Poll: Game is too hard, now what?

[BFG10K]

So I’m sure we’ve all had the following experiences:

• You have to save-scum and constantly quickload because you’re dying every 2 minutes.
• You’ve died yet again and are sent back to a checkpoint from 15 minutes ago.
• You keep insta-dying at the same spot but have no idea why.
• You keep failing a timed sequence and are never close to succeeding.
• You’ve repeatedly died to the same boss and its health bar isn’t moving much, if at all.
• You’ve spent 30 minutes on what appears to be an obvious puzzle, but nothing is working as it should.
• You’ve spent 45 minutes wandering aimlessly and have no idea where to go next.
• You can see an obvious secret but can’t reach it no matter what.

Most commonly I do 3; I'd rather legitimately beat the game on easy and enjoy myself rather than endure frustrating failure on hard.

Also 4 and/or 5 as needed to get past a tricky spot.

I've rarely done the others except 1 and 6, which I never do. I just don't see the point.

Vote what you do.

 

[noscop3]

I usually either consult youtube or just dump that game for like a day and try again when I feel like it.

 

[Borealis7]

missing option to re-roll (if possible) and get a better build going.

i went with 5 & 9. i had this not long ago, i played Blackguards (1), this game is UNNECESSARILY difficult. its not enough that you have to fight for every inch of progress (no grinding possible), you get very little items to work with, at some point they take away all your items and throw you in jail as part of the plot! hooray! back to unarmed and wooden sticks!
F this game and uninstall.

OTOH, i played Grimrock (1) and some of the puzzles there just melted my brain so i consulted hints. i recall some teleportation puzzle where you go forward and it teleports you back without you noticing it so it seems like the corridor goes on forever.

 

[balloonshark]

For me games are an escape or a stress reliever and therefore need to be fun. When I get angry or anxious I quit, walk away and come back later when I feel like it. I won't even consider buying a game labeled as difficult.

I rage quit and come back to the game.
Consult a video or guide.
If the game is too hard I will rage quit and uninstall.

 

[sandorski]

All except 1 or 9.

 

[Muadib]

I'm old now so I vote 3.

 

[pmv]

Generally I would quit, then come back to it a few years later, try again for a short while, quit again, possibly eventually getting past the difficulty spike a decade later and finally finishing the thing. There's a couple of games it took me that long to finally finish.

That said, I never did get past that mid-level boss in the Doom reboot. In fact that was the last time I played any game other than Spider Solitaire. I guess I rage-quit gaming.

Finishing that game is on my list of 'things to do after I die'.

Now you mention it though, I did really _hate_ arbitrary difficulty-spikes. Being tough all the way through is quite fair enough, but games that had one or two small sections that were inexplicably insanely difficult compared to everything before (and often everything after) just seemed like bad design to me.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Usually 5, then 3 if need be. I know I can't beat a souls game without a guide, straight up.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

In terms of difficulty, I always play my games through the "normal" setting so I can get the baseline experience. When I run into trouble, it's usually from a confusing design element to the game, not because the game is "hard" necessarily and so I typically consult a walkthrough.

With the exception of some much older games that were made during the rental blockbuster era, most games are designed and play tested to be beatable on the standard difficulty setting, so I have faith.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

My order is 1-4-2 and 5 only if all else has failed. My athletic hobbies are such that I never have the energy left to rage on a game. I have fallen asleep while playing though.

 

[EXCellR8]

If I can't progress in a game within a reasonable amount of time, on normal difficulty, I'll either try one or two guides (or videos) and see if I can make it work. If not, I'll probably just play something else.

My gaming time, as an adult with other interests, is limited so I don't tend to stick around too long if I get really stuck. It's not really even by choice rather just how it works.

2, 5, 7/10

 

[snoopy7548]

When I used to play games, I would always default to Medium difficulty. If it was a game I've played often enough, like the original Doom, I'll go Hard (Ultra-Violence) for the extra challenge.

 

[clamum]

If I get stuck I'll usually Google a tutorial or guide to get past that particular part, then continue playing as before. Otherwise also I've quit and tried at some later time.

I've actually had to do both of these with Kingdom Come: Deliverance recently, on getting out of that castle (yeah I know it's only in the beginning, I guess I'm a failure ).

 

[Zenoth]

I'd go with #4 first. If that doesn't work right away (or soon) then I'd go with #2. If that doesn't help, probably #4 again... and then at some point I'd 'admit' I just can't do it for 'x' reasons (difficulty in general, or lack of proper in-game indications / hints or whatnot would be the reasons; but mostly just me not being able to 'do this part') and go with #3 and finish the game.

I'd only do any of those steps if I like the game enough to bother doing said steps. If I don't like a game it's usually WAY before (or for many other reasons) I realize it's "too difficult", since I usually don't dislike a game only based on its difficulty. If I don't like a game it's probably because the dialogue is horrible, or the quests are stupid, or the story is bad, or the A.I. is atrocious (that one is very common) or the immersion just isn't there and I get bored and just uninstall it.

 

[mopardude87]

I went 2 and 9. I rarely find a game hard but more frustrating. Some games tend to feel to toss more labor to make the appearance of a harder game. Like puzzles in DNF ticked me off and caused a uninstall. How about the where the heck do i go games like Doom where i constantly got no idea where to go unless i tape the map to my forehead. Sometimes i hated those puzzles too.

Tried the new Wolfenstein and some of the big enemies you deal with aren't hard technically, but they got god like abilities that require a army sized arsenal to deal with. I absolutely hate they can demolish you in a fraction of a second but you are required to deal with bullet sponges. Makes it feel like a lazy game just flooding maps with bullet sponges. Got boring fast and caused another uninstall.

More of a run and gun kind of gamer, i hate half hour cut scenes before i could deliver a single piece of lead to a enemy. I even tried some of the loot shooters and its like who the heck can get into this crap seriously. Ugh maybe i am stuck in old ways but they are my ways and fun.

 

[BFG10K]

missing option to re-roll (if possible) and get a better build going.

This forum has a poll limit of 10 options, unfortunately.

 

[ondma]

I am with Maudib. In fact, I usually start a game on easy settings, and increase the difficulty if it is not challenging enough. Daily life has enough frustrations without a game adding more!! OTOH, my grandson seems to enjoy buying a difficult game and playing it on the hardest settings. The difference, other than him being more skilled, is that he will quit the game if he gets stuck, while I feel compelled to finish it.

Edit: My pet peeve about games is not having a quicksave so that one can play for a short time and quit without losing a lot of progress. Even Borderlands 3 has this in some spots, where if you are playing and have to quit for some reason, when you restart you spawn where you have to fight through the same hordes of enemies again.

 

[Phaetos]

So I’m sure we’ve all had the following experiences:

• You have to save-scum and constantly quickload because you’re dying every 2 minutes.
• You’ve died yet again and are sent back to a checkpoint from 15 minutes ago.
• You keep insta-dying at the same spot but have no idea why.
• You keep failing a timed sequence and are never close to succeeding.
• You’ve repeatedly died to the same boss and its health bar isn’t moving much, if at all.
• You’ve spent 30 minutes on what appears to be an obvious puzzle, but nothing is working as it should.
• You’ve spent 45 minutes wandering aimlessly and have no idea where to go next.
• You can see an obvious secret but can’t reach it no matter what.

Most commonly I do 3; I'd rather legitimately beat the game on easy and enjoy myself rather than endure frustrating failure on hard.

Also 4 and/or 5 as needed to get past a tricky spot.

I've rarely done the others except 1 and 6, which I never do. I just don't see the point.

Vote what you do.

Honestly, I am a 1-10 gamer, in that order. I will keep trying till I rage- uninstall, then watch someone finish it on Twitch. Lol

 

[gerald95]

Normally I just look for some hints online or watch a walktrough. Although sometimes I try to break trough the wall by rushing and killing myself inside slowly (dark souls). Taking a break and magically going through a difficult part easily later is an option too.

 

[Ichinisan]

11. git gud

 

[zinfamous]

Uninstall game. delete steam account. set fire to house. I ain't got time for games that are too hard at my advanced age!

 

[zinfamous]

I am with Maudib. In fact, I usually start a game on easy settings, and increase the difficulty if it is not challenging enough. Daily life has enough frustrations without a game adding more!! OTOH, my grandson seems to enjoy buying a difficult game and playing it on the hardest settings. The difference, other than him being more skilled, is that he will quit the game if he gets stuck, while I feel compelled to finish it.

Edit: My pet peeve about games is not having a quicksave so that one can play for a short time and quit without losing a lot of progress. Even Borderlands 3 has this in some spots, where if you are playing and have to quit for some reason, when you restart you spawn where you have to fight through the same hordes of enemies again.

at least BL3 lets you load at the closest save points that you activated now, and not the beginning of each map like the previous BL games did (as far as I recall, anyway). THAT was really annoying.

Especially when this game kept crashing in the early weeks. I pleasantly discovered that all was not lost on those CTDs.

 

[Midwayman]

Depends. If its constant problems I just lower difficulty in shame. If its just a difficulty spike or they did something really non-obvious in design a quick consult will usually get me past it. I try only to look at enough to point me in the right direction and not be spoonfed an answer.