Difficulty as part of the experience.

[JordanPlayer]

I dislike difficulty settings in some games, because often it's like the game completely changes on a different difficulty setting which leaves me wondering, which one of these is the REAL game.

I remember reading somewhere, but default (usually Normal) is the difficulty the developers design the game around. Easier and harder are based off of this difficulty with some changes.

One game that was hard as hell that I enjoyed and eventually completed/collected everything was F-Zero GX. It was insanely difficult but possible to beat if you had mastered all the driving mechanics on the hardest difficulties.

[noiseredux]

I dislike difficulty settings in some games, because often it's like the game completely changes on a different difficulty setting which leaves me wondering, which one of these is the REAL game.

I remember reading somewhere, but default (usually Normal) is the difficulty the developers design the game around. Easier and harder are based off of this difficulty with some changes.

was it last month's Game Informer? I read that essay.

[Gamerforlife]

I understand that normal is what games are usually built around, but I think it just bothers me in principle that developers for certain games have to dramatically change the experience in order to make the game harder. Some games I've played just lost everything that made them fun or interesting on higher settings because of the number of handicaps in place.

[Flake]

Difficulty settings are an important thing to me. I am not a kid anymore. I am no longer possessed of the patience, lightning reflexes, or sheer time needed to master games. Sometimes games really are just too hard for me and the difficulty gets in the way of my having fun.

...what's the point in playing if you aren't having fun?

[ZeroAX]

Difficulty settings are an important thing to me. I am not a kid anymore. I no longer possessed of the patience, lightning reflexes, or sheer time needed to master games. Sometimes games really are just too hard for me and the difficulty gets in the way of my having fun.

...what's the point in playing if you aren't having fun?

Totally agree. But at the same time a better solution imo is to have infinite lives, many checkpoints and just let the player try as much as he wants. Also the difficulty shouldn't be impossible, but with those 2 things, I can accept a harder game. The hardcore will strive to beat it with just 1 life, and the rest can just waste as much time as they like, as long as it doesn't get out of hand.

[Dylan]

I think it's good for a game to be challenging, but it's not a requirement for the game to be fun. Also, I'm wary of game's that bill themselves as "hardcore". The problem when developers set out to make a game "hard" is that they often forget to make the game "fun". Also, 9 times out of 10 when a developer tries to make a game hard they resort to age old cheap, unfair bullshit that we've seen in a thousand games before. Just another me too developer using the same old playbook

This sums up my issues with difficult games perfectly. I think that there can be a difference between games that are "difficult", and games that are just punishing. Anyone ever play God of War on God mode? I seriously managed to get to the last boss, but the part with the clones is just punishing. Your family dies in about 3 hits, about half the time the clones' attacks are uninterruptable, and the segment lasts far too long. Cheap losses are abundant. Eventually, I just quite because of how preposterously frustrating the whole thing is. That's my real issue with punishing games, all that's left at a certain point is senseless frustration, I want to complete the challenge, but I'm not having any sort of fun accomplishing the task.

[AmishSamurai]

I play on normal. Usually this works for me.

[Jrecee]

I have so many games that I haven't finished, I usually just play on easy mode so that I can get through the game sooner. Of course some games like to screw you with the easy mode with screens that pop up after 5 levels saying "TO CONTINUE PLEASE TRY NORMAL MODE!"

High seas havoc, Mega Turrican. . . bastards

[Snickerd00dle]

I dont mind difficult games, as long as they aren't difficult because they suck. I will use Superman 64 as an example, too difficult to enjoy, and thats because the game is poorly made, where as a game like Demon Souls is difficult, yet and awesome game, and the difficulty is party of what makes the experience great

[Anapan]

I started playing through Demon's Crest yesterday, and I am fully enjoying the difficulty of the bosses. My niece came in, watched me die repeatedly in nearly the same way and asked me why I didn't use Game Genie codes to make myself invincible like I do for her in Super Mario World. No matter how I tried to explain it to her she couldn't understand. She left shortly after saying I was crazy. In this case, if the game were easier I figure it'd be a 1 hour completion. You can even attempt to take on the final boss right after completing the first intro level.