Why We're All Idiots For Thinking Video Game Difficulty Matters

And yet, the safer the game, the more we turn up our nose. We've been conditioned since gaming's inception to value titles that explore the medium they're in. These are GAMES, after all, and when developers remove mechanics to streamline the process - even though it leads to an infinitely kinder experience - we'll class this as a negative.

The grand irony of course, is the gaming industry created this diehard, "Just one more go" gamer that seeks out and prides themselves on challenge, only to turn their back on them in favour of the larger, casual audience, because that's where the money is.

Those who truly do feel something indescribably empowering when conquering a horrifically annoying level or boss are totally valid; the school of design they graduate from is borne from a tenacious time where only a few could play comfortably. Those who want to tweak settings and lower difficulty spikes to see the entirety of what they've paid for, though? They're just as valid too.

It's about understanding the history of why we think the way we do, and if a game is truly kicking your ass, the only person who needs to be okay with lowering the difficulty or playing something else, is you.