Do You Prefer Easy but Laid-Back Games or Hard but Satisfying Games?

[CooledEvergreen]

There are different games with many different varying difficulty levels. There are some games out there that give very little challenge but provide a more laid-back experience. There are some games out there that provide a massive challenge that causes people to rage and tear their hair out, yet still play the game to feel that massive satisfactory feeling when they overcome the challenge provided. Out of these two style of games, which do you prefer? Or do you not mind how difficult the game is, as long as you enjoy it?

For me, I would go for the Easy but Laid-Back games. Personally,I play games to relax and to take my mind off of any troubles going on in the world for a little while, meaning those games that are filled to the brim with rage-inducing difficulty doesn't really appeal to me.

Edited January 3, 2016 by CooledEvergreen

[Magical CC]

It's up to what kind of game I am playing. If it is RPG, adventure, dating sim or simulation, I prefer an easy game so I can simply walk into Mordor and watch the ending. For FPS, RTS, platform and action genres, I prefer a deep and complicated game (which usually means it gonna be a hard game). For competitive multiplayer game such as CS, Dota, Lol, Wot, I look down upon all of the filthy casuals. I play to win, not to be killed again and again like a training dummy.

Edited January 2, 2016 by Magical CC

[Quintessence]

I like both, but generally prefer hard but satisfying games. It also depends on my mood. When I want to spend time in a game, I go deep into it and choose loong games, but when I just want to relax a bit, I pick something simple like Pokemon Shuffle or so.

[kingddd]

Both depending on my mood.

First playthroughs though I usually prefer easy and then if I enjoy it enough, I go further with harder challenges.

[animeapple]

it depends, its whatever im in the mood for when i pick a game...

[CooledEvergreen]

I'm seeing quite a few "depends" answers so I'll add that to the poll.

[animeapple]

already voted "dont mind"... seemed liked the same thing

[Jules Necrofantasia]

I suck at videogames, so each easy VG is appreciated.

[MCProductions]

Why not both

Seriously tho, I like a challenge, but only when I know what I'm doing, so I always play on the lowest difficulty first. Then if I like the game, I move on to harder modes.

[BLSoldier]

Hard but satisfying games. Though I have no problem with playing easy but laid-back games.

[Xyr]

Depends on my mood. If I'm on the mood for something quick and easy, then that's what I want. If I like something that requires a little more thinking, skill, or work, then I don't mind a challenge but I may drop it at some point if I can't make progress after some time. It's a matter of how much fun I'm having with the game.

[Sarthanta]

I like a mix: Hard but laid-back games. That's a pretty vague descriptor, though.

[Soanevalcke6]

I like both. I like most games regardless of genre or difficulty, what matters the most is that it fleshes out its game design concepts and achieves what it sets out to do in ways that are entertaining. I like Demon's/Dark Souls/Bloodborne (DS2 not so much, but I am cautiously optimistic for DS3), Devil May Cry, Bayonetta (And most things by Platinum), Kid Icarus Uprising, and the Metroid series but I also like things like Yoshi's Wolly World, Kirby games, Donkey Kong Country Returns/Tropical Freeze for easier games and Path of Radiance and Persona 3 (And the FE and SMT series in general) for RPGs

Difficulty, in my opinion, isn't something that automatically makes gameplay better, it needs to have the proper level for the gameplay in question.

[Knight Falchion]

I like both, but I prefer hard but satisfying.

[Loki Laufeyson]

Depends how im feeling. Sometimes i want my proverbial balls crushed, but its not often. I like a brisk pace, and at times, i really like to just relax and enjoy myself.

[HF Makalov Fanboy Kai]

both, depending on my mood

[angienessyo]

I'd rather easy. I really have to be in the mood for something like Bloodborne. Easy I can play regardless of my mindset.

[Zera]

Where is the "both" option? I like intense games... and Kirby.

[Masked And Dangerous]

I spend most of my time pursuing difficult games like the Shin Megami Tensei series or Dark Souls, but at the same time if I'm in a mood I'll plug in Link Between Worlds and 100% it in a day

[Kirie]

Chalk another one up on the "Depends" column. For me it's mostly a matter of the style of game. If it's difficulty that requires thinking and planning (like many FE harder modes), then I'm all for it, but my reflexes are pretty poor, so for anything that involves timing and coordination, I tend towards the easy end of the spectrum.

[maybe]

"easy but laid-back" is kind of redundant

[CooledEvergreen]

"easy but laid-back" is kind of redundant

When I say "easy", I mean easy in difficulty. A horror game can be easy in difficulty, but I don't think you could really describe a horror game as "laid-back". (Although maybe you mean something else?)

[Splodge]

Although "depends" is the "can't be bothered thinking about it" answer, It's gonna have to be the one I go for, and varies largely depending on what genre I'm playing. Most of the time however, I'd lean towards a hard but satisfying experience.

I generally prefer to play "older" genres, like shoot 'em ups, platformers, fighters, RPGs etc. as tough as they get, so in that regard I'm a big fan of the likes of Treasure, Arcsys, Atlus etc. That also extends into the few competitve games I play, such as Puyo Puyo, which can really only "work" as a difficult experience.

Easy but laid-back games however, I generally prefer for more "modern" genres, like FPS, MOBAs, Sports, Driving (I'm not blind to the existence of excitebike etc. but I think these genres have only fully developed much more recently than the platformer for example) etc. to be on the easier scale, because, for some reason, I tend to get more frustated with these kinds of games.

One thing that bugs me though is this stigma that hard games are better designed than easy games. Whilst I can certainly agree that Dark Souls is a much better designed game than the Call of Duty single-player campaign, I wouldn't go that far with something like Yoshi's Island. Design goes far beyong challenging a player to their absoulte limit, and a lot of laid-back games show this really well, such as Yoshi's Island and Super Mario Galaxy. These are some of the highest regarded games of all time, and are all piss easy. Instead of difficulty, I look for control from than anything, though it's certainly arguable there's no better way to feel in "control" than by defeating a hard enemy. /semi-relevant rant over

[Rapier]

Hard but satisfying, because easy games bore me. If there is no challenge in what I am doing, then the experience feels "hollow" (for a lack of a better term).

[Darros]

Depends on what's going on around me. With school if I game at all I way prefer an easy, laid back, game so I can just kind of drop it and not worry about having to finish it ((I can be stubborn sometimes)). If I'm just working though or doing nothing I'd rather play a hard and satisfying game, ideally a long one.