OMG! This game is SO HARD!!!

[Mass Distraction]

What do you guys think about the difficulty of games nowadays? Do you prefer your games to be hard or are you just in for the story and nothing more?

I came up with this when I was playing Ninja Gaiden 3 for PS3. It's so odd to see a game that was once known as the hardest game ever to hold your hand like this. Rarely I even see games holding your hand as much as this game does, reminding me every few minutes to hit enemies by pressing the "attack" button or to check where I'm going even when I'm in a straight hallway with absolutely nowhere to go but forwards. I'm well over halfway through the game and I'm still feeling like I'm in a tutorial mission.

There are still legitly hard games out there too but when a game actually is a tough nut to crack, so to speak, it seems to result in some reviewers saying that "the game is too hard, minus 10,000 points". What happened to appreciating the difficulty? Where's the challenge in just walking through what is essentially an interactive movie? Am I the only one who feels good about triumphing over an insanely difficult part? Backtracking and free roaming in most mainstream games seems to be a thing of the past. The lack of innovation nowadays hurts me. Sometimes people even need to come up with more difficutly themselves, hence the uprise of things like Permadeath, Nuzlocke Run and Green Demon Challenge.

Getting back to NG3, the game is okay but... repetitive. They improved on a lot of things but the cost was a really dumbed down game. Is that really what people want?

So many questions, so few answers... That's why I'd appreciate your input!

[Ouberry_13]

It depends. There are some games I own purely for the challenge and difficulty of the games. There are also some that I own for the story. There are a few that overlap into both categories, but only a few. That said, I have to be in the right mood for the 'super-hyper-turbo-ultra' hard games, much like how I need to be in the right mood for an RPG. Otherwise, I'll play some other game. The hard games are not for my entertainment. They are for me to prove I can be better than the game, and so I can have the bragging rights. Hard games are not entertaining, they are a challenge to overcome.

Also, I do not set those arbitrary 'rules' like Nuzlocke or Permadeath. If it's not part of the game to begin with, why should I do something like that? I have plenty of games that will give me more of a challenge than any silly 'rule' like that, anyway.

All that being said, I prefer a story over a challenge, but if the two overlap into one game, then I will have a hard time putting my controller down.

[SERIOUSLY THOUGH]

I prefer playing games for the story, rather than for the difficulty. I hate having to do the same bit 10 times just because I can't beat that specific segment. I like playing a game that's like reading a book (albeit an interactive one). That being said, having your hand held all along the way is just ridiculous - let there be at least some challenge !

[Mass Distraction]

I feel the need to point out that I didn't mean I want all my games to punch me in the face, I just want at least some degree of challenge. Like when I was playing Max Payne 3 on normal, the fact that if you die enough times the game just gives you free ammo and painkillers is just wrong IMO. It's my own fault if I cock up the game, there's no need to start giving me free crap.

For example, there was a part where there was three enemies and I had only three revolver rounds left. It was fun figuring out a plan to kill them all effectively and I did, only to fall into my death moments later because I didn't pay attention. Then I respawn at the part with the three enemies and I have 20 rounds in my pocket. That's BS.

[BumblebeeCody]

Most games are generally over hyped.
Ninja Gaiden 2 was easy as heck. No idea where the "hard" came from.
Demons Souls isn't even a challenge. It's about being patient and not running in.
Just beat DMC3 on Hell or Hell and SSd all missions. Another over hyped game.

ONLY game that required the most dedication was Ikaruga. Spent hours on the Gamecube learning that game. Only when it was released on Xbox did I have an arcade stick to play it properly with. Still a challenge, but never found that super hard game. Just hyped ones.

[gsninja]

Demon's/Dark Souls might be a little overhyped just because the difficulty was marketed so much as THE reason to play them...Ninja Gaiden II, though? Acolyte and Warrior were easy, yeah, but Mentor and Master Ninja were legitimately difficult. If you thought those were "easy as heck" too, then I think it's less of an issue about the game's difficulty and more about you being really good at video games.

As far as NGIII goes, that game was a HUGE disappointment. Not 3/10 disappointing (lol ign), but it was very underwhelming for a game carrying the NG title.

Anyways, I typically don't mind the difficulty of games much as long as they aren't too easy. I expect to at least be able to think and earn my way through the game, unlike in Kingdom Hearts II for example, where you simply have to spam X and occasionally press Triangle to win, even on Proud. A game doesn't have to be hard, I just want to get that feeling of pride after beating it that makes you think "Fuck yeah".

[Zaliphone]

I like a game with ranging difficulties. I'll use CoD as an example, the campaign has 4 difficulty settings. The hardest one is absolutely freaking hard and the easiest is, well, easy. Games without difficulty settings are usually like that for a reason, they were meant to be played a certain way. Hotline Miami is hard, but fair. As is Super Meat Boy. It would ruin the achievement of beating the games if they were easy.

[BumblebeeCody]

(02-20-2013 03:21 AM)gsninja Wrote:  Demon's/Dark Souls might be a little overhyped just because the difficulty was marketed so much as THE reason to play them...Ninja Gaiden II, though? Acolyte and Warrior were easy, yeah, but Mentor and Master Ninja were legitimately difficult. If you thought those were "easy as heck" too, then I think it's less of an issue about the game's difficulty and more about you being really good at video games.

As far as NGIII goes, that game was a HUGE disappointment. Not 3/10 disappointing (lol ign), but it was very underwhelming for a game carrying the NG title.

Honestly I just didn't really get that bothered about NG2. It just didn't feel as challenging as everyone said it was, even on Master. Only achievements I have left are for the DLC but the missions have never been on Deal of The Week

I haven't tried NG3 yet but it looks awesome regardless of what everyone says. In terms of story, who plays NG games for the story? Same with Bayonetta and DMC. Crap stories but you play for the gameplay.

[retrolinkx]

I only play games on harder difficulties to test myself, or get achievements. Halo on Legendary for me is tough, but not impossible, since it's pretty easy to beat it solo because of all my years of knowledge.

Some games are designed to be hard, like Dark Souls and such. I've never played those, and I don't think a game that boasts itself for being hard is good, sure you can brag that you've beaten it and all, but it doesn't mean it's a great game.

Still, the only games I find hard these days, are old games I haven't played in a while like Megaman, and Metal Slug and such.

[Mass Distraction]

If I really like a game I do like to challenge myself by going for higher and higher difficulty levels. Then there are times when I think I just want to have an actual challenge when playing a game, like I did with Silent Hill Downpour when I first played the game and started it on hard. I've played the previous games so I assume I know how to handle the creatures and just go for broke.

[Psychospacecow]

It really depends on the game. I expect Pokemon to be easy, though I enjoy the difficulty from the newest one, and I expect other games to be hard. If it is frustratingly difficult then kill it with fire. If it is ridiculously easy, kill it with fire, but if its easy, relaxing, and fun, or hard, challenging, and fun, I don't really care so long as I can consider it intuitive and has a little immersion.

[BumblebeeCody]

(02-21-2013 11:42 AM)Psychospacecow Wrote:  It really depends on the game. I expect Pokemon to be easy, though I enjoy the difficulty from the newest one, and I expect other games to be hard. If it is frustratingly difficult then kill it with fire. If it is ridiculously easy, kill it with fire, but if its easy, relaxing, and fun, or hard, challenging, and fun, I don't really care so long as I can consider it intuitive and has a little immersion.

One of the latest additions to the Pokemon series is difficulty. After being Black/White 2 you can increase the difficulty. A few changes are:
Higher level Wild Pokemon
Higher trainer Pokemon and some Trainer Pokemon(Pokemenz?) are EV trained.

I don't mean to sound like a big headed prick but I beat DMC3 yesterday on HaH and SS ranked all the missions. I just didn't find it that hard. I honestly believe it's a bandwagon "thing" in that the more people say it, the more they think it's true. NG2, DMC3, Dark Souls and Megaman. If you learn how the DMC3 and NG2 game system work, they're become pretty easy to master. Dark Souls and Megaman are beginners trap games. Taking your time to learn enemy routes/patterns and not rush in. The problem with DMC/NG2 is most people are button mashers who never took the time to learn how the game works and therefore consider the game hard.

The only game that was rock hard was Ikaruga and that's just the learning curve. Those games always have the exact same path so learning a stage is what takes time, but the only reason it took longer than other games is because of the Red/White mechanic.

[Psychospacecow]

(02-25-2013 10:51 AM)BumblebeeCody Wrote:  

(02-21-2013 11:42 AM)Psychospacecow Wrote:  It really depends on the game. I expect Pokemon to be easy, though I enjoy the difficulty from the newest one, and I expect other games to be hard. If it is frustratingly difficult then kill it with fire. If it is ridiculously easy, kill it with fire, but if its easy, relaxing, and fun, or hard, challenging, and fun, I don't really care so long as I can consider it intuitive and has a little immersion.

One of the latest additions to the Pokemon series is difficulty. After being Black/White 2 you can increase the difficulty. A few changes are:
Higher level Wild Pokemon
Higher trainer Pokemon and some Trainer Pokemon(Pokemenz?) are EV trained.

Congrats on being better than me at DMC.

I know about the Poke-difficulty. That's what I was referring to actually though I don't blame your not understanding me.

[Ouberry_13]

No offense to you, Cody, but every game is easy once you get used to its control and gameplay.

[BumblebeeCody]

(02-25-2013 11:07 AM)Psychospacecow Wrote:  

(02-25-2013 10:51 AM)BumblebeeCody Wrote:  

(02-21-2013 11:42 AM)Psychospacecow Wrote:  It really depends on the game. I expect Pokemon to be easy, though I enjoy the difficulty from the newest one, and I expect other games to be hard. If it is frustratingly difficult then kill it with fire. If it is ridiculously easy, kill it with fire, but if its easy, relaxing, and fun, or hard, challenging, and fun, I don't really care so long as I can consider it intuitive and has a little immersion.

One of the latest additions to the Pokemon series is difficulty. After being Black/White 2 you can increase the difficulty. A few changes are:
Higher level Wild Pokemon
Higher trainer Pokemon and some Trainer Pokemon(Pokemenz?) are EV trained.

Congrats on being better than me at DMC.

I know about the Poke-difficulty. That's what I was referring to actually though I don't blame your not understanding me.

Ah OK soz.

(02-25-2013 11:13 AM)Ouberry_13 Wrote:  No offense to you, Cody, but every game is easy once you get used to its control and gameplay.

None taken, but DMC is under-developed game by most.
Or there is the other type of hard. Playing Adventure-Puzzle games or graphic novels are hard for me. Watching Xannidel play Scratches, I get stuck in those games all the time