Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Reserved for modern gaming discussions.
Steve1
Posts: 285
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby Steve1 » November 10th, 2011, 1:02 pm

....or I should ask if difficulty settings are set correctly. I've been finding a few games lately that have difficulty options where "Easy" or "Novice" are as far from it as possible. Personally, I like to play almost all games on the easiest setting when I have the chance because I would rather finish the game and enjoy everything it has to offer over torturing myself - even if it means missing out on the coveted achievements I so crave.

The current game I am having a problem with is Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed. I've got everything set to easy and the AI is just beating the crap out of me (12th out of 12th, 7th out of 8th, rarely if ever a 1st place, etc). I've adjusted the settings a little bit figuring maybe I let the computer take too much control over the car, but that didn't help either. I've upgraded cars also - no luck. It's also not like I have not played driving games before - including the first  NFS:Shift among countless others.

I'm thinking that more and more games, including shooters, if they have a difficulty setting at all, should have a setting that is truly insultingly easy. They can penalize me for by not giving achivements etc, but at least let me finish and move on. Games are fast becoming something I don't enjoy anymore.


The Mad Blogger

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby The Mad Blogger » November 10th, 2011, 1:19 pm

That is an interesting take. At first, I prefer playing where the difficulty level is set to Medium (or whatever number that level may be). This way, if the game is too difficult, I can always lower the level, and if I beat the game in this mode, I can always amp up my difficulty setting.

Street Fighter II (for the SNES) is a great example of this. When I first played it, I played as Blanks, and set the difficulty level to 4 (the default is 3). Then, I played it until I beat the game on the hardest difficulty.

Great post, Steve.


Oltobaz1
Posts: 1605
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby Oltobaz1 » November 10th, 2011, 1:21 pm

That's an interesting take. In the 16 bit days, for instance,
these settings were usually exactly what they promised to
be, though I bet many games in easy mode back then would
prove difficult to gamers of today. Personnally, I've always aimed
for the highest difficulty settings, in that I find games last longer this
way, and, yes, that's sometimes the only way to unlock everything,
get all the trophies this gen, etc... Plus, who doesn't like a challenge?
There are of course a lot of exceptions, but my experience is different
than yours this gen. Games in hard mode often feel like I put them in
normal, when normal feels like easy. Like I said, there are some notable exceptions, but that's usually how it is, I'd say.

Blueguy1
Posts: 620
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby Blueguy1 » November 10th, 2011, 1:52 pm

I think it still matters. I've been playing Modern Warfare 3's campaign mode on the easiest setting, and while it has some challenge in it, I can still get past the missions without any problems.

I remember Christmas last year playing Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby's Epic Yarn for the Wii (both excellent games btw). On one hand, Donkey Kong Country Returns was brutally difficult as hell, while Kirby's Epic Yarn was a very easy game to play (getting the high score was the challenge).

Even recently with Super Street Fighter IV 3D on my 3DS. It has a crapload of difficulty options, and I have played medium, easy, and very easy. 

The point is, there's still tons of games that have difficulty settings and the difficulty still matters.

Josh

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby Josh » November 10th, 2011, 2:09 pm

That is an interesting take and I hear you. But really, it depends upon the game and the genre of the game.

If a game is so hard that there is no way to enjoy all the content then yeah, that sucks. That was my big gripe as a kid with the NES. Some games were so hard that you never got to see that much of them (looking at you, Gradius). That was one of the reasons I loved my Game Genie. Screw you sadistic game designers, I will overcome through the power of cheats - haha.

I like difficulty settings in games now because they allow me to see all the content and then go back for a challenge if I want one - because ya know, sometimes I don't want a challenge; I just want to fart around and blow stuff up.

David

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby David » November 10th, 2011, 4:58 pm

Where are all the people who complain about how modern games are too easy and hold the player's hand throughout?

Michael Prymula

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby Michael Prymula » November 10th, 2011, 8:28 pm

I almost always play games on the normal difficulty as it usually gives me a decent challenge without being insanely frustrating, the one game I had to play on the easiest difficulty was Gears Of War, I just BARELY beat that game on Casual, I don't know why anyone would be masochistic enough to try and beat that game on Hardcore difficulty.


User avatar
VideoGameCritic
Site Admin
Posts: 18102
Joined: April 1st, 2015, 7:23 pm

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby VideoGameCritic » November 10th, 2011, 9:03 pm

I used to always play "normal".  You never saw "easy" options appear until the last few years.

Now I like easy because I can make progress much faster.  When you're trying to play/review a lot of games, the last thing you want is to get stuck on one stage for two hours.

I find the "easy" setting in modern games to be just about right.  You still experience what the game has to offer, and you can't totally suck, but there's a lot less frustration.


ShadowAngel1
Posts: 85
Joined: December 31st, 1969, 7:00 pm

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby ShadowAngel1 » November 11th, 2011, 8:51 am

[QUOTE=David]Where are all the people who complain about how modern games are too easy and hold the player's hand throughout?
[/QUOTE]

Most games today are too easy. Unlimited lives, more often than not that dreaded self-recharging life/energy and help left and right. It's really ugly with todays RPGs, they point out where to go, what to do and tell you exactly how to finish a quest...twenty years ago you had to look for yourself and use your brain.
I recently played Max Payne once again and felt it was ten times as difficult as say Mass Effect, the Ghostbusters game, Arkham Assylum or Duke Nukem Forever.

There's no challenge anymore in games and that's because most players today don't want to spend time to learn and finish a game. They want to blast through in the shortest possible time.
But personally, i don't see how that can be fun. No challenges? No Difficulty? Not that "i finally did it"-feeling after finishing a challenging level? It's boring.

Michael Prymula

Do difficulty settings matter anymore

Postby Michael Prymula » November 11th, 2011, 1:11 pm

ShaodwAngel- I gotta disagree with you on Duke Nukem Forever, that game  had some pretty tough spots(especially in some of the latter
shrinking sections), and you should definitely play Gears Of War if you want a modern game with some "challenge"


Return to “Modern Gaming”