Things modern games are doing better.

[Azure-Supernova]

How is it bad to have literally no consequence for failure? Well, for one it makes the game embaressingly easy to "complete". It makes games distinctly less fun to play overall.

I want to be challenged!

Let me in, coach, I'm ready to play.

As for customizable difficulty levels? In my day games had one main difficulty, hard. If it was too hard the game called you a wuss and laughed at you. That's how I like it.

This is possibly the only area that games haven't improved. I haven't played a single game which has managed difficulty levels well. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater comes closest and that only needed three difficulties: Tutorial, Hard and European Extreme.

Both Bioshocks have fallen at the difficulty hurdle. The hardest difficulties on both retain their challenge for the first level. As soon as you're gathering ADAM the difficulty just dies and I felt like I was just going through the motions ever Big Daddy and boss fight.

OT: I think the main area for me would have to be save/check points. Whilst I enjoy a challenge I can get carried away, this was my downfall in the first Bioshock. Started on the hardest difficulty (without Vita-Chambers for a trophy) and was having so much fun until I got ganked at the end of Fort Frolic by a Big Daddy who tripped a Proximity Mine I accidentally placed.

Sometimes it's nice knowing I have a checkpoint halfway through, it gives me something to work towards during levels I know I'm going to struggle with (fucking Proving Grounds!)

 

[Eric_Autopsy]

Hm.

Physics?