Are games becoming easier nowadays?

[grandjackal]

Zelda gets easier simply because I think that basically we know what to expect. Dungeons though...creativity is getting better, but puzzles are not. TP had cool dungeons, but not particularly hard ones. The GBA zeldas? Those were some ballbreakers. Lol, Olrox.

[Celice]

I agree with Bianchi. People are more experienced with games these days, so it makes it feel like they're easier. There is also ways in which the gaming industry itself has improved and games are made to be better suited to the people that play them, if that makes any sense.

That doesn't hold up when you play older games. Many people still complain, regardless of how experienced they are, that the older games are difficult.

Game makers should look to Super Mario Galaxy for a good balance of difficulty. The first half of the game was fairly easy (pretty much the whole story), but some of the extra missions were very hard, especially as Luigi. It gives hard-core gamers a challenge without alienating newcomers.

A game where lives are thrown at you? I think not D: Hell, the best part of the game was collecting all the purple coins, as it felt like the levels were being put to use finally. The inherent goals of the levels felt like tutorials, and then you were told "nope, world over" once you got your feet slightly wet. There's no real plunge, save a select few bonus scenerios/levels :(

As long as developers attempt to create easy games, relative difficulty selections is a plus. That being gradients of difficulty that the player can choose when starting the game: preferably something more than 'Piss Easy,' 'Easy,' and 'Gettin' There' modes :x While an exaggeration, there's nothing blown up about the pluses of having difficulty that even minutely stacks up, such as less ammo, enemies being stronger, different enemy arrangements (RANDOM MODE developers :( ).

[Icon of Sin]

Zelda gets easier simply because I think that basically we know what to expect.

I clearly remember those crabs in aLttP. You could encounter one freshly after coming out of the church ( you'd need to go pretty far but you can still go there ) and they'd take 2 hearts each hit. You probably only had 4 at that point.

Now Darknuts take more or less a heart/a heart and a half, near endgame. Most bosses also only deal a quarter/half a heart of damage. Even Volvagia back in OoT had attacks that dealt several hearts of damage if you got hit by them. I think his fire breath alone was 4.

We do get more experienced but the games are also easier. Kinda why I almost only play hacks now.

[uguu]

Saying that people are getting more experienced and that makes them easier is stupid because people are being born every day.

Yes, but there is hope. Mario Kart Wii's 150cc is more brutal and harder than ever.

Except pure luck =/= hard.

[grandjackal]

I clearly remember those crabs in aLttP. You could encounter one freshly after coming out of the church ( you'd need to go pretty far but you can still go there ) and they'd take 2 hearts each hit. You probably only had 4 at that point.

Now Darknuts take more or less a heart/a heart and a half, near endgame. Most bosses also only deal a quarter/half a heart of damage. Even Volvagia back in OoT had attacks that dealt several hearts of damage if you got hit by them. I think his fire breath alone was 4.

We do get more experienced but the games are also easier. Kinda why I almost only play hacks now.

The crabs? You mean those things running around under bushes? Just avoid them. Volvagia is a pushover too, OoT alone is a joke in difficulty. Majora's Mask Gyorg? Now we're talking difficulty. Hell, Odolwa was pretty badass for a first boss.

[Dat Nick]

Y'all make it seem like nothing hard ever comes out nowadays.

Contra 4 much?

[Bohemund]

Games may appear easier because developers are trying to attract casual and non-gamers to buy more of their products. This is usually why games come in different modes; so that hardcore gamers may still get the challenge they are after.

[Rodykitty]

This is usually why games come in different modes

The problem is when:

- Hard modes aren't really hard, and thus fail at what they're supposed to do

- The game is too easy and doesn't have a hard mode

The crabs? You mean those things running around under bushes? Just avoid them.

A lot of things could actually damage you in ALttP to the point where potions are actually helpful. ALttP is also not a game where three hearts are being dropped in every single bush you slash, as well as not a game where it takes no effort to deal damage to bosses.

OoT alone is a joke in difficulty.

Yeah. OoT was a pretty easy game and I never was too thrilled about that, but here's why Twilight Princess fails in difficulty...

IT'S TEN TIMES EASIER.

The only thing challenging about TP are some of its puzzles, which I admit, but also there wasn't much creativity in some puzzles either, especially repeat Hookshot puzzles and block pushing puzzles.

Edited February 9, 2009 by Chainey

[grandjackal]

A lot of things could actually damage you in ALttP to the point where potions are actually helpful. ALttP is also not a game where three hearts are being dropped in every single bush you slash, as well as not a game where it takes no effort to deal damage to bosses.

I'm aware, was saying like those are the least of one's worries.

Yeah. OoT was a pretty easy game and I never was too thrilled about that, but here's why Twilight Princess fails in difficulty...

IT'S TEN TIMES EASIER.

The only thing challenging about TP are some of its puzzles, which I admit, but also there wasn't much creativity in some puzzles either, especially repeat Hookshot puzzles and block pushing puzzles.

Agreed

[Rodykitty]

'm aware, was saying like those are the least of one's worries.

I'm pretty sure the crab is an example, and an excellent example too, especially when compared to one of TP's bigger enemies. When a minor, insignificant enemy in ALttP is 4x as powerful as a giant piece of armor, then something is wrong.

[Florete]

Are some people trying to say that ALttP was hard? That's laughable. That was only my second or third Zelda, but it was definitely the easiest I've played. The puzzles were a joke and IIRC, the bosses were mainly just slash, slash, slash, dead.

Saying that people are getting more experienced and that makes them easier is stupid because people are being born every day.

Experienced gamers weren't born yesterday. <_<

[Rodykitty]

Are some people trying to say that ALttP was hard? That's laughable. That was only my second or third Zelda, but it was definitely the easiest I've played. The puzzles were a joke and IIRC, the bosses were mainly just slash, slash, slash, dead.

The puzzles were an evolution of Zelda 1 exploration style dungeons in which a lot of the challenge is exploring the dungeons. Combat was actually a huge part of the game, and while the game wasn't Contra or Ninja Gaiden hard, actual EFFORT had to be put into it, which what makes it so great. To say that it's easy? No, it's not easy. It's medium difficulty, and for all the right reasons.

[Ike-Mike]

Games have become easier because the developers finally realized that they aren't programming games for the Arcade anymore.

Super Mario Galaxy is the perfect example that an easy game that is long because it throws so much content at you for the long time that you actually beat it than a difficult game that is actually short but artificially made long because you have to repeat the same segment over and over again.

That games become easier because you are more experienced is very true. Just a few years ago I found Mega Man games to be by far the most difficult games I've ever played. Then I started to pull myself through them and now it's only a matter of one or two hours until I beat one. Something like this on a lesser scale happened with Mega Man 9, where many said that it was too hard when it first came out.

I've also spent hours plowing myself through Super Mario Bros. 3 and now I find it as easy/difficult as Mario Galaxy save maybe the final world.

[uguu]

Are some people trying to say that ALttP was hard? That's laughable. That was only my second or third Zelda, but it was definitely the easiest I've played. The puzzles were a joke and IIRC, the bosses were mainly just slash, slash, slash, dead.

Experienced gamers weren't born yesterday. <_<

Except those same games that are easy for experienced gamers are also easy for inexperienced gamers.

For example, Mega Man 9. I have played Mega Man 1-6, 9, and III and I can easily say that 9, while harder than plenty of other games these days, is the easiest of those eight games. And right after completing Mega Man 9 I went back and played 4 and I did pretty good. Why is this? This is because Mega Man 9 is the easiest Mega Man of the classic series. I got used to how to play Mega Man and then went back and played 4 and did really well because Mega Man 9 got me more experienced at Mega Man games, while I sucked at them before and could barely beat a single stage in 1-6 and III. Mega Man 9 is one of the hardest games released in the past few years but it is still much easier than the previous Mega Man games.

Mega Man 9=one of the hardest games in the last few years

Mega Man 9=easier than old Mega Man games

Mega Man 9=less than a year old

New games=easier than old games

[CGV]

What about the hard modes that a lot of games have? Maybe a lot of games just have an easy and hard option

[uguu]

What about the hard modes that a lot of games have? Maybe a lot of games just have an easy and hard option

Many of those hard modes are still easier than a lot of old games.

GOD HAND is cool because it's normal mode is as hard as a lot of current games' hard modes.

[Ike-Mike]

Mega Man 9=easier than old Mega Man games

... what?

[The Envoy of the Beginning]

... what?

He might be drunk or something.

I can't see how Mega Man 9 was easy. It was the hardest of the classic series, followed by the very first one.

Edited February 9, 2009 by Black Luster Soldier

[uguu]

I don't see how it isn't easier than the classic series. I mean, there's the wily levels, but the wily levels are still easier than older Mega Man game's wily levels.

[Erk]

The only game I found I couldnt beat in the one week rent time was Fall Out 3, but everything else you can think of I beat in a week or less lol.

[uguu]

The only game I found I couldnt beat in the one week rent time was Fall Out 3, but everything else you can think of I beat in a week or less lol.

I doubt very many people have beaten Tales of Vesperia as fast as me. 8) (In about 5 days)

[¬_¬]

Bleh, a week for me, I get bored after 5 hour sessions.

[Wayward Knight]

I think they are. You know how many NES/SNES I've given up on finishing? <_<

[DeSu]

not that i'm arguing against it, but you have to consider that way back in the before-time people didn't have much experience with games, which could make them appear harder. since nowadays most gamers are more experienced with games, it can make it seem as if today's games are easier.

Totally wrong. I can say, without a doubt, old games are harder. Why? Because I STILL cannot beat Super Ghouls n Ghosts for GBA, even though in the older version there were NO save points, NO continues, and about 20 levels. It took my dad DAYS to beat it, cuz even if you get to near the end, if you lose your lives(You barely get any of those), better get ready to start a new game baby.

Also, I'm playing DMC 1 right now, and I'll say it's a LOT harder than most games I've been playing recently.

Other games that I find difficult include...

TWEWY, on Ultimate, level 1-10 only

DMC 1, its normal mode is harder than most other game's hard mode, and the first boss is BRUTAL.

Left 4 Dead on Expert. I KNOW noobs can't beat this. Actually takes teamwork, THOUGHT, and skill

Halo 3 Legendary. Challenging

Star Ocean 3( Don't even get me fuckin' started)

Aaaaaaaaaand that's about it. Most other games must be made artificially difficult (I.E., go through the game with the starting weapon, don't use items, kill off partners, etc.). It's ridiculous. I started off Kingdom Hearts II on Proud(hardest difficulty) mode. I only died against two bosses. One was a ridiculously easy boss that I just didn't know how to kill, the other was Sephiroth. Sephiroth was really fun and difficult(for some reason most people suggest you be at LEVEL 100. I beat him at lvl 60). Even after I beat him, he's still difficult( although not as much as before, obviously). Another game which was piss easy: Blue Dragon. I was so easy I HEALED THE FINAL BOSS TO MAKE IT FEEL MORE DIFFICULT. I didn't even heal myself once. Pathetic.