-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
Easy, Normal or Hard?
- Thread starter Ex-Psych
- Start date
I usually do Normal or Hard depending on the game.
If it's a game I know I'm only playing for story I'll stick to normal but if it's something I'm doing for gameplay I'll go hard. But never the Nightmare ultra difficulties.
If it's a game I know I'm only playing for story I'll stick to normal but if it's something I'm doing for gameplay I'll go hard. But never the Nightmare ultra difficulties.
I start on normal then drop it down to easy if I find it too hard (which I usually do). I don't really have the patience to learn combat properly.
The thing I like about Hard is that it can force you as a player to take a better look at all the mechanics the game presents to you and figure out both why it exist in the game, but also get creative with how to use it in not just scenarios that you have been taught by the game to use them in but also in instances where you've been pushed to the edge and had to come up with brilliant solutions on the fly from your knowledge of the mechanics that you might not be pressured enough on Normal difficulty to think about.
Depending on how difficulty is implemented it can also sometimes help with immersion, by making the game a bit more fair for, well, the game. Like, perhaps I shouldn't be allowed to walk through 5 fireballs before I die? If that skeletons that's hitting me actually managed to overcome the ultra loaded murder kit that has been provided to me as a player and broke through X amount of layers of defenses from decked out gear, perhaps it's OK to give me the player a whole bunch of damage that I should be wary of allowing to happen again, since this is clearly one badass skeleton and should be treated as such :)
Depending on how difficulty is implemented it can also sometimes help with immersion, by making the game a bit more fair for, well, the game. Like, perhaps I shouldn't be allowed to walk through 5 fireballs before I die? If that skeletons that's hitting me actually managed to overcome the ultra loaded murder kit that has been provided to me as a player and broke through X amount of layers of defenses from decked out gear, perhaps it's OK to give me the player a whole bunch of damage that I should be wary of allowing to happen again, since this is clearly one badass skeleton and should be treated as such :)
I play on hard mode on my first playthrough if one or more of the following criteria apply.
A) The game is in a franchise that I enjoy.
B) I am good at this genre of game or this particular gameplay system in said franchise from point A and need more challenge.
C) The game is from a franchise that is considered very easy.
D) In certain games where higher difficulty actually changes enemy layouts and other game mechanics Eg. Ninja Gaiden Black.
My default playthrough is always normal if none of the above apply. If I like a game enough, I will play on harder difficulties in subsequent playthroughs
A) The game is in a franchise that I enjoy.
B) I am good at this genre of game or this particular gameplay system in said franchise from point A and need more challenge.
C) The game is from a franchise that is considered very easy.
D) In certain games where higher difficulty actually changes enemy layouts and other game mechanics Eg. Ninja Gaiden Black.
My default playthrough is always normal if none of the above apply. If I like a game enough, I will play on harder difficulties in subsequent playthroughs
Normal or Hard, but it depends on the genre and some other factors. Like I usually won't play an RPG or something on hard, but action games I will.
FPS are hit or miss, a lot of hard difficulties just expose flaws in the game, but some genuinely make a game more enjoyable.
FPS are hit or miss, a lot of hard difficulties just expose flaws in the game, but some genuinely make a game more enjoyable.
I always start on Normal, because that's what the devs meant the game to be.
If I like it enough and it's not too hard on Normal, I'll play again on higher difficulties to get Trophies/Achievements.
If I like it enough and it's not too hard on Normal, I'll play again on higher difficulties to get Trophies/Achievements.
Generally Normal, I'm not particularly precious about difficulty these days. I'll drop down to easy if it leads me to enjoying the game more. Some games I'll at least start on hard like Ninja Gaiden.
Almost always Normal, unless I'm really struggling with the game and don't like it quite enough to push through, then I'll put it on Easy.
Anything beyond that I'll only attempt if it unlocks something I really want.
Anything beyond that I'll only attempt if it unlocks something I really want.
Feels like the poll descriptions are pretty off, considering "Hard" is what "Normal" was before 2005. Essentially all of the difficulties dropped a complete tier, yet kept their names despite that.
This is how it's been for over a decade now.
This is how it's been for over a decade now.
Last edited:
Hard. I want to learn how to play well and the mechanics themselves, and improve. The art of the game if you will.
I hate hard, because hard usually means bullet-sponge enemies. I don't have time for this shit
Dark Souls difficulty on the other hand, is perfect. Enemies aren't too tough, they die after several hits, but they're challenging. Same with bosses, hp goes down fast if you know what you're doing.
But most other games go the easy route and give lots of hp to their enemies, because that's easier I suppose.
Dark Souls difficulty on the other hand, is perfect. Enemies aren't too tough, they die after several hits, but they're challenging. Same with bosses, hp goes down fast if you know what you're doing.
But most other games go the easy route and give lots of hp to their enemies, because that's easier I suppose.
It can vary, but in general I go with normal. I assume they know what they're doing in making a game one can reasonably beat with a healthy challenge, but every so often either the game doesn't have enough bite or excels with more bite so I go for Hard, or inversely is just too much of a dumb pain in the ass (or just kind of tedious) if on Normal, so I play on Easy.
Depends on the game / genre. Generally hard first time for most games. If it's an already purposely challenging game then normal. I like a challenge but not to be overly frustrated.
Always normal on the first play through, and the will up the difficulty for a New Game+ eg The Witcher 3, Assassins Creed etc
unless the game is called DOOM then i pick the normal difficulty
if the game is called DOOM i pick ultra-violence
if the game is called DOOM i pick ultra-violence
No, it's because if I remember correctly, the game says something like "Heroic is the way the game was designed" or some bullshit. So I play it on that.
Edit:
Googled and found this:
"Formidable opposition will test your resolve. Skilled, tactical play required. Recommended for veteran Halo players."— Description from Halo 5: Guardians
Basically if the game tries to explain to me what difficulty I should pick based on pased games I've played or experience in a genre, then I will listen to them. But otherwise I will pick the normal or whatever it defaults to, because that is most likely the one that the devs built and balanced the game around initially.
Last edited:
I have not enough time as before, so Normal is my choice nowadays... because I need to not stress too much and I still like to play many different games, so "Hard" could need more time needed to finish a game.
Sometimes if I don't like the gameplay enough I even change to Easy just to enjoy everything else the game has to offer.
(it still happens that I play a game on hard sometimes, but not really often as when I was younger)
Sometimes if I don't like the gameplay enough I even change to Easy just to enjoy everything else the game has to offer.
(it still happens that I play a game on hard sometimes, but not really often as when I was younger)
Until 2014 I was always choosing the harder difficulty level as I enjoyed a challenge.
Nowadays I only play casual titles on my Switch like Smash, Mario Kart or Mario Party. But should I choose to play a title with several difficulty options, I´d go with the default difficulty. So normal it is.
Nowadays I only play casual titles on my Switch like Smash, Mario Kart or Mario Party. But should I choose to play a title with several difficulty options, I´d go with the default difficulty. So normal it is.
Normal for first playthrough. Then I adjust.
Recently I switched travis strikes again to easy cause I didn't want to take time to finish it. The game became ridiculously easy but it's nice sometimes to not having one's hands too sweaty.
Recently I switched travis strikes again to easy cause I didn't want to take time to finish it. The game became ridiculously easy but it's nice sometimes to not having one's hands too sweaty.
Normal for a first playthrough. I have no qualms about dropping to Easy if I have trouble, though post-PS2 it's almost never been necessary, and it was already rare enough post-NES. It's all about enjoying the first ride at a smooth pace.
If I like the game enough for subsequent playthroughts I'll start experimenting with higher difficulties but this is a very rare occurrence.
If I like the game enough for subsequent playthroughts I'll start experimenting with higher difficulties but this is a very rare occurrence.
Hard all day, except when I don't want to spend too much time in a game, or when it's a genre I'n not used to (like rpg) or when I suck, like, really suck.
Nightmare? No thanks, don't wanna throw my controller through TV. I sometimes play on hardest difficulty in shooter tho.
Nightmare? No thanks, don't wanna throw my controller through TV. I sometimes play on hardest difficulty in shooter tho.
Normal always first. Although I had to switch Horizon Zero Dawn to the hardest difficulty because it was too easy.
Always normal. I figure that's the best balance the developers could come up with. If there are rewards for playing hard, then I'll do that for a second playthrough.
Normal for most games. Harder for the likes of Forza Horizon, Halo, FIFA and PES. I use easy when I just want to blast through a game in my backlog.
Normal first time. Hard and above if I want to redo it for a greater challenge/trophy, or if my normal playthrough is too easy. Easy if I'm rushing through for collectibles, in-game challenges, and whathaveyou.
Hard is often the new Normal. I have regretted playing on hard a few times when e.g. gunplay is not fun and hard just means enemies take longer time to kill or are more numerous. If I were to play e.g. another Uncharted-game I'd play it on easiest difficulty, while in e.g. REmake2 hard difficulty feels like a must if it is the only mode that enforce ink ribbon saving.
I usually start with normal and adjust if required and possible. Hard if it's a sequel in a series I know I'm good at.
Normal for me. Generally if I go back and play a game after I've completed it I'll switch it to easy as at that point I just like to poke around the game rather than be challenged.
At most I'll usually get about an hour a night to myself so I really can't be bothered going through a game on hard as it'll take me forever to finish it!
At most I'll usually get about an hour a night to myself so I really can't be bothered going through a game on hard as it'll take me forever to finish it!
Hardest difficulty unless it's BS unfair.
Games that do this well are the best, like KH2:FM.
Action games and JRPGs benefit a lot from harder difficulties, I don't know if I'd consider DQXI such an amazing game if it wasn't for Draconian mode.
Games that do this well are the best, like KH2:FM.
Action games and JRPGs benefit a lot from harder difficulties, I don't know if I'd consider DQXI such an amazing game if it wasn't for Draconian mode.
Last edited:
It really depends on the game, but typically the hardest option available unless it's a 'special' mode where you die in one hit.
I hate it when games lock out higher (standard) difficulties and require you to beat the game first.
While I can't think of any specific examples, there have been games that I dropped to the easiest difficulty simply because the higher difficulties did not actually add any more challenge to the game, it just made them take longer to finish by giving the enemies significantly more health etc.
I hate it when games lock out higher (standard) difficulties and require you to beat the game first.
While I can't think of any specific examples, there have been games that I dropped to the easiest difficulty simply because the higher difficulties did not actually add any more challenge to the game, it just made them take longer to finish by giving the enemies significantly more health etc.
Normal, unless there's a special case such as XCOM2 where Normal mode was ridiculously hard. I just don't have time for 'insane' difficulty modes and I can't say they appealed to me when I did.
