Play it on easy -- how lowering the difficulty got me back into games

Just play games on easy mode if you want to. No one really needs to "git gud."

[lelo2play]

No harm in that, some just like to enjoy a game and have fun, even if it means playing it on easy. A person is free to play a game any way he wants.

People that complain about easy mode don't really know how to have fun playing games.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Huh....right so i guess youre under the impression that people don't have fun playing on hard?

For the last time.... Dark souls is a peice of cake the first run. Especially if you use the signs to call for help.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

I couldn't even get through the tutorial for the PS3 version of Demons Souls, lol

[bouzebbal]

Games have never been this easy .. I can’t enjoy a game if there is no challenge..

[Double_O_Revan]

That's not what he said at all. And this is a perfect example of people taking things out of context and getting offended.

If you want to play a game on hard, or in your example, a game that is simply Hard. Great! Go for it! Have fun and enjoy. But if someone wants to play a game on Easy just for enjoyment, it shouldn't trigger anger and rage in the community because 'it's not challenging, what's the point?'

[TheDoomedGuy]

@double

And yours is a perfect example of the same since I'm not offended but you claim i was...it's almost as if the people who support easy mode don't really hear the concern from the other side.

I think we can all agree that a difficulty that's about simply more up and hitting harder is somewhat boring.

The concern is that if the devs focus on an easy mode where they otherwise wouldn't this could dumb down the games mechanics or even AI...bosses in souls games have a rythym...if you don't dodge right you get hit. It doesn't matter the difficulty. Therefore if devs start to cater to the lowest denominator it is entirely possible that bosses and enemies would be dumbed down and higher difficulties would simply have more hp or deal more damage but just as easily avoided since easy mode people would need enemies and bosses to do less attacks and be more intuitive

[J-DARKnes]

I fully agree, played demon's souls for the first time on ps5 and It wasn't as hard as people made it out to be, even got the platinum. However if people want to play games on easy that's their choice too.

[LordoftheCritics]

Lol not what he said.

Dark Souls fans are so damn butthurt about people just wanting a game for interactivity.

Not every game should need my full focus for every boring blade swing and block. If I want a full focused challenge with an adrenaline rush, I have my competitive shooters for that. I bet lots of Dark Souls players would get headshotted every few feet but I'm not going to pull them down to bring myself up just the way you do with your bullshit '''piece of cake'' comment.

''Therefore if devs start to cater to the lowest denominator it is entirely possible that bosses and enemies would be dumbed down and higher difficulties would simply have more hp or deal more damage but just as easily avoided since easy mode people would need enemies and bosses to do less attacks and be more intuitive''

Just reverse that. Keep the game as it is for the normal way. Reduce hit dmg, hp etc etc for a kind of story mode. Though I personally dont care if the souls games never get an east mode. Its kinda simple, if the games not for me I dont buy it. Dark Souls was the first game I actually gave away within the first few hours.

[Gamer75]

So you talk about letting the devs do their thing but you don't want them to do just that as you don't want their games to have options for those who struggle with the hard difficulty settings

[Inverno]

I think you could say the same of those who complain about Soulsborne. I think most just get defensive because it's always an attack in hard coming from these sites and never about how a harder difficulty is integral to the overall experience of a game. I will always say though that difficulty options in the majority of games are horribly balanced out

[neutralgamer1992]

I play games on easy with family and work is so hard to have any time I just want to enjoy whatever little time I get to play the games.

TheDoomedGuy

That's why they have other difficulty options you can play on normal or hard why is that so hard to understand not every gamer plays the game for the same reason. If you and me both paid $60 for a game we both have a right to play the game the way we want you could play on hard for the challenge I can play on story mode just to enjoy the story the characters in the world

And I'm not talking about souls like games those games don't have any difficulty and that's the way the developers have designed them what vast majority of the developers nowadays include accessibility options which is great

I never understood gamers who say game should not have easy options or cheat modes or how does my experience of playing a game affect your experience I just don't get back and I'm talking about single player offline games. Me playing on easy does not affect your gaming experience at all

[TheDoomedGuy]

Well how about letting each game dev do their thing and stop demanding easy modes for everything.

You dont see souls fans demanding hard modes. There's only one group pushing their ideas on others here.

[neutralgamer1992]

TheDoomedGuy

Absolutely right most devs include it anyway because they want the games to sell.

[neutralgamer1992]

Don't understand the hate for more options. You can still play on hard most games that include difficulty options include hard and unlockable ultra hard

[slowgamer]

Most games just make enemies more bullet/sword sponges playing on hard and most games are not good enough to actually enjoy that. I play on normal usually but I do like the option if you can change difficulty any time if game is starting to feel too annoying or too easy.

[TheDoomedGuy]

I fidn that most games make normal ridiculously easy and that hard is actually the normal difficulty.

Games used to at least challenge you a little. So if normal doesn't challenge you at all then the new normal is one step higher.

[slowgamer]

I've beaten dark souls games and sekiro so I'm familiar with a challenge but I don't need every game to be teeth shattering curse festival. =D

[Seraphim]

I wouldn't say most but more and more these days are doing just that, making normal too easy.

I agree with slowgamer in that often the HP pools the higher difficulty brings just isn't fun....
I've been playing almost nothing but RPGs this year and I would like to add that some games just aren't balanced for poop on hard; even with some grinding. Though, in some games those higher tiers are meant to played later on. For instance Diablo 3 & it's, what, 20+ tiers of Grand Master difficulties. You'll spend 30 minutes on each enemy if you bump it up to Grand Master early on. However as you progress through the game it becomes easy and adjusting the difficulty is required, imo. With some games it becomes a matter of wasting too much time when trying to play a higher difficulty. Like others have said, when a game it too easy it becomes boring.

Personally any game that had an option I'd play on Normal in the past. Now, the past 2-3 generations, I tend to lean toward Hard, though, there are instances I just want to get through a game so end up playing on normal or a combo of normal/hard long as it won't affect trophies.

[TheDoomedGuy]

That's the funny thing. I don't find them to be hard. Not even close.

Hard is a one death and you start over. Hard are old style games where one or 2 hits would be enough to die. Hard are the old ninja gardens.

Souls games are rythym games mainly. You can look up guides, cheeses and even use 1 or 2 players to help you out. The souls game boss ai isn't very good when facing multiple players. You can just deaggro and aggro again and again.

The reason they got popular is because of the different playstyles and gameplay. And then they got tons of attention over the supposed difficulty. But that's only because so many decided to paly the game like it's ninja gaiden or something.

I find many other games harder when you up the difficulty.

[slowgamer]

I found that Sekiros last boss was an total a-hole like I haven't hated a boss more in a long time.

[LordoftheCritics]

Dark Souls is just another points based hp/bullet sponge thingy.

People just think its not. That's the illusion of video games. If you hack the game, you can run through it in a few minutes and see how tiny the area is. Just filled out with slowness and high difficulty. Empty husk.

I felt Jedi Fallen order was the best souls like game. Full fledged story, badass cutscenes, great score, numerous areas, worthy of my time and attention.

[mkis007]

Ya not really a fan of :"more damage, less damage" difficulty. It ruins the speed of the game if I have to watch a healthbar drop slower on a higher difficulty just to get good ai. It's why I like LEthal difficulty on Ghost of Tsushima.

[Zarock]

Or yet a better solution download a trainer and remove an annoying aspect of a game and keep the challenge.

Like exp multiplier, cash multiplier to avoid the mind numbing grind.

[mkis007]

I found when I did that I couldn't hold back from using all the goodies. No self control.

[AuraAbjure]

I try to ball out and beat a games on max difficulty for my first play through usually. It takes me several months to beat games because of this choice. DOOM 2016 was not the right game to try that with. That game was totally supposed to be played on normal difficulty for the first time imo. Playing it on max difficulty for the first time made it a way less exhilarating experience.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

Definitely don't try that with Doom Eternal, I ploughed through 2016 on normal difficulty like it was nothing, I couldn't do the same on Eternal, that game kicked my ass so many times until I got near the end where I had enough upgrades.

[LordoftheCritics]

Loved Doom Eternal. Normal mode last two bosses were trippy. Felt like a million mobs on screen. At the end I was shaking.

I would even play it on Hard if it released that way. But I'm glad it scales up and down and everyone gets to feel badass and enjoy its pretty world all the way to the finale.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

@LordoftheCritics,

I'm not sure if it's just me getting good at the game or because I have so many upgrades by that point, but I didn't find the final boss too hard, I was in a nice rhythm where I was almost un-killable. I was more frustrated because I only had one weak point left to destroy and it took me ages to find it, but I enjoyed the intensity of those last couple of fights.

[jBlakeeper]

DOOM is pretty tough I’ll agree. I’ve been playing DOOM Eternal and it took me a while to get used to it. Now it’s just so exhilarating to play IMO.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Yeah...you gotta get a strategy down for each enemy and just swap between the necessary guns to finish them off quick.

I didn't like it but later it grew on me.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

At first it feels a bit like a clusterf**k with all the new mechanics in Eternal and at first it overwhelms your ability to juggle/manage all those mechanics at once, especially when they throw multiple enemy types at you, but it makes the fights so intense it's addictive despite the difficulty.

[AmUnRa]

I agree, i play my games the first time on normal. Al lot of "gamers" that are saying i play all my games on hard is i believe to boasting theyr ego and looking down on "casual" gamers that dont do that. When i play my games on normal i can learn the game mechanics better and enjoy my games more for the first time. When i like the game i try it then on hard and have a good foundation how the game works. Then you are not so fustrated when you cant win from a boss cous you know the game mechanics to defeat that little, bastard 😋

[GhostofHorizon]

I've actually found the harder modes better for learning the game mechanics. God of War games really push your knowledge of mechanics because what you could button mash through before you suddenly can't. You have to choose proper weapons for the proper situation.

[AmUnRa]

I disagree. When you play your games direct in hard, then you have no motivation to play the game again, cous you played it already in hard mode. Why play it again then?, When you play it first in normal, you learn to know what weapons are the best to use in the situation you encounter. When you are a button masher you learn thats not the way you can win in situations, cous you wil die to many times, and that is very fustrating and you dont enjoy the game..
.Its like a learning curve.
Its like driving a racing car. When you are starting racing and get from the start in a F1 car you crash and burn instantly. First learn to drive in a lower class. A slower learning curve is always better. Thats also the way when you play games.
Start in a mode you feel you can play the game without stress and fustration, then try the hard mode....

[Michiel1989]

@amunra but most of the time you arent forced to try out anything new because its on normal and you can just button mash through everything. Also dying does not equal stress and frustration for me at least, it just makes me think more about the game and its mechanics.

your methaphor with the f1 car doesnt make sense, cause most games with only some form of progression dont give you the best stuff at the start. maybe a slower learning curve is better for you, certainly not for everyone.

[GhostofHorizon]

Most game unlock a hardest difficulty once you play though it once. I'm also not saying you have to start the game on hard, normal mode will ease you into the game but it will not teach you high level mechanics because that's not what it's there for. People that play the game only on normal most likely aren't looking to master the game anyways.

"When you play it first in normal, you learn to know what weapons are the best to use in the situation you encounter."
You completely missed my point. You DON'T learn what not to do on normal mode because you CAN button mash through it. Play God of War on normal and then jump into the hardest difficulty and you will immediately realize that you need to learn the game over because normal mode hasn't actually taught you how to use the weapons properly.

All I am saying is that hardest mode will tell you exactly what you're doing wrong and it will teach you how the mechanics actually work and how to leverage them properly. Normal mode will not do this.

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

I just play normal because that's what the developers intended for the majority of games, if it's boringly easy, I'll turn up the difficult to account for it.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Actually it's more like normal is the devs accessible difficulty for the average gamer. Hard is where the devs show you what they Intended with the mechanics.

[AuraAbjure]

Playing games on normal initially is a good practice I'm learning. Then bump up the difficulty for the second play through.

[TheDoomedGuy]

Harder modes tend to use all the mechanics of a game at a much higher level. It actually forces you to learn to use the mechanics better.

And there is plenty reason to play again..it's not like games only have 3 modes nowadays...there's very hard, and ultra and nightmare etc.

[AuraAbjure]

I know but if one doesn't progress through the game at a decent pace an element of coherency for lack of a better word will be lost on the player. It's like walking through a museum at a normal pace and seeing everything fairly quick. It will leave one with a certain feeling vs taking the time to analyze all the beauty, detail and context of each piece. I think both experiences should be combined in order to grasp the full picture so to speak.

I think games should unlock the ultra-maximum difficulty mode after beating the game once on any difficulty setting.

[boing1]

Times of hardcore gaming are behind me now. Family and other responsibilities are getting in the way all the time. I too enjoy games on easy.

[Soulsborne]

I mean you do you, personally i play on the hardest difficultly for all my games as thats how i get the moat enjoyment out of them. It becomes an issue when people start demanding easy mode for every single game when some games clearly are meant to have a fixed difficulty and steep learning curve. Not every game is going to be for you.

[ScootaKuH]

I use easy modes sometimes but I don't demand them. I play many games that don't allow difficulty change at all. The option is nice but it's not a deal breaker if it's not there.

[Father__Merrin]

I'm simply not got the time to play difficult long ha games anymore.

I've I've bought a game at a substantial price Il always start normal. If its a cheap digital key or something from gamepass Il start on easiest

Those days of Sega Megadrive Thunderforce 4 on mania difficulty without any losses are long gone for me...

[anast]

No one needs to get gud. Honestly, I love games like Bloodborne, but none of this should matter. Fun is a choice and one of our last freedoms. People that others how to have fun are just tyrants made out of construction-paper and glue.

[whitbyfox]

Yep I used to play on hard whenever one of my 143 PS3/4/5 platinum trophies required it but it became a chore.

Ever since i got Gamepass i play on easy. It’s so much more fun blasting through them and you get to play loads more games.

[buckaroobanzai21]

This article exposes a lack of understanding for the mechanics of Fallen Order, because it is a pretty easy game if you understand them.

[LordoftheCritics]

I think most people dont find it ''oh wow amazing I reflected that blaster fire for the 200th time''

Mechanics can be followed in games but that does not mean its fun. Still I find Fallen Order to be the best in the souls games. The others I can play them but they are dull, watch block, dodge. Sleepy stuff that is forcing me to stay awake and take seriously with little payoff. Atleast Fallen Order has good payoff with a story.

[ScootaKuH]

You're not a real gamer if you play on easy 🙃

I joke of course. I often play games on easy because sometimes I just want a relaxing, chill experience. Other times I crank up that difficulty if I want a challenge. Depends on the game and my mood at the time.

Each to their own though, and that's why we have difficulty levels. Some enjoy the the challenge of harder modes, some just want to experience a story.

[LordoftheCritics]

Forgot to add ''You are not a real man...''

[Yui_Suzumiya]

I play everything on the easiest difficulty and avoid souls like games like they're the plague, lol

[CantThinkOfAUsername]

I need to feel superior today and get my ego boost, so... you're not a REAL GAMER like me who play everything on the No-Hit No-Damage Super Tryhard Legendary Balls-Sweating Terminator difficulty. GIT GUD.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

I'm not a noob either.. I began with the NES back in 1990 so I know some truly unforgivable games. I just prefer enjoying them and there are some games I've struggled with on easy such as not being able to complete Killzone Shadow Fall. Then again, I had absolutely no issues with Catherine and Bayonetta and those are two games I've heard other people complain about being unfair.

[Fntastic]

easy games are a waste of time unless they're fun, and when too easy they usually aren't.

That's why Super Mario World got dumbed down because people cried while playtesting it.

[justadelusion]

To each their own, but that mentality probably leaks over from their real life which is not a good thing

[LordoftheCritics]

Nah successful people know what to prioritize in life and what is actually worth their most valuable resource in life.

As well as clearly distinguish between work and fun.

[nommers]

I just like balanced difficulty. Of course that depends on who you ask on what constitutes balanced.

[Muigi]

Idk the thrill of beating games on harder difficulties is half the fun for me.

[CrimsonWing69]

I feel like a scrub if I play a game on easy. That’s just me, though. I always play on normal and then once I git gud I’ll bump it up to the higher difficulties for cheevos/trophies. I’m no “holier than thou” though, I’ve played games on easy… it’s just an awkward feeling for whatever psychological reason I have.

I think it stems from when I played games on Easy mode back in the NES days they wouldn’t let you finish the game. They’d give you like half the game and then give you a screen that says, “Congratulations! Now play the game on Normal Difficulty.”

[jBlakeeper]

Everyone games differently. I like to have a bit of a challenge but not too much. Medium is always the sweet spot.

[LoveSpuds]

I like a challenge personally, the only game that springs to mind that I thought I might not be able to beat was Sekiro, some of the boss fights were brutal but the sense of achievement I had when the credits rolled was immense.

[jznrpg]

Go ahead and play games on easy or super easy or whatever your choice if it’s available, your choice . It’s not fun to me so I don’t , I like somewhat of a challenge at least . But some games aren’t going to have an easy mode so avoid those and I won’t play games that are too easy without a difficulty selector . Don’t ask for easy modes I won’t ask for hard modes I’ll just play the games that are for me instead of feeling entitled to make a dev alter their game for me .

[autobotdan]

"Git gud"

[LordoftheCritics]

That's what I told the devs, they still trying to make a fun game. They git gud soon, very soon.

[autobotdan]

Jedi Master Mace Windu says to git gud

[cbuc1125]

I just leave it on whatever the default is. I figure thats what the developers intended you to experience.

[CantThinkOfAUsername]

I'll bother with higher difficulty options when they stop being cheap. Like, no, I don't want to replay that same section where everyone is running backwards in an open field firing an AKM Full Auto with laser accuracy from a mile away targeting ONLY you in an entire army. Don't want to hit that bones-glued-together Skeleton trash mob 20 times each just to get a pathetic 'reward' at the end. Don't want to replay that forced stealth section where everyone knows of your existence because some stupid goon stumbled across a rock and fell into a bush near you in the middle of a forest.

I am yet to experience the 'joy' of beating games on their hardest difficulty. It doesn't make up for the frustration that comes from difficulty spikes. Yeah, I played Uncharted 4 on Grounded and had to replay the Ship Graveyard chapter for the umpteenth times to get through. Got the achievement. Yay? It's all pointless. For the time being, Normal is enough for me.

[lucian229]

Lol to me games have gotten so easy I have to start them all on hard mode; playing on easy must be painful.

[YourMommySpoils]

Just like anything. It's always good to start from the ground and make your way up. Always start from easy.

[GoodGuy09]

No shame in it. For games I want to get through quick for story, grinding, the game becomes a chore etc, I would play on easy. Play whatever you want. With living an adult life and how busy it gets, go for it.

However, if its a game I am loving and want a challange, if it gives an incentive, then I crank the difficulty up.

BUT...if its an untweakable difficulty and plays how the devs want it, then RESPECT that and just get good lol. If it proves too difficult for you, move on to something else and get back to it some other day. Dont make an article and whine and complain about it lol.

[stefd75]

I always do play on hard as it makes the game last longer for me.

[Zeref]

It's weird how this is a point of contention for some. Play the game how you want.

[Knightofelemia]

Play the game how you want to play it if you want easy to have fun or to explore and figure shit out then do it. If you want hard then set the game on hard there is no wrong or right way to game unless you try using a PSVR on an Xbox then that's a wrong way to game. I start out on normal and if the game is fun and I am in the mood to trophy/achievement hunt then I will run the game on hard. Some games are a pain in the ass on hard and require a lot of patience to play kudos to those who play the game from beginning to end on hard you have more patience then I do.

[Aussiesummer]

Try telling that to returnal

[sagapo]

Each his own off course, but in case of easy/normal/hard I start with normal most of the time.

[Killer73nova]

There’s times that I’m so excited about the story of a game that I just want to get through it without much trouble so I turn it down to easy but i usually come back to it and play on a harder level

[Alex_vance21]

Noob, go play a visual novel. Video games are for people who want a challenge. If you want no challenge in a game you might as well play a visual novel. As I said, go play a visual novel, noob.

[ChiefofLoliPolice]

Everybody has there own tastes and that's fine. Games are too easy are super boring to me.

[pensamientosmerodean]

I believe that games as entertainment should have an easy option.
I believe that games as an art form should only have one predetermined difficulty, so that the whole experience is fully designed around it, as well as a particular vision or premise.
By this logic, not every piece of art will be compatible with you.
The same thing as movies, some movies are entertainment and others can be considered art.

An avengers game, an uncharted game or dead space, sure give it a difficulty option.
other games attempting to be art or to be something different, no, they shouldn´t feel the obligation to do it.

[nachokingp]

Just like the author, my game time is relegated to a few hours here and there when insomnia hits thanks to family and kids, so I play on as easy a difficulty as I can just so I can get through as many games as I can. It's better than missing out on all these great games coming out.