Challenging Video Games

[CorporalClegg]

One thing I would like is some harder RPGs.

I love them, but they all become so homogeneous that they really don't offer a lot of challenge any more.

JRPGS are so stagnant it hurts. Pretty movies with effeminate males fighting an ancient evil and a million status spells that don't do anything worthwhile.

I must say though, I just finished Mass Effect and if you liked KOTOR, you'd really like ME.

I hoping to get it next month went it comes to PC. I don't have 360, but I have played it extensively.

I just hope my PC can handle it, it's already five years old.

The ironic thing, however, is that the Gizka KOTORII upgrade should finally be done around the same time--and I have to play that first.

 

[archeryguy1701]

One thing I do hate is games where you pass a level literally on luck. I'm playing CnC3 right now and have been stuck on a level for a while. I checked out a walkthrough for some hints, and it basically says that you need to save frequently because if you arrive at a location one second too early or one second too late, you are doomed, and you aren't given any production facilities, so if an enemy gets pissed off, you are S.O.L.

 

[FPAlpha]

My personal nemesis for quite some time was Ninja Gaiden... especially the fight against Alma in the church.

I literally spent weeks getting past that.. becoming frustrated like hell, putting the game away for a few days only to fail again etc. until i finally beat her. It almost felt like an orgasm.


In comparison the final boss of the game was a cakewalk.

I like challenges in games, even hard challenges if they're well designed and beatable by staing cool, concentrating and working the controls well (case in point Ninja Gaiden).

 

[CommodoreKong]

The new trend is level scaling, so that the enemies scale up to whatever level you are... makes grinding almost pointless since it makes the game harder, which I guess is better than just plain grinding.

I wouldn't mind level scaling so much if it had scales and caps. Have certain characters (basic bandits or goblins) level from 1-10 with you, and then cap at level 10. Have harder creatures start out at a higher level (maybe 20) when your at level 1 and have them slowly gain levels as you level up (maybe one level for every 2 or 3 levels you gain) until they hit their cap.

Of course to make some bosses challenging they shouldn't give them a cap, and even have some bosses always at your level + X levels.

I think this improved way of implementing level scaling would do a good job of making you feel more powerful as you gain levels (I didn't really feel that way while playing Oblivion), while still providing a challenge when needed.

 

[FPAlpha]

I hate level scaling.. especially in racing games.

I want to be rewarded for driving so much better than the AI so that the other cars are maybe a full lap behind me only to fumble at the last curve and have suddenly most cars zip by me

 

[CommodoreKong]

I hate level scaling.. especially in racing games.

I want to be rewarded for driving so much better than the AI so that the other cars are maybe a full lap behind me only to fumble at the last curve and have suddenly most cars zip by me

Level scaling and rubber band AI aren't exactly the same thing but they're pretty similar concepts for the two genres.

Rubber band AI is especially annoying in the Mario Kart games, since items like a Blue Shell fired in the last lap can loose the race for you even though you should of had a big lead.

 

[FordSVT]

I've had many hours of fun in my life playing the various Mario Kart games, but it does have what is possibly the worst rubber banding I've ever seen. If I'm ahead of an enemy and use my speed boost, he should not be up my ass three seconds later. On the harder levels of the game, you have to play almost perfectly just because if you screw up once you'll never have the chance to catch up with the 3-4 opponents who will pass you. And you will never catch up, because you don't get the benefit of the magic band.

The Ridge Racer games were terrible at this too.

I don't have a problem with having to drive perfectly in a game like Forza 2, because I' have to do it in order to make up for the fact that the computer is driving perfect/near-perfectly. But it goes both ways: if the computer opponent crashes, it is screwed as well. But it's not because his cars are sometimes 30% faster than mine is capable of being.

 

[Worf412]

Personally, I view games as entertainment, and like them to be relatively easy. I don't like dying, having to repeat ANYTHING, or not knowing what to do. When I play an RPG, I regularly check the walkthrough. Before playing a boss, I always read how to beat him first.

How sad. Do you also read a synopsis of the movie you are about to watch so that you won't be surprised by any plot twists, or character developments?

 

[dark angel_707]

the rubber band AI in Burnout 3 was a bitch and the same with Ridge Racer on the 360.

In my view, developers generally just use cheap tricks to make the game harder instead of improving the AI eg

You are playing on Hard and all the difference is, you health goes red after a slight graze from a bullet while the enemies can take a rocket or 2 in the face.

If I have to re-start because the AI killed me, it should be because the AI flanked me or because I did something wrong etc NOT after unloading 5 rockets into the face of a boss he kills me with a melee attack or something. Of course sometimes developers are rushed to get games out but its still a pet hate of mine

 

[TheBrew]

One of my favorite 'hard' modes was "Jedi" on Shadows of the Empire for the N64. You were pretty squishy, but so were the enemies. I don't like the 5-rockets to the face mentality for difficulties.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I hate the games that put too much of a change between difficulty levels. The easy levels are are like shooting at the broad side of a barn with a bazooka: even if you're not trying, you'll still win. And then you upgrade to medium, which gives you the burning desire to burn the disc right there it's so hard. There should be a really hard level, yes, but it shouldn't be right after the easy levels.

 

[unimatrix7]

Having just played through Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, I have to say I found it rather challenging in places, but only in a way that constantly made me reassess my strategy and adjust it accordingly. Good stuff.

 

[BigFoot]

^ I really need to play through Uncharted again. I haven't picked it up since I finished it in the fall. What an awesome game.