Between the recent success of Black Myth: Wukong and the widely popular Astro Bot lies a very thin line of enjoyable difficulty. Compared to retro games like Super Mario, Pac-Man, and many others, video game difficulty settings have evolved throughout the years.
Punishing games like Elden Ring and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice have become the epitome of “git gud” culture, and some gamers have started dialing down difficulty whenever a game offers the option.
Are hard games becoming the norm, or are gamers just losing their touch?
Originally posted on Reddit by user u/leaf_as_parachute, they shared a gaming memory of them breezing through games in the easiest difficulty as a kid and mentioned that playing games in a harder difficulty seemed impossible for their young mind to grasp. They then continued saying that as they grew older, they learned to appreciate the interest of challenging themselves in harder difficulty and earning rewards.
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Many gamers share the same sentiment, with most saying that games that are too easy aren’t as enjoyable as games that give them a bit of challenge. Some say that available difficulty options make or break the game for them. Games such as Starfield and Diablo IV reward players whenever they crank up difficulty, opening up more custom difficulty options.
On the other hand, the top commenter, u/sylarrrrr, stated that ever since reaching their mid-30s, they started dialing down the difficulty to give themselves a chance to enjoy games as they ran out of patience when stuck in certain areas or levels.
Others pointed out that they just want to enjoy the game and not give themselves a hard time as “harder difficulties are already set to max in real life.” Most players in the thread agreed that setting game difficulty in Story Mode and Normal Mode are the best ways to play video games.
Ultimately, video games are designed to be enjoyable regardless of who plays them. Having fun and enjoying is subjective, and many people will have differing opinions about modern difficulty settings. At the end of the day, it is always best to opt for what you feel is the most enjoyable gaming experience for yourself.
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