Current Events > I'll never understand the disdain towards Easy Modes

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Damn_Underscore
02/26/21 11:22:08 PM
#1:


I've been gaming since the NES days, and I know that some games do have OPTIONAL Easy Modes for anyone new to the game. Games like Duck Tales on the NES and Turtles in Time on the SNES had difficulty modes. Easy was for newcomers, Normal was for more seasoned gamers, and Hard was for the dedicated. And there were games with even crazier difficulty modes.

And back then, I did not hear a peep of complaint about difficulty options. We knew what option we chose, and we were happy about it.

Nowadays, I've been hearing gamers whine and complain about the OPTION for an Easy Difficulty mode. Especially with word going out that Final Fantasy 16 will have an OPTIONAL Easy mode, for anyone who wants to enjoy the story or enjoy the game. And that anyone who is in favor of an easy mode is NOT a true gamer.

Could someone explain to me the logic of that argument? That easy modes make you a fake gamer, even though they existed long before the Internet was widely available? What is wrong with having an easy mode, especially if it was truly OPTIONAL, and you had harder difficulties as compensation for those who are willing to test their skills against what the game throws at them? If Easy Modes were a bad thing, then gaming companies would have a hard time selling to the masses if the games were totally unfair to them.

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Squall28
02/26/21 11:23:50 PM
#2:


Because easy mode back then is normal mode now. A lot of games these days aren't even games. They're more like interactive movies.

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GregShmedley
02/26/21 11:24:24 PM
#3:


I think it's awesome to have easy modes. Not everyone is good at video games in general or they have some sort of vision or hand/eye issue that impacts their playing.

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#4
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trappedunderice
02/26/21 11:25:18 PM
#5:


Has anyone here played Doom Eternal
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LordFarquad1312
02/26/21 11:25:46 PM
#6:


Funny you mention Turtles in Time, a game that locks you out of the ending if you play on easy.

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RiKuToTheMiGhtY
02/26/21 11:26:04 PM
#7:


Its losers who have nothing in their lives that bash easy mode in games, new players should start on easy unless they feel they want a step above that difficulty wise.

It is also the best mode for getting collectables.

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AbstraktProfSC2
02/26/21 11:31:07 PM
#8:


RiKuToTheMiGhtY posted...
Its losers who have nothing in their lives that bash easy mode in games, new players should start on easy unless they feel they want a step above that difficulty wise.

It is also the best mode for getting collectables.
you gotta be trolling with both statements

you seriously have to be like....a baby or something to NEED to play on easy these days
and harder difficulties often offer better rewards

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RiKuToTheMiGhtY
02/26/21 11:34:25 PM
#9:


AbstraktProfSC2 posted...
you gotta be trolling with both statements

you seriously have to be like....a baby or something to NEED to play on easy these days
and harder difficulties often offer better rewards
Thank you being an example of what I was talking about.

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AlisLandale
02/26/21 11:35:08 PM
#10:


Only game I really hate easy modes in were the Wii Mario games.

You fuck up enough times and its like here, just skip the level

like no. Fuck you. Get that shit outta my face. If I want an OP instant win button Ill ask for it. In the mean time Im going to embarrass myself 12 more times.

...also if you died enough times to spawn the insta-win block in one of the games, your save was screwed out of a 100% shiny mark. Which means you had to manually reset the game every x number of deaths. Which was pointless since iirc there were no limits to when\where you could save to begin with. >_>

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#11
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Hornswoggled
02/26/21 11:37:29 PM
#12:


I'm sick of kids today wanting everything handed to them on a silver platter.

Beating Yo Noid without Game Genie builds character, damnit!
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Strider102
02/26/21 11:37:36 PM
#13:


I've heard things like "Games today are already piss easy, compared to how they used to be, and now they want to add easy mode to make them even easier."

I say let people play how they wanna play.

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WaterLink
02/26/21 11:38:41 PM
#14:


RiKuToTheMiGhtY posted...
Its losers who have nothing in their lives that bash easy mode in games, new players should start on easy unless they feel they want a step above that difficulty wise.

It is also the best mode for getting collectables.

At the same time game designers that have a vision for a game and difficulty is one of those. If they choose not to include an easy mode then they shouldn't be shamed for it like what happened with Sekiro.
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#15
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RiKuToTheMiGhtY
02/26/21 11:39:59 PM
#16:


mobilebloechel posted...
Games like Ninja Gaiden Black do it right.
Now this is shit posting, the Ninja Gaiden Black insulting the player and for game just expects you to know how to play is laughable.

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Strider102
02/26/21 11:40:36 PM
#17:


16-BITTER posted...
In the same breath, let the people making the games make the game they want to make.

I'm fine with this.

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#18
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MrMallard
02/26/21 11:48:40 PM
#19:


I solidified my thoughts during the Sekiro easy mode shitshow.

There's nothing wrong with easy mode, but I wouldn't compromise a developer's creative vision if they created the game to be difficult. I don't play Soulslike games because I don't like games that are difficult for the sake of being difficult - other people enjoy the skill curve and thrive on the feeling of overcoming overwhelming odds through skill and dedication.

A developer shouldn't be shit on for adding an easy mode. If FromSoft added an easy mode to their next Soulslike, that's their business and anyone who bitches about it can shut up so long as they have the option for a harder game. Same with Fire Emblem, people who bitch about Awakening having an easy mode are fucking stupid. But if FromSoft don't add an easy mode, or if Fire Emblem created a "core" tactical RPG with compulsory permadeath, I can respect that the developers intended for the single, base difficulty to be an extension of their vision.

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Notti
02/26/21 11:49:16 PM
#20:


It's like saying you climbed a mountain, but you used the lift system and had sherpa guides carry all your stuff, hold your hand, and have these pre beaten out trails and pre set camps ready for you.

It makes the accomplishment seem lesser for those who did it the old way.

I'd like it if the game has easy modes though. I even use them too sometimes.

But, the easy mode needs to be missing things. Like the good ending (and have it let you know you got the bad one and how to get the good one), and maybe at least 1 exclusive weapon / armor / final final boss in the hardest mode. (it would also be fine to have this info pop up as you choose the difficulties so you know before choosing)

Overall it's not the biggest issue, but now that you mention it, that's the main reason imo and the best fix.
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LordFarquad1312
02/26/21 11:56:13 PM
#21:


I'm all up for accessibility and stuff.

That said, no one gets to be an entitled fuck and act as if all games should appeal to them personally.


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Illuminoius
02/26/21 11:57:39 PM
#22:


was your ngg thread not going in your favor so you had to move it over here?
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MrMallard
02/26/21 11:57:50 PM
#23:


Notti posted...
It's like saying you climbed a mountain, but you used the lift system and had sherpa guides carry all your stuff, hold your hand, and have these pre beaten out trails and pre set camps ready for you.

It makes the accomplishment seem lesser for those who did the old way.

I'd like it if the game has easy modes though. I even use them too.

But, the easy mode needs to be missing things. Like the good ending (and have it let you know you got the bad one and how to get the good one), and maybe at least 1 exclusive weapon / armor / final final boss in the hardest mode. (it would also be fine to have this info pop up as you choose the difficulties so you know before choosing)

Overall it's not the biggest issue, but now that you mention it, that's the main reason imo and the best fix.
But the people who climbed the mountain the hard way should still feel like they accomplished something. Just because the trails and camps came later, or there's an option for an easier trek, doesn't mean that taking the harder option isn't just as impressive as a situation where there is no easy way up.

And people should get as full of an experience as they want out of a game, without caveats. You're both climbing the same mountain, so you should have a similar view from the top. Games tend to lock rewards and bosses behind harder difficulty modes so whatever, but to lock out the best ending is dumb.

The argument I'm hearing is "because the people who did it the hard way get lumped in with the people who did it the easy way and we deserve to feel more special", which is really insecure.

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AbstraktProfSC2
02/27/21 12:01:33 AM
#24:


RiKuToTheMiGhtY posted...
Thank you being an example of what I was talking about.
youre welcome
thank you for needing to play games on easy mode to make me feel better about MY half ass gaming skills

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UnfairRepresent
02/27/21 12:03:08 AM
#25:


As long as it's optional, anyone complaining about it is silly

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Illuminoius
02/27/21 12:04:09 AM
#26:


so weird that "i struggled with some unbalanced, obnoxious, or overly difficult games but grinded through because i was a kid with no obligations and infinite time games so everyone else must suffer too" is such a common sentiment
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ViewtifulGrave
02/27/21 12:05:33 AM
#27:


Whats wrong with some games just being hard/difficult?

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UnfairRepresent
02/27/21 12:07:44 AM
#28:


ViewtifulGrave posted...
Whats wrong with some games just being hard/difficult?
Hard/diffcult = only some people get to play and have fun

Difficulty options = everyone gets to play and have fun

Same reason DVDs have scene selection features.

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WaterLink
02/27/21 12:07:53 AM
#29:


MrMallard posted...
but to lock out the best ending is dumb.

I disagree, the best ending is a reward for beating the harder difficulties. You work harder and get more compensation for it. Besides, these days you can just look up a stream if you want to see the best ending. If you want to earn the best ending yourself on your own game, then fulfill the criteria that the game designers laid out to unlock said ending.
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ChocoboMogALT
02/27/21 12:13:08 AM
#30:


Playing Hyrule Warriors:AoC, the difficulty modes suck. There's 4 modes:
Easy - baby mode
Normal - slightly less baby mode
Hard - Feels what the game was balanced around, until you get to half- or full-hour boss fights that you lose in three hits and have to reatart.
Very Hard - every level is a grindfest.

Difficulty modes often make it hard to balance the game around a single playing experience. Mario 64 would not be any better for having an easy mode. It stratifies complaints and often removes the "game" from the game. Sometimes they work, but sometimes they ruin games.

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Lorenzo_2003
02/27/21 12:14:46 AM
#31:


Im Ok with Easy Mode, but I dont think a developer should waste their time and money on it if that wasnt part of their plan anyway.

I do wonder why people bother with Easy Mode, though. They could just read a comic book instead and play their own music in the background. Im sure the experience is the same as playing Easy Mode and there are like a million comic books to choose from. Some manga are pretty good, too.


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hockeybub89
02/27/21 12:16:40 AM
#32:


Squall28 posted...
Because easy mode back then is normal mode now. A lot of games these days aren't even games. They're more like interactive movies.
I thought the interactive movie insult was supposed to be about games focusing on story and being as much cutscene as gameplay. Not "they're not all as hard as when games were 90 minutes long and had to pad on a few hours to justify their price tag".

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Notti
02/27/21 12:20:40 AM
#33:


MrMallard posted...
But the people who climbed the mountain the hard way should still feel like they accomplished something.


I think it is worth it for the game company to have people who did things the hard way be recognized more (high score, achievement, exclusive ending/item/perk for beating hard mode), and I do think it pays (for the game company) to do so more so than giving the same rewards to Very Easy vs Nightmare modes.

MrMallard posted...
And people should get as full of an experience as they want out of a game, without caveats. You're both climbing the same mountain, so you should have a similar view from the top. Games tend to lock rewards and bosses behind harder difficulty modes so whatever, but to lock out the best ending is dumb.


But locking bosses and best weapon isn't "the full experience".

And you're not both climbing the mountain. One climbed the mountain. The other 'climbed' the mountain.

Also consider the developer wants the hard (or even Normal) mode to be "the full experience". If the dev can bend to Easy Mode players to include the mode, I don't see why the devs can't also bend to make certain bits exclusive to the harder modes.

Finally, a bad ending can be its own experience. (a well put together one too) So you could say Easy mode has its own exclusive.

MrMallard posted...
The argument I'm hearing is "because the people who did it the hard way get lumped in with the people who did it the easy way and we deserve to feel more special", which is really insecure.


I think it's more that people like to have their accomplishments mean something more. And yes, mean something to others not just themselves.

If only 100 people in the world climb Mount Everest, that does mean more than if it becomes so easy 10,000,000 people do. That's just the reality of it.
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EnvoyOfTheLight
02/27/21 12:22:15 AM
#34:


Difficulty is part of the intended experience of a game's design.

More games need the pink ribbon.

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The Wheelman1
02/27/21 12:23:32 AM
#35:


Easy mode is good if you just want to breeze though the game without being frustrated.

Hard mode is for those that want a challenge. Completing it feels alot more rewarding.

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Notti
02/27/21 12:30:27 AM
#36:


The Wheelman1 posted...
Easy mode is good if you just want to breeze though the game without being frustrated.


I often enough use Easy mode to scout the game out if I'm unsure the game is a cool game, kind of like a demo / preview mode. Then I can tell if the game is something I want to replay/restart and play the hardest mode for real.
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samurai bandit
02/27/21 12:33:39 AM
#37:


Easy mode fine. Forced easy mode because you die too much is bad. Easy mode disguised as normal mode, with hard locked behind your first clear also sucks.

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YourDrunkFather
02/27/21 12:34:33 AM
#38:


If a game offers an easy mode and thats the way you wish to play, youre well within your right to play it. Im also well within my rights to tell you, you suck lol.

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Jeff AKA Snoopy
02/27/21 12:35:26 AM
#39:


I have a problem with people telling creators they have to put in an "easy mode". No they don't. Fuck that.

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Collat
02/27/21 12:49:30 AM
#40:


Jeff AKA Snoopy posted...
I have a problem with people telling creators they have to put in an "easy mode". No they don't. Fuck that.
Id agree with this.

One of the only examples I can think of with where people argued over it was the souls games, where being hard is most of their appeal.

Other than that, its usually just journalists making ridiculous suggestions and being made fun of for it. Like the person who wanted games to add a skip boss option.

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ModLogic
02/27/21 12:52:02 AM
#41:


some gamers really get trigger at having more options that dont affect them. generally the toxic ones that like to pvp without consent.

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#42
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Southernfatman
02/27/21 9:52:08 AM
#43:


"Filthy casuals. If you can't play the game how it's meant to be played then don't play at all. Video games are for the skilled and 1337."

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#44
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Jabodie
02/27/21 10:04:21 AM
#45:


AlisLandale posted...
Only game I really hate easy modes in were the Wii Mario games.

You fuck up enough times and its like here, just skip the level

like no. Fuck you. Get that shit outta my face. If I want an OP instant win button Ill ask for it. In the mean time Im going to embarrass myself 12 more times.

...also if you died enough times to spawn the insta-win block in one of the games, your save was screwed out of a 100% shiny mark. Which means you had to manually reset the game every x number of deaths. Which was pointless since iirc there were no limits to when\where you could save to begin with. >_>
That was only if you hit the block. Which you would obviously do to see what it did. Which is still dumb as hell.

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#46
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Squall28
02/27/21 10:12:34 AM
#47:


hockeybub89 posted...
I thought the interactive movie insult was supposed to be about games focusing on story and being as much cutscene as gameplay. Not "they're not all as hard as when games were 90 minutes long and had to pad on a few hours to justify their price tag".

The insult is for games that don't require much input from the player. You don't have to worry about mechanics. No learning patterns. No struggle. No payoff. You just go through the motions. And easy mode stuff bleeds into the rest of the game.

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nemu
02/27/21 10:23:09 AM
#48:


This disdain comes from these whiny journalists tossing disabled people under the bus for their weird crusade that these particular games NEED them for whatever reason. Outside of that, I don't think anyone really cares either way.
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UnfairRepresent
02/27/21 1:10:55 PM
#49:


JACKBUTTMOMMY posted...
Toxic gamerlinity (seriously).
Yeah this

These arguments make no sense

"You can't make a GAME (an amusing toy) have an optional easy mode because climbing Everest should be difficult!"

putting aside how stupid that point is , playing on hard would still be climbing Everest

Its so dumb

I understand for multiplayer games

but single player? whining about options is pathetic

Are you mad about subtitle options , brightness options or mods too?

Thats so fucking weird

Someone who is worse than you at games plays Oblivion with the slider way down and has a blast, how da fuck is that a bad thing and how does it effect you at all?

I'm told the Beginner difficulty of Silent Hill 2 has no random enemies, only bosses and preset encounters

I say I'm told because I dont know if that's true, i beat SH2 a dozen times and never played on Easy or Beginner, but if someone else did, great. Good for them


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BignutzisBack
02/27/21 1:11:42 PM
#50:


Easy modes are fine, it's the whiny babies who meltdown when a game decides not to have an easy mode that are the problem

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