10 Annoying Video Game Mechanics That Need To Die
7. Obnoxious Difficulty Systems
Difficulty systems are getting to the point where they are not only becoming superfluous, but they are actively hindering games. When you look at a set of difficulties, chances are, the developer designed the game and tweaked it to perfectly fit under one of the difficulties, before adding percentage amplifiers on the other three choices.
It results in completely useless options and can lead players down into a difficulty that doesn't fit them. People might complain about Dark Souls being too difficult, but people respected it because you knew what you were getting. The experience was the proper experience and not some toned up or toned down mess.
It is especially annoying when the choices don't outline the differences. It would be far more useful to know that enemies do increased damage and not some corny variant on 'You're gonna be done deaded if you choose this one'.