Having An "Easy" Option

[Deffpony]

So I was watching a youtube channel I like to view on a daily basis. The youtuber talks about an article on the Easy difficulty level in video games and how some games literally GIVE you the mission/level/challenge after you fail a certain number of times. Some people want the easy difficulty levels and others think its a travesty. Here is a link to the article followed by some reasons for and against the easy difficulty level.

 

Easy Modes Can Ruin Games

 

For

• If the challenge/level/mission is too hard you wont be punished from progressing through the storyline
• Video games can be about a story and experience rather than a challenge and reward.
• No everyone has the same skill level therefore those who require a handicap deserve one.

Against

• Games should be challenging. If a game is too easy its basically like pushing buttons to a TV show.
• Achievements can lose some importance
• A hard game lasts much longer than an easy game

My personal opinion on the matter is that games should be tough. Am I the only one who remembers playing Contra for NES for hours with a friend trying to get past the SECOND LEVEL!!??? Old games were so hard because there wasnt ALOT of content. They had to make the content given worth playing. I feel that my favorite GTA missions were the ones that I had to try multiple times and maybe even surprised myself with the unconventional method of overcoming the challenge. Games these days are too easy. The last tough game I played was Ninja Gaiden for XBOX

 

BUT, with that being said I think that if there was an option than everybody wins. As long as it doesnt effect the people who want to be challenged.

 

GTA's obviously have never had a "difficulty level" setting. But things such as auto-aim and radar could be tailored to lean one way or the other. How do you feel about GTA V potentially having settings that can make the game ridiculously easy, maybe even to the point of giving you the mission.

 

Also here is the video I was talking about. Skip to 8:07 for the gaming difficulty portion.

 

 

Edited September 5, 2012 by deffpony

[MIKON8ERISBACK]

I'm not against it. It would be good for those who don't feel comfortable using cheats to improve game experience.

[TheRedBull]

Remove "&feature" for the video to work.

 

OT: I would love to have difficulty settings, but thats not going to happen. But for me personally, all the GTAs I've played so far (III, VC, SA, LCS, VCS, IV(+TLaD)) we're challenging enough to not become boring, yet not so hard that it was frustrating. I'm quite confident that R* will give us an awesome game with just the right amount of challenge.

[Deffpony]

Remove "&feature" for the video to work.

 

OT: I would love to have difficulty settings, but thats not going to happen. But for me personally, all the GTAs I've played so far (III, VC, SA, LCS, VCS, IV(+TLaD)) we're challenging enough to not become boring, yet not so hard that it was frustrating. I'm quite confident that R* will give us an awesome game with just the right amount of challenge.

Thanks i got it.

 

I honestly think that IV was too easy. There were a few missions that were tough but it felt more like the controls or physics are what made it difficult and not necessarily the mission structure.

 

I really liked the difficulty level of VC. I often times found myself getting owned on a mission only to come back with a genius idea that no one would see coming.

[Raynos]

I Voted no, but not for the same reasons.

 

If there is an Easy option, there will also be a Hard option.

In GTA, I like to play on whatever difficulty the developer has set. Plus, its an open world game, it's better with a difficulty setting at all.

 

Just my opinion.

So. No, GTA has never had difficulty settings and never should.

[Durden]

The only way it could work if the basic GTAV default mode i super realistic and you need to re-fuel, sleep, eat, etc all that 'hard' stuff... Then there could be an easy option where the gameplay is like GTAIV.

[redx165]

Causal Gamers have to learn how to play the game. They shouldn't get a free hand to help them.

[Deffpony]

I Voted no, but not for the same reasons.

 

If there is an Easy option, there will also be a Hard option.

In GTA, I like to play on whatever difficulty the developer has set. Plus, its an open world game, it's better with a difficulty setting at all.

 

Just my opinion.

So. No, GTA has never had difficulty settings and never should.

I agree with you completely although I voted different.

 

The thing with open world games is that they difficulty cant vary as much as a linear game. The only way to oscillate difficulty in an open world game is by providing a wide number of avenues for which each mission can be approached. Some harder than others.

[TheRedBull]

 

The only way it could work if the basic GTAV default mode i super realistic and you need to re-fuel, sleep, eat, etc all that 'hard' stuff...   Then there could be an easy option where the gameplay is like GTAIV.

You mean like the Hardcore Mode in Fallout: New Vegas? Yeah, that would be totally awesome. Just another idea form an apocalypse game: To make things extra hard, let the charakter's death be permanent, so you have to start all over again, like in DayZ. Only as a seperate option though! But there should be a big, fat reward waiting for you, if you manage to complete the game that way. Maybe a vehicle or a gun or I don't know... It has to be something that is 100% inacessible in any other way, cheats included.

Edited September 5, 2012 by TheRedBull

[Exkabewbikadid]

 

So. No, GTA has never had difficulty settings and never should.

Exactly. The great thing about the varying levels of difficulty throughout each GTA was that it reinforced the open world gameplay by giving the player different ways to approach each mission. If you found a particular mission to be extremely difficult, then you could either try coming back with heavier fire power or you could simply work on improving your skills and try doing with a mere pistol. It encourages the player to actually THINK and use strategy and planning to accommodate their skill level rather than hand holding and relying on adjusting some silly difficulty setting in the options.

[Deffpony]

So. No, GTA has never had difficulty settings and never should.

Exactly. The great thing about the varying levels of difficulty throughout each GTA was that it reinforced the open world gameplay by giving the player different ways to approach each mission. If you found a particular mission to be extremely difficult, then you could either try coming back with heavier fire power or you could simply work on improving your skills and try doing with a mere pistol. It encourages the player to actually THINK and use strategy and planning to accommodate their skill level rather than hand holding and relying on adjusting some silly difficulty setting in the options.

Agreed. While I did feel GTA IV lacked in this difficulty III, VC, and SA had me scratching my head quite a few times on missions and it is probably my favorite part about the GTA series

[JoeJoeMcTwist]

No. Just no. Gta is already a moderate to easy experience, why make it even easier. I also like the fact that your mortal in the game unlike the recent saints row 3 where you become invincible by the end. when I found that out I almost vomited on the disk, good thing I didn't cause I had to sell it the next day.

 

bottom line. for those that can't handle the difficulty in gta, they can always use cheats.

[nikonatorbelick]

GTA has never been that difficult for me and im sure many ppl are on the same boat, some missions can be a pain to restart all over again but that can be fixed by adding checkpoints in certain mission parts

 

i have never really liked the idea of difficulty levels, i always feel like im losing something if im not playing on the hardest difficulty, im just not gonna restart a game that i've spend a ton of time just to make it a bit harder (unless it's a game + mode like borderlands for example)

 

i think all GTA's have handled difficulty just fine, i do not think they should touch it, just keep it the way it has been since, well forever

[bowling...?]

I don't like difficulty level in any game. I wanna play it how the developers originally made it. It's just how I like things.

[rixsta]

Personally, i think having it set at a permanent level is good, BUT if you fail a mission for than 5 times than it should be made easier in game, not a physical setting.

[Kjax39]

I think it'd be great if it was optional, even though I'd never touch it. Some people flat out aren't any good at video games and they deserve to have the same amount of fun/challenge without an overwhelming feeling....I know a dude with cerebral palsy who gets very frustrated with simple things & I've seen him do the same with video games. I hate seeing that type of thing. I mean I don't see gta having an easy mode but, sure, it'd be cool.

[Sifu Chyaku]

They should have the option to have an option to take off the option for the "Any difficulty" modes, and the option to turn it on. Haha, bet you ca't say that in one sentence like I did, barely... But seriously though, they should give us options for that if I wasn't clear enough.

[JoeJoeMcTwist]

@Kjax39 your right, it crossed my mind. It should be there for people with special needs so they can have fun too

[Kent Traffic Cop]

No - I'm sick of all the easy games in today's world.

 

Back in the days of the PS1, sh*t was hard! I remember playing Driver 2 and having to replay some of the missions 50+ times because they were ridiculously hard. If you're a casual gamer, don't buy hardcore games...

[Deffpony]

@Kjax39 your right, it crossed my mind. It should be there for people with special needs so they can have fun too

Yea I didnt even consider this.

[Chukkles]

I'm not against it. It would be good for those who don't feel comfortable using cheats to improve game experience.

I have never used cheats to complete a GTA and have never had to.

I prefer the harder missions too.

[theworldfamous]

a game should be hard, if you can't play it, use cheats... that's how I learned to play. But what's the point in playing if there's no challenge and nothing to get better at?

[UberChargedCJ]

i would play on hard mode for the trophy if this happend

 

just like i played mafia 2 and infamous 2 on hard mode

Edited September 5, 2012 by UberChargedCJ

[Timjones]

I can't really imagine GTA V with a difficulty selector, but if they make the game more difficult (looks promising going by Max Payne 3) then sure as an option. Everyone deserves an enjoyable experience with GTA, whether you're doing it for a challenge or purely for the story.

[wwinterj]

"As long as it is only an option and doesnt hinder the hardcore gamers experience" gets my vote. I play on normal on any game as to me that's the way developers wanted it to be however if people find it to hard they should have a choice to change the difficulty level. The same can be said for those who want a challenge. Everyone has a preference and I'm not the type of guy to tell others how they should play.

 

I found GTA IV to easy. Sure some things was a little of a challenge but not much. I'd have loved the option to put it on hard. With a easy option it goes without saying there would be a hard option and I'd be happy with that as you're not forced to play on any difficulty.

[Johan]

As long as it's an option, I won't go with it but maybe a relative or girlfriend can play it on easy.

[AirWolf856]

I've played GTA on the PC since GTA III and the only time I wanted to throw my computer out a window was the RC Helicopter Demolition Man mission in Vice City. That mission sucked on the PC. I'm sure on the console with a controller it was much easier. So if the developer forgets what platform they are porting too, an Easy option would be nice if you could turn it on and off without having to start a new game.

 

 

[Nun0567]

No. If you are having trouble with a mission use cheats.

[TheJasonGallant]

Well seriously, I don't see why they would make an easy mode... I wouldn't mind if they were but seriously... The first missions always explain you the basics... And the first gunfights are not hard. It gets thougher with time... So, you don't have to be an high level skilled person to be able to be those games... Sure some are harder... But when you keep retrying, you always get them. There are no impossible mission... So I don't think an easy mode is even necessary...

[futo-GT]

Games like GTA should never have a Difficulty level option simply because of their target audience, 18and above,

Difficulty leevels are for kids and should exist only in kids games like;

Crash Bandicoot

Ratchet and Clank

Fifa 13

Pro Evolution Soccer

These games are for all ages and kids just want to win all the time, hard core gamers who play games like;

GTA

Max Payne

Cod

Their players don't want/care for difficulty levels because they want to prove they are the best so they pick hardest mode possible whether it be ''Very Hard'' or ''Veteran'' or the game like GTA has no set difficulty level.

so the answer to the question, NO GTA should not now or EVER put in a difficulty option.