Highest difficulty; Unlock or available from the get go?

If there's something that winds me up about modern day games, it's their insistence on playing through the game once to unlock the highest difficulty level. Personally I've gotten into the habit of assuming that if you don't select the highest difficulty level in a game then you miss out on a significant portion of the content. For particularly large games, knowing that I'll have to play through them twice, once on a high difficulty and again on an even higher one, literally makes me despair. I really enjoy squeezing out every ounce of content I can from a game, but to go to such lengths, especially in narrative-driven games where a second playthrough is never as enjoyable as the first, seems like more effort than it's worth. All of this could be avoided if the highest difficulty is available from the start of the game.

So, what's your take on unlocking higher difficulties, or unlocking full stop?

I dislike that higher difficulties have to be unlocked. I understand in the case of a New Game +, where a higher difficulty might well be impossible for the new character, but I still want the opportunity.

imho unlocks should be cheats, new items/enemies/dungeons/characters/etc., or silly stuff like a zombie mode (all games should have a zombie mode).

Agreed that higher difficulty with New Game Plus works, like Demon's Souls. Otherwise, I don't care for this unlocking harder difficulties crap. Like Ninja Gaiden, you have to beat the game once to unlock Mentor, and then AGAIN to unlock Master. So, you have to beat the game 3 times!

I hardly have enough time to play through games once anymore. And most of the time now, I don't even care about getting everything anymore. Few games grab me like they used to. I had to force myself to finally finish Zelda: Spirit Tracks, because otherwise it would have been the first Zelda ever that I didn't beat. Can't go ruining something like that.

Of course, if the game is only 5 hours long, unlocking a higher difficulty isn't so bad. It's the games that are 10 or more hours that are real pains.

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Depends on the game, I could understand on Ninja Gaiden II because the game wasn't actually that long (minus the 5 billion death times), and to be fair to that game, you couldn't beat it on Mentor or Master Ninja without first playing the easier modes.

I always play through Base/Normal difficulty my first time anyway so I don't really have a problem with it being unlocked. Really the only one I had a real problem with was Star Ocean 3, to get Universe and 4D Difficulty you need a butt-load of trophies that require a few playthrews and that's a long game.

I feel no need to play through a game on the most difficult mode, much less on my first run through the game. It just feels like needless frustration too me. There are too many games to be played for me to feel like I have to work on a single spot an hour.

That said, I love Demon's Souls which most people think of as a very difficult game. However, the difficulty in Demon's Souls isn't arbitrary and ridiculous the way it is in most other games. I don't need a game where I have to shoot a guy in the face a dozen times to kill him and he can snipe me from across the map with a pistol for a one hit kill. That's cheap and horrible difficulty and I don't understand why anyone would want to subject themselves too it on the first playthrough.

So I'm sure that makes it obvious that I don't care about the hardest difficulties. Occasionally I may want to play through something on a much harder difficulty for a trophy or achievement for personal satisfaction, but that's after I've more than become accustomed to the controls and feel of the game.

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Originally Posted by Verma

I always play through Base/Normal difficulty my first time anyway so I don't really have a problem with it being unlocked.

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Originally Posted by dribble

Occasionally I may want to play through something on a much harder difficulty for a trophy or achievement for personal satisfaction, but that's after I've more than become accustomed to the controls and feel of the game.

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I like maxing the difficulty on my first playthrough b/c its a lot more fun to play at harder difficulties imo. I hardly ever play a second time though if a new difficulty is unlocked unless its something like dynasty warriors where I play a billion different stories.

It depends on the game really, with sequels like Halo 2 and 3 and Gears of War 2 the highest difficulty damn well better be available from the beginning. I've already played and beaten their predecessors on the highest difficulty by this point, so I'm fairly well off for the next game.

But if it's a stand alone game like Bioshock then I don't really have a problem playing through again, especially since Bioshock was very good.

I think I'd like having it available from the start. No point really in having it unlocked other than to force people to learn the game so they don't bash it once they can't figure it out on the hardest.

Speaking of Demon's Souls I just beat FlameLurker today and holy crap is this one of the best games I've played. Drinking coffee and playing Demon's Souls is like a drug unto its own.

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Originally Posted by Vermachtnis

I always play through Base/Normal difficulty my first time anyway so I don't really have a problem with it being unlocked. Really the only one I had a real problem with was Star Ocean 3, to get Universe and 4D Difficulty you need a butt-load of trophies that require a few playthrews and that's a long game.

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Yeah, as long as it's not handled like that I don't have a problem with it.

I don't mind too much though I remember some games had the lowest difficulty as an unlock (devil may cry for one) I think that whether you play the game at the highest difficulty and spend weeks, months or even years working your way through the game or spend a couple of days doing so on a lesser difficulty but getting the exact same story effect is no different you don't lose content out of difficulty settings just some people really like to be challenged in a game where others don't. I know that when playing many games I'll go through once at the normal difficulty and then work my way through on the hardest. Exceptions to this rule have been Resident Evil 5 (which required I farm for the money to get my weapons I needed infinite ammo'd), Mass effect (I done it on casual first time round, I am currently doing the same character on Hardcore difficulty) and a few others. I like to do the higher difficulties but not straight off, because sometimes on the higher difficulties the game can become a sheer slog to get through I end up relying on my grim determination to force myself not to give up and stop playing altogether examples of this were Modern Warfare 2, the last 3 levels (not mile high, you can forget that on vet) were a real pain in my ass to do which doesn't make it much fun though the sense of satisfaction I have for having done them eventually after about a weekends worth of working it out is quite profound I feel like I achieved something. However I will also admit that if there had been no achievements to help focus me on the goal of completing the challenge I wouldn't have bothered at all.

I feel I get the most out of a game on the highest difficulty, I also feel it pushes my skills to the limit thus making it more satisfying when I get past a certain boss or complete the game.

I also do it for trophies - Dead Space (which I platinumed eventually *brag*) had a trophy - Complete the game on the hardest difficulty. I did it on hard, but doing that unlocked "impossible" mode. That annoyed the hell out of me, so yes, I think it's stupid.

I see it as a cheap tactic for replay value. I don't play on them anyway, honestly. Like Yearg, I have no desire for frustration. My exception here is Professional difficulty in Resident Evil 5. It takes a lot of replaying to acquire proper equipment to survive there, so it's not just hard to be hard, it's there for people who need something to do when there's no more to do. Another reason for me playing that is just the online aspect. The mode forces heavy teamwork and prevents my partner from running amok.

I know some games, Cross Edge is a recent one that comes to mind, that literally certain things aren't available if you play on lower difficulties. I think that's stupid. Only things that should change are like, numbers of enemies and stuff, not items, longer story, or what not. Not everyone has the time to play through the games multiple times to see the super awesome secret ending. Though, I guess that's what Youtube is for these days lol

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