Playing games on Easy: opinions

[Pfeff]

I always go the second to hardest difficulty. A few years ago there were some games that you only saw the real ending if you used one of those and so now to not miss anything I always go to the second hardest, even if it's not true anymore. I die a lot, sure, but what's the point of steamrolling through something. I like a challenge

[Duruka]

If there are difficulty options, I usually play on normal/medium. If I want to play through again or it's a genre I'm skilled at, I might play on a higher difficulty. Games without difficulty modes I'll challenge myself to 100% clear it (mostly in platformers) or put some restrictions on how I play (like a nuzlocke run in Pokemon). Challenge is always nice, and makes you feel like you've accomplished something.

I play first and foremost for the gameplay. If all I want is a good story, I'd rather read a book.

[OrcsRLame]

I usually play on normal for a first playthrough, but if I think a game's gonna be really hard I will try easy first. On the other hand, if the game is a sequel to a series I know well, I have no problem starting on the highest difficulty.

[Rabka Uhalla]

I don't understand how you could feel like a god on Easy, how is slaughtering npc's with the fight-back of a helpless old woman empowering? If anything, being able to cleave through the masses on the hardest should be empowering, but whatever I guess. I play on Normal to start with, but if I find it's too easy, I'll work my way up until it's adequately challenged. Kinda wish Skyrim's Master difficulty was the normal, because it's really not that hard at all. But alas, that's a discussion for another time, I guess.

[Mordin Solus]

i am currently an achiev junkie on my games, so if there is an achiev that requires you to play the game on the highest dificulty, i will do it first. else i will do it on normal and start scalling up towards the most hard since it will help me find out how my oponents work (how they atack, block, dodge, special moves, enrage timers if existent)

[Mankirks Daughter]

sometimes you just want to enjoy the story. Also it makes you feel like a god. it's a good thing.

I understand both points, though personally, I get bored feeling overpowered unless I worked to get that way. Like in FFX, you can easily beat the game without doing any endgame/meta-game weapons. However, I went through the trouble of doing the ultimate weapons quests for everybody and unlocked most of their sphere grid as well as cleared most of the Monster Colosseum (was summer vacation during my younger years and didn't have much else to play that I hadn't already beaten). Killed the final boss in about 3-5 turns. Total overkill, but I spent a lot of time unlocking that stuff to get that way (plus it's handy for the Monster Colosseum) which made it interesting. If I had that overpoweredness throughout the whole game without earning it, I most likely would have became bored.

tldr; I don't care for easy modes and usually play on normal and rarely hard [setting], but to each their own though. I get that some people just want to play the game while others like the thrill of a challenge.

[Sj]

I don't always play games for a challenge. Sometimes I like just taking everything in without the frustration. The only games I refuse to play on easy are the old Megaman games that have the difficult setting. I've been playing some of those games for over 20 years so easy is a little too easy.

[King Shark]

Depends on the game. If I want to feel godly and destroy everything (KoToR for example), or if the game becomes more trouble than it's worth then I'll play on easy or cheat my ass off. Otherwise, I go usually play on Normal.

Off topic: Number Munchers... holy shit, that takes me back.

[wariofan1]

Depends on the game, but mostly I start out with choosing normal, I hate going through everything with ease, and there are few things that can make me ragequit after having played Battletoads nearly religiously.

[Driahtvacahtve]

It depends enormously on the type of game.
If I enjoy the gameplay for the challenge (Starcraft2), then nothing less than the hardest will do, and I will go out of my way to find obscure challenges (such as achievements).
If I'd rather enjoy the story, or certain parts of the gameplay only, (Say, an Elder Scrolls game) then I might play on normal or slightly higher.
I usually only use the easiest difficulties for very specific things.
Trying out certain specific levels or similar, for crazy stuff.

Actually, on closer reflection, I find I play real-time strategy games on the highest difficulty possible.
Turn-based strategy to a lesser extent, and then other stuff like shooters on lower difficulties, as I simply do not enjoy that type of gameplay as much.

Particularly Blizzard games tend to bring out my hunt for the hardest difficulty.
Somehow I just find Blizzard games amazingly well tuned.

[dokilar]

if i want to enjoy the story and get immersed ill play the game on easy. games like halo, which i thoroughly enjoy the story of, i tend to play on normal or hard just because ive been playing halo games for a long time and am familiar with how all the shit works, but other games i tend to play on easy or normal if i dont know anything about just so i can get accustomed to how the game handles and shit.

once ive gotten familiar with everything ill crank up the difficulty to enjoy the challenge. some of the most fun ive ever had was beating halo 3 on the hardest difficulty. i was playing co-op with a friend and we would laugh for hours when we got into a room with a bunch of brutes.

[Deleted]

I play on Normal mostly, but with the Halo-series I play on Easy. Not because the games hard, but because I fucking love one-hit KOing aliens with punches.

[Deleted]

I have always played story driven single player games and campaigns on the easiest mode available on the first play though. I like to be able to enjoy the storyline and get immersed in it where possible. dying several times, having to reload the game from save points and genrally getting frustrated when I hot a brick wall is not what I want in a single player game.

However once it has been compleated then I will switch to the hardest mode and play it through again without the stress.

[theredviola]

sometimes you just want to enjoy the story. Also it makes you feel like a god. it's a good thing.

This.

I always start a game on the setting in which it's set to when I start it up. If it's to hard, then I knock it down and take it out on easy then slowly progress through the difficulty modes until it's no longer fun.

[Flaks]

It's been a pretty long time since I played a game on easy.

If it's a game that I want to see JUST for the story, I'd rather watch a friend play through it. That's what I did for all of the God of Wars.

[glowzone]

Hard to begin with, usually.

[ddsad2212]

I used to like only play games on easy mode, then over a period of about 3 months went from only easy to only hard modes. I feel that playing games on easy mode when I was younger(did it that way due to friend saying just put it on easy) has made me worse now. Since playing on hard mode I just exploded at how good I am at games. But then again I play a lot of games like league or Sc2 to win. I suppose it depends do you want to play to relax or do you want to play for a challenge

[Tradu]

If I want to play for the story and don't care about difficulty, I'll do easy. Usually I go with normal, though.

[Caesonia]

personally i dont find a game fun if its not challenging so i usually try to finish them on the highest difficulty, of course i have a lot of time on my hands only working part time atm so that could be part of it heh

[Joeydivision82]

There are some really interesting responses here, and I'm really shocked so many people are for the Easy mode.

Also, how do most of you find time for multiple playthroughs? I do one at most because my time is somewhat limited, and I have about 200 games, and a ton of which are waiting to be played, or partially finished.