I've started over, and this time it's on Legendary.

[BHvrd]

For too long "I would say the past 2+ years" I have been dredging my way through games only to find myself stopping before even half way completed.

So long i've wondered why I just don't have the gaming "fix" or "addiction" I used to have. I would play a game and my mind would just go dead. I should have figured it out sooner I guess, but instead I just kind of quit and started enjoying other things "not necessarily a bad thing".

Some may wonder what prompted this all of a sudden "awakening". The answer is "God of War".

There I was fighting that Hydra, hacking and slashing, getting bitten...., but, wait.....I'M NOT LOSING ANY FREAKING ENERGY! This was an outrage!

I can accept some things.
example:
1.) not losing my rings while playing sonic
2.) a flawless pokemon victory
3.) jumping around on the beach in Dead or Alive extreme beach volleyball and just drooling

COME ON THOUGH! LOSING NO HEALTH WHILE FIGHTING A HYDRA! It's just unacceptable.

I guess some gamers can get through this brain dead gaming zone, but I like to enjoy what I do and blowing through a game by doing almost nothing is not enjoyable to me. It's kind of like cheating, and I have never used a cheating device once "ok maybe once, ask me and i'll tell you why".

I just don't think true gamers should blow through games with no challenge, and if they do it should be almost theatrical every step with limited gameplay, but these games nowadays are mostly gameplay, and when it feels limited I say just bump that babies difficulty up!

So needless to say this has started a new trend for me "unless I cry of course", all my games I play from here on out are going to be started at the hardest difficulty. I have already been doing this for the past month now and games where I was stuck on the normal difficulties have all been erased and i'm further than I was on normal, and damn it....gaming is fun again, damn fun!

I'm back into gaming, can't believe it took me this long to realize why.

[skaar]

I suggest clapping yourself in irons to make the walk to work that much more difficult.

Also wear spiked gloves at all time. It makes going to the bathroom so much more challenging.

[neuropolitique]

This sounds like a good idea to me. I did the same on the first Call of Duty on the PC. I played a bit at a friends house on the default setting, but when I got it I put it on th hardest. The game was great fun.

So long as it's not like Nightmare in Doom, I may follow suit.

[Buyatari]

I played thru COD2 on the 360 on the hardest level. It was so freakin hard and not as much fun. I hated it. Still I felt good when I beat the damn thing but I'll never pick it up again.

[Nez]

I've been doing this for a while, hardest difficulty for most games. Stated with Blsck and have done it for most games since.

God of War 2 on God mode was pretty damn hard, harder then God mode in the first GOW. But Titan mode is a pure beat down.

[BHvrd]

I suggest clapping yourself in irons to make the walk to work that much more difficult.

Also wear spiked gloves at all time. It makes going to the bathroom so much more challenging.

I'm not saying gaming should be hard per se, but when you've experienced alot you expect more.

It's not like I wouldn't play a game on normal if it was done really well. I'm not a glutton for punishment, but lately the balance hasn't been there. It seems more like the hardest difficulties nowadays is what alot of gamers used to consider normal.

Given Halo was much more enjoyable on normal, but insane on legendary. I just use this as one example, and truly it was one game that had very very good difficulty balance.

It really depends on the game I guess, but it's something to take into serious consideration as I think it can hurt the reputation of a game to those who just don't want to play cause it's no challenge at all yet still a good game.

[Poofta!]

try gears of war... on any difficulty, its fuunnnn =] but yes, the harder ones are so much more fun, you feel more of a 'rush' playing, games also much funner with a friend.

[Joker T]

I usually play on the medium difficulty first just so I don't have to worry about getting stuck my first play through and than I'll play through the hardest difficulty later.

[BHvrd]

try gears of war... on any difficulty, its fuunnnn =] but yes, the harder ones are so much more fun, you feel more of a 'rush' playing, games also much funner with a friend.

Yes I know there are games that are made that way and yes I have played Gears of War on all difficulties that game was ok.

The point i'm trying to make here though is there are games many gamers might not be able to get into and aren't sure why despite seeming like good games initially.

I just think these days it's much more important to take difficulty into consideration more than ever. If a game doesn't seem so hot try bumping up the difficulty and try again. It can make or break a game.

I'll use Resistance:Fall of Man as another example. On normal you lose energy and it regenerates. No problem just hide, but on hard you have that energy for the entire level with no regeneration. It makes it a much more challenging and interesting game in terms of gameplay.

There are just so many different factors now that it seems unfair to judge a game solely off the normal difficulty.


P.s. Dark Kingdom sucks on normal, i'm playing on Legendary right now if you wanna join "i'm online".

[djsquarewave]

God Hand. Also Shinobi.

I sort of get bored with games that put up no resistance to my playing them. I figure if a game doesn't kill me once within the first hour or two of playing, I'll probably not end up finishing it. Rule of thumb, yeah, since the death might be cheap or because of the controls, but...that's still a way of challenging the player. Probably why I finished Winback and Winback 2 but never finished MGS3, despite the fact that it's clearly ten times the game either Winback even aspires to be.

[Buyatari]

try gears of war... on any difficulty

I can't play a shooter that lacks a jump button. Seriously.

[scorch56]

I can't play a shooter that lacks a jump button. Seriously.

I'm sure this point has been made before.. but I'm glad you just confirmed it for me. Now.. when I see my friend tomorrow.. I can tell him that indeed.. while his game is awesome.. you CAN'T jump with one key press.

That's got to be the stupidest oversight in a major-selling.. highly acclaimed game.. I've EVER heard of.

I was certain.. there had to be a way.. and we were just missing it.

[djsquarewave]

That's got to be the stupidest oversight in a major-selling.. highly acclaimed game.. I've EVER heard of.

How is it an oversight if the game was specifically designed around neither having nor needing this function? This is like complaning about there not being a shoot button in Sonic the Hedgehog.

[Trebuken]

I would imagine that the default difficulty is gauged to be accessible to the largest audience. Harder difficulties if your a gaming veteran.

I'd imagine most of us here should be playing at a higher difficulty, but it's about the experience for me.

Some games I want to play through because they are great games (Ninja Gaiden) but I don not want to be playing them just because they are tough. I do not want to commit too much time to them, heck I've got way too many games to play already.

I can enjoy a game that is easy (Okami is a good example). If I knoe a game is going to be a great experience before I play it (Gears Of War) I'll often crank up the difficulty the moment I start it simply to make it last longer. I do not replay games the modern games, there are just too many to play...I do have an urge to play Oblivion again, but just can't devote myself to it...

[hezeuschrist]

For the record, the level in God of War with the Hydra is a training level. It's supposed to be super easy and ease you into all the ins and outs of the game without destroying you. It gets considerably harder as you progress.

I guess I'm on the other end of the spectrum though.

I like easy games, I really enjoy what some of them have to offer but I've never been fond of going through anything on the hardest difficulty (save for Guitar hero). I feel there's just way too much to play out there to get stuck playing one part of one game over and over until I best it... and then get stuck on the next chekpoint. I'd rather move through it and get on to the next great experience in a couple weeks or a month rather than devoting the better part of a year to killing one game on its hardest difficulty.

I did however go through Gears on Hardcore, and it was great. I was well versed enough in the game from playing on Casual to do really well... until I got to RAAM. Man, he's a bitch on Hardcore... I can't even imagine Insane.

It might also have something to do with me being shitty at videogames. I'm terrible at them.

Now excuse me while I go back to my 5 starring Psychobilly Freakout on Hard quest...