What difficulty do you play your games at?

[Fat4all]

When it comes to games I buy, I always start playing the game at whatever the 'normal' difficulty is. Then i adjust to either easier or harder depending on how it plays.

When it comes to games I rent or borrow, I usually go for the hardest difficulty. I figure that if I'm only gonna have a game for a week or so, I might as well try and get what I can out of it.

When I just want to relax and mess around in a game, I either make it the easiest mode, or "god mode". It's relaxing to mess around in a game and listen to music to unwind.

 

[Simon Pettersson]

Normal the first time and goes for the harder dificulties if I play it again.

 

[MPerce]

The hardest it will let me put it at. I'm a glutton for punishment.

The only exception I'll make is if there's a major emphasis on story. Then I don't want the flow of the game to be interrupted by my ass getting kicked so much.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I generally play at whatever difficulty offers a good challenge without being stupid. I used to always start games at normal and work from there but recently, I've had to start at hard. Since what used to be normal has mostly moved onto hard.

 

[FollowUp]

Usually normal, except RPGs. Story based games I ALWAYS play on the easiest difficulty, since I really just want the story.

 

[deserteagleeye]

Ill always start on normal but if I miss some content on the first playthrough Ill switch over to the hardest difficulty the next time. Unless it's like that freakin Dead space 2 Impossible dif.

 

[ecoho]

I always start with the normal or default difficulty. I like to have a challenge, but not something overly frustrating. Maybe if I replay the game I might try a harder difficulty since I will have had a feel for the game.

There are a few recent exceptions. I played Kingdoms of Amalur on normal, but wish I had played it on hard. I do however think I'm going to replay it with a different build on hard as I really enjoyed the game despite it being on the easy side.

The other exception is Catherine. I was getting destroyed on normal so eventually I had to swallow my pride and put it on easy. But many will agree that easy = normal, normal = hard, hard = insane.

i play games at what ever level is need for me to have fun. i like a challenge but some games tend to give enimies cheap moves to make it look harder then it is(looking at you ninja gaidin and your kitty solders from hell)but i try to always finish a game on all difficulty levels.......well except demon souls as i will never play that game again unless i feel like being a masicast...........

 

[Olas]

If it's my first time, whatever the second hardest option is. I want a challenge, but not endless frustration my first time playing through.
If it's my second time through, MAX difficulty ftw.
There are some games that you really haven't played until you've played it on hard mode.

 

[Ignatz_Zwakh]

For the most part the hardest difficulty available. I'm a bit of an achievement whore, so I might as well usually. Makes me feel like I've really earned victory to boot.

 

[SecretAlienMan]

I usually play on normal for most games, but I set the difficulty to Easy for modern-day-shooters... I suck at those; I still have the old Doom mentality so I charge head in and say "Screw you cover I don't need you!"... then my character suffers a horrible death.

 

[2fish]

Usual level is normal, but games like Bayonetta or Ninja Gaiden Black I push up to the top difficulty.

Some FPS games that have a hard difficulty that makes the guns do more damage to everyone rather than enemies into bullet sponges can also be played on harder difficulties.

 

[Evil Smurf]

easy, because I am super weak

 

[The_Echo]

As a general rule, I pick easy or normal. It depends on how quickly I want to finish the game and how much I want to challenge myself, but the first playthrough is always my "enjoy the game" playthrough.

On subsequent playthroughs of any given game, I'll bring the hardness up a notch if I feel like it.

I usually don't, though, and wind up playing stupidly difficult and punishing games to balance it out. I still haven't beaten Crash Bandicoot without cheat-coding to the final boss...

The other exception is Catherine. I was getting destroyed on normal so eventually I had to swallow my pride and put it on easy. But many will agree that easy = normal, normal = hard, hard = insane.

I disagree. I think that the 'super easy' mode Atlus had to patch in due to Japanese gamer complaints of difficulty (I personally think the Japanese are much more skilled than western gamers) is normal, easy mode is hard, normal mode is "fuck you," and hard mode is "eat shit and die."

I had to use walkthroughs for the entire final night, and I rarely use walkthroughs. I'm more than a little afraid of that game.

 

[solemnwar]

With RPGs I tend to play them on easy/casual (like the dragon age games ffffft). The only games I have actual played at higher difficulty have been Mass Effect 2 and 3. Managed to get through almost the entire game at Hardcore difficulty without having to change the difficulty setting (excepting 3 instances where I just kept on failing miserably).

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

Normal. If I like the game, I'll end up playing it on whatever the highest difficulty is eventually. Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden were both defeated. I played a clean ME1 file on Insanity and carried that Shep over for an ME2 Insanity game. I might start Persona 3 on Hard once I get around to it.

I started on Hard for Agarest War. Probably not the best idea. I'm save-scumming just because I want everyone to be alive to get their share of EXP. Get's pretty bad for boss fights.

For Birth By Sleep, I started on Critical Mode. KH2 was far too easy and the gameplay is simple enough. So far, I've only had trouble in the the Arena. The story mode is still easy, minus that one part in Terra's story where his opponent in the Hercules world goes all darkside on you. That's where I learned to spam Shotlock for invincibility.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

I play on easy, usually. Now, I know what some of you are thinking:

Spoiler

And I want to say that I do not find difficulty very fun. If I can't achieve my goal with relative ease, I get frustrated. That's the opposite to the desired result, which would be relaxation and escapism. Unless easy mode is ridiculously easy, like in Kingdom Hearts 2, or it actually ends up being more difficult in some ways, like in Tales of Graces where you learn abilities far, FAR slower than in any other difficulty due to lack of combat bonuses, I play easy.

I'll also play on harder difficulties if there is easy mode mockery [http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/EasyModeMockery] in place. I hate easy mode mockery, though. It's mean and inconsiderate.

I'm amused that someone actually posted the "eajy modo" picture here. Touhou has no presence on the Escapist. Speaking of which, I play Touhou on normal. After how ever many years, I still can't 1CC normal on command. I've stopped playing seriously at least half a year ago though, so that's gonna cause issues. RPG backlog takes away time from everything.

 

[T3hSource]

Usually normal like many people,however I played ME3 on casual( adding salt to the word easy),because I don't play for the shooting sections.But I played blindly Hitman Contracts on Expert(that is the second difficulty,the game has no easy mode),doing the same thing with Blood Money.I don't know about Deus Ex:HR though,I'd love to play stealthily,but those boss fights worry me.

 

[Nieroshai]

First, normal to experience the game as intended. Then, if applicable, easy to satisfy my completionist streak. Then hard to keep things exciting.

 

[TheCaptain]

The easiest available setting that doesn't take content or character customisation away from me. Games are something to relax to, not a second job - also, I don't feel any sense of accomplishment for "being able to play videogames very well".

An interesting exception was Human Revolution, which becomes easier on higher difficulty settings when you go for full stealth (since you get more xp for everything but enemy awareness isn't affected by the difficulty setting).

 

[TheCaptain]

I don't know about Deus Ex:HR though,I'd love to play stealthily,but those boss fights worry me.

Sorry for the double post; Boss Fights in DE:HR are a piece of cake; you can still stealth, take a few shots and go back into cover most of the time. You'll need however a certain implant for one of the fights and can make your life a lot easier if you take the laser rifle with you when you have the chance.