What is your preferred difficulty level?

[Tavernade]

Hard 'usually' unless it's a game I think I'll struggle with in Normal. I generally want to be challenged enough to actually need to learn how to play the game instead of running through doing whatever I want. If I beat everything on my first try I generally don't enjoy the game as much.

 

[Zuko]

Depends on the game. If I just want the story I'll hit the Easy button if I don't want much trouble. If I'm looking for a bit more oomph I'll go Normal. I'll only go Hard if it's a game I know for sure I'm really good at.

 

[Sande]

The second hardest is usually the best. Or the hardest if there are only 3 options.

 

[Xenosaga]

Normal, unless I know a particular game is too easy/too hard before hand (i.e. playing Kingdom Hearts in higher difficulty than normal)

 

[NickatNite]

easy / normal

 

[Deleted member 23094]

Depends on the game. If it's the new DOOM games then I won't play anything other than Nightmare, but for Uncharted I'm fine with Normal or even Easy because the combat isn't why I'm playing. Finished both TLOU games on Grounded difficulty though, but that combat system is so much more intense and satisfying than anything in Uncharted.

 

[Motorcycle Dork]

Usually hard, some occasions on normal. It really depends on my mood tbh.
I do easy if I am speedrunning/hate the combat/suck at it.

 

[mgrimble2]

Normal. Especially getting old with a wife and a kid. I gotta get through these games at a decent speed.

Sometimes hard if it's for a game I really like and want to get the Platinum Trophy for it. Both Spider-Man games, inFAMOUS games, etc.

 

[Goddo Hando]

normal unless i find the difficulty is way too easy. I remember far cry 3 was almost beginner level easy, and played it on the hardest difficulty level and was fine

 

[Svejk]

Normal always... The way the game is meant to be played.
..
Except Valkyrie Profile... Not sure what they were thinking with it.

 

[Starlatine]

normal

this new idea that era likes to push that anyone not playing on the easiest difficulty is "someone with way too much time unlike me a hard worker with a family!!" is ridiculous. if people didnt have time to play games, they wouldnt (and i don't, most of the time). when playing one having more effort on it doesn't make anyones life less significant or their work less meaningful

play the goddamn difficulty it pleases you most and shut up about how others play their games, be it too easy or too hard

 

[Kittenz]

Hard. If it's too easy, I get bored. Can always jump down if necessary.

I think the answer to this question depends greatly on the genres you prefer. When I'm thinking about my answer I'm definitely thinking "games with guns." More games should be like the last Tomb Raider that let you choose according to the different elements of the game: puzzles, enemies, etc.

 

[OozeMan]

Not sure why people think that hard modes mean less fun and only more frustration. Enjoyment comes from being challenged appropriatly, and sometimes that's only achieved with a harder mode. There are games that lose their tactical aspects completely on normal/easy mode because it's too easy to abuse various systems. It demands less attention and for some people that also has an impact on focus and motivation. So it's perhaps less about making things hard and more about making things fair and engaging.

Click to shrink...

Well said. I think there's a misconception among some people who believe Hard make a game's difficulty jump to Souls-like. I've learned to appreciate the various mechanics of a game more when they present a challenge, as opposed to breezing through a game without facing roadblocks of any kind.

 

[Host Samurai]

Today's Hard is yesterday's Normal.

 

[chandoog]

Easy in most cases, Normal in some.

Ain't no body got time for retries.

 

[Goldenroad]

I always start on Normal, but I have no qualms about turning it down to Easy. I'll rarely go the other direction, but it has happened.

 

[wonkybump]

hard, but prefer to learn more about it to make sure it isn't shit. That's the problem with most modern games - they're designed and tuned to normal, while hard is just shifting health and damage numbers, often making the game just frustrating and unplayable. TLOU2 on Grounded is PERFECTION, I hope it becomes the benchmark of how this should be done.

 

[Deleted member 91227]

Normal for most things. Down to easy if I'm struggling or just not enjoying the combat and want to get through the story. Rarely every play anything on hard other than co-op loot games with friends and doing higher level stuff or better loot drops.

 

[M. Wallace]

Easy. Otherwise I won't finish it.

 

[Valus]

I'm good with normal most of the time. If the gameplay is really not engaging to me but I like the narrative, like Yakuza for example, I'll drop it down to easy.

If I'm playing with friends on some coop game we typically put it on hard though.

 

[Owl]

I've gotten to the point where I won't be able to finish a game if it's too easy. I need a decent challenge that'll make me fully utilize the game's systems for me to stick with a game or I just get bored. I usually choose nightmare/one above hard.

that's the main reason I love competitive multiplayer games. There's a never ending challenge of getting better.

 

[carlsojo]

Hard sometimes, drop down to Easy if the game is bullshit. (Most recently Persona 5 Strikers)

 

[Jin]

As hard as possible unless it comes with perma-death.
I personally lose interest pretty fast if I feel like I have "beat" the game difficulty wise.

I would rather try and try and try and try again until I beat something than putting the difficulty down, it just makes it a lot more fun for me.

 

[BlackManLovesKUF]

Easy is most preferable for me, but Normal if developers lock content out of Easy Mode.

 

[RoKKeR]

Is it bad that I've started trending towards Easy? At least for games I'm powering through I've started doing it a bit more often.

 

[GameAddict411]

It depends on the game genre and how much I comfortable with the game type. If it's an fps I start with hard. If it's an RPG I start with medium. I also can adjust the difficulty later if it's too easy or too hard.

 

[Banzai]

Usually the hardest non-insta/perma-death option. Games aren't super fun if they don't challenge me.

 

[SunshinePuppies]

Games aren't very fun to me unless I'm playing on the hardest mode. been doing it since I was a kid

I make exceptions for RTS games as I'm not good at those and for games where difficulty = bullet or damage sponges (looking at you, bioshock)

 

[Angst]

Hard enough that I die occasionally or mildly struggle

 

[DaleCooper]

I usually pick normal but in the latest ACreed games I crank it down to easy because the enemies are fucking tanks.

 

[Renteka-Bond]

Hard always unless there's absolutely nothing but negatives to doing so. I like to butt my head against the wall since it keeps me engaged, since dying means I'm doing something wrong which means I have a goal to work towards. If a game's too easy, I'd pretty much rather just save the money and time and watch it on Youtube.

 

[Rndom Grenadez]

Depends on the game.

Story heavy games are usually on whatever preset it comes with and I'll adjust if it seems too easy.

FPS one notch up from normal unless it's Halo and then I always play that on legendary.

 

[hasher]

I always go normal. I love it when games allow for a change in difficulty at any time during gameplay, though. I've bumped games both up and down after playing for a few hours to make for a more enjoyable experience depending how "normal" is tuned.

 

[Z-Beat]

Normal if im new or rusty,hard if it's a series i play often

 

[Lari]

Normal or easy depending on the game.

 

[Sundrowned]

Normal for most narrative focused games, but some of my favorite games have base difficulties that are much higher (Bloodborne, Sekiro).

 

[2Blackcats]

Generally hard. Seems to be what games are balanced around despite the naming convention.

I'm looking for maximum fun not necessarily challenge. I tend to Google difficulty levels these days before I start.

 

[TooBusyLookinGud]

Easy if it's an option. I save difficulty for Soulslike and Monster Hunter. It's the perfect balance because my career kicks my ass up and down most work weeks. Also, I love spending time with my wife and son and we are pretty active.

 

[Deleted member 17184]

Lately, it's easy, as I've been trying games I don't usually play and are known for being grindy. Otherwise, it's normal.

 

[VorpalNonsense]

Normal most of the time.
Sometimes on story focused games where I am more interested in that than the gameplay I go easy without regret.
On rare occasions with games I am passionate about I might bump it up to hard to see if I can manage. Most recently the newest Doom games
Literally the only series where I've attempted and beaten hard hard is the Halo series (legendary). I normally don't care about this difficulty at all.

 

[Novocaine]

Honestly depends on the game. Games like Halo Doom and Gears I start on heroic/ultra. Games like Assassin's Creed I'll start on normal but usually bump the difficulty up throughout the play through.

 

[Stranger Things]

Depends on the game.

Some games are inherently difficult and don't need any options to raise or lower difficulty (Dark Souls). So you have no choice but to tough it out. I actually really like games that make you learn the system and prove yourself worthy, and it helps that you literally are a Knight.

Some games are like playable movies and give you a wide range of difficulty options like TLOU Part 2. Story mode, Easy, Normal, Hard, Survivor, Grounded. I usually choose "hard" in these cases because it's probably the most balanced in terms of actually being difficult and getting your money's worth, but not so much that you're frustrated and want to break something because you're stuck on a level.

I'd say games that usually frustrate me are first person shooters like DOOM. I usually choose normal mode and sometimes even lower to easy if I'm getting absolutely crushed by the enemies and AI. That being said a lot PS3 games don't let you change the difficulty mid game (God of war) so you have to be a maniac to choose hard your first play through lol.

 

[Rosebud]

Always easy if it's an action game, I'm slow af.

For other games, depends. I love playing tower defenses on very very hard.

 

[Reinhard]

Normal unless normal is really easy mode in disguise, then it is hard for me. For new game plus I'll increase the difficulty and sometimes if normal becomes way too easy for my skill setup, I'll then raise difficulty if the game allows.

 

[cosmickosm]

Depends on the game. It's usually either Normal or Hard.

 

[evilalien]

Normal/Hard, depends on the genre.

 

[joe1138]

I'll give Hard a shot. If the game isn't fun for me on Hard then I'll lower it to Normal. If the game is all right but the campaign is a slog that goes on forever (*Ghost of Tsushima*) I'll bump it down to easy and just get through it.

 

[_Aaron_]

Depends on the game. Usually normal on first playthrough. Then harder difficulties afterwards if I enjoy it enough to replay. But if it's a new game in a series I'm familiar with, I may start on harder difficulties.

 

[nullref]

Most games rely on some level of challenge and threat of failure to work properly and get your emotional investment, so a cakewalk is boring, but I'm also not generally motivated by mastery or looking to be seriously impeded—if the game is just hard enough to demand my full attention and effort, that's usually sufficient. The default difficulty usually suits me well enough, though occasionally I'll have reasons to up the difficultly a notch.

 

[CaptNink]

Easy these days.

I've realized I don't want the "challenge" of a hard game - I just want to feel like I'm kicking ass for a straight hour.