Which Difficulty Mode Do You prefer?

[Rez09]

I generally play on hard mode when the option is available. I generally find that it provides a good challenge while still being manageable, and parts that I get stuck on I usually end up remembering the most fondly when I think back on the game.

[Skyblade]

It depends on the game, but I usually enjoy things the most on Normal levels. Easy can get to be too easy, and Hard (or Insane, etcetera) is usually way too hard, mostly because I frequently play to wind down or relax, rather than push myself (I push myself enough at work and school).

Unfortunately, due to how many games punish you for not playing on the Hardest difficulty (losing extra endings or things like that), I've sort of forced myself into a habit of playing on Hard modes just to be sure I experience everything.

This, in turn, means that I rarely fully enjoy the gameplay, and can lead to me abandoning games that are otherwise quite good.

Extra Credits has an interesting little video on game difficulty and Dark Souls 2. While I don't agree with their conclusion about the game (mostly because they make the assumption that every play style is just as fun, regardless of how easy or hard it is), they are spot on with the problems that can be caused by bad difficulty settings.

[Ergroilnin]

Easy on genres I never played before, normal on most games, hard/the hardest difficulties on games I've played before.

[Iceglow]

Depends on the game really but with games like First Person Shooters (CoD, Halo, Destiny) I crank the difficulty up as high as it goes as I love the challenge.

[Wolf Kanno]

Depends on the game.

[Quindiana Jones]

Start on normal and figure out what normal means, since it's completely different for every game depending on a whole lot of factors. I'll play on easy if I just have a half hour to have a quick bash, but if I can sit down and enjoy a game for a reasonable while, I know I'll enjoy it more on hard.

[Masamunemaster]

I used to always go on normal, but some games now I start on hard. The last of us and bioshock infinite are good examples.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

It honestly depends on the game and what I'm looking for. There are days where all I want is to experience a story and just don't have the time for grinding or whatnot. At those times, I'll just stick with the easiest difficulty. Usually I just go with normal mode. On the other hand, I always play on the hardest difficulty in Kingdom Hearts

[Dr Unne]

I used to start games on the highest difficult setting in order to get the best achieveables. Since the remake of Bionic Commando though, and nearly killing myself playing it on hard I tend to play games on Normal now. I run though most games on normal now to get the experience.

I've yet to drop down to easy and just sail through a game though.

BC:R was difficult. I had to play on normal, but by the time I beat it, I was good enough that hard mode wasn't nearly as hard for the second playthrough. On my third or fourth playthrough I think I beat the whole game on hard in one sitting. That's the kind of game that really gets fun as you get better. Enemies don't just have more HP, they have smarter behavior. Some of the platforming is trickier because enemies are in different places. That's a good kind of hard mode.

[Vyk]

Sounds like you really enjoyed it, too; considering you played through 4 or 5 times. I may have to look into this one. I had heard one of the Bionic Commandos was ridiculous. Must be the other one. Or I should just check my sources better

[Formalhaut]

There's only been three games I've ever bumped up to the harder difficulties: The World Ends With You (Ultimate), Dynasty Warriors 5 (Hard, haven't braved Chaos yet), and DMC: Devil May Cry (All difficulty settings).

Every other game I'm either scared of dying, because I really hate dying in video games, or playing it more for the story. Games like Mass Effect fall under both categories. For these, I play on either Easy or Normal, depending on what genre it is. I played the Mass Effect series on Easy, as I'm not a very good shooter.

If anything, games that don't give you the option to change difficulty annoy me the most. I love the Fable series, but I wish they implemented difficulty settings. Also games that punish you for not playing on the harder settings irritate me. Only unlocking trophies for playing on super mega death ultimate difficulty makes my completionist streak within me boil with anger.

[Iceglow]

Mass Effect on the harder settings is a real challenge. You certainly find yourself learning to use your skills far more. Taking the first game as an example:

On Normal and Easy, you tend to forget that you can throw grenades a pretty ridiculous distance, or snipe even further. You definitely apart from on rare situations forget to issue orders for your team to use their abilities (unless you have them on auto use).

On hard, you kinda learn to be more cautious, learn to thin the herd of enemies with your sniper rifle from a ridiculous distance, throw grenades more often and generally use abilities a little more. A warp here, a lift there, an overload to that environmental hazard to drive those enemies from their cover.

On Insanity difficulty, you learn to use every scrap of cover, to move only when you've positioned your team to cover you and abilities aren't just useful, they're essential. Yes opponents have greater health and deal more damage. However, the biggest thing is the way enemies attack, they're more aggressive but smarter about it. Krogans are likely to simply rush you and overpower your squad before you can react. Geth however, will stick back and punish you with withering long range fire of uncanny accuracy. Don't even get me started about Thresher Maw's especially on foot!

Mass Effect 2 changed the formula, new enemies mean that you had to learn new tactics. The heavy weapons also added to it, what was seriously OP on Normal or Easy and seriously damaging on Hard becomes distinctly average on Insanity. Other weapons you'd disregard early on are key to victory (Hello Rocket Launcher) in several battles.

3 changed it again, instead of being weapon reliant like 2, or slow paced like 1. 3 Insisted that you do everything 30 times faster than you were ready for it. Abilities recharge in super short time periods meaning you literally memorize the combinations and when to trigger them, you move constantly and more often than not auto is the only way to let your team operate (unless you happen to have the Kinect sensor)

This is why I enjoy challenging myself to games like Mass Effect on the hardest settings. I've not completed any of them on that difficulty (On one I got relatively distracted, on 2, the same story, 3? I'm not sure I'm anywhere near good enough to survive the battles in London at the end of the game) but I'm definitely working on this.