Once again, I’ve been reflecting on gaming preferences. I’m generally almost omnivorous when it comes to genres—I enjoy a wide variety. But a few years ago, I realized I’ve started gravitating toward casual gameplay. Games like Dark Souls already terrify me just from their descriptions. I want a great story, engaging gameplay, but without bone-crushing difficulty.
I still enjoy hack-and-slash games, but in recent years I often play them on easy mode. I understand this means I miss out on some of the satisfaction. But trying to beat a boss 100,500 times robs me of far more enjoyment. Life is too short for that.
Even with this approach, I sometimes encounter wildly unbalanced gameplay. Take Darksiders 3 (which I didn’t like at all compared to the first two games). My daughter spent a week trying to beat one boss on normal difficulty. I spent four days on easy. The balance is horribly off when most of the game feels smooth, and then you hit a sudden spike in difficulty. Honestly, I’m surprised I didn’t quit. What’s strange is that after that boss, the game gets easier and smoother again until the end.
In Darksiders Genesis, like a true masochist, I play without a gamepad (despite constant reminders from the developers that playing without one is pain and suffering—then why even bother including keyboard controls if they couldn’t make them decent?). And halfway through the game, there’s another boss where I hit a wall. This, despite my characters being leveled about 30% higher than the recommended level for that boss.
What I’ve been pondering is this: who are all these people playing games on Nightmare mode? When even on easy, I sometimes feel like giving up.
And why have I suddenly shifted toward easy modes in so many games?
In general, I’m all for adaptive difficulty. A game should help the player make it to the end and get maximum enjoyment. The worst outcome is when a player quits a game and is left with a bitter aftertaste.
