Difficulty is the one thing nobody can agree on, isn’t it? Whether it’sDark SoulsorSuper Mario, somebody has a take. “You only see a game’s merits at its hardest,” some say, while others insist it’s purely about having fun at the easiest setting. While there’s merit to both sides, I propose a third option - why go to an extreme when the precision of the middle is right there? I’m not talking about Normal Difficulty, but its spicier, fine-tuned cousin that goes by many names. You might even recognize a few of them: Heroic inHalo, Survivalist inDead Space2, and Hardened inCall of Duty, among others.
These modes, when done right, aren’t typically much harder than Normal, yet they give it just enough edge to really make youreallyengage with the game. I probably wouldn’t be nearly as reliant at aiming around walls or good at making a clip last in Modern Warfare if I hadn’t relied on them in the campaign. Those shallow ammo pools really make you value multiple firing modes, and you start to appreciate critical body shots over spray-and-pray antics.
‘Heroic’ difficulty has famously been Bungie’s ideal balance for Halo, to the point that in some respects, enemy behaviors and weapon balancing can work more reliably than on easier settings. While you might have to contend with Elites being better at dodging, you’ll also grow to expect it, anticipating their next move rather than being caught off guard the random times they’ll do it on Easy.
At their best, these difficulty settings are like a director’s cut, emphasizing the brightest spots as much as their challenge.Resident Evil: Revelations 2might test the average horror fan, but when you ratchet things up just right? Gosh, I think I spent nearly every round I’d conserved throughout the game dueling Alex Wesker’s monstrous final form. It was only when I was pushed to the brink that I discovered all the little hiding spots for item spawns.Rise of the Tomb Raiderironically went even further, modifying whole systems like how you heal, leaning far harder into the “Survivor Trilogy” namesake without crushing you with instant death.
ALSO READ:Elden Ring And Bloodborne As 80s Movies Will Blow Your Mind
This isn’t to say every mode in this vein is perfect. Even among games that feature the option, not all are equal. Like I said, Modern Warfare uses Hardened to great effect, emphasizing its more grounded ambitions, butModern Warfare 2clearly struggles to achieve that same balance. Where its predecessor leaned into close environments and brief levels, the sequel has such vast ambitions that several areas just aren’t balanced for Hardened, relying on you exploiting glitches in the AI and level geometry to survive.
I still vividly recall hiding from Hassan’s bodyguards under an oversized table, inching back and forth to trick their detection radiuses just so I could grab some crafting material. One was built with this difficulty in mind, while the other includes it seemingly out of obligation. The best difficulty settings should inspire players to embrace the gameplay sandbox to their advantage, but not like this. By contrast,Dead Space 3’s Hard difficulty - equivalent to Survivalist - is practically a necessity because of how toothless the other modes are, but all it does is decrease health pack drop rates and increase enemy spawn rates.
There’s also a handful of cases where this balancing does still end up hewing one way or the other. Ranger Mode in theMetroseries is considered a brutal challenge for some and a refined, better balanced fight to others. I personally find Dead Space 2’s Hardcore mode, which is ironically not the hardest setting, to be a great rogue-lite flavored twist on my favorite game. However, it can absolutely drive some players mad with the punishing time lost thanks to only three saves maximum afforded to them.
The ideal compromise for this is letting players also customize their difficulty settings [ed:Dishonored 2 says hi]. Take for instance my time withSaints Row(2022) - I opted for something in the vein of theS.T.A.L.K.E.R.series, making both myself and my enemies fragile. Everything else was set according to the intended challenge, and rather than detracting from things, it made tearing through missions a fantastic rush. I had to use my perks smartly, especially timing my use of the temporary armor perk. There’s really something to be said for not just shrugging off bullets, and your enemies not being able to either. It leaves less room for error, sure, but that goes both ways, making for a great bit of climactic tension.
All of this calls for a not insignificant amount of work, but pairing both a developer’s choice with a little personal customization? It’s a beautiful thing, playing a game at its best. Forget being crushed into paste or cakewalks - I’m keeping an eye out for that razor’s edge balance that makes the experience sing.
