Playing on easy

[Nick Larking]

Cant even remember a game i played on easy.
I automaticly skip easy/normal and go to hard or higher if the option is there.
Games that require gathering of resources and just increase the time of gathering for higher difficulties i would consider playing on normal, anything else would be too boring to even consider.

[aileron]

I usually start on default or normal difficulty, but I have no qualms about switching to easy if I find it too hard, or even using "god mode" or a cheat code to get past a really hard bit that I'm stuck on. While I can understand other people playing the game through start to finish at normal or harder for a sense of accomplishment, that's just not me. I'm playing a game for fun only. There has to be some challenge there, but if it's too challenging, then it isn't fun for me anymore, so why am I still playing it? That's just me, and of course this only works in single player games.

[Hadley]

As you can see by some of the posts in this topic, people take a lot of pride in their "skills". Personally being good at video games just isn't a priority in my life, so I never touch difficulty. If the default setting isn't fun, I'm playing the wrong game.

Just to clarify, if having to try hard at a video game is fun to you that's great. Everyone has fun differently. I just pretty much play games to relax and unwind.

[Gluesponge]

Well put. I doubt anyone would care that I was reasonably proficient at Defender back in the 80's. I am certainly not today... and doubt my reflexes are capable of recapturing it at my age. Still, whatever is fun. Games that punish for playing on easy just make me think the developers are not marketing at me.

[Dub-Z]

I think Castlevania: Symphony of the Night might qualify, for Richter mode being a tougher and much different play experience with no RPG or loot mechanics and a different moveset / character feel. I actually have always wanted a mode for that game which lets you play as Alucard, keep your starting gear (without doing the skip), but never level up or acquire any other items except subweapons.

In general, I just want to play a game that was playtested and balanced around whatever it's trying to do. Doesn't matter whether it's subjectively easy or hard in different ways. I don't want to put it on hard my first time and not be able to get over the initial hump because I haven't yet learned everything the game will teach me through it's duration, then drop it down to normal and feel like I should have played it on hard again about half way through when it becomes mindlessly easy, to the point that I might as well have just played it on easy. I just pick "normal" and hope for the best.

I like that Dark Souls is Dark Souls. We all have the same experience, no matter what critical conclusion you reach, whether you love it or hate it, put it down after 15 minutes or became a speedrunner and PvP'r. On the flipside, I don't need Journey to give me any resistance whatsoever. Lots of grey area, because at the same time I used to love throwing things completely out of wack with systems and encounter mods in Bethesda RPG's.

[MakeGamesGreatAgain]

I use to play on easy a lot, and then I found that they weren’t challangeing at all for me, then I went to normal.

When you find certain combos and other stuff, you want to make things as hard as possible.

[Irritablesquid]

I always start at medium difficulty, if I really like the game then I'll move up the difficulties.
that's what I tend to do with hitman games and splinter cell games.

I have no problem with easy difficulty, games are meant to be enjoyed whether you enjoy the challenge or just want the story it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it.I

Play games the way you want to different difficulties don't hurt anyone but those with weak minds.

[MadMummy76]

It depends on the game. There are certain types of games where easy is just a time sever and doesn't change the experience in any meaningful way. I played games where even easy was an absolute nightmare for me.

While there are games that I only enjoy on the hardest possible difficulty. For example Far Cry, and similar shooters. Most recently Ghost Recon Wildlands. As long as hardest means more realism.

Games that simply make the enemy ai cheat or turn enemies into bullet sponges are the exact opposite, I play those on easy. I don't mind loosing in a fair game, but I absolutely hate when I loose due to an unfair advantage the ai has.

But there are some games that are grindy as hell and the enemies are bullet sponges even on easy like dragon age inquisition.

[JackofTears]

One of the things I really appreciate about Diablo 3 is how each couple difficulty levels notably changes the challenge - enemies start using better tactics and a wider variety of powers. Because of that, I always look forward to playing that game on some level of Torment, so I can face vastly more interesting enemies in nail-biting challenges. Unfortunately, you have to be careful because if your damage output isn't keeping up with your ambition, enemies will start to feel like damage sponges.

[Musou Tensei]

As child I usually played on easy but nowadays I usually play the difficulty that is the intended way to play the game, which is normally Normal or Medium but it depends on the game. If I like the game enough I do 2nd playthroughs on harder difficulties.

[Gray]

I honestly can't remember the last time I played anything on easy. By default, I tend to like to play games the way the developers intended them to be experienced, and that is usually at the moderate difficulty levels. One exception is difficult fighting games. I'm really bad at fighting games and there have been a few instances where I needed to lower the difficulty.

In fact, this goes both ways, and typically the only times I will change difficulties at all is if there is some specific reason to. The hard mode in Valkyrie Profile, for example.

[Errant_Error]

I don't usually drop the difficulty level to easy but ill keep it at medium or whatever the default. My days of chasing achievements and playing a frustrating game on hard to get an extra 20 points are over.

[JackofTears]

The way I look at it is this: I grew up in the early days of consoles, the Atari 2600, the NES, Sega Genesis, PS1 - in those days games had very little content so they were designed to be these frustrating grinders that reliably killed you every X minutes until you memorized every obstacle in the game and could practically do the run with your eyes closed. Days when you played, died, restarted, died, restarted, died, restarted, for weeks, for months, and even when it became the most frustrating thing in the world, we still did it because we loved games. I did this until I became so good I could beat any Sega Genesis game in the 48 hour rental window I had for the weekend, for many it would take half that.

I earned my bones.

Now, I'm older, my reflexes aren't what they used to be, my attention wanders more than it did in my youth, and it's time to relax a bit. Thus, the first time I play any game, it is on easy. Should, through the course of the game, I decide it isn't challenging enough, I'll raise it - but more often than not I will finish my first time through on easy mode. If the game is worth playing a second time, that's when I move to hard. Once I have the game down and I understand the mechanics, then I'm ready for a bit of a challenge, but before that, I don't care.

That doesn't mean I won't try to play a hard game. I tried playing Dark Souls ... stress on tried. I did play through the very challenging "Shadow Tactics" and that game was so good that I didn't mind quitting every 15 minutes from frustration because I always went back. I am currently playing "Mutant Year Zero" whose 'regular' mode is hard and it only gets worse from there - and because of Shadow Tactics, I'm patient enough to stick with this one. Prior to the Extended Edition, "Divinity Original Sin 2" was a very difficult game for most people and I became quite handy with it. Hard games that I stuck with because the gameplay was fun, the story and characters engaging.

But that is not my norm. I've paid my dues, now I just want to have fun.

[Matcam89]

Great comment

[Matcam89]

Some games I didn’t finish because they were difficult and really bothered me because I really wanted to know more about the world and story are the following

bloodbourne

some of the Ninja Gaiden games

[JackofTears]

When that happens to me, I go to Youtube and watch let's-plays.

[JackofTears]

i have edited my statement to reflect that only certain games I play on easy, the vast majority of games I play on normal. So the “your not a real gamer crowd can relax”

Fuck 'em. Play games at the difficulty level that engages you, it is nobody else's business at what difficulty you enjoy a game. Being good at playing video games isn't going to make your penis or breasts larger, your love life more satisfying, or your kid less retarded. Unless you're a professional gamer or a game journalist - someone whose career depends on playing video games - it doesn't matter one fucking iota what your skill level is at. These are just geeks trying to be bullies. Play to have fun, live to have fun, and to hell with anyone who whines about it.

[umrete]

I recently started playing games on easy(like year or two ago) simply because I don't have time on any other difficulty. I have an 8 year old son and the little time I find for gaming on my PC/PS4/mobile just can't play them all as long as I want. I have like 2 hours or so a work day for games and on the weekends even less.

[Storm Rider]

I don't play in easy, but normal difficulty. It's been I don't have the time to go through the hard or hardest difficulty anymore. I leave early for work and get home late, so I got like 1 or 2 hours to play games without my girlfriend asking me to do some unnatended home chores.
So, go ahead with easy or normal if that's letting you enjoy the game.
It does not matter if you play on hard or easy, it's the experiencies and enjoymen you get while playing that are rewarding