Poll: What difficulty level do you play on (first playthrough)?

[Trilby]

On most games, the default setting. On Thief, it was always Expert from the get go, with self-imposed limits on playstyle (e.g. perfect ghosting). This proved to be an issue on the second game, when it turned out that it was actually bugged so that the first mission couldn't be completed on expert....

 

[chakan]

depends on length and type of game, if it's a long game (>20 hrs, judged) I'll set it at normal (esp if FF games, those are about the storyline) but shorter (<12, most FPS's) I'll put it at hard, big name titles, which tend to have more levels of difficulty I'll ramp it to hardest, and decide if I want to play it at that level for the rest of the game.

 

[xitel]

I play on easy the firs time, to get an idea of how to play, but mostly to get the story and be able to enjoy it without getting shot in the head/ stabbed in the chest umpteen times.

 

[Resistance205]

It depends on the game. If it's a FPS then il go on normal if it's a RTS il go easy.

 

[jackanderson]

Before it was normal. But recently I've been starting on Hard.

 

[Danny Ocean]

Hard, it makes me think more, and forces me to go around. I find things I wouldnt've on easy.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

Usually on easy, so I can replay the game later on both normal and hard, increasing its replay value (although I start on normal in the Metal Gear Solid games).

 

[Specialist1924]

Usually on easy, so I can replay the game later on both normal and hard, increasing its replay value (although I start on normal in the Metal Gear Solid games).

The only problem I see with that is I usually can't stand to play through a game more than twice...and the second time is usually down the road a little ways. I'm more into getting the story the first time through, getting the challenge the second time, then moving on to a new game.

 

[PersianLlama]

Depends on the game, usually hardest possible.

 

[Specialist1924]

I hear a lot of people saying 'Hardest' difficulty, but what happens when you're 20 hours in and stuck (assuming it's one of the games that you can't change the difficulty mid-game). There's been too many games that have done that to me.

 

[iamlegend2]

easy i like to get used to the controls making me better at the game ( FPS ) then i go in order intermediate hard then ExTrEmE

 

[scoobyduped]

Normal first, then hard, then extreme until I realize I'm not going to beat the game on that difficulty.

 

[DeadlyFred]

Whatever the default is, pretty much. "Easy" modes tend to be laughable but then again, so do most "Normal" modes. Unfortunately, developers have a nasty habit of either ratcheting up the difficulty only a minimal amount or slapping you with some absurd handicaps that just make the game frustrating, rather than "hard". RTS titles are especially bad about difficulty levels, with anything above "normal" usually meaning "its the same AI, its just cheating like hell now."

 

[Surggical_Scar]

Almost always normal - then hard.

 

[Willwillwritehiswill]

I play on normal/intermediate my first playthrough. It allows me to get a feel for the controls whilst still experiencing the excitement the game has to offer.

 

[LainiWeiz]

I usually stick it on Medium.
Unless it's something in a series where I know I'll do better on Easy or Hard.

 

[Monkfish Acc.]

I play it on beginner, but only so I can immediately jump to the hardest difficulty afterwards. I'm weird.

 

[falcontwin]

Usually the hardest I can select, then if I get stuck I go back a notch. Playing games on easy is a waste of time. But I have no doubt there are countless people out there who have played through on easy and then complained about a game being boring and simple as they pwned it in 8 hours and took it back to the retailer and complained because the game was shit and boring

 

[[email protected]]

Depends if I am any good at that genre.