Gaming Journalists are Stupid. (another difficult discussion)

[CritialGaming]

How many articles have there been? How many times does a hard game come out, and countless articles cry about the lack of easy mode in games.

Seikro needs and easy mode. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2019/03/28/sekiro-shadows-dies-twice-needs-to-respect-its-players-and-add-an-easy-mode/#33c1f8281639

Easy has never ruined a game. https://kotaku.com/an-easy-mode-has-never-ruined-a-game-1833757865

Cuphead is not inclusive enough. https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/4/16422060/cuphead-difficulty-exclusion

Over and over again, name a hard game and you'll find a games journalist, (who is a person that is supposed to be invested in playing video games for a living) bitching about how it is too hard.

Well Final Fantasy 7 Remake came out last night. And it has an EASY mode, which brings me to the crux of this thread.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have come full circle. From too hard, to too fucking easy. Yes that's right Kotaku has done another Journalism, this time bitching that the easy mode in FF7 is TOO easy. https://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-vii-remakes-easy-mode-is-way-too-easy-1842791313

Bonus points for them saying the game was too hard on normal mode at a single point, thus they dropped it to easy and were saddened by the game being easy.

Sometimes you can't please people I guess.

What do these people want? It was too hard on normal, but you found easy mode too easy? Their whole reasoning for dropping the difficulty in the first place was to get through a fight that was frustrating them, so mission accomplished right?

Which by the way has ALWAYS been my argument AGAINST easy modes in normally challenging games like Sekiro or Souls or whatever. If the developers design for a specific challenge, do not undermine that challenge by letting players circumvent that challenge with an easy mode you can toggle.

Because the temptation is there always. Ya'll can say you don't wouldn't mind Souls having an easy mode because it wouldn't affect the way you play. And it is easy to say that on a forum. But when you are on your 50th death against Gwen, and easy mode is a click away, you are a liar if you say you wouldn't be tempted.

Like in the article, the writer was frustrated, and gave into the temptation and swapped to easy mode. Yes they beat the fight, but they gained only disappointment from how much easier it was. Thus this writer faced the thing every Souls-like fan has ever said on the topic of difficulty. Overcoming the full challenge is what will grant you satisfaction, not dumbing down the encounter just to get over the hump.

Anyway let me hear your thoughts.

 

[09philj]

Games should have multiple difficulty levels where possible, and they should be appropriately scaled. Not everyone has the manual dexterity/brains/time to complete a game on it's standard difficulty, but that shouldn't be a reason to stop them from playing a game. However, easy mode shouldn't just mean pressing one button to win; the gameplay from the higher difficulties has to properly translate. In story driven games, it's also often appropriate to have a difficulty that actually does totally trivialise the gameplay, so people can still enjoy that component even if the gameplay itself is a turn off or just too much for them. Likewise, it's usually courteous for game developers to provide harder difficulty modes. If someone loves your game, but has played it so much that normal difficulty poses no challenge to them, more challenging modes will allow them to continue to enjoy it.

 

[BrawlMan]

Games should have multiple difficulty levels where possible, and they should be appropriately scaled. Not everyone has the manual dexterity/brains/time to complete a game on it's standard difficulty. However, easy mode shouldn't just mean pressing one button to win; the gameplay from the higher difficulties has to properly translate. In story driven games, it's also often appropriate to have a difficulty that actually does totally trivialise the gameplay, so people can still enjoy that component even if the gameplay itself is a turn off or just too much for them. Likewise, it's usually courteous for game developers to provide harder difficulty modes. If someone loves your game, but has played it so much that normal difficulty poses no challenge to them, more challenging modes will allow them to continue to enjoy it.

All fine points my friend.

With that said, because bitches be bitches. Whether they be male, female, in-between, or trans. not to mention, gaming journalism is an absolute, pathetic joke. A majority of them care more about politics, playing favorites, or getting the best stuff, then doing their actual job 90% of the time. The only reviewers I trust, are some of the independent ones on YouTube. But even that is becoming a stretch nowadays. Because there are certain groups of YouTubers that are just as bad or worse than some of the gaming sites.

 

[Phoenixmgs_v1legacy]

Why the fuck does it matter how someone else plays a game (unless it's multiplayer)? You ain't going to stop them from playing the "wrong" way if that's how they want to play.

- It's not like no easy mode in Sekiro makes everyone "git gud". It takes less than a minute to find a Youtube video on how to cheese any boss in Sekiro. Why not just have an easy mode so people would actually learn the game better over finding exploits and cheese?

- Is not having an easy mode in FFVII going to stop people from grinding/farming to make boss battles push overs? I'm assuming you can do that in the game just like every other JRPG ever made.

- If there's not an easy mode or exploits/cheese/grinding, there will almost certainly be some mod on PC to trivialize the game. Nobody was bitching about games having God modes way back in the day or Game Genies/GameSharks/Action Replays. There always was and always will be ways of getting around the intended difficulty.

Lastly, this:

gaming journalism is an absolute, pathetic joke

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

I don't get why ppl get so mad bout this stuff really. Am a simple b...ca...(wtf creature?) Online entity...so basically; more options = v good thankyou please! Less options = get the fuck out of my cave, you sick fascist!

Also, I've grown to really appreciate in-game brightness sliders ever since a current tv has lost its blasted remote control and is stuck on shitty low brightness for molerats and wombles emulation. Yet even recent games like Wreckfest denies me these simple pleasures. Tomb raider shadow of the phone-in has some respectable difficulty options, along with two - yes two - brightness options! One of the few positives to be dismissed forever more.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Games should have multiple difficulty levels where possible, and they should be appropriately scaled. Not everyone has the manual dexterity/brains/time to complete a game on it's standard difficulty, but that shouldn't be a reason to stop them from playing a game. However, easy mode shouldn't just mean pressing one button to win; the gameplay from the higher difficulties has to properly translate. In story driven games, it's also often appropriate to have a difficulty that actually does totally trivialise the gameplay, so people can still enjoy that component even if the gameplay itself is a turn off or just too much for them. Likewise, it's usually courteous for game developers to provide harder difficulty modes. If someone loves your game, but has played it so much that normal difficulty poses no challenge to them, more challenging modes will allow them to continue to enjoy it.

I would also add that if difficulty is ALL a game has, then it's not really all that interesting. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro for instance have more than just challenge; they have rich atmosphere, interesting worlds, fascinating lore, and if that's all you care about then that's all it has to be. You could strip away the challenging parts and it would still be a worthwhile experience.

 

[Avnger]

How many articles have there been? How many times does a hard game come out, and countless articles cry about the lack of easy mode in games.

Seikro needs and easy mode. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2019/03/28/sekiro-shadows-dies-twice-needs-to-respect-its-players-and-add-an-easy-mode/#33c1f8281639

Easy has never ruined a game. https://kotaku.com/an-easy-mode-has-never-ruined-a-game-1833757865

Cuphead is not inclusive enough. https://www.polygon.com/2017/10/4/16422060/cuphead-difficulty-exclusion

Over and over again, name a hard game and you'll find a games journalist, (who is a person that is supposed to be invested in playing video games for a living) bitching about how it is too hard.

Well Final Fantasy 7 Remake came out last night. And it has an EASY mode, which brings me to the crux of this thread.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have come full circle. From too hard, to too fucking easy. Yes that's right Kotaku has done another Journalism, this time bitching that the easy mode in FF7 is TOO easy. https://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-vii-remakes-easy-mode-is-way-too-easy-1842791313

Bonus points for them saying the game was too hard on normal mode at a single point, thus they dropped it to easy and were saddened by the game being easy.

Sometimes you can't please people I guess.

What do these people want? It was too hard on normal, but you found easy mode too easy? Their whole reasoning for dropping the difficulty in the first place was to get through a fight that was frustrating them, so mission accomplished right?

Which by the way has ALWAYS been my argument AGAINST easy modes in normally challenging games like Sekiro or Souls or whatever. If the developers design for a specific challenge, do not undermine that challenge by letting players circumvent that challenge with an easy mode you can toggle.

Because the temptation is there always. Ya'll can say you don't wouldn't mind Souls having an easy mode because it wouldn't affect the way you play. And it is easy to say that on a forum. But when you are on your 50th death against Gwen, and easy mode is a click away, you are a liar if you say you wouldn't be tempted.

Like in the article, the writer was frustrated, and gave into the temptation and swapped to easy mode. Yes they beat the fight, but they gained only disappointment from how much easier it was. Thus this writer faced the thing every Souls-like fan has ever said on the topic of difficulty. Overcoming the full challenge is what will grant you satisfaction, not dumbing down the encounter just to get over the hump.

Anyway let me hear your thoughts.

1. The irony of GAMERS who complain so much about being lumped into stereotypes treating games journalists as some monolithic entity is rather hilarious.

B. Videogames are an entertainment medium. While you personally may enjoy approaching them from the GAMER "git gud" perspective, others have their own personal approaches that may, shockingly, differ from your own.

IV. Find something else to fill in your self-worth with. You are more than your fandom(s). You'll be a healthier and happier person for it.

 

[CritialGaming]

Move this thread over to V2 and maybe tone down the title a bit. There's a discussion to be had here, but I think my staff is pretty damn good so I also hate the title haha.

Transfered the thread to V2 as per request.....even changed the title for you.