Unlockable Difficulty Sucks

[Callisto49]

I disagree. Going through Devil May Cry 3 on Normal difficulty was absolutely necessary practice for Hard and Dante Must Die.

Agreed.

 

[51gunner]

Dislike.

Simply couldn't get into DMC 4 (my first foray into the series) because the unlocked difficulty settings weren't challenging. After a couple hours of bored frustration, I traded the game in. Maybe if I'd had more than one kind of recurring enemy, or any enemy that posed a threat, I'd have been interested.

Instead, I thought those puppets were boring. So very, very boring. There were two other kinds of bad guys and a single boss, but they were maybe four "different" encounters compared to the endless times I saw those goddamn puppets.

 

[Nincompoop]

Difficulty isn't really an issue for me. I don't play games to get a challenge, but to mess around in an awesome universe, and enjoy the cosmetic delights in which it exists.

When upping the difficulty only adds less health, more enemy dmg, and so forth, I feel it to be absolutely redundant. Not unless upping the difficulty changes the gameplay a bit, and in some circumstances adds more enemies, it's worth it.

Well it depends on the game, I agree if it's just screwing around with numbers, i.e NPC hits for X on Y setting it's plain stupid, but if like in say (again) Mass Effect 2 it makes the NPCs smarter, taking cover, giving each other supporting fire, using their powers more often, etc, it does at least IMO make it more fun.

Ye, when it really makes (albeit small) changes to the gameplay experience, it's something of importance.

 

[Lullabye]

I rather enjoyed not unlocking Ninja Gaiden's pussy mode thank you....

 

[Acaroid]

So it's became a trend in games to have a half dozen difficulty settings, only to allow people access to maybe two or three at time of first sitting down, and I think that sucks.

I don't know about anyone else, but I usually start playing a game at the default level, and after a few levels when I've got the controls and nuances down I generally up the level a little bit so it's actually a challenge, a game is more fun for me when there is actually a risk I'll fail at a given task, if there is no risk of failure in a mission, it's not fun, it's the same reason you don't see Shane Warne playing in a local indoor cricket league (well apart from the fact it would be a dick move).

Take for example Mass Effect 2 (I know your all sick of hearing about it) but the combat was pretty ho hum for me around the third mission, until I upped it to veteran, and then later to hardcore, it suddenly became fun because I had to do more then pop off heads. It mattered where I put my squad mates, it mattered which target I went after first, it was well fun.

So when a game (e.g Bayonnetta) uses unlockable difficulty to "encourage" replays, I'm almost personally insulted, it's padding designed to make your game longer, pure and simple.

So am I alone?

Man locked difficulty isnt a trend in games, it has been happening for many many many many years... It is one of those things game designers put in every now and then... and yes it is a freaking pain...

 

[Weaver]

Uncharted 2 really hacked me off in this regard. In most games with an Easy/Normal/Hard/Very Hard selection, I generally play through on normal then very hard the second time. Oh, what's that, Uncharted? Only hard unlocks crushing? Screw you too.

Not something I mind in games like DMC4 though. That's a game where I care as much about how well I actually play as simply succeeding. Working through all the difficulties was fun.

I think the DMC series is kind of different, because each level is kind of an isolated unit you can go back to. If I beat the first level on normal difficulty it immediately unlocks the next hardest difficulty if I want to do it. Seeing as most levels only take like 10-15 minutes anyways it really works for the game. Not to mention it's very nature just sort of encourages replay.

It's all about the fun factor, I hate losing, so much that I have almost never played a game on hard mode, I'm a plot kinda guy (DMC is an utter exception to that I play on normal because it is just fun to kill things, and as stated I dislike failure) so most days I beat a game on base difficulty and call it quits. The idea of an unlockable HARDER difficulty is just stupid, I liked when you lost many times in Onimusha it would tell you you unlocked easy mode and ask if you want to switch, cause that would get your panties in a twist, "fuck you game, I can do this on normal mode! JUST WATCH!" then you fail many times each time the game mocking you with pussy mode, until you finally do it, then you feel all warm inside. I suppose what I'm saying is Ninja Gaiden, the game is hard, but fun and it makes you want to try again.

I was pissed when God of War asked me to go on easy. I only died in combat twice - but I died on this stupid fucking spike puzzle like 20 times. Ironically, easy mode wouldn't have made the puzzle any easier so I found it insulting.

Anyways, I don't think games NEED unlockable difficulties. If someone wants to try insane mode or whatever and get their ass handed to them completely then that's their call, I don't think the game should tell them what to do.

ALSO

Why can't games have fun difficulty levels anymore?

 

[tkioz]

ALSO

Why can't games have fun difficulty levels anymore?

I agree totally, also the quit screens in quake/etc, those were just awesome.

 

[blankedboy]

ALSO

Why can't games have fun difficulty levels anymore?

I agree totally, also the quit screens in quake/etc, those were just awesome.

*hops on bandwagon of win*

 

[Infernostrider]

this is a double edged blade for me, to be honest. In one way i enjoy having something to look forward too, but in another way, when i already know how to solve the puzzles and have my hands on the tactics to kill all enemies, even the more extreme difficulties are less challenging than they would have been on a first playthrough

 

[Hiphophippo]

It's pretty irritating. Depending on the game I might be moved to play at a harder difficulty curve, but there's no way I'm playing through a game again just because it's going to be harder. I'm not a replay kinda guy. Why bother with the same ol' when there's great games I haven't played?

 

[StriderShinryu]

I more or less hate it when say beating "drinking the piss of Satan while Beelzebub rapes you" difficulty doesn't also unlock the bonuses of "an irate kitten" difficulty. I can understand keeping the hardest difficulty unlockable like God of War but non-stacking unlockables for beating that difficulty isn't fair.

Indeed, I hate when games do this. If I finish the game on Hard, why don't I get the Achievements/etc. for Easy and Medium too?

This is what is known as being an achievment whore.

On topic, I dont really mind. If you want to play on a harder difficulty, then it should be an extremely easy feat to get to a harder difficulty. I do agreee maybe on a long game this would be annoying. But if you bought a game, may as well get your moneys worth.

And this is what is known as jumping to conclusions. If you had checked out my linked Live profile you'd actually find out there's only one game I've ever achieved 1000/1000 gamerscore on, and that was the quite fun but extremely disposable KungFu Panda.

 

[TheTrips]

I think the idea of the training mission to see what difficulty you are capable of is a good one. Such as the one on COD4 (XBOX 360) where you have to complete it in a certain time and the game suggests which difficulty setting might be appropriate, as it suggested hardened to me which otherwise I would've just bowled straight into it on normal and whined about it being too easy like three quarters of my friends. It was also a feature on The MatrixotO (PS2). They spawned waves of increasingly difficult enemies and judged what difficulty was right for you based on how well you did. Although I didn't think this was a fair representation of my prowess as it throws you straight in without much practise with controls or combos, and you're expected to beat fully armed armoured swat within minutes of starting >.>

OT: But yeah I agree with the OP I think games sould have all difficulties unlocked at the start. If I want to start on the hardest mode because the achievements stack I will. Case in point completing Dead Space 3 times. (Still one of the best games I've ever played though)

 

[NeutralDrow]

I disagree. Going through Devil May Cry 3 on Normal difficulty was absolutely necessary practice for Hard and Dante Must Die.

But the game is made like that, and there's only a few games where you get to keep your character the way he is when starting a new game. It's safe to say DMC can be considered an exception.

Actually, that didn't occur to me. I was talking more along the lines of "practicing not getting mangled horribly and seeing how the puzzles work."

You don't really need to keep all your stuff (matter of fact, DMC1 required you to start from scratch if you wanted to use the Sparda costume). Hell, <url=http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=6CBEDAB679559C3F&search_query=heretic+DMD&rclk=pti>this guy doesn't.

 

[Halo Fanboy]

So when a game (e.g Bayonnetta) uses unlockable difficulty to "encourage" replays, I'm almost personally insulted, it's padding designed to make your game longer, pure and simple.

So am I alone?

In Bayonetta it's for your own good. The prolouge on hard can't be beaten from a new game without a lot of experience.

 

[Kodlak]

I find it a cheap way to give a game replayability, however I also find it can help you get practise ready for the harder difficulties, so I'm saying I only agree with it if the game is good enough with enough replayability without it to warrant it.

 

[Galad]

What might be nice is if you could unlock a new difficulty somewhere midgame. I think some games do this already, like The World Ends with You. But rather than make it a scripted event, let the player earn it through some sort of achievement (Wow! You got 15 headshots in 3 seconds!) then encourage them that they're badass enough to go one level higher.

You just had an incredibly awesome idea. Who agrees?

Disagree. One's play style might make it difficult to make headshots (like if you're using shotguns for example) and still have the game feel like a breeze due to superior tactical knowledge. Just leave all the difficulties unlocked except one last "insanity" mode.

 

[Daniel Cygnus]

I can only really stand for 1 unlockable difficulty in my game (RE4's Professional Mode, Doom 3's Nightmare, etc.). Any more, and it just gets tedious (Devil May Cry. That is all.).