Poll: What difficulty level do you usually play on?

[ElTigreSantiago]

If it's a new game, first playthrough is the easiest difficulty. However if it's a game I'm familiar with, such as Gears, I'll go higher. After that, I do the highest difficulty.

 

[Ethereal.Frog]

I usually start on normal, and later switch to hard, because I'm so awesome at everything forever.
Well, not really. I beat RAAM alone on hardcore though, that's an accomplishment isn't it?
Usually normal, I usually play again on hard after.

 

[The_Echo]

Normal, unless I'm familiar with the game, i.e. sequels with the same controls. In that case I go the next difficulty up.

 

[Humanslayer619]

I like playing it on medium or normal. It's hard enough usually to give you a challenge and easy enough that you dont die every 10 feet or so. I think if you play on easy you dont get to get the real experience of a game because you just go through everything quickly and simply.

Although there are exceptions to this.
Gears of War is one and i did play that on casual because I just kept dieing all the time and just switched difficulty.

Also Ninja Gaiden 2 was an exception to this.

 

[VoidProphet]

RTSs I play either the difficulty right below normal, or normal if it's only 'easiest, normal, escelating scales of hard'.

On everything else I try it one level above normal. I have insecurity issues which I feel the need to compensate.

 

[Snotnarok]

Usually hard, I dunno why. Most of the time I don't like challenging my brains out but even Fallout 3 I had to jack it to Very Hard mode because not a thing could kill me, even when wearing older armor.

 

[cinigum]

I started Fallout 3 on hard, i didnt even realise it was on hard it was just the setting my friend had let it on.
i didnt really find it that hard, but then again i am a major chicken and tend to run away if at all possible
i tried Fallout 3 again on medium and just found it too easy so i just switched it back.

Gh on the other hand is still medium, i just dont have the cordination for that game.

 

[Kraze]

I usually work my way up from medium to hard

 

[lumberspy569]

i play on normal then to hard after i beat it expect when i played infamous im playing on hard and it my first time

 

[BeeRye]

I usually start on the hardest mode available. My motivation for doing so is that once I complete the game, I'll know the story and such, and thus I might as well spend longer playing through at a higher difficulty then storm through it on a lower setting and then repeat. The exception to this has been the metal gear series, I simply have never been good at those games and I doubt I ever will be.

 

[vanguard_anon]

I start on normal and usually play it through again on the hardest level. The last game I played, COD4, I went straight to the hardest level (veteran).

 

[Dom Uk]

It depends on the genre really, for Sports and RPG's I usually put the difficulty all the way up since they're the games I play the most, but for FPS, the genre I play the least I usually take it down to medium.

 

[ObadiahBlack]

I'll typically start a game on hard because I like a challenge. If I don't get my butt kicked from time to time, I know that I'm not playing on a hard enough setting. For the second playthrough, I'll typically bump it up a notch to a higher setting. That being said, I hate when the "hard" setting on a game simply gives enemies more health, rather than a more sophisticated AI; if I see that, then I won't feel too bad about taking it down to medium.

I always play on easy first, then, depending on my interest in the game, I do it again on harder difficulties.

Most proud of reaching the Sniper Ambush in CoD 4 on Hardened, and beating Wanted: Weapons of Fate on all three.

Try beating the ferris wheel part of CoD on Veteran (or Mile High Club for that matter). That is a lesson in perseverance.

That's the part I mean, only on Hardened. I must've tried thirty times and STILL didn't get past it. What a pain....You got any suggestions?

 

[Save us.A7X]

I'll usually try it on normal first, if it starts distracting me from the story n stuff I'll lower it to Easy.

 

[ohgodalex]

I play on Normal to start off, and then I go to whichever mode gets me the most achievements fastest.

 

[Mjolnir07]

The game isn't being played the way it's meant to unless you play it on hard.

 

[Ravenseeker]

starting to play on hard only but i admit to lowering the difficult level on Bioshock and the last level of Red Faction

 

[BoxCutter]

First time I go through on normal, theres no reason for me to play through a game I might not like on its hardest difficulty. And then If I like the game enough I raise the difficulty and try again so I get the full experience.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Pretty simple question. (YesIusedthesearchbaranddidn'tfindanythinglikethisin14pages).
I used to play in normal until I met Gears of War. Being killed pretty quickly without a reliable health indicator got me a bit angry, so I switched to casual.

There I realised I enjoyed games a lot more when I wasn't trying so hard not to die, so I started playing everything on easy. I appreciate a lot more the environments, plot, voice acting and gameplay stuff (moves, combos, abilities, weapons) when I'm not trying to get to the next checkpoint in 1 hitpoint. It's a more "cinematic" experience.

Sure, I *could* finish the game in a harder difficuly, but what's the point?
(some games I still play in normal if easy proves too dumb)

Besides, who has the time to die over and over again these days?

Do you always start in normal? Do you give it a try in hard before deciding? Start talking.

Wierd, Gears was the first game I ever tried and beat on the highest difficulty. It's very tough but you feel great when you do it.

Beat COD4 on Hardened but now I'm stuck on No Fighting in the War Room on veteran.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

starting to play on hard only but i admit to lowering the difficult level on Bioshock and the last level of Red Faction

That was one tough mission, but I found a good technique for doing it without dropping the difficulty:

Bring the electricity gun with you and when your tank starts to get fucked up, hop out and use the gun to hijack the nearest enemy vehicle. YOu can then plough ahead till you find another vehicle. Rinse and repeat.

Once you get to the part you have to leave the vehicles, the enemies are no longer infinite so just find some cover and take it slow.

Fight the boss in the tank by hiding down the hill behind the rocks and just popping up and firing grenades.

Hope that helps!