Discussion: Difficulty In Games

[Mikachu Yukitatsu]

Here we can discuss difficulty in videogames.

Do you like difficult games? Some people prefer difficult games because of the challenge, but others enjoy easy games more. In my opinion difficult games are OK, but easy games are a little underrated. I mean, if a game is too difficult, you have to concentrate on controlling and thinking too much and you cannot enjoy graphics, storyline and atmosphere.

It seems that there is bad difficulty and there is good difficulty. 'Bad difficulty' means usually lame controls, annoying graphics, too difficult parts after an easy start and so on. Well-set difficulty levels, alternative ways to play through etc. are, on the other hand, considered 'good difficulty'.

Do you agree? Name games and take examples. What about developer- or console-wise? Do you think a certain developer knows how to make games difficult in a good way? Do you think a console controller has too many buttons?

And what about in the long run? Have the games become too easy in general these days? Or too difficult?

Yet another question: what means do you use to make the game easier or more difficult? Adjusting difficulty levels is an obvious way, but you can also cheat and by hacking the save game file in, say, Civilization, you can give advantage not only to yourself but also to computer players. And in Final Fantasy you can use curative spells on your enemies to make them more challenging, if you like them. You can also save less often.

Points, other views, more issues, all welcome.

[Heald]

I enjoy difficult games. Of course, it depends what kind of game it is.

Take Soul Calibur or other fighters - I love just putting it on the most difficult level, getting pummelled for a few rounds and being forced into using tricks like side-stepping, blocking, special moves. It's the best way to play the game.

However, I only really enjoy difficulty if it means that the A.I. becomes more advanced, not if the A.I. remains stupid and the programmers got lazy and just changed the stats of the game to put the game in their favour - I hate that! Many games are guilty of this, and it seems to be becoming more acceptable, unfortunately. For example:

Pro Evolution Soccer - on the easiest level, the referee will let you get away with anything, the opponent's players are slower, your shots are more accurate etc. On the hardest level, the referee will give the opponent free kicks for the slighest offence, your opponent's players become super-fast tackling machines and you have to really be a good shot to get a goal.

The Civilization Series - As the setting gets harder, your cities develop slower and you build and research at least 1 turn behind your opponents ALL THE TIME, plus your cities will be in absolute poverty while your opponent will live like Midas himself.

Railroad Tycoon - A pretty bad offender. The AI remains terrible at all levels on this, but you suffer penalties on the harder difficulties to compensate for this. A shame really, since it is a pretty solid game otherwise.

[Master Chief]

i think that the Super Smash Bros. series are a good example. as you go into the harder settings, you have less and less of a chance of winning without using a continue.

[-/Deathborn/-]

Gears of War had a pretty good set of difficulty. Casual was good for when you just got the game, Hardcore for when you were more used to it, and Insane for...well, the perfectionists. The "bosses" were actually challenging at times (ala Act 5, chapter 3 "Pale Horse" General RAAM). Some parts were overrated, like the Corpser fight. That was so easy it was ridiculous.

I also find some easy games better for when you just want to play any game.
Then there's the insanely stupid parts about "taking damage by touching the enemy" and unfair side-scrolling shooters. I like games that give room for error without forcing you to go through it percisely the way the developers wanted you to.

I also HATE HATE...HATE! platforming. I.E. jumping from platform to platform, usually in a frustrating manner.

[PNT510]

As a whole I personally perfer games to be on the easier side. I play games to help relax. I don't mind if a game pushes or challenges me, that can be alot of fun. When a game is just mind numbingly difficult(like Ninja Gaiden) that I end up getting frustrated and quitting it.

I also agree with Heald, I like when making a game more difficult increase the enemies AI, not just bumps up the stats.

[Alucard]

It looks like somebody views the VF messageboard :x

Gears of War was piss takingly easy on all difficulty settings. There wasn't a single difficult thing about the game.

I'd like a game to change in difficulty depening on how well you're doing. If you're really shit at it, it should adapt and be easy. If you're kicking serious ass, it should become shit hard.

[Razola]

Adjustable difficult is the best way to go. This can be via selection or a variety of optional side-ventures.

[Mewfour]

Boy have I got a story for your guys.

I just bought Street Fighter II on the Virtual Console, and I forgot how much ass it kicked back when I was 12.

Unfortunatley, I also forgot how hard it was on the default difficulty, and for the last day or so I've been getting my ass handed to me by Vega. So I finally set it on the easiest difficulty and breezed through it all, except for Bison at the end. If that's Bison on Easiest, I don't wanna even think about what he's like on Hard.

[Heald]

Oh yeah, Vega's totally a dick.

[Weasel Overlord]

Oo, Street Fighter! I lived and breathed that when I had my Mega Drive! Oh, the precious memories... *sob*

But seriously, anyone tried to play old school Sonic or Golden Axe or Columns lately? (I'm talking Mega Drive here, you Americans may not have a clue what I'm on about, lol!) I breezed those games when I was a kid, but now! Oh man, they're fucking hard!

But yeah, in general, if a game's too hard for me to get past a specific bit, even after trying SO many times (ie: Devil May Cry 3, stupid game, want to kill Dante now, THANK YOU Capcom -_-) then I'm likely to give up and never play it again, lol. Unless it's FFXII, where I just charge around levelling some more. You can NEVER have too many levels. Oh no.

[classy_cat18]

But seriously, anyone tried to play old school Sonic or Golden Axe or Columns lately? (I'm talking Mega Drive here, you Americans may not have a clue what I'm on about, lol!) I breezed those games when I was a kid, but now! Oh man, they're fucking hard!

I didn't know there were Sonic games on the Mega Drive. I picked up Sonic Mega Collection for the Gamecube a couple weeks back and found it slightly easier than when I was a kid. But I still hate Labyrinth Zone (Sonic 1).

Difficult games can go either way for me. I can spend a whole day trying to get past one area (*glares at Metroid Prime*). But I have a different opinion of "difficult". That's why I usually stick to the platformers. Super Mario World is still a little tough for me but that's just because I'm now trying to find all the exits.

[Weasel Overlord]

Oh yeah! There was Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic 3D, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic and Tails (I think), loads of em! Although I'd stay away from any 3D ones if I was you, they're bloody awful.

[classy_cat18]

Oh yeah! There was Sonic 1, Sonic 2, Sonic 3, Sonic 3D, Sonic and Knuckles, Sonic and Tails (I think), loads of em! Although I'd stay away from any 3D ones if I was you, they're bloody awful.

Oh, those Sonic games on the Genesis. Yeah, I played all of them when I was a kid and I still play them. The second was my favorite because it was the first one I beat without using the level select code. I also played Sonic Spinball for fun. And the ones on the Dreamcast weren't too awful. It was the ones after them that made me hurl (except Secret Rings).

[PNT510]

Genesis and Mega Drive are the same thing. It's called the Genesis in the US and Mega Drive in Japan and Europe.

[Mewfour]

Personally I don't mind really super-hard parts, but only if there's an opportunity to save/checkpoint righ before them.

Case in point, the bank mission in Red Steel. Right after a certain checkpoint there's a swordfight with an accountant. Well he's easy enough but he takes a loooooooong long time to beat. After you've finally turtled him, then comes the super hard part with the Yakuza on the upper levels. If you die in that shootout (And you probably will many times), you go right back to the checkpoint and have to fight that annoyingly stubborn accountant all over again.

I wanted to strangle someone with the nunchuck cord.