Gamespy on difficult games

WorstUsernameEver

WorstUsernameEver

But best title ever!
While it's only tangentially related to Fallout due to a tangential reference to Fallout: New Vegas, this article from Gamespy should be pretty interesting for all of you who thought that the new installments in the series were too easy or are just interested in the handling of videogames' level of challenge. Here's a couple of small excerpts:<blockquote>Let me make myself clear. I am not talking about games that are difficult because they have technical problems. E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial for the Atari 2600 was hard because it was a buggy, poorly constructed mess. Luckily, publisher supervision, post-launch patches, and the rising cost of game development are making truly broken games less and less common, but many games are still released in rough shape (I'm looking at you, Fallout: New Vegas).

[...]

Challenging games give you the tools that you need to be successful, but they require you to invest both time and effort in order to master these tools. Some people find this kind of gaming experience fun and rewarding, but others find difficult games to be supremely frustrating. The contrast between these two groups of people is not a mere difference in opinion. Instead, these groups hold dramatically different beliefs about themselves and their personal qualities. They have different "Mindsets."</blockquote>Thanks Cunningandvalor.
 
I think this difference is best shown in the Metroid series. The original game was very hard for that very reason. They just gave you the tools and you had to do everything else. Most of the other games in the series were significantly easier....
 
WorstUsernameEver said:
(I'm looking at you, Fallout: New Vegas).
Click to expand...

"Looks up Gamespys New Vegas Review, Looks up Fallout 3s review."

I know we already beat that horse to death but.....

:|

Fallout 3: Some technical issues here and there. (Not worth going into in the review itself)

Fallout New Vegas: So many bugs.
 
Demon's Souls is the perfect example here. The game is hard but if you pay attention, if you plan everything carefully and use the right strategy you will be rewarded eventually.
 
Technical issues suck. It's a given. Fallout NV was stable enough after the first patch. Bugs are usually fixable. However, things like the shitty camera in Ninja Gaiden 2 are typically not fixable (being "design choices") and actually game-breaking.

Personally, I found Demon's souls to be a chore. On the other hand, I don't have much love for awesome-buttons and games that give you all the epicness but none of the actual gaming.

Sadly, gamers like me are neglected not only by the author of this article, but also by the video game industry in general. I refuse to believe that I am alone in wanting games with an interesting setting, actual C&C and decently challenging gameplay? Something is seriously wrong when Football Manager 2011 is the only recent game I can think of that fulfill these criteria.
 
Serge 13 said:
Demon's Souls is the perfect example here. The game is hard but if you pay attention, if you plan everything carefully and use the right strategy you will be rewarded eventually.
Click to expand...

I think I'm the only one of my friends who actually played that game all the way through. In my experience, the problem with 'hard' games is that when you spend 8-10 hours a day working, in addition to fulfilling other life responsibilities, you don't always have the time or patience to sit down and master something completely. It almost appeals to the obsessive, mentally self-flagellating type of individual.

I can see what the article is trying to say. And It's rewarding to conquer something that's difficult, especially if few are able to do so. But in the realm of video games I don't think it's weird to be unenthusiastic about a title which may be tediously hard, when you play games to unwind and the rest of your life is already challenging. Unless you enjoy even your leisurely activities to be mind-crushingly difficult.

I use to play everything on nightmare/veteran/max difficulty but have been finding myself keeping things on 'normal' so I can just enjoy the game without having some compulsive need to beat it in the most challenging way possible. Maybe I'm getting old.
 
I think it's pretty simple: easy games are for spoiled, lazy, sissy players.
Or girls. And not even all girls.

There is no joy in hunt/game, if there is no challenge.
Unless you are one of those mentally challenged persons. Or a catch:)
 
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