My take is that the main goal is to survive. Odds are agains survival and if you do make it you are lucky.

If the cast is to powerful and therfore the game turns into a more iconic type. Less about survival as there survival is almost a given so there are other goals. Save the world, get lots of powers, get crazy items that will help you gain more power.

Keep in mind Survival is relative you can live through an ordeal while it still kills you inside. And most characters in a survival horror cast should be left torn and broken and unless they are really luck unlikely to survive if ever faced with similar challenges.

I like the idea of helplessness in survival. Like even if you survive you have to continue the struggle to stay alive. The threat of death should never be more then ten feet from the cast and just when they thought the ordeal is over it gets worse.