There are few topics in the gaming community that spark as much debate as the subject of modern difficulty. Some argue that games are getting easier, others argue that players are simply getting better, and gaming centralists say that nothing’s changed at all.
From the punishing 1996 platformer Super Mario 64 to the ever-accessible 2017 Super Mario Odyssey, the question remains: how has difficulty changed?
To explore this, I turned to someone who lives and breathes games and their mechanics: David Lett, known online by AstralSpiff (and hereby referred to as such by request). AstralSpiff, a speedrunner and popular content creator best known for his groundbreaking challenge-running feats that even most pros would never attempt.
AstralSpiff has his own insight into the evolution of video games and their difficulty over the years.
“I think we’re also getting older and better at games, so games that were hard as a kid feel a lot easier, and we can’t always tell the difference,” AstraSpiff elucidated.
The lens of nostalgia has been known to distort our memories, and as we improve at games throughout our lives, the way we remember the difficulty of a game can shift and change. The challenges that might have once felt impossible may be easily surmountable now, and there’s no easy way to directly compare the skill of your current and past selves.
AstralSpiff hinted at an invisible evolution where games don’t change, but we do. It’s easy to see why people think modern games pull their punches, but that’s not necessarily the case.
“Nintendo definitely is the one that stands out to me as getting easier,” AstralSpiff stated.
Nintendo is the major industry proponent of accessibility in games. It’s the idea that anyone, a child, teen, or parent, some of whom have never held a controller before, can pick up the next Mario installment and play it from start to finish with little to no trouble. While their hearts are in the right place, this philosophy tends to alienate the more well-versed audience.
Super Mario Odyssey is polished and forgiving, but to gaming veterans, the challenge it presents is little to none. When large companies like Nintendo turn away from making the games themselves difficult, pros seeking a challenge tend to turn to one of a few alternatives. The first of these is games that specifically target a more skilled audience.
“I’d say developers are recognizing the increased skill of your average teenager and above, and making their games to scale, especially sequels,” AstralSpiff discussed. “Just recently, the release of [Hollow Knight: Silksong] showed this very well.”
With games like Hollow Knight already being a tough game to complete, the fact that the game’s sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, one-ups the original is already a clear demonstration of increased difficulty. However, it’s clear that the increase was warranted, with the vast majority of the playerbase still being able to conquer it.
There are other solutions, rather than just making games harder. Built-in challenges in the form of special modes and achievements can be included.
“Yeah, I do really like [Games’ Nuzlocke Modes] because I don’t have to modify files or do anything special, it just works,” AstralSpiff explained. “Even just having an achievement, like Silksong having an achievement of going deathless… because it gives you a little thumbs up for doing it.”
Modern developers understand that the people who play their game want to be challenged. So, to keep the games tough without scaring away general audiences, the challenge is completely optional. This can be seen with difficult achievements like the aforementioned Hollow Knight deathless achievement, built-in Nuzlocke modes for games, or new difficulties for games like Resident Evil 1’s Invisible Enemy mode, all of which the player can choose to try.
Lastly, the most popular response to the change in the gaming landscape is the rise of challenge-running as a growing subgroup in the gaming community.
“If done right and you have a game that can operate as a sandbox [for challenges], then that is generally better than a game that is hard on its own,” AstralSpiff voiced.
The best kind of difficulty, he suggests, is the difficulty you invent yourself. While there’s no built-in system imposed by the creator, sometimes the open space, tools, and freedom can create the hardest obstacles to overcome. This can be seen with games like Super Mario Odyssey, which, as previously mentioned, is not a difficult game in and of itself, but with ridiculous challenge runs like minimum captures, it’s easy to see how the game’s non-linear playstyle allows for limitless possibilities.
Difficulty isn’t ending, it’s evolving. The skill of gamers is something developers will never be able to fully control, nor something our memories can accurately measure, but as long as there are players like AstralSpiff who are committed to reminding us that games are supposed to challenge us, difficulty will never die.
