriate for the aliens'''.
** There is also quite a bit of similarity to the UsefulNotes/SegaDreamcast game ''VideoGame/{{Carrier}}''. In that game, set in a future where a resource crisis has caused a war, a rescue team is sent to a huge aircraft carrier that's failing to respond. The main character is one of the rescuers, who has a brother on board the ship [[spoiler:who ends up killing himself during the course of the game]]. They end up trapped on the dilapidated vessel after crashing their helicopter due to a malfunctioning defense system, and discover an ancient virus, which was brought aboard as secret cargo has transformed the crew into monsters, and is steadily infesting the ship with plant matter that has to be navigated around. The main character has to fight to get off of the ship, while repairing what faults he can to keep the ship afloat, stay alive and get rescued. The central character interacts with other characters mostly through radio communication, deals with the crazed ship's doctor who has been conducting experiments with the virus, another scientist who has a religious zeal for the virus and one of the weapons available for use is a welding gun.
* SpiritualLicensee: The premise of the first game has the same general feel of ''Film/EventHorizon''.
** According to some of the developers, the game was originally going to be VideoGame/SystemShock 3, but they couldn't get the license and had to change things mid-development.
* ThatOneAchievement: Both turret achievements are a nightmare on consoles, as noted below. It's especially bad with the asteroid achievement, in which your shields start at 85% instead of 100.
* ThatOneBoss: The [[spoiler:giant space slug]] boss at the end of chapter eight involves using the most infuriating turret system ever to defeat. You start with 100% shields. One hit from a projectile knocks 10% of your shields down. The projectiles all move far, far faster than you can turn the gun. The kicker? One of the secret achievements for the game is [[spoiler:to defeat the boss with over 50% of the turret's shields remaining.]] Uh, no. This is hardly an issue with the PC version, which has the option to customize your aiming sensitivity. One wonders why the dev team didn't give console gamers a similar option, especially since most modern console shooters do.
** The giant tentacle. Even when you're expecting it - which is only going to be because you've been killed by it already - you've got to flail around and try to shoot at the yellow spot, while the tentacle is twitching and Isaac is being dragged along, his aim (and yours) totally thrown off, as well as there being several seconds when Isaac ''can't'' fire.
* ThatOneLevel: The turret section from Chapter 4 is the worst nightmare of many who played ''Dead Space''. It consists of Issac fixing a turret, and Hammond resets it to shoot automatically while Isaac's protecting the hull by shooting incoming asteroids. Sounds decent right? The issue comes in when its realized that the turret is not fast enough to get all of them, so you'll be turning the turret to shoot one asteroid while the another one is coming to destroy the rest of your shields and make you restart the section all over again. On the other hand, thanks to mouse control it's a total non-issue for PC Gamers, who will get through it in two or three tries at max.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: Every single space walk in the game qualifies as this.
----

* PortingDisaster: The PC version of the game wasn't as bad as many other examples (the original CD version of ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' or ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'' come to mind), but it definitely has not held up to the test of time and has many issues with running on modern systems despite only being one and a half hardware generations old. Movement controls cannot be rebound away from WASD, v-sync locks the game to 30 fps, the mouse slows to a crawl above 60 fps, and the antialiasing solution causes significantly blurring of the graphics, to name just a few issues.

* Narm: The Hive Mind's death scene if you fail to escape it's grasp is quite horrific... Until you realise Isaac's scream as he's torn in half is a stock scream rather than his voice actor doing so for whatever reason.

* OnlyTheAuthorCanSaveThemNow: "Great, you fixed the engines so we won't crash. Now you have to go and shoot down all the asteroids that are about to smash us to pieces. After that there's this giant monster in hydroponics that's screwing up our oxygen..."

* ScrappyWeapon: The [[VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck Flamethrower]] is the most common choice for the worst weapon in the game by far. The weapon does pitiful damage (being a flamethrower in a game where dismemberment is the key to victory) and is a major MasterOfNone as other weapons do everything it can much better ([[ChainsawGood The Ripper]] is a better close ranged weapon, the [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Force Gun]] and the [[MoreDakka Pulse Rifle]] are better at crowd control, and the [[{{BFG}} Line Gun’s]] mine is a better trap). Add to that it’s voracious ammo consumption and you’ve got a weapon that’s completely useless.

* ScrappyWeapon: The [[VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck Flamethrower]] is most common choice for the worst weapon in the game. The weapon does pitiful damage (being a flamethrower in a game where dismemberment is the key to victory) and is a major MasterOfNone as other weapons do everything it can much better ([[ChainsawGood The Ripper]] is a better close ranged weapon, the [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter Force Gun]] and the [[MoreDakka Pulse Rifle]] are better at crowd control, and the [[{{BFG}} Line Gun’s]] mine is a better trap). Add to that it’s voracious ammo consumption and you’ve got a weapon that’s completely useless.

* ThatOneLevel: The turret section from chapter 4 is the worst nightmare of many who played ''Dead Space''. It consists of Issac fixing a turret, and Hammond resets it to shoot automatically while Isaac's protecting the hull by shooting incoming asteroids. Sounds decent right? The issue comes in when its realized that the turret is not fast enough to get all of them, so you'll be turning the turret to shoot one asteroid while the another one is coming to destroy the rest of your shields and make you restart the section all over again. On the other hand, thanks to mouse control it's a total non-issue for PC Gamers, who will get through it in two or three tries max.

* AntiClimaxBoss: The Hive Mind. It is the final boss, but is often considered easier than the Leviathan and the Space Slug. The best weapon is the Plasma Cutter, which you'll have been upgrading from the start, its attacks are fairly easy to dodge, and it's incredibly obvious where to shoot. The only real challenge lies in aiming while Isaac's hanging around upside down, and you'll have had practice with the Drag Tentacle. Not to mention there's a store and workbench right before the fight to sell everything except Plasma Cutter ammo and upgrade.

* CatharsisFactor: During chapter 10, [[spoiler:Mercer puts himself on the mercy of an Infector to turn himself into a necromorph and, in his eyes, ascend. A quick enough player can get to the room where that is happening and kill the Infector before Mercer's transformation is done and the idea of locking him out of his ascension is quite pleasing for how much of an asshole he has been.]]

* CrossesTheLineTwice: The Lurkers are actually dead babies that the necromorphs have had no qualms with assimilating into their ranks. Think zombie babies are bad? Wait until you see the grapple kill Isaac uses against the Lurkers, which involves him throwing it to the floor ''and punting it across the room''.

* HarsherInHindsight: Anyone who read ''Literature/DeadSpaceMartyr'' will likely cringe anytime the phrase "Altman Be Praised" is uttered since that book reveals that [[spoiler:Altman was trying to stop the Marker's destructive influence and prevent it from being used as a weapon but he was eventually brutally murdered by corrupt Earth government officials who proceeded to twist the events of his death into making him the martyr of their new religion centered on the Markers, the very opposite of what he was trying to achieve.]]

* ItsEasySoItSucks: According to some, unless you're on your first play you don't want to play Dead Space on anything below Hard.

** Electrontic Arts[[note]]An infamous typo in a folder's name the PC version of the game creates upon installation.[[/note]]

** [[spoiler:Mercer killing Temple and Cross.]]

** The Hunter, AKA: that damn regenerating Necromorph. Similar to the SA-X from Metroid Fusion, although it lacks the magnificently tense scripted scenes. Still, just ''knowing'' it's around somewhere in the ship is quite freaky.

* SerialNumbersFiledOff: Compare and contrast ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Run_Like_Hell_%28video_game%29 Run Like Hell]]''. To quote Chapter 11 of [[http://lparchive.org/LetsPlay/Dead%20Space/index.html the Let's Play of DS]];

* ClicheStorm: A [[spoiler:fake]] ArtifactOfDoom is found on a planet about to be strip-mined by a MegaCorp, and suddenly all hell breaks loose? Somehow, the [[ActionSurvivor engineer]] is better at surviving than the [[RedShirtArmy actual military]]? There's a massive GovernmentConspiracy about the [[OurZombiesAreDifferent freaky space zombies]]? [[TropesAreNotBad Fun]], but not exactly breaking new ground.

* ComplacentGamingSyndrome: Many people consider the Plasma Cutter the best weapon by far. Using only one weapon also makes the game much easier, since you only get ammo drops for weapons you have equipped. If you only have one weapon equipped, then all of the ammo that drops will be for it. You'll get so much you'll be able to sell most of it and spend the money on Power Nodes. The Plasma Cutter also stacks more highly than other weapons.

* GoddamnedBats: Swarmers are mostly annoying... unless encountered with other stronger Necromorphs.

* GoddamnBats: Swarmers are mostly annoying... unless encountered with other stronger Necromorphs.