I don’t have a particular liking for Samsung, but I’ve been using their devices for many years since their features best match my needs.
I never got any bloat, quite the contrary, I go out of my way to install some of their apps because they provide android functionality that is rare to find otherwise (e.g. audio multi-app sound, sound output to different devices, individual app volume control, etc.).
There are no preinstalled games, 3rd party apps or anything really other than the basic Google & default apps like a browser.
From reading online, it seems to be a feature of some segments of the US market.
I’m currently using my first Samsung device in a while (handed down by someone who didn’t like it) and it’s just like any other phone.
I’m not in the US though.
What I could hold against them is how some of their devices have extra features enabled within the brand’s ecosystem. I understand it’s a basic way to keep users with the brand without being too harsh (everything still works with another appliance after all), but it’s still a bit crummy.