Difficulty in games

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The_Last_Ride

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#1 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts

Do you always try to make it through the hardest modes in games, or do you enjoy playing it on easy or normal and enjoy the story or gameplay. Now i am talking about what your general choice is. But you can go deeper in genre's or different games, i am just curious to know. I don't always go for the hardest difficulty in games. But there are few i like to go for the most difficult mode

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wiouds

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#2 wiouds
Member since 2004 • 6233 Posts

I see that normal is the true difficulty and the harder are more extra.

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Boddicker

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#3 Boddicker
Member since 2012 • 4458 Posts

If a game is worth a second go around I will always do subsequent playthroughs on the hardest difficulty.

On some games it's an almost new experience because you have to change your tactics so drastically.  This example of GoW1 always sticks out in my mind.  First playthrough I loved using that big ass sword.  On my second playthrough anything but the Blades of Chaos was useless because all the secondary weapons left you open too much.

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Blueresident87

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#4 Blueresident87
Member since 2007 • 5903 Posts

If the game has good mechanics and I enjoy it, then I'll usually play through again and try a higher difficulty. I play through games multiple times on normal difficulties as it is if I like them enough, but if the game doesn't have pretty solid gameplay I usually do not bother trying on hard or above. 

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spike6958

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#5 spike6958
Member since 2005 • 6701 Posts
I usually just play thought on normal and if I enjoy the game then I'll attempt the harder difficulties.
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Kid_Black_Star

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#6 Kid_Black_Star
Member since 2009 • 506 Posts

It depends if the game is fun to do it again in a harder difficulty i'll give it a shot.

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wiouds

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#7 wiouds
Member since 2004 • 6233 Posts

I am playing Skyrim on master and i does not really makethe game more fun but I do enjoy FF9 with its rich enemies.

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Lulekani

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#8 Lulekani
Member since 2012 • 2318 Posts
I play it on all difficulty levels from easy to hard. I have no problem doing this immediately after finishing a game.
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valium88

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#9 valium88
Member since 2006 • 4455 Posts

I usually go with normal, if it's too easy I might cranck it up to hard.

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Boddicker

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#10 Boddicker
Member since 2012 • 4458 Posts

I am playing Skyrim on master and i does not really makethe game more fun but I do enjoy FF9 with its rich enemies.

wiouds

Skyrim is a really poor example.  

Cranking up the difficulty just means swilling more healing potions with no change in tactics.

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branketra

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#11 branketra
Member since 2006 • 51726 Posts
Depending on the game, a change in difficulty setting may change the game a great amount like for example in Fallout 3 if you turn down the difficulty then running and shooting everyone and surviving is possible, but caution is necessary with the greater difficulties, so it depends on the game.
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The_Last_Ride

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#12 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts
For me it depends, i might go with easy some games, normal on most games and hard on some games i really really like
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Busy_Man123

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#13 Busy_Man123
Member since 2008 • 1430 Posts

It depends. I jump on games on the highest skill level if it's a series I'm familiar with, it doesn't have much punishment (like there's quicksaves and the checkpoints are reasonably implemented) or it has similiar mechanics from previous games I've played. I'll play on normal skill if it's a game I'm not too educated with to "get the feel of it" or it's really punishing like having no checkpoints per level then I play to learn the stages before I jump on the hardest skill level.

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SoNin360

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#14 SoNin360
Member since 2008 • 7175 Posts
I almost always start out and play on Normal, unless there's a benefit to starting out harder for trophy short-cuts in some cases, and knowing the Hard difficulty isn't too bad. I'll usually try out the hardest difficulty the second time around, though trophies are of course a huge factor in whether or not I will.
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Inferi-Fang

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#15 Inferi-Fang
Member since 2012 • 78 Posts
I always go for the hardest difficulty when I play first person and third person shooters.
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Darkeroid2212

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#16 Darkeroid2212
Member since 2012 • 293 Posts

I go with easy for first playthrough to learn everything. Later I do normal.

But if it is a game in a series I love I will do normal or hard.

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johnd13

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#17 johnd13
Member since 2011 • 11124 Posts

I almost always go with normal difficulty as I don' t have much free time to replay games. So in my one playthrough I just want to make the most out of the story and the gameplay with just a decent challenge.

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JimmiCottam

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#18 JimmiCottam
Member since 2012 • 105 Posts
I play on the easiest setting if I'm new to the game or franchise when I have the choice so I can get to know the story. When the story is irrelevant, I play on more difficult settings
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mattykovax

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#19 mattykovax
Member since 2004 • 22693 Posts
I always start default....thats why its default right. however I will go to higher difficultys if I replay.
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sukraj

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#20 sukraj
Member since 2008 • 27859 Posts

I always play on Normal

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PublicNuisance

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#21 PublicNuisance
Member since 2009 • 4582 Posts

Do you always try to make it through the hardest modes in games, or do you enjoy playing it on easy or normal and enjoy the story or gameplay. Now i am talking about what your general choice is. But you can go deeper in genre's or different games, i am just curious to know. I don't always go for the hardest difficulty in games. But there are few i like to go for the most difficult mode

The_Last_Ride

I always prefer to try on the hardest but to have the option to switch to a lower difficulty at a later point if it suits me. To many games don't give me the option to switch difficulty mid game these days.

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The_Last_Ride

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#22 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts

I go with easy for first playthrough to learn everything. Later I do normal.

But if it is a game in a series I love I will do normal or hard.

Darkeroid2212
For me i go for easy on some games, but i usually go for the normal difficulty
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lensflare15

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#23 lensflare15
Member since 2010 • 6652 Posts

I usually decide as I'm starting the game as to what difficulty I'll choose. Sometimes I go with hard, sometimes normal, but never easy. I only play through on easy if I've beaten the game before and I just want a quick playthrough, or if I'm just hunting for achievenments and the difficulty has no impact on that.

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Byshop

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#24 Byshop  Moderator
Member since 2002 • 20504 Posts

My default is one level above Normal. If there are 3 levels, then I play on the hardest. If there are 5 levels, then I play on level 4, etc.

The problem is, some games handle harder levels of difficulty better than others. Here are some games where I will -not- play above normal and why:

Uncharted: Hard just means every bad guys takes more damage (2 head shots). I ran out of ammo constantly just trying to kill everyone in the room (which is often a requirement to progress).

Persona 4 Golden: Battles become harder but XP earned actually goes down.

Ninja Gaiden 2: Has two difficulty levels, Easy and Normal. Normal is actually really freakin' hard and makes the game a frustrating mess for a first time player.

Bioshock Infinite: 1999 mode seems pretty pointless. I did play on Hard the first time through, but this made the Handymen a huge chore as they absord a ton of damage and are very difficult to stun.

Games that change enemy placement and/or tactics, item avaialbility, etc are games where difficulty levels make a difference in a good way. Games that just increase enemy health bars/damage may as well not even have difficulty levels.

-Byshop

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Lulekani

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#25 Lulekani
Member since 2012 • 2318 Posts

My default is one level above Normal. If there are 3 levels, then I play on the hardest. If there are 5 levels, then I play on level 4, etc.

The problem is, some games handle harder levels of difficulty better than others. Here are some games where I will -not- play above normal and why:

Uncharted: Hard just means every bad guys takes more damage (2 head shots). I ran out of ammo constantly just trying to kill everyone in the room (which is often a requirement to progress).

Persona 4 Golden: Battles become harder but XP earned actually goes down.

Ninja Gaiden 2: Has two difficulty levels, Easy and Normal. Normal is actually really freakin' hard and makes the game a frustrating mess for a first time player.

Bioshock Infinite: 1999 mode seems pretty pointless. I did play on Hard the first time through, but this made the Handymen a huge chore as they absord a ton of damage and are very difficult to stun.

Games that change enemy placement and/or tactics, item avaialbility, etc are games where difficulty levels make a difference in a good way. Games that just increase enemy health bars/damage may as well not even have difficulty levels.

-Byshop

Byshop
Well Said Byshop !
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Byshop

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#26 Byshop  Moderator
Member since 2002 • 20504 Posts

Well Said Byshop !Lulekani

Thanks.

One thing I forgot to mention is that there are also games where I will always play on the hardest difficulty available in the first playthrough. These games would be the heavily story driven narrative games. Good survival horror games like Alan Wake, spectacle fighters like Devil May Cry or Metal Gear: Rising, even Bioshock Infinite. Even though I griped a bit about Hard mode in that game in my previous post, I don't regret playing Hard my first time through beacuse in spite of a few frustrating elements, it lengthened a game that was an awesome experience. 1999 mode still just seems stupid, though. Maybe if they hadn't had to cut all the content they did, it would have been worthwhile.

-Byshop

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PublicNuisance

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#27 PublicNuisance
Member since 2009 • 4582 Posts

 

Games that change enemy placement and/or tactics, item avaialbility, etc are games where difficulty levels make a difference in a good way. Games that just increase enemy health bars/damage may as well not even have difficulty levels.

-Byshop

Byshop

Agreed. So few games actually try to make the game harder, they just make it take longer to beat the same dumb enemies.

I am playing through Bioshock Infinite on hard right now and am laughing at it mainly because of how you get revived after dying. There's no penalty except you lose money. They even give you health and ammo when you get revived. It's a joke.

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#28 Pikminmaniac
Member since 2006 • 11512 Posts

I'm a completionist so I usually play through the game on normal then move on to the harder difficulties. If there are side challenges that push your skills to the ultimate limit, I definitely go after those. I think every game should have a challenge mode that does that. It shows just how well the game's mechanics are designed and to me, gameplay is everything in a game.

So getting SSS ranks in the DMCs, mastering all of the Batman Arkham challenges, doing the impossibly difficult challenges in NSMBU, etc are all some of the best times in gaming I've had.

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#29 Randolph
Member since 2002 • 10542 Posts
Most harder modes just buff the enemy HP/ATK in the background, while lowering your own HP. I don't find such modes very rewarding at all. I do take DMC games between 3 and DmC just one notch up though, anything past that is borderline unplayable to me. (I did after all cut my DMC3 teeth with the original release that had a broken normal difficulty that wasn't actually normal)
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#30 Flubbbs
Member since 2010 • 4968 Posts

i like to play all my games on the hardest difficulty

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#31 Oil_Rope_Bombs
Member since 2010 • 2667 Posts
I always play on normal, and then go hard if I enjoyed the game. Never play easy mode, ever.
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#32 Byshop  Moderator
Member since 2002 • 20504 Posts

I'm a completionist so I usually play through the game on normal then move on to the harder difficulties. If there are side challenges that push your skills to the ultimate limit, I definitely go after those. I think every game should have a challenge mode that does that. It shows just how well the game's mechanics are designed and to me, gameplay is everything in a game.

So getting SSS ranks in the DMCs, mastering all of the Batman Arkham challenges, doing the impossibly difficult challenges in NSMBU, etc are all some of the best times in gaming I've had.

Pikminmaniac

Arkham City was an example of harder difficulty done right.

What's NSMBU?

-Byshop

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#33 Pikminmaniac
Member since 2006 • 11512 Posts

[QUOTE="Pikminmaniac"]

I'm a completionist so I usually play through the game on normal then move on to the harder difficulties. If there are side challenges that push your skills to the ultimate limit, I definitely go after those. I think every game should have a challenge mode that does that. It shows just how well the game's mechanics are designed and to me, gameplay is everything in a game.

So getting SSS ranks in the DMCs, mastering all of the Batman Arkham challenges, doing the impossibly difficult challenges in NSMBU, etc are all some of the best times in gaming I've had.

Byshop

Arkham City was an example of harder difficulty done right.

What's NSMBU?

-Byshop

New Super Mario Bros. U. It has a large number of challenges that are borderline impossible. Even my talented gamer friend who's been able to speed run all the old 2D Marios within a minute of world records can't beat a lot of the WiiU game's challenges after we spent an entire evening trying to do them.

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The_Last_Ride

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#34 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts
i see there are some diffuclty snobs here, but i am glad i am not the only one just playing on normal :3
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#35 JustGresh
Member since 2013 • 25 Posts
I, like most people, start off on normal mode so I can pay more attention to the story while having fun. If I like the game enough to go for a second play-through I'll bump it up to the hardest.
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Michael0134567

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#36 Michael0134567
Member since 2008 • 28651 Posts

I generally start on the normal or high difficulty, depending on the game. I'll usually beat it on the hardest difficulty too.

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#37 unrealtron
Member since 2010 • 3148 Posts
Generally I play normal difficulty first then go for the hardest.
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#38 outworld222
Member since 2004 • 4189 Posts

I would like it if games didn't have difficulty settings; just one setting where the player would play and explore the game by himself/herself.

 

I always get confused when there are like 6 difficulties to choose from.

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Lulekani

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#39 Lulekani
Member since 2012 • 2318 Posts
I think, without a doubt, the game with the best difficulty concept is Bastion, I know everybody who played the game will agree its pretty unique.
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Randolph

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#40 Randolph
Member since 2002 • 10542 Posts

You know what handled difficulty really well?  

God Hand. (PS2)

The better you play the game, the more difficult the game gets in real time.  It rewards your skillfull dishing out of ATATATATATA style ass whoppings and firm open hand spankings by having the enemies suddenly become more agressive and powerful.  I never confirmed it, but I always felt back in the day that RE4 was adjusting to skill level on the go.  When you were getting injured or killed a lot it always seemed you started getting more frequent ammo and herb drops until you started to improve.  I like that kind of dynamic difficulty that adjusts to a players skills on the fly, I wish more games used it.

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The_Last_Ride

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#41 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts

I would like it if games didn't have difficulty settings; just one setting where the player would play and explore the game by himself/herself.

 

I always get confused when there are like 6 difficulties to choose from.

outworld222
Like Dark Souls?
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#42 MonoSilver
Member since 2013 • 1392 Posts
It depends on the game really. I'll play it first time on the normal difficulty level but if I find it too hard or just want to enjoy the story first time I'll play it on easy, like with the MGS games. Though when I finally get round to playing through MGS4 (I'm only 5 years late) I'll play it first time on normal.
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#43 El_Zo1212o
Member since 2009 • 6057 Posts
I'm a normal kinda guy. But if I'm good at a game, it's a point of pride for me to be even better at a higher difficulty.

On some games it's an almost new experience because you have to change your tactics so drastically.

Boddicker
Captain America: Super Soldier is pretty great at that- not only does the highest difficulty change how much damage enemies do, but it also changes enemy attack patterns and incoming strike notifications. On a side note: is your name a Robocop reference?
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#44 jun_aka_pekto
Member since 2010 • 25255 Posts

Do you always try to make it through the hardest modes in games

The_Last_Ride

Yep if the game lets me. Some games (like the KZ games) make me complete the campaign at easier levels first before unlocking the hardest level.

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#45 Lucky_Krystal
Member since 2011 • 1390 Posts

Easy or Normal mode. I only play on harder difficulties on second playthroughs and onward.

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XIntoTheBlue

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#46 XIntoTheBlue
Member since 2009 • 1070 Posts
I generally choose the more difficult settings as I like a good challenge. If the game is too easy for me, then the game becomes boring for me.
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The_Last_Ride

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#47 The_Last_Ride
Member since 2004 • 76371 Posts
I generally choose the more difficult settings as I like a good challenge. If the game is too easy for me, then the game becomes boring for me.XIntoTheBlue
True, but restarting for hours can also be boring