Thank god Devil May Cry had that easy mode. I got my ass kicked first time around with that game.

"he gives the example, "if you have a cover shooter and you switch it to easy and don't have to use cover, you kind of broke your game.""

Kind of like having a game about free running and climbing buildings, where the computer controls the free running and climbing buildings for you. Oh wait.

I'm pretty stoked for AC3 (the setting and detail that's gone in to it has me READY), but the series as a whole I find nearly unplayable because of the lack of control it gives the user.

Hopefully his comments here show they might at least give me the ability to control my character, instead of letting the computer assume what I want to do.

Assassin's Creed isn't hard.

That being say, I agree somewhat with his comments. It's all based on what game you're playing. If it's an action title in the veins of Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, or DMC--which are expected to be challenging games--playing it on Easy mode would take the fun factor and challenge of the game.

Can it be odd to say that I appreciate Bioshock's difficulty curve? and by appreciate, I mean FUCKING DESPISE BECAUSE FUCKING SPLICERS OUT OF NOWHERE GGRRRRGH.

As MrFunsockz said
"Kind of like having a game about free running and climbing buildings, where the computer controls the free running and climbing buildings for you. Oh wait. "

It still debatable, and I agree it depends on each case.

However, I think most of them are cheapen because they are easily made by the developers. If easy or hard is just a multiplier to apply to how much damage you deal/take, then it is a cheapened experience either way. The game is simply not designed for this...

Easy automatic is an example of easy made right.

@MrFunsockz: Personally, I think the character is pretty easy to control once you get used to the way the inference works...

I believe his example on cover based shooters is pretty spot on. On my first playthrough on ME2 I played on easy, and at times I forgot cover was an option (barely used it).

Dark Souls was not difficult solely because of the lack of health, loss of XP upon death, or just plain really tough bosses, it was also difficult because of it's extraordinary lack of direction. While I can honestly say that having a game not hold your hand is a refreshing change of pace, not having any idea what to do or where to go at all is frustrating.

Assassin's Creed is not that difficult of a game and I appreciate games that put forth added challenges, such as Splinter Cell's "Get through a level without being detected, firing a shot, or retrying the level." Talk about adding difficulty without sacrificing the experience of the game. I loved Conviction and Assassin's Creed because of these challenges. My roommate, who very rarely plays games, loved both titles because he was also able to play them without having to know all of the ins and outs of the virtual world presented, or, in Dark Souls' case, having to go online to research the game to figure out what it is a player is supposed to do next.

Assassin's Creed sucks ass. I hate how the enemies wait around, and attack one at a time waiting for you to counter and one shot them.

Also AssCreed is not hard.

Like I said in the Dark Souls thing, insult and possibly emasculate the player/character of anyone who uses one...

I would suggest an easier mode for Dark Souls. Not one that makes the game so easy that it ruins the "point" of the game. It can still be challenging.

But, it's really a matter if the developers are willing to bend (if you will) what they think they're game is all about. If the developers of Demon's/Dark Souls honestly think their games should be mostly about soul-crushing difficulty (it being the game's "vision"), then it's not like they have to put in the "Easy Mode". But, if they don't mind it, put it in. If they're okay with people finding this or that about Dark Souls far more interesting/satisfying and/or they just want the game to be easier for the sake of finishing it/getting a feel for the full scope/whatever, then provide an easier mode.

And really, I don't think developers should be so limiting most of the time.

"if you have a cover shooter and you switch it to easy and don't have to use cover, you kind of broke your game."

Isn't that one of the main problems with the Assassins Creed Franchise?.
The game is so Easy and the "stelth" is so broken that it never become a challenge (even when you complete the 100% objetive). Look at revelations, they added some new interesting ideas like bomb mixing or making guard from different faction fight to create a distraction. But the game is do damn easy that you never really have to use any of that. The exploration/platforming is almost automatic, you can kill 90% of enemies with the "counter" move and stelth is very basic and unrealistic (plus, if the 100% objective does not ask you to no be found... you can just kill everyone)

And that's coming from a dev who made one of the easiest game series in recent memory. Seriously, Assassin's Creed combat is extremely easy, the sneaking isn't encouraged or even well done and assassinations are basically just kill fests because of the lack of stealth.

I like this dev.

I agree that it makes game mechanics pointless, but seriously AC3 has to be much harder than previous games in the franchise for him to essentially mean something with this statement.

I never used anything other than the dagger you start with and still didn't have a problem for all the game so far.

To be honest, even

DAMN THIS iPHONE

Anyway, I can respect an easy mode resulting in an inferior experience, but so long as it's optional and doesn't effect the intended experience, developers can knock themselves out.

Really, games should be as hard as the audience wants them to be. Games like DMC should be difficult and technical because that's what that game's audience want but something like Call of Duty shouldn't be so hard because that is what that audience want. It's the job of the creator's to make sure that the difficulty fits the people who actually play the game. Saying that the Souls series is too hard is like saying romcoms need more explosions.

As a long time passionate gamer, I don't have an issue with an easy mode. Having something like that allows designers to not make any compromises for those of us who want a challenging and fulfilling experience for our money.

Accessibility is key to this industry these days. I don't remember where I heard this saying before but it is very true

"Games are the only form of modern entertainment that require a pre-requisite of some type of skill."

It is not fair for someone to plop down $60 and not be able to have a fun time with something they found interesting.

Ideally, yes, you want to craft something that EVERYONE can play without needing an easy mode -- but there are some games, primarily action, that you can't design in that fashion without hurting it for the rest of us.

I love the emotion that can come from challenge in a modern video game, being invincible in something like Arkham city would suck. But I wouldn't say to a batman fan that can't play action games for his life "No, you get good now or never play it."

I love my masochistic platformers as much as the next guy but we need to be accommodating of everyone without compromising the gold standard.

That isn't to say all games must include it, of course, but as a whole, when they do rear their heads -- it isn't really hurting anyone.

..except fighting games

Optimally, games should only have a normal difficulty and harder difficulties. If the difficulty curve is well designed, there is no need for an easy mode. Super Mario Bros. is a great example of this, the game starts easy enough but can be sometimes tough in the later stages, but . Of course having optional harder stages and/or objectives a la Super Meat Boy, Assassin's Creed and Super Mario Galaxy is always a nice bonus.

When playing a game for the first time I play it on normal. But from subsequent playthroughs I either play it on hard or on easy. The best thing about easy mode, at least to me, is that you can do things you can't do in any other difficulty. All this, of course, depends on the game.

firstly, i agree that assassins creed is on "easy mode" all the time. it feels good to play it sometimes because it's empowering to be so much more capable than everyone around you - and some gamers play easy mode because they like that.

if you make a cover shooter and people want to chill out and just shoot stuff on easy mode, then why shouldn't they? the experience might be less satisfying for some of those players if they never play it "properly", but then the experience probably sucks even more for players that aren't good enough to play at normal difficulty.

and yes, DMC single handedly proves this guy wrong. it has a super easy mode, but also a super hard mode, and up until the latest iteration (yes i know it's still not out yet) it was respected for being a challenging and satisfying game. is it "broken" on EA mode? no, but it's certainly different.

Ass Creed is a fucking cakewalk, so this guy doesn't have much to stand on.

As long as the standard mode is still available, I don't see how on earth having an "easy mode" option can ruin a game for people who aren't interested in it.

Ass Creed is a game set on auto that darn near plays itself.

I agree with the case-by-case thing, and I think generally action games with a mainstream target audience should have an easy mode or atleast some sort of crutch to ease new players/people not experienced at playing games in.

That said I don't see anything wrong with a game specifically aiming to be hard to create a particular game atmosphere and not having an easy mode for that reason, aslong as it's aiming to do that and there's a point to it. Games like dark souls or even some horror games gain more than they lose by being punishingly difficult.

I don't like Ass Creed. At all.

But put Easy Mode in for the kiddies. In the case of Dark Souls, my personal adjustment would be to change all the NPC dialogue to absolutely berate the baby-poo-poo-pants-mode player. You get no story or context whatsoever. Even the item descriptions insult you. Also, I'd make the bosses "New Game +" hard, but I admit that's entirely for my amusement.

Eventually, the player will either give up or learn the gameplay and become curious about the game, proper.

I like that the mere mention of Ass Creed just makes some people ignore the point of the article.

I also agree that it's a case by case thing, but that games more focused on mechanics and being technical (like Devil May Cry) should have an easy mode (or a very good difficulty curve) to ease people in to the game, but this doesn't always apply.

Ninja Gaiden, for instance, is a series built on its difficulty as much as mechanics, and overcoming the odds and beating each level as they get harder and harder is what makes them satisfying (which is one of the many reasons why Ninja Gaiden 3 sucked, it was just too easy compared to its predecessors).

So yeah, case-by-case basis.

If it doesn't affect the other difficulties then I don't see the problem, Ninja Gaiden Black is considered one of the hardest games around and it has an ultra easy difficulty.

Why not just let people play games the way they think its fun?

Christ almighty

This is golden coming from someone on the AC team considering their standard difficulty is 'super brain-dead easy mode', and they still haven't figured out that offering a difficulty choice(hard, extreme..) would make the game potentially fun.

Easy modes that are just easier versions of normal mode are perfectly acceptable and a great way to build confidence for a new player; they still get to learn how to play the game and apply what they learned to the harder difficulties.

Any game that essentially plays itself for you on easy is an insult worse than the game mocking you for choosing said difficulty; it's the game's way of telling you you're too inept to handle its mechancs, therefore it's going to have to do most of the thinking for you.

You are missing the point... he is not complaining about games being easy, he is complaining about games that are not designed and balanced to be played on easy; essentially games whose easy is "now you take more bullets", or hard is "now you have to be extra careful with ammo because every grunt takes 5 headshots to kill".

There is a reason why games like AC, FF or Super Meat Boy don't have a difficulty setting. They are balanced to be played that way... Whether they are perceived as too easy or too hard by the average gamer is not the point.

If the new Easy Mode for games like Dark Souls were all similar to Dragon's Dogma's 'Easy' Mode in which the only thing changed is enemy damage output, Easy Mode wouldn't kill the game a couple dozen times with cheap enemy/obstacle placement then force it to replay long stretches that it has already mastered just for another chance at possibly failing the few seconds that it didn't again.

Well,it shouldn't, but death is almost always unexpected in genres such as that,at least the first time or two.

DRM can ruin games.

THIS OPTIONAL FEATURE HAS RUINED THE GAME COMPLETELY BY MAKING ME ENJOY IT LESS THROUGH PROVIDING ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF EXPERIENCING IT!

Finally, a developer who knows what he's talking about. Shame AC itself is so absurdly easy. I don't think I have ever died in combat in AC. I mean, it practically holds your hand and performs the kills for you. But hey, they're still fun games and have a place in my heart. I really hope ACIII, now that it's bringing in slightly more accurate guns, is actually difficult compared to Brotherhood and Revelations.

But you gotta love how people are ignoring what he's saying and just focusing on insulting the games he's worked on though, because *that's* always an effective argument. /s

Seriously, that's the equivalent of ad hominem and any rational and moderately intelligent person should know that ad hominem is the weakest form of argument.

Wether or not a product is "ruined" by the addition of an easy, effortless to beat the game mode is entirely based on the perspective of the individual that has something to gain by using it and is actually inclined to select easy over normal. If a game cannot be beaten at all by a person on normal, than that game is "ruined" for that person if an easy mode is unavailable. It's completely impassable, therefore broken. It doesn't matter if the reason for being broken is player skill. If the developers give a shit about letting as many people as possible see the end of their games, then they need to allow for a difficulty level that enables the success of those likely to use it, wether they're physically incapable of playing the game accurately or mentally incapable of grasping the minutia. Easy mode isn't for finesse, it's for gratifying release via button mashing with a side of story. So what if an easy mode turns Dark Souls into Dynasty Warriors? Somebody out there would prefer the game to work like that and he or she is no more wrong than those that think all games should be played on the most difficult, masochistic option available, sanity and thumbs be damned.

Everybody's sense of accomplishment is a little different, and telling people they're playing the game wrong because their sense of self worth isn't derived from repeatedly playing through stupid difficult sections of a stupid difficult game until stupid luck or stupid foresight brought on by stupid transcendence to a stupid higher plane of thought allows a small amount of progress until the next stupid excruciating roadblock, then that's pretty unnecessarily selfish. Difficult games that require pinpoint accuracy with laser reflexes along with complex inventory management and character customization aren't for everybody. Simplifying the requirements to lower the barrier of entry to those who otherwise wouldn't bother with a game that they'd consider a painful waste of time can only be a good thing for everybody. More people get to appreciate a game's aesthetic qualities, and they might recommend it to people who may then "play the game the way it was meant to be played," increasing the total number of people who "really get it" and "are pretentious on the value of adherence gameplay over accessibility."

"This thing is bad, because it can potentially be done poorly." Where's the story here?

I wouldn't be able to play Blazblue if there wasn't an easy mode.

No no no NO NO! DMC's Easy automatic mode ruined the game. I'm all for easy modes, but changing gameplay mechanics in your easy mode is a shit idea. Bayonetta pulled the same shit: Normal was too hard for me, but Easy mode forces automatic combos, effectively turning a very rich combat system in a pure button-masher.
I wanted to love Bayonetta, but if Normal is too hard and Easy doesn't give me the same kind of experience (but easier), then fuck off.

Easy mode don't kill game, bad designers do.

It's all depends on how you design it. Take the cover based TPS mentioned in the comment for example, you could design the easy mode in which enemy fire doesn't cause that much damage, which allow you to basically ignore cover and shoot your way through it. However, you could design an easy mode in which the enemy could still kill you with 2 or 3 shots, which forces you to use cover (game mechanism), but instead of lining up head shot, the game allow you to kill enemies in 2-3 shots in easy mode, while in normal mode the enemies has more HP, you have less ammo, so you have to be more careful with head shots. This way you won't have players going in gun blazing and totally ignore your cover system, but still easy enough for some of the less skilled or first time shooter players to get through the game and enjoy it.

LOLOL the Assassin's Creed series are some of the easiest games ever made.

Assassins creed practically plays itself, the combat and parkour elements are handled by the computer, there's no skill or anything remotely difficult involved whatsoever, what a joke!

ehh, some people just buy games to breeze through them in easy mode (some find easy mode a challenge). As long as there's an option, I dont really care. Dark/Demons Souls should have an easy mode for people who like the world but dont want to hate their lives while trying to enjoy a game...it could only boost sales. You know what had me on my toes the most while playing Dark Souls? All the technical problems that come with the game.

AC has no modes, it's just always easy.

It is not fair for someone to plop down $60 and not be able to have a fun time with something they found interesting.

well, they dont have to buy it lol. i think the upright bass is neat, but I know if I buy one I may have to practice it to be able to play it.

He says that "a lot" of games have been ruined by the addition of an easy mode, yet he has trouble naming even a single title.

And his partner goes onto explain that assassinations in AC3 will be easy, but that getting that little extra bit (for full synchronization) will be the tricky part.


In short, the two of them are saying that an easy mode is bad, so you should just make the whole game easy, but with little bits that you can do for extra challenge. I guess it's not that bad, but it is awfully disingenuous for Hutchinson to say something lit that.

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You know what ruins games? Making them way to easy because you don't have difficultly options, and in the process boring the fuck out of your core fanbase because you want to appeal to new gamers who won't ever play your title to begin with.

I don't give a fuck what other games choose to do with their single player games. If the next Call of Duty or Halo game has a Super Easy mode that literally lets you lock on enemies, good for them. Just don't touch my Veteran/Legendary difficulty and we're good.

Case in point: Persona 4 Arena and it's stupid ass "mash X/square to win" combos. Easy mode on its own is fine, but when it's forced upon everyone it ruins the game.

I agree with RaginDude