How hard do you like it?

[MrEco]

Depends what mood I'm in. Usually though I'll at least try the game on one of its harder difficulties.

[soundslave]

I wanna say highest or hurt me plenty! but I have rage blackouts during hard parts. It can't be healthy.

[RyaNtheSlayA]

Normal as a general rule. I'll turn up the setting if the game is too easy or they didn't just cheaply add to the difficulty.

[YoshiEgg25]

Normal, unless I know I'm going to play it multiple times (Elite Beat Agents) or the game is too fucking hard on Normal (Viewtiful Joe).

[Gamerforlife]

I actually wish games didn't have difficulty settings. I prefer one universal experience for every player. The game played the way it was MEANT to be played.

As a general rule though, I go with normal. For most games, that is the intended experience, the way the game is meant to be played. Harder difficulties I'll try if the game is interesting enough to do more than one playthrough. I appreciate it when a game gives you some incentive to try a higher difficulty setting, like new enemies,areas, etc. Basically, making the game more interesting rather than just harder. Part of the reason I do all the optional stuff in Final Fantasy games is not just for challenge but to really see everything the game has to offer

Personally, I care less about how hard a game is than I do how interesting it is. I didn't check out games like Rez, Viva Pinata or Okami because I cared at all about their difficulty. I just saw games that were doing something different. I have played more than enough difficult games and difficulty settings to have earned my bragging rights as a gamer. I'm more interested in just playing something fun and interesting now.

Plus, I am rather tired of the cheap, bullshit that characterizes so many supposedly challenging games or difficulty settings. Those aren't real challenges to me, just artificial ones, which I gain nothing from as a gamer. I'm talking about stupid stuff like trial and error bullshit, enemies who are only difficult because of their stats rather than their AI, characters in fighting games who seem to "read" your moves(some Mortal Kombat games come to mind), enemy attacks from off screen and various other designer tricks we have seen a billion times over the years. Sometimes I feel like I just am not interested that much in hard games anymore because I know all the tricks designers use to make games challenging. I am just tired of the same old bullshit. I am much more interested in seeing creativity, which seems to pop up more in games that AREN'T trying to be really hard and are just more interested in being different in some way

[Erik_Twice]

Perhaps it's a faulty assumption, but I assume that the difficulty that the designer most intends for me to experience the game at is the default setting, so I start with that.

I don't think it's faulty given how badly done difficulties are sometimes =/

I actually wish games didn't have difficulty settings. I prefer one universal experience for every player. The game played the way it was MEANT to be played.

The point of difficulty levels is, in my opinion, to provide a similar experience to a very varied playerbase.

For example, you want to provide a "tense" experience to the player by facing him with powerful enemies. How can you provide that experience to both Mr Hardcore and Mr Weak? Difficulty levels are an easy helping more people to enjoy your game.

Beating the same game is a different challenge for different people. For me most DDR songs are easy but for most people they are incredibly hard.

Plus, I am rather tired of the cheap, bullshit that characterizes so many supposedly challenging games or difficulty settings

I agree.

For example, while the original Doom is very well designed no matter the difficulty level, Doom 3 had very bad difficulty settings. Instead of adding more monsters or something similar they increased the hit points of the monsters a lot.

It's no fun to see a lone zombie two meters from you and slowly kill him after 3 headshots. That's difficulty I guess but not fun at all.

[brunoafh]

The point of difficulty levels is, in my opinion, to provide a similar experience to a very varied playerbase.

For example, you want to provide a "tense" experience to the player by facing him with powerful enemies. How can you provide that experience to both Mr Hardcore and Mr Weak? Difficulty levels are an easy helping more people to enjoy your game.

It's difficult to strike this balance, but it's completely doable.

Again, Demon's Souls pulled this off perfectly.

[Luke]

Two schools of thought:

1) Play it on easy so it's enjoyable, and hey, it's like having two extra games by playing it on medium or difficult afterward.

2) Go strong, go hard, or go home.

I'm with the guys who go with whatever default difficulty the game has set, with a few exceptions (gimme 7 stars of difficulty SF2).

[sevin0seven]

..just a note. the title of this thread needs to be fix.

How hard to you like it?

but i play by default to hardest (Street Fighter especially)

[s1mplehumar]

I default to the hardest difficulty setting if given the option. Some would argue that playing insanity mode spoils it for later playthroughs, but I don't really have time for 110%, all six unique endings anymore. Bring it hard and fast!