Should Difficulty Settings Exist Anymore?

Take a look at Doom. The easiest setting was named ’I'm too young to die’ and the hardest setting known as ‘Nightmare’. Everything else was a selection of extremes, resulting in a game that was either too easy to the point of presenting no challenge whatsoever, or so hard that it would make you want to tear your own hair out!

[gogospeedracer]

Yes, yes they should. Everyone likes options!
This is like asking, 'Should there be decaf coffee?'

See my point?

[Wintersun616]

Agreed. Options are good. I actually prefer having multiple difficulty settings than an automatic one, because we most probably aren't going to see a well implemented automatic difficulty setting any time soon. And besides, some people just like to play games on easy and others like the challenge. It was a great feeling when I beat Uncharted on Crushing for the first time, to overcome the challenge. If the game had adjusted the difficulty on the fly to make it moderately challenging but not so hard, that satisfaction would've been taken away from me. So yes, difficulty settings should continue to exist.

[DeadlyFire]

If there are no options game would be piss poor easy to support casual market and games will suck. On the other hand games could be challenging and engaging. Would drastically vary per developer if this were the case.

[Venoxn4g]

yes.. because some are more experienced players, some not.. it's good that you can have settings to choose from

[HemDroid]

Stupid Question

[Quagmire]

Slow news day perhaps.

What's tomorrows headline, "Should games be fun?"

[KingPin]

agree.

if there is only one difficulty, gamers will whine more than usual.

either the game will be too easy or too hard.

if its too easy, hardcore gamers will complain its not a challenge and can be finished in x amount of time.
if its too hard, players new to the genre will struggle like hell, get sick and tired of dying and restarting that theyll give this game bad reviews.

there is no need to remove difficulty levels from games. that way everyone gets to enjoy this game.

[NeloAnjelo]

Who would even ask this? Of course it should exist.

[waltyftm]

Difficulty settings can drastically change how you play certain games, playing Uncharted 2 on Easy it is fun to run and gun, but Crushing difficulty is a whole new experience of pain and hurt.

[warrior9988]

but games like GTA should always have automatic difficulty

[CloseSecond]

To me selecting different difficulty options needs to do more than change how much health you lose when you're hit or how many hits it now takes to take out an enemy.

Higher difficulty settings should mean harder AI, less resources (ammo, health), open new areas or paths, tougher puzzles, more enemies. You know, all things that would make the game feel and play different if your playing through again on a higher difficulty.

[kornbeaner]

While I agree with your statement, A game that did all that you are saying based on Difficulty would be a nightmare to program, design and test. If some developers can't make great game in 2 years time already having a standard for what difficulty should do imagine what a game might look like if a certain difficulty presented you with a different gaming experience?

[ECM0NEY]

I think this is a lame excuse.

[kornbeaner]

Lame but true, Videogames are a business first. No developer or publisher wants to invest a huge amount of time and money to provide "The Ultimate" experience. Publishers are like drug dealers, "we'll give you your little fix now and in a year or two we'll return with another taste."

[vortis]

From the Devil's Advocate point of view, I understand your sentiment.

However, games back in the day were sort of designed like this...stuff like Perfect Dark, which had more challenging AI and additional objectives on the harder settings, or games like Codename: Eagle, Hidden and Dangerous and Rainbow Six.

What CloseSecond mentions USED to exist in gaming but it doesn't now. You're right insofar that the gaming industry is closer to drug pushing than it is offering a diverse form of entertainment. It's all about the bottom line.

[Fishy Fingers]

Why would you ever get rid of them. With all due respect, retarded question/article.

[CloseSecond]

Because a game might change in difficulty dynamically to best challenge the gamer. If its too easy the game increases in difficulty on its own accord. To hard and the game might throw in more health packs, etc.

[warrior9988]

this i like (: dynamic difficulty

[Fishy Fingers]

That would be as crappy as "matchmaking" if it were forced. I like to play what I want, not want the game deems correct for me.

While it's a nice idea, perhaps one you could pick (dynamic or something), some people just like to mess about on easy or face seemingly impossible odds on 'hardest', basically pick, decide and play what they want.

[B1663r]

Then the game should have a difficulty mode called "Dynamic" in addition to fixed difficulty settings.

[outwar6010]

i like making a overpowered character and i love story so i choose easy all the time and work my way up to medium :p

[bloodybutcher]

i play mostly on ´´normal´´ , it´s when i want to enjoy story more then the challenge.or when there are collectibles to look for^^ then i go on hard or very hard and i either mage to complete or i give up if it´s too damn frustrating.but it´s always fun to give it a go,so yeah,there always should be option.

[ElementX]

This is what happens when everybody and their brother creates their own lame gaming site, you get stupid articles because people want to write something "original".

[Run_bare]

Difficulty settings is a must have especially in FPS and Strategy. BUT maybe for RPG (JRPG) like Final Fantasy, etc, they should left it out.

[Agent_hitman]

Difficulty settings my A$$.. I see no difference on AI every settings, All I can see is when they hit you once on hard difficulty, you'll die!!

[bloodybutcher]

i think KZ2 on elite had more aggresive AI, enemies were trying harder to flank you andkill you.

[No Way]

I do believe Mass Effect is the same way. They 'play' smarter.
On easy, they won't flank you and won't use many, if at all, powers.
On hardest, they flank you and throw every power they have at you.

[GammaTru]

The problem with scaling difficulties is that it can cheapen the experience for some. Imagine playing a game on normal or hard and failing a few times. You keep on trying until you get better until you finally beat the challenge; that sense of accomplishment feels really good right?

But then if you found out that the game deliberately adjusted itself to you and made it easier without your knowledge, that accomplishment wouldn't mean anything. It's like playing a multiplayer game with someone and knowing that they're deliberately going easy on you. It's not as much fun.

So really, difficulty is a balancing act between frustration and boredom.

[_LarZen_]

Games should have no option, but if you die alot the game could ask you if you want to lower the difficulty for the duration of the game.

I remember one game that did this, but cant remember what it was...anyone remember?

[nolifeking]

The God of War trilogy is the only one I can name off the top.

[Megaton]

Well as you can see by many of the comments in here, a lot of people still use difficulties for ePeen boosters.

I like games with a single difficulty. Play purely as the game was created.

[Getowned]

Demon's Souls and Dark Souls say no :P but yeah most games should have the option but Demon's Souls was so much better because it got harder and harder (thats what she said -_____-)

[Baka-akaB]

It depends , som games need the fixed difficulty settings , like demon souls .

The common approach is usuall to design obstacles and encounters around the default or esy difficulty then to bump up or down ennemy health , resistance , your health etc .

This would result it a few games like DS to be just different in design , and their difficulty only bumped up via artificial stats , rather than its usual harsh (and not even that hard) nature .

Tower Knight wouldnt be hard because you have to read according his pattern and react properly . He'd be superficial hard because he takes 10x more hits to die in hard , while you have 10x less life .

[SlxTeN]

There should be some sort of AI what adapts to players skill.

[tarbis]

Well, yes. For those who don't care about getting creamed. I usually play in normal or hard right off the bat.

[rattletop]

dumb article. not every1 can play at the given settings right away. i think shift 2 changes difficulty based on tutorial performance.

[danielle007]

As a general rule, yes, but there definitely are exceptions, though.

It's really dependent on the game.

[_Aarix_]

Well it should balance between fun and impossible..i played bayonetta on normal and i almost snapped the disc but it has alot of fun moments...if its too hard youll give up on it..if its challenging but fun, thats alot better than just being fun

[No Way]

It's not so much of a stupid question.. Some games need it, some games don't.
It all matters on the game genre you are discussing, I would imagine.