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Fuck Hard...Normal is My New Jam
- Thread starter Dubz
- Start date
As someone who turns 30 in August, this makes me happy to read.
I play games for the challenge and Normal is almost never challenging..at all.
In games that have difficulties ranging from very easy to very hard, I usually pick hard.
I usually play on hard. Aside from liking a challenge, I sometimes find that replaying the same section over and over again can give you a better appreciation of a game's design.
Dishonored 2 is a recent example of a game that was much better when I restarted on hard. Trying and failing to navigate my way around enemy guards forced me to explore new areas of the map and reappraise the weapons and abilities I had at my disposal. It also gave me a new appreciation of the AI and its dynamic behaviour.
Except that's increasingly not the case these days. There is growing trend of games using fancy names for their difficulty categories, blurring the lines between generic Easy, Normal and Hard. I don't think that's a coincidence. Difficulty categories such as "Squeamish", "Pussy" or "Gutless" (ok, I probably made those up) even provoke you into playing on a harder difficulty level than you might otherwise have selected! Alien Isolation was interesting in that it explicitly recommended Hard as providing the best experience.
Dishonored 2 is a recent example of a game that was much better when I restarted on hard. Trying and failing to navigate my way around enemy guards forced me to explore new areas of the map and reappraise the weapons and abilities I had at my disposal. It also gave me a new appreciation of the AI and its dynamic behaviour.
Except that's increasingly not the case these days. There is growing trend of games using fancy names for their difficulty categories, blurring the lines between generic Easy, Normal and Hard. I don't think that's a coincidence. Difficulty categories such as "Squeamish", "Pussy" or "Gutless" (ok, I probably made those up) even provoke you into playing on a harder difficulty level than you might otherwise have selected! Alien Isolation was interesting in that it explicitly recommended Hard as providing the best experience.
drotahorror
Banned
Usually play on Hard, or w/e people end up up recommending for a game if it's too easy or too hard.
I played DooM 2016 on Ultra Violence which I felt was just right. I recently played on Nightmare and found it really annoying and not worth my time. age 32
I played DooM 2016 on Ultra Violence which I felt was just right. I recently played on Nightmare and found it really annoying and not worth my time. age 32
Quake 1 is pretty interesting on Easy actually. There's a bit more health pickups than I'd like, but one of the things they do on Easy completely changes the gameplay balance. They replace most of the Ogres with melee enemies like the Fiend. It ends up feeling like a very different game because you can't replenish rockets as easily, and you have more fast melee enemies to deal with. The overall ammo being lower also makes it feel a little more horror-y because you're not as tough. It's pretty interesting and better than I thought it'd be. (Easy in Doom is boring though)
Kudo
Member
I dropped Persona 5 to easy cause it's not challenging, just time consuming. Doom I played on Hard as that gave a nice challenge without being overly too hard.
Most of the time though I opt for Normal, I started P5 with Hard but it proved so boring no point in making yourself go through that.
I like challenging games and hand-crafted difficulty like in Souls much more than parameter difficulties.
Most of the time though I opt for Normal, I started P5 with Hard but it proved so boring no point in making yourself go through that.
I like challenging games and hand-crafted difficulty like in Souls much more than parameter difficulties.
Pretty much this. I dont have the time anymore.
Shadow Ranger
Member
Normal. Hard for the odd game like Uncharted 4. Critical or Proud for KH because they lock stuff behind them. But majority of games I'll stick with Normal (on first play).
Being 32 with family and a demanding job, I only have a fraction of time left for gaming compared to 10 years ago. I do still play my games on hard though and try to 100% them if possible, so I just play less games overall and concentrate on the really good ones, quality over quantity.
zkorejo
Member
I never liked playing on hard. I mean.. whats the point of dying over and over and over? Sure its cool when you finally win, but even that feeling gets old (stopped playing bloodborne bcz it got boring for me). I always thought to myself that I KNOW I can beat the game at hard, why waste time.
I love a good challenge and for that I play competitive online pvp but when I am playing a sp game linear or an openworld game, I want to be on an adventure and have fun.
I love a good challenge and for that I play competitive online pvp but when I am playing a sp game linear or an openworld game, I want to be on an adventure and have fun.
Last game i finished at highest difficuty level was The Last of Us.
I'm currently planning to finish Yakuza 0 at hard difficulty because there is a trophy for that and i really want to obtain the platinum for that game. Same with the Witcher 3. But as a rule my first playthrough is at normal difficulty.
I'm currently planning to finish Yakuza 0 at hard difficulty because there is a trophy for that and i really want to obtain the platinum for that game. Same with the Witcher 3. But as a rule my first playthrough is at normal difficulty.
I'll play on the hardest difficulty that isn't forcing you to play in a "challenge" sort of way, like Alien Isolation.
CoD is a game with horrible difficulties. The hardest is a garbage game to play where you die immediately after poking your head out, but the one below is super easy.
CoD is a game with horrible difficulties. The hardest is a garbage game to play where you die immediately after poking your head out, but the one below is super easy.
Sanctuary
Member
Isn't that typically how "normal" has been since around 2005? It's almost never any kind of challenge, and you typically can just wade through enemies with little care. That can't hold my attention for long.
Really does depend on the game, but I usually start out on Hard and only move down (if that's available after starting) if Hard is just that from health and damage bloat by a severe degree. So much so that the game feels less rewarding and more of a slog. Depending on how Hard was implemented, I'll often do my replays on Very Hard. Some games though, even on the hardest difficuly is barely a challenge though.
Horizon
edit: I don't know what to really call it, but before the "mainstreaming" (???) of gaming during gen 7, I almost always started on Normal and moved up on a subsequent playthrough.
crazy monkey
Banned
I am always easy or normal player. Never hard.
Wolfgang Jr
Banned
Never bothered with hard TBH. In most games all it does is make the combat harder and I almost never like combat in games to begin with so there's no reason for me to use it. If there were difficulty settings for platforming sections, I'd probably always be picking the highest difficulty for those, though.
Drillary Clinton
Banned
I usually go Hard mode. The hardest if it's in a series I'm accustomed to. But it can also be contextual depending on the game.
Taliban Stan
Member
I start on normal and then adjust. Sometimes I drop games because they don't let you change difficulty in the middle. Especially if the game is mediocre and I'd have to restart.
Anyways, they make difficulties for a reason. It's not surprising some people like different ones. That was probably the whole point of different ones to begin.
Anyways, they make difficulties for a reason. It's not surprising some people like different ones. That was probably the whole point of different ones to begin.
Samanosuke Akechi
Member
The last game I completed was FFX HD in 2015. Getting all the summons, ultimate weapons was a chore. And right before that was bloodborne. So I've taken an extended break from games. But easier games are definitely more my speed as a rule.
Unless you get your identity from being "good at videogames" or somehow get value from it... who cares? In my real life.. being able to beat games on survivor or insane difficulty has little value and I am not skilled enough to make it fun...so normal is just fine for me. If was wildly skilled at video games and got off on the mechanical/twitch reflex challenge...than yeah...I would need hurt me plenty level of difficulty.
Video games aren't a lifestyle any more than movies or books are for me. I play at whatever level I enjoy. I dig souls because there is just that level . I don't like where they take the base game and make things sponges or spam more at you.
Video games aren't a lifestyle any more than movies or books are for me. I play at whatever level I enjoy. I dig souls because there is just that level . I don't like where they take the base game and make things sponges or spam more at you.
I play on normal now not because my skills have dulled, but because hard modes generally mean more grinding, enemy units, bullet sponges, etc. It's seldom ever fun. But more importantly, because as an adult I just don't have the time to slog through that shit anymore. I need to be able to complete a game asap or I'll never get around to finishing it or moving to another one.
Life's the real hard mode, man.
Life's the real hard mode, man.
I always played on hard back in my school and student times. Now I have a full time job and run a small business, so it's even hard to dedicate two hours to gaming every day. I made the transition from hard to normal some time ago, and also started to like story driven games more and more. I have enough of challenge in my everyday job routine, so games doesn't necessarily have to cover that need.
WAR recon zero
Banned
Easy and i use cheat engine if possible
No time!
No time!
the most mountain of dews
Member
exactly why I mostly play on normal.
BleedOrange
Banned
I rarely have the time to play games on Hard nowadays (pushing 30), but I will never stoop so low as to play on Easy.
Ugh
Damn. You might as well watch a playthrough on YouTube.
Nose Master
Member
I usually start on hard and then bump it down if it's just increased numbers / bullet sponges etc. Some hard mode are ridiculous, some are cake. Depends on the game.
