Are today's video games too easy?

#1

KnoxRealtorVOL

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#1
I've had this discussion several times with long-time gamers like myself. My argument is that today's games are way too easy. With the exception of the Dark Souls games, I can't think of the last time I was truly challenged during a campaign. I mean like, "throw my controller" challenged.

For example:

Tomb Raider

The original Tomb Raiders vs today's Tomb Raiders. I finally picked up the newest Tomb Raider last year. I expected to be trapped in different caves/tombs, with minimal weapons, and a complex puzzle I have to solve with zero help on how to solve it. Also, if I make a wrong move, I die.

Instead I find an action-shooter. I hide behind a wall, I wait until the enemies are done shooting, then I lean out and kill the enemies (usually shooting an exploding barrel will do the trick.) But occasionally I get the challenge of a Quick Time Event (Push X!! Now push O!! Push X again!!). I beat that game without even thinking about it.

Resident Evil

In the original, you had 8 bullets in your gun. You couldn't fight your way out of situations. You had to know when to run, and you were just trying to get to the nearest typewriter.... where you had very limited ink to save your game with. Puzzles, genuine fear, and no idea how you were going to survive this situation. That's Resident Evil to me.

In today's Resident Evils, see my summary of today's Tomb Raiders. Same game, different skin.

Metal Gear Solid

The originals: If you're seen, you're screwed. An attempt at a gunfight against 40 soldiers raiding the small building you're in is useless. Checkpoints are few and far between. Oh and don't get shot, you only have a handful of rations to heal yourself with. And your ammo to fire back is limited at best.

I've been playing The Phantom Pain. I enjoy it. But I have unlimited ammo (I just need to call in a helicopter). I can take out 20 soldiers firing back at me in a matter of minutes if I'm hiding behind a rock. I get a checkpoint every 5 minutes or so. Oh, and my health regenerates.

Which brings me to another point when it comes to games in general. What's with 9 out of 10 games these days having self-regenerating health?? It seems Halo started the trend, but it seems to be an easy cop-out now.

To sum this all up, does anyone else have a problem with today's games being just way too easy? I mean, for goodness sake, we have limitless graphics and size of open worlds now, and Battletoads is still more challenging than anything out today.

And yes, I'm aware you can "put it on hard mode." That's a poor substitute for a truly challenging game.
 
#2
#2
Yes they are but for me it does not matter. With my gaming time a little limited, I play most games for their story and I am not trying to play it on the highest difficulty level. On the other hand, I love me some Dark Souls.
 
#3
#3
I'll agree that the vast majority of games don't require much thought, they're more "follow the bread crumbs" deals.

On the other hand, I remember losing my f'ing mind playing the old Baldur's Gate PC games while making a point not to use walkthroughs
 
#4
#4
Yes they are but for me it does not matter. With my gaming time a little limited, I play most games for their story and I am not trying to play it on the highest difficulty level. On the other hand, I love me some Dark Souls.

I think that's the thing. There's nothing revolutionary about Dark Souls, they are just extremely challenging. That's probably my favorite current franchise, just because I know I will feel a real sense of accomplishment from it.
 
#5
#5
I played sonic the hedgehog for years and never beat it. Still gets to me.
 
#6
#6
I hadn't beat one of the old GBA Dragon Ball Z games. I literally couldn't get past this one random puzzle part. I still have no idea how any kind under 10 would have solved it solo. Either way, I went back last year and beat it, using my same old GBA. Felt damn good.

I'm too young to remember a lot of the older original games. I have no problem with the action shooters, it's a fun experience for me. I hate playing a game like Dragon Age Origins and spending weeks raging over and over.
 
#7
#7
Definitely too easy.

I'd also include the first three Silent Hill games and the Castlevanias on the list of games that changed to appeal to a wider audience.

I'm going to be very sad when the Dark Souls series inevitably ends or does the same. Dark Souls 2 almost did this. It was too easy for the series' standards.
 
#9
#9
Your resident evil mention is a very good example. The puzzles were extremely hard and u were ALWAYS low on aim.

Yes I miss those days.

I go back to kings quest games and monkey island games and those were hard.

Indian jones Atlantis game was extremely hard too.

Miss the old days.
 
#10
#10
have you played Halo on Legendary and not thrown your controller?

Lol yeah, that's hard for sure, but I categorize that as artificial difficulty. There's a big difference between a challenging game and down right unfair.

Mass Effect on Insane is a good example of artificial difficulty too. You can't beat the game on that setting if you're low level and poorly equipped. It's all a grind, like Legendary Halo.

Where as with Dark Souls, you can beat the game with a level 1 character with a broken sword if you're skillful enough.

Artificial difficulty punishes you for not grinding or exploiting game mechanics. Games like the Souls series punish you for your careless mistakes.

Spelunky, old Castelvania, and Super Meat Boy are good examples of challenging, but not impossible games.
 
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#11
#11
The difference is the old games where built on timing. You learned from dying when u should jump or duck and u ended up memorizing levels.

Pitfall and pitfall two for the Atari 5200 are good examples of early timing jump games.

Sonics water level was hard.

Ghost n goblins is probably at the top though. That game was brutal and u had to beat it twice.

I have beaten halo on legendary...found it hard but doable...I have not beaten ghost and goblins with the true ending.
 
#13
#13
The original silent hill is another example. The puzzles on it were very difficult. And I also remember roaming around lost forever on either the first or second tomb raider trying to solve different puzzles
 
#14
#14
labyrinth zone was pretty tough. Hearing that countdown music when sonic is about to drown would still give me heart palpitations now if I heard it
 
#15
#15
The original silent hill is another example. The puzzles on it were very difficult. And I also remember roaming around lost forever on either the first or second tomb raider trying to solve different puzzles

I remember running around in Silent Hill outside, in the pitch black, with nothing but a small light that gives you about an 8 feet radius of total light. No idea where I was going, just running for my life. No game would do that anymore.
 
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#16
#16
I'll take too easy over too hard, plus you get difficulty settings today. Nothing is worse than an impossible game.
 
#18
#18
I have no issue with the difficulty level on current games. Given how little time I have I don't really want to deal with getting my ass licked constantly.

You got to remember that a lot of the things that made games difficult back in the day were designed to keep you feeding quarters into the machine.
 
#19
#19
Some of the reasons they're easier is because of the Internet. I remember having to buy books to tell you where to find **** in games
 
#20
#20
I have no issue with the difficulty level on current games. Given how little time I have I don't really want to deal with getting my ass licked constantly.

You got to remember that a lot of the things that made games difficult back in the day were designed to keep you feeding quarters into the machine.

Ass licked? 🤔
 
#24
#24
you young bucks don't know hard unless you were forged in the fires of the NES back in her heyday.

I used to walk 12 miles, barefoot, in the snow just to buy a game that was so hard it made my fingers bleed and forced me to curl up in a fetal position nightly!!
 
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#25
#25
Conan is both hard and sucks balls.



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