Why I Play Easy, Hard, and Everything In Between
For me, choosing the right difficulty setting isn’t about showing off—it’s about matching the challenge to the type of game I’m diving into. Some games I want to breeze through and enjoy the ride. Others? I want to suffer, grind, and come out sharper than when I started.
Shooters? I Play to Learn. Samurai Games? I Play to Bleed.
If I’m playing a shooter like Cyberpunk 2077 or Dead Space, I usually start on medium difficulty.
Not because I’m scared—but because I’m still learning.
Shooting isn’t really my main skillset, so I use those playthroughs to practice mechanics, pacing, and strategy.
Once I get comfortable, I sometimes ramp it up to hard mode—especially if I feel like I’ve earned it.
But when it comes to samurai or shinobi games?
I don’t hold back.
Games like Ghost of Tsushima, Nioh, or Assassin’s Creed?
I go straight for the hardest difficulty—no hesitation.
Why? Because that’s where the real rhythm lives. The timing. The tension. The reward.
It’s not just about XP or better loot (though that helps). It’s about discipline, growth, and mastering the mechanics.
Some Games Don’t Let You Choose. You Just Have to Git Gud.
Then there are titles like Sekiro—games that throw you in the fire and say:
“Survive.”
No easy mode. No training wheels.
You either adapt, evolve, or die trying.
And honestly? I respect that.
It forces you to lean into the mechanics, study enemy patterns, and build real skill.
Every boss you beat in a game like Sekiro feels like an achievement, not a checkpoint.
It’s Okay to Dial It Down, Too
That said—there’s no shame in scaling difficulty down if the game stops being fun.
Some games let you start on hard and switch to normal or easy mid-game.
If I’m just not feeling the grind—or if the mechanics are frustrating instead of rewarding—I’ll switch it up.
Gaming should challenge you, not punish you.
With Dead Space Remake, for example, I started on medium to get a feel for the pacing. Then I replayed it on hard mode.
Was it wildly different? Not always.
But small things—like how fast your health bar drops, or how tight your timing needs to be—make a big difference when the pressure’s on.
Final Thoughts: It’s All About Progression
Whether you play on easy or nightmare mode, the core of it is the same:
🎮 Practice. Learn. Adapt.
That’s the real heart of gaming.
So I don’t judge anyone’s difficulty setting.
Sometimes I want to get wrecked.
Sometimes I just want to enjoy the story.
What matters most is that you’re in the game, learning, and leveling up—at your own pace.