Playing on easy does it make the game worse?

[fearofsleep]

only if it is a particularly hard game, or if having an abundance of health or ammo makes the game just more enjoyable, i dont know if theres a easy difficulty setting in New Vegas, but if there is, i am picking the easiest one when i get it

 

[Thurston]

The goal is fun. Do what is fun for you.

I liked Duke Nuke'm 3D back in the 1990's. I finished it several times, with invincible cheat on. Why? I found it most fun running around, blasting bad guys into chunky salsa, and laughing like an idiot.

With my current MMO, City of Heroes, the difficulty settings are very flexible. Some days, I want to steamroll helpless mooks, and quash laughable "Bosses" with aplomb and contempt. Other days, I want to sweat and bite my knuckles with every fight, and EARN the final victory.

Your buddy may have one of those "Stop Having Fun, Guys!" jerks. If you aren't doing it his way, you are wrong/weak/stupid/"casual"/etc. It's your game, it's your time, so have your fun, your way.

 

[Viivrabe]

really i think it has to do with the game, some games i feel need to be played on the harder difficulties, because saving the world should not be easy.
but there are other games that its just sooo much fun to be a god amongst men and slotter armies with the least amount of effort

personally i like playing through on the hardest difficulty first, and if i feel i missed any thing going again through it on easy

 

[Confidingtripod]

I play on normal, easy is just... too easy. I turn to hard if I start to really become overpowered but I like having a challenge, not to the point its frustrating, just enough to make me take a while at it... I feel I got more value for my money that way...

 

[Rascarin]

I almost always play the easiest difficult. I mostly play RPG's, so I'm in it for the story and the shiny character customisations. Tactics, enemy grinding, dying repeatedly - they bore and anger me.

I'll only play a higher difficult if there is a compelling reason to do so - namely, an associated achievement (the ONLY reason I'm attempting Mass Effect 2 on Insanity. It's a right *****).

EDIT: Saying that, there is something deeply satisfying about doing well on Insanity. I'll be playing, usually drunk, ace a combat section, and think "I AM A FUCKING GODDESS AT THIS GAME!"

So... I guess higher difficulties are for once you've got all the story you can out of a game, then just want to go on a little ego trip. And earn achievements.

 

[Fishyash]

I always start on normal at least when playing. I like the challenge and potential bragging rights from overcoming the challenge. Generally I feel the victories in games feel bigger when I struggle for them basically, they feel like victories well earned.

I don't completely agree with your friend though, but I do believe that playing on 'easy' difficulty can kind of diminish the intended playstyle for the game. Just that you can play the game completely differently without taking an intended or special approach to the levels.

I appreciate games that slightly frustrate me with difficulty as long as it isn't due to luck or bad mechanics/physics/controls. Generally makes me more determined to step up to the challenge. However if I am losing to seemingly ridiculous things, or the only approach I can see is one that takes up a lot of time, I am going to put the difficulty back down to normal.

 

[CrazyMedic]

it depends on the game a game like mass effect where it is about story but a game like ninja gaiden which is just kinda there to be hard I think should be played on normal or hard.

 

[Digikid]

No it does not in the least.

When I get a game that I am not familiar with yes I put it on easy to get more familiar with the controls and story.

Only way to play.

 

[Rathands]

No. Playing on easy doesn't generally affect how good games are, (the only one I can think of is Plok on the SNES because that game is spectacularly hard if you're seven years old and playing on easy gives you the option to finish the game on the first island). If they want to set themselves a challenge then kudos to them but believing that everyone else should play like you - sounds like your friend is being a little bit elitist.

 

[MrFluffy-X]

all easy setting tend to be far too easy. I have a system. Play normal first, if you find it too easy play hard, play easy if you find it too hard.

To be honest I find it almost disrespectful if you don?t attempt at least normal.

For example: when playing a horror game. If you don?t have to think about rationing and the difficulty of the enemies then what is there to be scared of? Why not enjoy the story and the challenge?

Nothing beats the feeling of getting past a section of the game that has been kicking your ass

 

[Requx]

Depends if you like a challenge or a silly walkthrough of the game...also depends on the game and if it has multiplayer because theres nothing more embarrasing than playing Blops on easy then getting merked by all your friends.

 

[Joe Matsuda]

I'm a big fan of playing on easy

I play to relax most of the time so easy ensures I don't die a bunch and get aggrevated or anything...

when I actually want a "challenge" I just play online lol

 

[Tdc2182]

My view is that the easier setting you play, the less seriously you take the game. I rarely tend to care about the combat if I'm the damn Hulk, but blasting it or Veteran difficulty seems slightly ridiculous also.

 

[northeast rower]

I usually go through on normal first for a challenge and for the story, then later I go on harder. I only go on easy if I'm just fucking around (ie, finding intel in Black Ops) or if it is genuinely too hard (Red Faction: Guerrilla)

 

[BreakfastMan]

Heck no. I can actually make some games more fun (see: Red Faction Guerrilla). I too play most games for the experience or for fun, not the thrill of beating a challenge most times. I usually play normal, unless it is in a genre I am inexperienced at (like stealth games or dungeon crawlers).

 

[Bang25]

I find that a game is meant to be a story and a challenge, and that games are best when they provide both. I play games on normal, that way I don't get stuck but still get challenged. Without the challenge, a game quickly becomes boring to me. If you wanted nothing but story you might as well just read a book or watch a movie. I love story, games like KOTOR and Mass Effect are my absolute favorites, but if you get the story but don't EARN it then what's the point? Being able to plow through the GAME part of the game is just boring to me.