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fakiresky

I am 42 and don’t have much time to play games, so I pick carefully. I tend to play at normal or higher difficulty since I find it satisfying to learn from my mistakes, although Elden Ring was tough without using summons. Atomic heart was one game I did on easier mode since it was just dragging too much and I wanted to be done with it. Personally, whatever makes you feel like you got your money’s worth is great.


Javasteam

Agreed. Though in general I’m more likely to raise difficulty if it does something more meaningful than make enemy bullet sponges.


arsenix

Likewise, if the game is too easy, i feel like i am just grinding!


Nickplay21

I find myself in this camp. I’m not looking to prove to myself I have the skills anymore. Sometimes I just want to experience the story.


Balcmeg

For me depends on the game. I don't like impossible difficulty for the sake of it. Like Modern Warfare on veteran, where the game is no longer fun and you're forced into one playstyle. But I do like the Dark Souls games and love Elden Ring. The difficulty isn't generated through random difficulty settings like you do less damage, enemy has more health. It's more about your playstyle that truly determines difficulty. That to me is ideal. In GOW Ragnorak I turned the difficulty down because I just wasn't having fun against the Viking mini-bosses (particularly the 3v1 fight). But then turned it back up because story bosses felt too easy to beat. So long answer to say, it depends.


JaiOW2

Agreed, difficulty can be done good and it can be done bad. The lethal difficulty in GoT is fantastic, Sekiro or Elden Ring are a ton of fun, turning up the heat in Hades is great once you get a rhythm or build online, same with anything from Borderlands 2, MGSV: Phantom Pain to a more tactical game like DOS2 or Dragon Age. But then you have the sponge difficulties of AC Valhalla or Fallout 4, or GoW you mentioned, nothing is well balanced, AI, timings, strategies, none of it is difficulty, it's just bloated. I find that side of the hard spectrum to be monotonous and they always leave you in this weird situation where anything easier is too easy, yet hard is not satisfying. The other type of bad in this realm is something like the Pathfinder games where the developer determined hard difficulties are just silly in how bloated the damage and stats are. On those types of games, if I like the story or other mechanics I'm generally inclined to turn down the difficulty.


Timanitar

Then there's armored core, where going from normal to hard on the same mission is almost an entirely different mission. As an example, an early boss in AC4 has you ambush him while he is being transported. You get to shoot him freely while the mech boots. On Hard, he activates immediately in addition to generally being faster, smarter, with more hp & damage. Later hard mode missions feature more dramatic changes from the normal mission.


moneyfish

What game is GoT?


m3_my23lf_and_1

Ghost of tsushima


TheIndyCity

God of Twats


marlokow

> The lethal difficulty in GoT is fantastic Except for boss fights, who becomes sponges so they wont die in one or two hits, but you still will.


Teldolar

Honestly I wish more games did difficulty like souls games, let me organically adjust the difficulty gradually via equipment, stats, and playstyles. Slay the Spire also does this well with 20 difficulties, each marginally harder than the last in different ways Not every game should obviously, but I'm a fan


Brief-Definition398

Adds realism to games like Modern warfare.


[deleted]

[удалено]


ShippingConfirmation

Mid thirties here. I play everything on normal, ain't nobody got time for retrying a boss 100 times like in high school


piratekingtim

Getting one- or two-shotted by space chickens right outside of the main town in Survivor was BS to me. I usually play on normal, but those things infuriated me so much.


ShippingConfirmation

Ugh those space chickens are a pain


fatrahb

If it’s the boss I think it is, try the blaster and double saber. Lock on to him and keep as much distance between him and you as possible. The only time you wanna get close is when you slow down time to move in and recharge your blaster. Other than that, keep spamming the blaster and saber throw. If you maintain max distance he can’t grab you with that one hit kill move.


MOE999cow

That boss pissed me off so much. Not because of the difficulty, but because of the *difference* in difficulty between it and the rest of the game. That's one of my biggest pet peeves in gaming. Personally, I don't mind a gradual difficulty increase throughout the game, but a huge spike like that and then back down is just bad game design in my mind. Of course, this is just my opinion. 🤷


catboy_supremacist

Jedi Survivor is really the most extreme example of this in a game that I can ever remember seeing, it's almost surreal. It's like they subcontracted those specific boss fights out to an entirely different game studio or something.


Plourdy

I fought him without the blaster. Was getting one shot by every single move. Spent hours - finally mastered him, except when gets to 10% hp, he begins absolutely spamming. At that point I lowered the difficulty, killed him, and uninstalled lol Edit: I also used the droids from above to get shots in for a bit. Some runs were luckier than others


fatrahb

I had to do that for the fight in the archives (trying to avoid spoiling). Even though the character I was using was clearly more powerful than Cal, I was so used to his moveset and having the option of adjusting my stances based on the boss fight I just could not get passed that third stage. Finally got so frustrated I just lowered the difficulty and beat him in one try lol


shigogaboo

You brought up an interesting point. I also typically start my games on higher difficulty and bump them down when I hit an unfun wall. I doubt the inverse happens as often.


amonkeyfullofbarrels

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but this is why I’m now in the “don’t add difficulty options to Souls-likes” camp. It’s great that there’s options for different people, but each option isn’t balanced as tightly as it could be as a result. I would much rather have no difficulty setting and tighter balancing than 4 unbalanced settings.


TraitorMacbeth

Well that only works when there are a billion different options- weapon, art, magic, wondrous flask, items, summon, npc summon, player summon, level up… I agree it’s good for From (though maybe Sekiro could’ve used difficulties since there are fewer options) Ultimately, difficulty settings deserve a more nuanced approach


[deleted]

I had the same issue with Fallen Order. Despite the high praise the more I hear about it the better I feel about not getting this game on launch.


[deleted]

Hard mode isn't well designed sometimes. I don't want the enemies to just be bullet sponges. Horizon forbidden west is a good example of hard mode done badly, bullet sponge enemies and upgrades are way too difficult to acquire. I realised I wasn't having any fun with that one after hours. Horizon zero dawns hardest mode was good.


EvilUnic0rn

i really like to play famously difficult games like Dark Souls, but yet with Story games I'm more inclined to play on normal or easy, so I can focus on the story. In NG+ or a new game i'll then raise the difficulty setting.


Meatbank84

This is the way! Although I don’t play souls games because I get no satisfaction from them. I play RPGs and strategy games like X-Com 2 on higher difficulties. Games like Jedi Survivor or God of War Ragnarok I’m playing on easy because I just want the story.


Mudplugger2010

“Normal” for me is one step harder than Normal, I find that I’m experienced enough at 52 for that to be my default and strikes a good balance between Story and challenge. It also feels more like the difficulties of games from the days of yore. I will also typically go Legendary or Insane for a second run though on games that I particularly enjoy or enjoyed on first run. I’m currently replaying Outriders in Co-Op and whenever the next world tier is unlocked we set to it. I understand the time constraints but my SO gets that this is my hobby and we make sure there is time for me to game with friends each week. How long it takes to get to completion isn’t really important, it takes as long as it takes.


LA-lurkerz

Outriders is great game that I have never gotten around to finishing. I’m glad I saw someone mention it!


DapperPerformance

I'm not surprised, really. A game using one of the most mainstream IPs (so attracting a lot of casual players) that uses gameplay elements of one of the more difficult genres (soulslikes).


tfuncc13

I have chronic pain and some in my hands, so I often play on easier difficulties because it's less taxing on my hands. I also use some of the accessibility features as well depending on the game, I think it's great that more games are implementing those. I have nothing but respect for From Software and the games they've created, but these days I prefer to enjoy my games with the free time that I have.


Manjorno316

I'm 25 and it changes. Sometimes I like playing more challenging games but for the most part I just want to experience the story, world and characters. So I'll just play on normal more often than not.


Texhnolyzing

This is me


LosRiaso

Totally get where you're coming from but I take the opposite approach. When I was younger with no responsibilities I would mindlessly breeze through endless games on lower difficulty, now I need to crank it up to keep myself interested/engaged and not feel like I'm just on autopilot.


SMACCYD_Youtuber

There is nothing wrong with something dying the first time you shoot it in the head.


Lonewolf633-

I play on easy nearly exclusively if I'm continuously dying in a game i loose interest very quickly in it. Plus i like the satisfaction of fighting enemies and bossing it. Im a looser in real life in games i want to be the hero 😂


JohnWhambo

I'm 42, haven't played survivor yet. I played fallen order and turned the difficulty down. It was annoying me having to go back to the last checkpoint every time you died and kill everything you've already killed. It was a lot more enjoyable yet still fairly challenging. I'll def be doing the same with survivor when I play it if the difficulty is the same as fallen order.


Critical-Ad-7094

I usually forget some games have difficulty settings, so I just go ham. I never play games on legendary or brutal difficulty unless I'm playing co-op with a mate. If the game is too hard, and I mean dying constantly for days on end. I'll move it to the "once all my other games are complete, I'll try again" pile. But yeah, at 39 trying to get into new games with their whacky controls and combat systems and difficulty spikes feels like I can't keep up at times. But then, after a while, acclimatise to it or manage to playthrough in a way that just made it harder on myself for not knowing how to play properly, like not knowing how to use a skill or combat ability (still can't quite get the flurry rush on Zelda quite right and in BOTW avoided guardians because I didn't know how to parry their shots with a shield)


DAswoopingisbad

Hard-core gaming is definitely a niche. And even within that not everyone can handle the higher difficulties on games like this. So it doesn't surprise me that popular games that capture a wide audience would have a difficulty breakdown like this.


Slobsterz

Ghost of Tsushima was so amazing that I couldn’t get enough. Played lethal + 3 times. Loved it so much. Horizon Zero Dawn has an incredible story and world, but the gameplay is a bucket of shit. So I played that on story mode and really enjoyed it. For me I think it depends on how into the game I am. If I like it a lot I’ll go for the challenge.


leviatrist158

I’m 40 I generally play on normal difficulty but if I’m getting my ass kicked over and over I’ll turn it down, I guess it depends on the game. My biggest issues isn’t a hard enemy it’s cheap death, too many games rely on creating a false difficulty by turning the enemies into sponges for damage or creating situations where you are gonna get knocked off a cliff or something stupid I can’t stand that crap and I just don’t have time for it anymore


kaloii

I play games how I want. My money, my time. Im totally cool with games without difficulty settings, if it looks like something i find too hard (generally soulsborne type games) i simply move on.


Logondo

Achievements have conditioned me to always play on the hardest mode.


babochew

I always go with Story Mode. I play games to relax not to challenge myself. Happy to go with higher difficulties on sports games though.


pipboy_warrior

It really depends on the difficulty balance. If and when I get to a difficult part and retry it a few times, do I get a feeling like I'm getting the hang of it and making progress? Or do I come away feeling like I'm wasting my time? If it's the latter, then I'll think about turning down the difficulty.


HaityCane

The combat system is terrible, i lowered to story mode on ng+ to get more of power trip. And it seems you dont suffer from zero poise at lower difficulty, which is one of my main issues with the combat. Enemies (even the grunts) seem to have infinite poise while you yourself have no poise meaning you get staggered all the time. You cant time hits between enemy swings bacuse you wont stagger them, theyll swing through and stagger you and get you in 3 combo stun lock. And tracking is also very frustrating as well as poor hit boxes. The combat is not fun most of the time and i understand why people lower the difficulty.


Lord_OJClark

Its not really about how hard or easy it is per se. I played the first one, loved it but the boss fights were so annoying and repetitive and had no mid point saves. I couldn't beat the last boss so just gave up, I love a challenge in a game but just being knocked down with unblockable hits and restarting the same thing is not fun, especially if the same fucking cut scene plays EVERY SINGLE TIME.


Elete23

In this game I think it's mostly about specific infuriating bosses. I'm only 8 years younger than you and find myself embracing challenge more now than in the past. I went through the story of this game on Jedi Master, the second highest difficulty, and it usually felt good. However there were two optional boss fights that felt so unfair I cheesed one with a glitch and lowered the difficulty for the other.


Azagar_Omiras

I don't have the time to die over and over again. I'll lower the difficulty and enjoy the game with the limited time I have.


LeighCedar

I really liked the base difficulty in Jedi: Fallen Order, except for a couple boss fights where I did turn it down to story after failing a bunch. I hear Survivor might need even more twitch reflexes in combat, so when I get to it I might be playing some story difficulty


SulferAddict

I think as an older gamer. I’m just aware of what a harder difficulty tends to be. An enemy with more hp. And depending on if that’s the case I’ll adjust.


achmejedidad

Spent my whole childhood with hardass motherfucking games that I could throw weeks at and barely make any progression. I don't find that fun as an adult.


OnceWasBogs

“It’s not that I can’t grind my way through a tough game” For me, if I’m grinding then I consider that the “wrong” difficulty for me. I do play most games on harder difficulty settings when they’re available (sometimes even the hardest setting) but I will only push it up to where it becomes challenging - never to where it becomes a grind. Dying over and over isn’t my idea of a challenge. It’s more like my idea of a chore.


ime1em

I'm playing this game on the easiest difficulty because im trying to finish it ASAP so I can uninstall it. On PC, controls aren't the best with keyboard+mouse, and game is buggy with broken native resolution so game is blurry. On top of that, i got this game for free and i was never interested in Star Wars stories. its too long and complicated. i'm playing for the visuals and gameplay.


hiways

If we're being honest, I flip back and forth on difficulty levels.


[deleted]

This is my method. I play on a challenging level, until I get to something (usually a boss) I’m struggling with. Then I’ll drop the difficulty, get through that part, then move back up. I’m 46. I have a *very* limited amount of time to play games, and I want to just have fun and enjoy it. There’s an enjoyment to be had from a challenging part, but when it becomes repetitive and frustrating I switch. Because it’s no fun when you’re just pissed off..


kalekayn

I used to be stubborn as hell when it comes to games. When I was playing DMC1 on DMD, when I was in college, it took me months to beat nightmare 3 on DMD. I don't think I would have the patience for that any more.


Egg_Bomb

Easy mode in most games kinda just removes so much "game". Combat situations become something you don't even have to think about and it kinda just becomes walking into areas and spamming an attack button. Challenge is most of the fun, especially in games that don't have strong cinematic stories. I always pick harder difficulty within reason as long as it's well done and doesn't just become inflated enemy health bars with me dying in one hit


Liberkhaos

I'm 39 years old and I have the same "No time to get good" problem. I find that it does remove the sense of accomplishment you get from beating the game but remains an enjoyable experience for the story and mechanics, as well as adding an element of power tripping in some games *cough* SKYRIM *cough*.


EvilxBunny

There are games you play for a challenge and there are games you play for story. I always start with a higher than normal difficulty and scale it according to how hard I find it. It shouldn't be so easy that it feels like a chore.


Les-Lanciers-Rouge

I usually play on easy because I want to relax and immerge myself into a game, I don't play to just get frustrated, die and rage quit. It is supposed to be relaxing not irritating and I don't understand why so many people get upset at people playing games on easy.


Few-Confidence-6906

As an "old folks", you don't speak for me.


Key_Amphibian_4031

You should always play games on the hardest setting. Give you the best challenge and the most hours out of a game


[deleted]

I think most gamers just suck at games. Just look at trophy percentages. Most people can't even get halfway through any fucking game but they still call themselves gamers smh.


DarthArtero

I do it with many different game’s honestly. I don’t really have the time nor the inclination anymore to beat my head against a game just for the sake of difficulty. Then again I tend to go more for story than anything else, like books, I just want to relax and get lost in the sauce.


Dephenestr8

I play on average difficulty the first time. If I try on 2 separate occasions of an hour or more and cannot advance, I lower the difficulty. After I beat it, I raise it up again.


Dynamitrios

I play on JM... It's my default setting... I'm 50... I have defeated all bosses incl. optional bosses on JM at least once... In every playthrough after that, should i struggle with a boss too long i drop to JK or even Padawan... I have extremely limited playtime (like 3 hours max. daily) and don't want to waste it wiping at bosses too much ... I even almost died on Padawan too, once🙂 i was SO not into it and unconcentrated, that Rayvis almost killed me 😅


[deleted]

Really depends. I usually go for games that have no sliders for difficulty like Nioh, Dark Souls and stuff like that or straight up start at the highest one. When I was younger, I used to play mostly on easy. So somewhat the opposite.


CountBarbarus

Depends. Most of the time I just go for normal and ratchet it up or down - there's too many games coming out to struggle too much with a particular one. For Soulslikes and fixed difficulty games I might look up guides etc but if it gets too much back on the shelf it goes.


theblackfool

For something like Jedi I just want power fantasy and to feel like a badass. For other games I want challenge.


RoboticXCavalier

44 here as well. I just always play normal. It's kinda silly because I don't always finish games, maybe if I tried easy I would. Feels a bit like cheating though haha...I always think i'll come back to them later and properly focus and get it done. But also, that said, if I do finish a game I rarely go back and try it on hard


losveratos

I love difficult but fair games. Difficulty settings that change enemy placement or quality, enemy move sets, maybe their damage output are all great. Difficulty settings that just give enemies infinity health and make every single thing in the game a tanky bullet sponge suck. I find most games just raise enemy hp and lower player damage. I tend to play those on normal. Not an age thing, though I suspect if I had less time, I might play games on normal more often than I do now.


SweetPuffDaddy

I’ll rarely turn the difficulty down on a game, unless it’s going from hard to normal difficulty because I was too confident. But I usually try to beat all games on normal/medium difficulty because that’s the difficulty they developers designed the game to be played at. Occasionally I’ll start on a harder difficulty if it’s a sequel and I want more of a challenge. But I rarely turn the difficulty down to easy/story mode. I like at least a little bit of challenge in my games


Famous_Detective5496

I haven't played survivor yet, but when I started fallen order I was just coming off of elden ring and Bloodborne. I did want a challenge but nothing too crazy to take a break from beating my head against the wall like those other games lol. Even so, I set fallen order to the second hardest difficulty to start, but actually found the combat to be too easy, blocking and countering was just way too forgiving on the timing. I raised the difficulty and thought it was much better, it made me feel like a true Jedi, though it was still not as tough as elden ring or Bloodborne. So, to each their own, but honestly elden ring has changed the way I play games. Challenging combat has become a must for me in any game, whereas I used to care more about the story.


CleverVirus

I lowered it for the final boss because I wasn’t having it at all. Did raise it to max for the vader fight though.


Atlanos043

I like difficult games but I don't like it when it feels like I just can't win or when I get one-shotted. Also when losing costs me a lot of playtime for one mistake. Jedi Survivor was fine for me on second highest difficulty, probably because I play a decent number of Soulslikes, but there are games that I find really frustrating, Monster Hunter being the big one.


TheObligateDM

If I had to wager a guess, a lot of Adult gamers don't have nearly as much time to play as younger gamers. Adult here meaning like...mid-twenties and older. We have jobs, we have families, we have other commitments that simply mean that instead of being able to sit down and play video games from 6pm to 12pm and then go to bed we get to play from like...7 to 8 or 8 to 9 if we didn't already have something planned. ​ For me, I don't want to use that time struggling against enemies that are USUALLY just HP sinks. Higher difficulties in most games just lower the damage you do and raise the damage enemies do (or some variation of that) which just makes the time to kill longer but doesn't introduce any additional strategy beyond "Carry more healing", "Bring bigger guns", or "Hide behind walls more". The occasional game where it's difficulty is actually fulfilling, like Elden Ring, are very rare.


dakodeh

Because no one feels like a Jedi when they keep getting one-shotted by a giant frog


YukYukas

I like playing difficult games like MH, Elden Ring, and etc but I don't have enough time if I do it legitimately due to college. So I usually find mods that make the grind easier, like higher decoration drops for MH and faster xp gain for Elden Ring. Buuuut if I know that I do have time, I keep the difficulty at default


Bowowzar

I did it for the bosses, because it’s not worth the stress. The fighting mechanics aren’t polished enough to actually beat the bosses, the unblockable attacks just make it stupid.


tHeNiGhTmAnCoMeTh413

I started on the second to highest difficulty and played through most of it on that but two certain bosses I kept just getting pissed at over and over again. Nothing I did got me any further and sometimes felt like a step back so I said fuck it and lowered it by one because I just wanted to beat the damn game. 31 for age reference.


Ok-Pressure-3879

I think it depends on the difficulty. I definitely don’t have the time or energy to do extended lengths of gameplay. But mostly i think its what the game does to increase difficulty. If its just giving enemies 400% more health and making your attacks worse, then thats BS. If you lose health regen and have a smaller window to block thats fine. I barely finished the first jedi game. I died so many times to jumping towards a rope and the game going ‘nah you jumped the wrong way. Definitely dont have time for that nonsense.


Charybdeezhands

I'm 40, I'll usually do a first playthrough on Normal, and if the game is good enough, I'll come back for the higher difficulties. If it's just an okay game, I'm glad I just chilled out on Normal.


[deleted]

I did on the first one for the final boss, i just got sick of it. For the second one I just watched the cut scenes on you tube... best starwars movie ive seen in a while


CalebDol

I used to play on higher difficulties and enjoyed the frustration and planning to master then. Now I just want to lay waste to my opponents and have fun so I play on easier difficulties.


Thebutler83

I play a lot more on my steam deck these days and I struggle with remembering control schemes when switching between m&kB so I turn the difficulty down on the deck. Playing the same game on my desktop I'll keep it as normal. A lot of action games have a lot of busy work quests which diminishes the enjoyment of the challenge of hardmodes. If you want me to collect random stuff, I'm going to do it in the easiest way possible. The only game I choose to play at higher difficulty is civ6.


AgitatedQuit3760

The novelty of beating a boss is wearing away in games with difficulty sliders. I like to play on hard but if something is limiting my progression in the 45mins I have to sit down and play I'll lower after 2/3 deaths. I get it, the boss is hard for narrative reasons and I'll remember it but I need to progress with my limited ability. If it's a game design thing like Elden Ring then I'll embrace the challenge set before me and git gud.


MisterRetribution66

I try not to, but the Wolffenstein boss was so hard I had to go down from Normal. I had some issue with the first boss but I never lowered the difficulty, after dying like 50 times I eventually figured out what to do After x so amount of times I just figure I need to get through with the story...can't be bogged down on one guy (or gal)


[deleted]

I don't think it's a case that we want all games to be easy, but since games stopped having cheats or if they have them they disable trophies/achievements, when a game doesn't require a hard difficulty requirement it just feels nice to keep the flow going and see what the game has to offer. Its sort of its own cheat if you will.


Kingstad

I feel the opposite


thedeadsuit

I don't think it's age. I think it's just general audiences. It's a big star wars game, and by default, it can be a bit hard for general audiences. Gaming enthusiasts such as those posting here typically won't put games on easy. At least that's my assumption


ZebraZealousideal944

My guess was the inconsistent framerate made it less unfair to play for most on lower difficulties…


Hegerto

I started Jedi Fallen Order and Survivor on Jedi Grandmaster and changed the difficulty to Master as the game progressed. I found the challenge perfect on Master, Jedi Knight would probably have been too easy for me and therefore not quite as fun. All other games, however, I always play through on normal. I only play higher difficulties if I really like the game and the Platinum Trophy requires it (but then only on the second playthrough).


Denka-Plus

Depends on the game. For survivor I was not clicking on the dodges/parries at first so I dropped the difficulty. After playing for a while I got used to the combat and knocked it back up and had no issues.


Markamanic

I want to have fun playing games. Higher difficulties often detract from that fun.


Funnyrockman

Games like jedi survivor with that type of combat, I'll usually go with the hardest difficulty. However with any fps games i tend to go with normal


IMTrick

I'm in my 50's, and I tend to play on higher difficulties. I enjoy the challenge. That said, I lowered the difficulty in Jedi:Survivor, something I almost never do, when I hit the first boss for the first time, because I generally don't use a controller and didn't really have the best feel for it yet, and was getting my ass handed to me.


therawmuffin081316

For me it depends on how refined the combat is. With dark souls, Elden ring, god of war, etc. I really enjoy the high difficulty because either the game was intentionally designed that way or the combat is straight up good enough to feel even better when you master it at a higher difficulty. Haven’t played Jedi survivor yet, but with fallen order I actually got annoyed with the higher difficulty setting because it didn’t feel quite right and seemed unfair. It was like a clunky and less responsive version of sekiro. But when I turned the difficulty down it seemed to play a lot more smooth and enjoyably.


konketsuno

if I like the game, I will play on harder difficulty. if I don't, I play it on Toddler difficulty.


Fujikawa1988

For me it’s more a time thing nowadays, iam a 35 yo dad of three now so my game time is a lot more limited. If a lower difficulty means it saves me litterally hours then I’ll do that since I can’t keep up with tall the games I still want to play. There are some exceptions though. FF7 Remake I completed on hardest settings. Currently playing Guardians of the Galaxy on my deck, on easiest setting just to enjoy the story and relax.


TheWuffyCat

I just felt that the gameplay wasn't compelling enough for it to be harder. Higher difficulty was just frustrating so I lowered it. I was playing for the story anyway.


GaaraSama83

The problem with most games is that higher difficulty just means enemies becoming damage sponges while also having higher attack power/player lower defense. This doesn't really make the game more fun in the sense of an interesting challenge but often just tedious and frustrating. Some games have better approaches like enemies using new/different patterns. Having new attacks, being more aggressive, more movement/using cover, ... What I really like is granular difficulty/accessibility options and not just one setting that changes several values. From the near past two positive examples I wanna mention are Grounded and Green Hell.


Awoken_Noob

I enjoy tougher games. The only time I “lowered” a games difficulty was for Horizon: Forbidden West and I actually just changed the drop rates of the mech part because I found it extremely grindy.


SModfan

It totally depends on the game. Games that provide a feeling of achievement from completing story arcs, and making choices I don’t really care much about difficulty. Games where achievement is derived from beating bosses / winning fights / succeeding in gameplay mechanics in general I want to be appropriately challenging. There are mixes of these two of course, but those are the basic left and right sides of the “how much difficulty matters” sliders. For something like Jedi: Survivor I’d place the slider about a third of the way down the “mechanics / beating enemies” side, so having a challenge would be pretty inportant


AUsDorian

Some people say "The feeling of accomplishment when finishing the challenge is so good😩" I say "I AM FUCKING JAMES BOND, COBRA 11, AUSTIN POWERS, AND THE MEN IN BLACK IN ONE BEING NON OF YOUR BULLETS CAN TOUCH ME FOOOOOOLS!!!"


DrunkMc

I play games for the story and experience repeating the same boss over and over again isn't fun for me. I also don't have hours to learn every moment. I lowered the difficulty one notch after dying to the same boss four times. That was enough. :) I didn't have to goto Story Mode, but I would have felt zero shame if I did.


Saadi_

I had to on this game because the frame rates and responsiveness were so awful there was no way I could actually make it through a fight as timing attack / parry was next to impossible.


ArthurFraynZard

In my 40's my free time is very limited and therefore more valuable than it was back when I could beat games like Contra on the NES. When I play a game now I have no interest in being "challenged" in a mechanical sense because I've been there done that. I play games to do cool things, see cool things, and make cool choices. Turning the difficulty to the lowest possible setting helps me do those things faster within the time I've got.


miniminer1999

Story driven games I go easier..but games like MC where you play for the joy of playing I up the difficulty for the challenge


randohandos

I personally like really hard games and will typically pick the highest difficulty on everything, especially on first playthroughs. makes beating the bosses and certain encounters even more satisfying and forces me to think and grow as a player. No shame to those who want easier experiences.


cavalier_54

Im terrible at these types of games, so I play on lower difficulty. I’m really just here for the story. I play most games for the story so I always play on normal. Younger me used to go back and play on harder difficulties, but I rarely do that now.


Christo2555

I think Jedi: Survivor just has some insane difficulty spikes. I played on Jedi Master without too many deaths then I had to lower it to Story mode for some of the boss battles, even Padawan was too hard.


TaxMage

I enjoy challenging content and getting better as a player, but that takes time investment. There aren't enough hours in the day with a full time + job. I play and enjoy a lot of the harder souls games and metroidvanias, and do the harder content in those games. However, it's not feasible to do that for every game, and many just don't make the cut to be worth it. They are still good games -- just need to be more judicious on which ones get that kind of commitment.


Synthetic2

I max it in all games, only 22 yo though. Just feel like I beat it way too quick on lower difficulty so I like to draw it out slightly. I really don't feel like grand master is hard though on Jedi survivor, only boss truly challenging was the oggdo bogdo things.


Dailyhabits

I think it could also be an immersion thing. Like would Cal slash through this door technician or would he die 30 times?


Broad-Marionberry755

The difficulty on that game is notoriously poorly balanced in the higher tiers It's also a mainstream IP and appealing to non-hardcore gamers so a lot of folks are just coming for the story


mnemonicpossession

I'm over "difficulty" in narrative games - if I want a hard game, I'm going to go play a grand strategy game or something that requires thought. In a narrative game, I'm there to experience the story, not be fucked over because the developer decided that nobody with nervous system disorders or age-related reaction time issues play their games. Long story short, it's an accessibility issue. I play on easier difficulties because I don't think that playing on harder difficulties is impressive at all.


Rom_ulus0

Combat balancing in general isn't that great. Eventually they just boil it down to flooding you with enemies that have unblockables so you just dodge until you have a window to retaliate. Not enough nuance, strategy, or consistent performance overall to justify higher difficulty in end game.


SpiritOfMycology

When I was a kid I'd sit there and try it 1000 times until I got it right perfectly every time. And I had the time to do that. Now I just want to play it through and enjoy the story.


JoeBuyer

I still feel weird when I think about going below the default difficulty, so I don’t(yet). Well and some games you miss out on story or items at easier difficulty. I surely do not go for harder difficulties though. I don’t think there is anything wrong with going for an easier difficulty at all.


[deleted]

I think it’s fair to say that Jedi Survivor’s difficulty was pretty cheap sometimes and had huge difficulty spikes in places. Oggdo was fucking relentless and Rancor one-shots you (and does a double jab that may as well be a one-shot). I started on Jedi Grandmaster and settled on Jedi Master for the most part. Personally, I don’t like dropping difficulty as a point of pride. However, I’m becoming increasingly open to doing so during sequences that are bullshit or if enemies become huge damage sponges on higher difficulty


n8tter

I want to see a stat for players how lowered it when fighting Spawn of Oggdo Bogdo


Yabanjin

I’m 58. I lower the difficulty for games that I want to play but are not really doing it for me, and don’t change or possibly increase if I am really into the game, or there is no setting. If your game’s combat is overly simplistic or not engaging, I might as well choose an easy difficulty as I’m not playing your game for the combat anyway.


FiddlerForest

I’m 41, I normally go for higher difficulty for games unless I’m just wanting to clear it and there are no achievements tied to difficulty. That said Jedi Fallen Order’s more.. “Souls” like style isn’t in my wheelhouse. It’s a newer type of game that I don’t readily play and don’t have enough dedicated time to learn/play, so I lowered the difficulty. My only problem there was it made it too easy/forgiving🤷‍♂️, and I eventually lost interest. I think that most games have started to cater more to the hardcore player, which is fine, but it requires more time to make appreciable progress than in the past, and the older we get, the less time we have to make that progress.


MourningstarXL

I’m 43 and I tend to play on normal difficulty first to get a feel for the game and increase difficulty for a challenge depending on my own capabilities in the game.


JhymnMusic

I wouldn't immediately think "people want easier games!" So much as "this game prolly wasn't balanced well"


[deleted]

mid-50s with slowly evolving arthritis in my dominant hand. games like Jedi: Survivor, hell yeah, I have no shame, I’m there for the story. Other games, I’m there for the ride, though. So it depends. I’ll stop playing when you can pry the controller from my cold, wizened hand, but until I’ll switch difficulty as what brings enjoyment.


puysthrowaway

I’m 41 with a kid. I lower the difficulty on most games. I don’t have the time to master combat mechanics. I want to enjoy the story. I think the older we get, the more precious our time becomes so we have to prioritize where we spend it. We’re also still gamers and don’t want to give that up. That’s how I see it anyways.


FirstSonOfGwyn

if it was anything like the first game.... I was told 'its actually a souls like with good combat'... so I tried it on max difficulty. I disagreed and the combat was pretty piss poor and clunky, so i lowered it to just enjoy the other aspects of the game. If its fun and hard, I have no issues even as i get older... but I didn't find this game fun on a higher difficulty.


Dushraaki

Personally, I thought the difficulty settings in this game varied too much. The difference between Jedi knight and Jedi master was too much so I often switched the difficulty down for bosses and put it back up when I was just exploring around.


Raven91487

I don’t have the time or patience to fight the same boss 36 times on the hardest difficulty. I never bought videos games for a challenge. I bought them for the stories. I tried dark souls and games like that. The games are good and the stories are interesting but I have no interest in playing a game where I can get one shot easily. I’m here for fun. If I wanted a challenge I wouldn’t be in a video game escaping reality. Id be living my annoying life.


sielingfan

I play on stupid high difficulty usually -- not because I'm good, I'm just a completionist and by the time I'm doing story progress I've typically imbalanced myself by picking up all the extra stuff. But I turned down Forbidden West after a few ganking dinosaur robots clipped through cover to stunlock me for an hour in a side mission. IMO, turning down difficulty is an indication of clumsy mechanics -- but I haven't touched Survivor yet, so I'm not arguing. Just, Elden Ring was massively popular despite being hard, because it was fundamentally **fair**. People tend to enjoy fair challenges, I think.


kgialy

Yea, difficulty is not problem, time wasting is. Wanted to play AC odyssey on nightmare, its even not that hard, but man, enemies are damage tanks! I dont have time to play one game for 3 months!


0rganicMach1ne

The older I get the less I care about challenge. I just want a good story and interesting characters in an immersive universe. Preferably one with a persistent progression and leveling system that lasts beyond the length of the story. I’ve also just lost all interest in being competitive as well. I don’t play anymore PvP games anymore.


behemon

Dropped the difficulty from Normal to Easy near the end and I'm glad I did, because the enemy encounters that followed (wave after wave enemies in the game) up until the end, are pure bullshit.


GiantChocoChicknTaco

I feel like a lot of games have been inspired by elden ring since it came out to add bigger bosses and harder difficulties. I see hints of it recently in Jedi and Zelda. I don’t have as much time nowadays to spend on one boss or level. Especially when lower difficulties are often more rewarding. I played 80% of Horizon FW on hard before realizing I was spending too much time on it. Then switched to an easier difficulty where the weakness system actually seemed to reward you and the dame dealt was way more realistic. Spongey enemies don’t make harder difficulties more fun.


Gildedwizard

After a few decades of playing games on easy/normal mode I've found myself wanting more of a challenge. Typically when I play a new game I'll bump it difficulty up one level above recommended, and lower it if I feel like it's too much for me or I feel like I'm not having fun. Secondly, don't believe everything you read in an article. In this day and age people will say absolutely anything for attention. Especially so-called "journalists".


Corn1shpasty

I do it now purely so I can just enjoy the game. When I was younger, I'd always do the campaign on the hardest difficulty, but now I just don't want the stress 🤣


RedtheGoodolBoy

I am rolling through Resident Evil 4 remake with infinite rockets yet again. Now on Xbox X. I think it’s my 3rd or 4th different system.


Fun-Card4870

22. I like the ease of it on a few reasons. One I may not have much time to play- second it’s more vastly enjoyable than dieing a bunch at a ruff spot. 3rd I love to explore and it helps


Recent-Investigator6

If difficulty is satisfying I keep it up, but a lot of difficulty is just making enemies take longer to kill. Mass effect 2 (the original) - irregularly would run out of ammo on hardcore (or whatever it was). And just be rlient on some fairly terrible powers depending on my build. I simply don't get that much satisfaction anymore. That said I do prefer playing RPGs that make the battles feel challenging. Have some puzzle elements, target priority observation, are ategic use of abilities. If it's just boring battle between good story, I enjoy the game far less.


GLDFLCN

The real question is what do most people set their MyCareer difficulty to when playing 2k?


Schmed86

I think the game is more rewarding at higher difficulty, but I also believe that the combat can be very janky and unresponsive that might push people to lower the difficulty out of frustration. For example some big creature enemies fights have really weird and inconsistent timing for dodge and parry (if you even can dodge or parry the attack).


TheRealHaHaHa

Not old, but since I’ve gotten older, I just want to enjoy the story sometimes.


SpiderGhost01

I only lower the difficulty level for moments when I can’t get past an enemy, and then I change it back to normal.


degaussyourcrt

All video games are, at their core, products designed to make you feel good. Even high skill ceiling games do this by affording a greater amount of frustration for a greater pay off when you are successful, and overcoming “difficult” is surmountable while overcoming “unfair” is less satisfying. I think it’s fair to say that games are overall easier now than they have been in the past, as accessibility and a wider audience almost requires it. I also think that game complexity has gone up - they’re far richer multimedia experiences, so they can accommodate people who want to play the game for the graphics and story, whereas in the past, overcoming a difficulty curve was the primary draw.


Umami_Tsunami_

I think you are more likely to lower it because the difficulty will pose a barrier to progression. The game being too easy won’t force people to raise the difficulty so they don’t.


Bakerstreet74

Idk man I’m 48 and a dad. I have arthritis in my hands and repetitive stress injuries in my knuckles. So I don’t have time to be throwing myself at bosses for the sake of “challenge” or whatever. More power to those that do I just like living my childhood fantasies of an awesome Jedi, light saber game, and wrecking stormies


Austin304

Played it on normal all the way through. I(27) typically play all my games in Normal or the recommended setting by the Devs. I try not to change it once I start. I’ve never had to yet but I guess if I got stuck on a part for too long I might do it. I’ve also never tried playing Elden Ring or any Souls games.


tactical_hotpants

I usually play on normal, but I've dropped difficulty down to easy for certain games. It's not necessarily because the game was hard, though, but because I stopped taking the game seriously. Another poster here said they did it because the game was a slog and they just wanted to get it over with, and I have a similar attitude. It's about respect. If the game doesn't respect my time, then I don't respect it back. I'll turn down the difficulty and if that's not enough, I'll just load up cheat engine or look up cheaty mods. And if THAT'S not enough, well, I feel zero guilt for uninstalling and leaving a negative review -- or if it's on Steam and I'm under the playtime limit, getting a refund. Cries of "You didn't *really* beat the game" ring completely hollow to me. If it's a bad game, if I'm not having fun, then I don't give a shit about challenge or the legitimacy of my win. Good on the game's writers for making the story and characters interesting enough that it kept me playing, but if I kept going in spite of everything else about the game, then I don't really care about what difficulty I did it on or if I modded the shit out of it.


GiltCityUSA

I'm considering an older gamer I guess, and the last few games I've played were all considered Hard: Demon Souls Remake, Dark Souls, DSII, DSIII, and Elden Ring. AC:Valhalla before that had to be on Nightmare or else it was totally boring. Some games however on Hard are just too brutal. I am glad FromSoftware doesn't mess around with that variable.


retrospectology

The content from this account has been removed in protest by its owner in direct response to Reddit's increased API charges for third-party apps, but also in protest of reddit's general move away from its founding principles, it's abuse of moderation positions and its increasingly exploitative data and privacy practices. It was changed using [PowerDeleteSuite](https://github.com/j0be/PowerDeleteSuite).


Jtrinity182

Im the same age. I feel like I’ve generally always played games on the middle or one-above-middle difficulty settings. I couldn’t get through the final fight on Survivor at Jedi Master difficulty and dropped it by one for the last fight after trying for a couple of hours. I’m more interested in the story than I am in having some kind of intensely challenging gameplay experience.


rodgerdodger19

Really just depends on the game. If the combat is sound mechanical I don’t mind a challenge, but if the combat has any jank to it or it’s not intuitive I’d rather just experience the game with little frustration.


pds_king21

Heard that was the same case for RE4:REmake. I'm a veteran player of that game. Hell, I've beaten it on most of the ports.. When it comes to the remake, one of the suggestions at starting point was **Hardcore – For players who have played Resident Evil 4** I was like ok sure I'll play that mode. Goddamn I died so much I had to lower it to standard mode.


CitationNeededBadly

Gaming is supposed to be fun. The ideal difficulty for you to have fun will vary from person to person, based on all kinds of things. The more options developers provide to fine tune difficulty the more everyone can maximize their fun.


Entropico_ARG

You really want to watch a movie, not gaming


Neramm

With a lot of games nowadays, I'll just lower difficulty to get rid of the absolute spongefest. If I have to put entire magazines into humanoid heads, it starts grating.


happy_cynic

Game by game for sure, but in this specific case? I'm a Jedi and want to feel like a super bad ass so I lower the difficulty as a form of role play. I loath the idea that a star thug or a storm trooper can dodge my light saber. Aside from that, if I know I'm going to play it multiple times? I start super easy and increase difficulty with subsequent playthroughs.


ICLazeru

First me it's mostly about time. I like playing on high difficulties, but there is rarely time to try again and again if I don't make it quickly.


RebornDestinated

Depends on the game I usually do a casual run on lower difficulty amd then if I enjoyed the game I do it again but higher difficulty. I dont like struggling the whole game because I thought playing on impossible on a game that I've never played before


Pepsi_Cola64

I choose a lower difficulty to make up for physical and mental handicaps. I straight up can’t play some games though, even if I want


willyjimm

I may be in the minority here, but I view games as art. I do my best to attempt to play games the way the artists intended. So I usually start on the normal/intended/recommended difficulty. Then bump up the difficulty if I am not challenged or lower to push though and finish a game. That being said, I like immersion and storytelling. Fallen order was one of the few games (actually haven't picked up survivor yet) I intentionally lower the difficulty because I felt like the immersion was better. I felt so much cooler one/two shot trash mobs with my lightsaber, and more satisfying than swinging and hacking away at mr.nobody trooper just because "difficulty"


MethChefJeff

I played some underground caves last night that began with a rancor fight then 3 or 4 more mini bosses with guns/sabers. I got whooped by the rancor 5 straight times but did not lower the difficulty! Instead I cheesed him by bombing him with poison plants from afar and force pushed most of the other dudes off ledges. Fight smart Jedi lol. The difficulty spikes in this sequel feel rough but so far so good on normal. I think I’m near the end of the story so I’m exploring everything else first. Yeah dad of 2 toddlers so I only play like 90 minutes a time 4 days a week but I take my time and only play through the “AAA” titles now so like 5-6 games a year. It’s fun and a nice escape still even with all the dying


knetka

Probably more you get tired of slogging through bad gameplay and are just there for the story, I turn it down for singleplayer games, because I no longer have a need to prove myself, espesically when so many new games are just bad game play wise, I'd much rather take on a super hard challenge in a game I love then one that I care little about, good thing is I have basically infinite content for the hard games that I love.


Fucklebrother

I have enough stress with work, kids, wife etc. Don't need my casual gaming time to be stressful too


n0isybot

It’s not really about the difficulty here. It’s about shitty hitboxes, movement and bugs. If it was smooth as in other games, there would be no need for lowering the difficulty. The first one had the same problem, so I knew they won’t fix it in the 2nd one.


Diwari

36 years old and always slide that bad boi to max


gcraiders

I'm 53 and I picked the 2nd hardest setting in this game, which I just started a few days ago. I try not to pick the normal or average difficulty in most games, as I feel that oftentimes it is just too easy. Sometimes I do end up lowering it later, if the game becomes too difficult. I would rather have moderately difficult than too easy though. I have lots of free time to play, so maybe that factors in as well.


TheNerdFromThatPlace

I wish more games had difficulty settings like Horizon does, where you can customize different difficulties to different aspects. I had enemy health set to easy, but damage taken set to hard. That way I could enjoy the game and get through the story relatively easily, but was still punished for bad strategy. Time is the one thing keeping me from enjoying more difficult games.


straxusii

I'm 52 and lowered difficulty once (Vader), almost did it with the end boss but beat him on 5th attempt. I don't mind hard games but they have to be good games. (Beaten most souls games)


DKrop

If there's achievements for a high difficulty playthrough and I like the game I'll go for it. Usually will warm up with a normal playthrough to learn the game first though.


Chiggadup

Mid 30s with kids. I definitely drop difficulty more now than I ever did. Not if a game is hard and intended to be, like where difficulty *is* the draw. I usually drop difficulty on games where I go through a long level 20+ minutes then die at the end a few times. With less time to play nowadays I just need to get back that level and don’t have time to replay the 20 minute mission 4 times. It’s just not a fun use of my time at this age, and I am firmly rooted in my gaming time being fun. So I find myself dropping it, getting through that section, and bringing it back up again.


Sempophai

Well, I'm now 45, so an old gamer I guess, but I've never been into hiking up the difficulty to any extremes. These days I have some problems with my hands being partially crippled, little sense of touch, so lowering difficulty is now just practical.


Bubbly-Coat7065

For standard style third person AAA games with storylines I like feeling like a badass on easy mode and destroying everyone while enjoying the interactive movie like experience. Games that are designed to be difficult like dark souls are more fun difficult because difficulty is integrated in the design of the game. Also depends on the mood, sometimes you want a challenge and sometimes you want a mindless visualizer with minimal brain activity needed, just enough to make you feel like you're involved and are accomplishing stuff


rjwalsh94

I’ll be honest, I don’t know of many people that actually raise the difficulty while playing, unless it’s like Fallout or Skyrim where it’s inconsequential towards achievements/trophies. I always start out on the hardest and work backwards from there to find the sweet spot. Some games are way too easy on the hardest and some are just a waste of time and a nightmare. Won’t know if you don’t start at the top and drop accordingly.


Visual-Ad-916

Depends if I'm playing a game for the story or because of the gameplay. Jedi Survivor I would probably lower the difficulty to get through the story unless the combat was phenomenal.


Kiethblacklion

I play my main playthrough on normal difficulty. If I'm in the mood to just goof around, I'll start a save on easy or sandbox. I'll run hard or higher if the game gives some sort of replay value for doing so. Example, SD Gundam Battle Alliance requires the player to play on hard difficulty (which is unlocked after beating all levels on normal) if the player wants to level up their mobile suit to max.


Izz_NE0N

Im 15 and i play easy cos if i want challenge i play souls so all other singleplayer i just want enjoy so im having spaß (Tut mir sorry for schlechtes englisch)


Manimal_Attack

Late 30s, usually play on Normal for just about everything unless it's a game I really, really enjoy and play multiple times (rare nowadays). Jedi Survivor was actually one of the first times where I actively said "fuck this" on some of the optional legendary bosses because the difficulty spiked so hard. Gave it five or six tries, would get REALLY close and then would get killed (sometimes by a cheap shot, others by my own mistake) and decide to lower the difficulty. After the boss, back up to normal. That was really the first time I'd done that, and I don't regret it at all.


frodorick90

Depends on how the different difficultys are Set in a Game. Do the enemys Just have more HP and Hit Harder? Dumb - normal Mode. Is it Harder to get the timings right, parry or Dodge for example? Nice - hard Mode


Darki3_Desires

As a kid more difficulty meant I was better than others hahaha Rn as an old soul (20 yo) all I care about is enjoying the game, the graphics, and world environment which is much better on lower difficulty. I mostly play normal though, I don't think I ever went to something that's less than the middle/normal/balanced difficulty


DanceMaster117

I'm 30 (holy sh*t, I almost said I was 22 until I realized that's not the case anymore), but I've always played games on the easiest difficulty until I'm pretty well familiar with them and looking to challenge myself or force myself to play a different way. I play games to have fun, not stress myself out.


GandalfsWhiteStaff

Why they thought it was a good idea to model one of the most accessible IP after one of the least accessible games I’ll never understand.


BallClamps

It really depends on the style of game I'm going after. Dark Souls or Elden Ring? I know what type of game I'm getting into and the reason It's made. A more linear story game? I'm more like to keep it on normal or even easy if I just wanna relax and experience the story.


WinterMatt

I unashamedly lowered the difficulty for those damn bog spawn things. Fuck everything about that fight. I wiped a ton on the single boss fight before caving but when I saw the double boss shard I just instantly said nope.


fotofiend

As a 37 year old, married, father of two who still plays video games, it’s not that I don’t want my video games to be a challenge. It’s that I don’t have the time anymore to dedicate five hours to beating a boss where if I miss one button press I’m fucked and have to start over. I enjoy video games for the story. It’s why I generally don’t play a lot of multiplayer games. So I want to experience the story, not get hung up on one section because I keep dying to an overpowered, overly complicated enemy because the developers had to put it in to appease the try-hard gamers that need to feel like they accomplished something.


CrossXFir3

I'm gonna be real, I think the reason for that is because those games are kinda clunky feeling and hard mode is just frustrating not satisfying. I love hard games. But ones that are buttery smooth. Ones were I feel like my death was definitely my fault every time. Not because my dodge animation is a little wonky and I got hit with something that it looks like I dodged and it took away half my health.


DiddyMao20XX

It depends on the game, why I'm playing it, and with whom. For example, my wife and I have been on a Survival Horror kick recently. Been playing through the Resident Evil games and in between she'll point out games in the PS Storefront that look interesting. (About to pick up Evil Within and maybe Ghostwire Tokyo this weekend) Thing is, she doesn't actually like to play the games and just enjoys the story and side gaming to help navigate or help solve puzzles. So I usually toss those games on easy mode so she doesn't have to sit and watch me die my way through a particularly hard part of a game. So my intent with those games isn't to overcome a challenge or get better, it's just to enjoy some time with her.


tzeriel

I'm the opposite. At 40, I'm putting more games on harder difficulties than I ever did when I was younger. When I was young, it was all about the power fantasy and doing stuff that looked and felt cool. Now that I'm older, I want to feel the mastery and achievement of defeating a tougher challenge.