Is hard better?

[Quindiana Jones]

Easy tiger.

FFI was and is really hard, especially compared to, say, FFIX (relevant only because I am currently playing it xD). And it's not just FFI. Early era gaming was notorious for its difficulty.

Are we worse gamers now? Are we lazy? Current generation games are almost never anywhere near as challenging as older games, so what changed?

[Shauna]

I don't mind games being difficult. As long as it is a balanced difficulty that you can chalk up to a mistake that you made. If it's just unfair then it's no fun.

Although, I'm pretty sure old games were only difficult because it made the game longer if it was made too difficult. More game time if you keep dying!

[Fynn]

If you look at Atlus, you can still make a challenging RPG that is not that unfair. Unless we're talking about old school MegaTen, cause those games were just evil.

But yeah, I do prefer a challenge, but if the game has a gripping enough story/world exploration, I can forgive it being easy. Case in point: Xenoblade Chronicles is damn near perfect in my eyes, despite being relatively easy.

[Spooniest]

I think I gravitate towards easier games, but I did play an awful lot of Ninja Gaiden when I was a kid. Man, the rotten curses that exploded from my mouth at that game!

I think the Mega Man series has always had particularly well-balanced difficulty curves, provided you know the right moves to beat at least one boss, and which other boss to use that boss' weapon on.

RPGs are not hard in the same way. Twitch action is all about reflexes...an RPG is supposed to test your mental preparation. Planning is emphasized over obstacle course-style gameplay.

For that reason, in theory, an RPG shouldn't be hard unless you have not planned properly...

[Mirage]

Depends entirely on how you're making it hard. Putting level 70 enemies in FF7's train graveyard would certainly make it harder, but I doubt it would be fun, even as a challenge.

And RPGs can easily include twitch gameplay. They're called action RPGs.

[Psychotic]

Games are a lot more story driven now. What's the ending of FFI? Great job, you knocked Garland down and the world is saved! Yet in newer games I'm more invested in the story and what happens to characters and so I'm less likely to put up with frustrating BS because I need to know what happens next. Of course, you can just do a Dwarf Fortress and be really hard but the frustrating BS is the story and it's great.

[zackk]

I like them hard, my games that is. While it may be tedious and exasperating (not to mention, it drives out your inner demons), when I finish a task, it sure feels like a big accomplishment.

[Spooniest]

I cannot overstate how thoroughly Ninja Gaiden taught me to curse.

Contra's pretty difficult too.

However, Final Fantasy VII, while not the hardest game there is by any stretch of the imagination, is revered as a classic.

Difficulty isn't everything.

[Fynn]

Bracely Default made me swear like a drunken sailor.

And I enjoyed every second of it.

[Karifean]

It simply depends. If I like the gameplay system of a game and very much enjoy playing it, I'll be looking for a good challenge. If I don't particularly care for it, however, a high difficulty level can be extremely off-putting.

Though that being said there have only been very few games where I cringe at the thought of added challenge.

[Pete for President]

Hard is better when it strengthens the concept of the game. If the game is about struggle, desperation, survival, scratching by then yes, difficult is better as long as it's implemented in a fair way.

Some games just add a hard mode for the heck of it but don't really think about the right way to make things hard. For example Ace Combat games just cut the number of missiles you can carry on your aircraft. Makes the game hard, but in a stupid way. I'd much rather see improved AI that are way better at dodging while I have the same amount of missiles as on normal, but now I gotta line up my shots better. That would actually force me to get better, making the hard mode rewarding.

[Del Murder]

Back in the day, games were very limited in the variety of content or emotional stimulation that they could provide through gameplay, visuals, story, etc. To compensate for that and ensure their games would get a certain number of hours, developers made them difficult. Another contributing factor was that controls were not as tight or precise as they can be today and that lended itself to increased difficulty.

Modern games have a whole lot more options than they used to and as such don't need to rely on difficulty to create a memorable experience. The focus now is on the overall gameplay experience and not as much on it being 'hard', and difficulty is now used as an option for those who want it or as an intended draw of the particular game.

For me, there are so many games I want to play that I'm not really interested in spending a whole lot of time trying to figure out a particularly hard game. I like a challenge in the sense that I want to be able to use my brain to get through it, but nothing to the extremes of older games that may require you to attempt a particular section many times to complete it. I also like constant saving in games so that you aren't repeating elements you've already mastered just to get to that one difficult part. Man that pissed me off so much in old games.

[Dr Unne]

Some games are more fun because they're hard. Take Etrian Odyssey for example. Being unable to save in the dungeon is a key aspect of the gameplay. It makes the dungeons dangerous and exciting. It makes the FOEs and bosses seem horrifying, because you might lose an hour or more of progress if you get party-wiped. It makes you pay close attention and try very hard not to make a mistake. It makes it very rewarding when you make it out of the dungeon loaded down with loot, having mapped out a new floor. Being hard makes the game engaging and emotional. Without the danger, it would be a boring game.

If I want a story, I'll usually read a book or watch a movie. Games are meant to be interacted with. Games are a thing you can win or lose; winning only has value if losing is possible. If I finish a game without having died a bunch of times, I feel like I've accomplished very little.

Not every game has to be hard. There's room in the world for all kinds. I like easy games too. Sometimes I want to relax and enjoy the sights and sounds. But usually I want to be challenged. I like when I finish a game and feel like I've improved in some way. Suum cuique.

[Denmark]

GWhat's the ending of FFI? Great job, you knocked Garland down and the world is saved!

excuse me you forgot the most important time loop plotline in the whole final fantasy series

i enjoy challenge but not frustration. games that reward you when you do something hard or tricky (especially if it's a puzzle and not just an irritating boss) are the best kind. in my opinion.

[maybee]

This may sound stupid, but medium is best. You don't want Nintendo hard, but you don't want things to be too easy that it holds your hand and treats you like a toddler either.

Goldilocks level.