I might have a wee run at Hardcore mode again today.
I still can't decide whether DS1 > DS2 as a broad generalisation, I think more a long the lines of the following:-
DS1 >> DS2:-
1. Narrative - just felt much tighter, with more cohesion
2. End Game - possibly the biggest area that DS1 is noticeably better is the whole end game, where DS2 just spams necromorphs
3. Regenerator was much better handled, and had a resolution, where the Uber-morph in DS2 felt tacked on.
4. Twitchers
DS2 >> DS1
1. Gameplay mechanics, and Isaccs movement were superior, and controls just felt more solid
2. No annoying mini-games like the Asteroids or Slug boss in DS1
3. Much better game flow, chapters were handled better on the whole, although I still like DS1's approach I think DS2's is more immersive
4. Weapon balance felt better to me, and u were encouraged to experiment with the respec ability.
I think these are the main points for me - in terms of set-pieces and bosses it's pretty even, and most other areas it's close too.
For DS3, I'm just interested in where Visceral take things, after two such fantastic games I trust them to maintain the quality, and maybe even up the ante in other ways not even thought of yet.
Things I personally would like to see that I feel are the essence of Dead Space:-
1. In the main, I prefer harder battles with less Necros, where you actually have to think, rather than spamming. I think DS1 showed how a couple of set-pieces with huge amounts of necros can work effectively (Barracks, Marker transportation), but maintaining large sequences with too many Necros doesn't work for me. I think in DS2, a single Necro became much less of a threat than in DS1 (even though there were more of them), and by extension less scary. Maybe more Necro variants that are tougher, but less of them if you follow me.
2. Nicole's story seems done to me, and I agree that for DS3 Isaac needs to move on, and so does the main narrative.
3. Focus on strategic dismemberment - it's what Dead Space is all about to me; in many ways I think this was diluted in DS2 to a degree (due to Necro spam). I think I enjoyed my One Gun runs through Dead Space more than having other weapons - Plasma Cutter feels like Dead Space played right. I think weapon / enemy balance should be tweaked to keep this ingredient to the fore, and I think it's why the final levels in DS2 seemed a bit incongruos - unlike others I didn't think they were bad; challenging and enjoyable, but they didn't feel like Dead Space to me.