When it comes to the difficulty of the game, many feel that adding an easier mode hurts some games. But does an easy mode really affect the game that much?
Difficulty is a millennial enigma when it comes to video games. There are many out there who exist solely for the challenge of overcoming their immense difficulty, but that in itself has sparked debate. Some would say that for certain games like Dark souls, the difficulty is what makes it rewarding, but others feel that some players miss out on the experience due to the lack of an easier difficulty. Many wonder where the difficulty marks the line and if all games should include an easy mode or adopt its difficulty curves.
Games like Bloodborne have high difficulty as part of their design. These are games where players learn through trial and error to get better, but it is not as simple as that. There are many who would enjoy the world and tradition of games like these, but because they are less skilled or have less time to commit, the difficulty proves to be a tall mountain to climb. Some fans see an easy mode as a cheap option that takes away the reward of completing such a game, but having an easy mode would not strip the game of all its challenge or identity.
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What the easy mode options have going for them is the idea of accessibility. Today’s gaming climate has struggled to move in a direction that all players can play whatever they want, and adding more difficulty options makes games more accessible for disabled or disabled players. Having an easy mode option allows these players to develop the experience that the games want them to have on higher difficulties, or even experience them at all. This is especially wise as many new faces join the gaming community every day.
Many players struggle with the notion of adding easy modes because it seems to take away the challenge they are looking for, but it doesn’t have to be that. An easy mode could be as simple as a few more tips or a little saving grace somewhere in the game, something that wouldn’t change the main experience too much. Doing this would strike a balance between making the game in question hard work or challenging and fun for anyone interested.
A great example of a game that benefits from having an easy mode despite being challenging is Capcom. Resident Evil HD. This new version featured many aspects that made things difficult despite a lower overall difficulty, so the game still offered a challenge without being frustrating. It shows that having an easy mode doesn’t necessarily stop the challenge and invalidate what is otherwise offered. Games like this are a great indicator of different difficulties to be able to exist together regardless of the game in question.
Some games do their best to entice the player to a higher difficulty, even when an easy one is offered. Something like Wolfenstein: The New Order, actually insult the player to choose an easier mode. A rare example of games that avoid this is Shadow Warrior 2, which tells players that sometimes, you just want to relax and have fun, and you have nothing to prove to anyone. More games could use that understanding of nature when it comes to difficulty and engaging the player. Not everyone is up for a big challenge, and you don’t need to be embarrassed about it at all.
While the idea of a challenge is always enjoyable and a higher difficulty serves as a great challenge for players, it suffers none for having an easy mode, but thrives even more. The easier difficulty modes attract new or less skilled players to try their game. It also provides more accessibility without the need to completely dampen any challenge. Despite claims that easy modes spoil the experience, the ability to enjoy games at your own pace and the accessibility it provides to all players make difficulty options an easy pick for any title.
Reference-www.cbr.com
