Are games gradually getting easier? Despite the efforts of a couple of dedicated developers who long for a return to the good old NES days when platformers sought to reduce players to frustrated sacksౠ of mushy meat, the last few generations have been marked with an industry-wide shift towards a prioritization of accessibility over challenge. Whether the medium benefits from this move or not is up to debate, but not every gamer is seeking to be put through the ringer. In some cases, satisfaction hinges on experiencing an engaging and relaxing storyline, while other players love to have their reflexes tested. We live in an age when there is no "proper" way to play a game; nevertheless, for better or worse, certain titles still manage to surprise customers with their level of difficulty.
A case can be made that challenge varies from player to player, but there are a couple of games that truly earned the right to be described as easy or hard. When dealing with the former, there is an almost baffling desire to avoid presenting any potential scenarios that could push players out of their comfort zones. Just to be clear, this is not always a negative, but issues start to arise when the obstacles fail t💜o match the target audience's expectations. If a beloved franchise adored for its grueling dif🐈ficulty were to suddenly don mittens, fans have every right to be disappointed. Conversely, games designed to provide an exhausting challenge should make it sufficiently clear in their marketing.
Here are the 15 easiest video games of all time (and 15 that w�🍸�ere too hard for casuals)!
30 🅘 Easy: Ninja Gaiden 3
Wait, how can this be right? Ninja Gaiden is synonymous with hard-as-nails hack and slash combat. Sadly, squandered its predecessors' solid work and delivered a neutered experience that strayed far from the franchise's roots. For those who thought Ninja Gaiden II pulled some of its punches, Team Ninja's misguided sequel will feel like a slap to the face. Garnering a noticeable amount of backlash for its timid and streamlined campaign, the studio tried to steady the ship with Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge, but the damage was already done.
29 Hard: Donkey Kong Cou♉ntry
is a category on TvTopres for a reason! Published in the early 90s, Donkey Kong Country presents itself as a quirky platformer about anthropomorphic gorillas who just want their bananas, but this ride through the jungle is defined by failure. With save points only sparingly available, Rare's classic feels abnormally punishing on the harder levels. Like most other platformers, the difficulty lies in the stages rather🎃 than the bosses, b🅰ut the former more than makes up for the latter! The subsequent games in the series have kept up the tradition of ruining the player's confidence.
28 🍰 ♍ Easy: Fallout 3
Initially, Fallout 3 may seem like an odd candidate for the easy list, but Bethesda's RPG is only truly challenging during the opening segments of the campaign. Designed to be an immediately accessible open world that allows players to traverse the map as they see fit, Fallout 3 maintains a somewhat steady level of difficulty throughout its entire sandbox, and enemies rarely equip better weapons or armor. The story missions are even simpler, as companions do most of the heavy lifting. 🐎Once the is equipped, the gameplay becomes trivial and missions can🐽 be completed without much thought.
27 Hard🐈: God Hand 🌳
Clover Studio's God Hand wastes little time in throwing players into the thick of battle. Out on a mission to defeat a fallen angel named Angra, Gene must use his awesome "God Hand" to spread justice across the continent. Boasting an extensive combo system that requires patience to understand and appreciate, God Hand's enemies are aggressive and pounce on any mistakes. Frankly, the opening few hours are going to be frustrating and unenjoyable; however, once the growing pains subside, God Hand transforms i🐷nto one of the most satisfying experiences of all time.
26 Easy: Castꦺlevania: Symphony Of The Night ♌
In comparison with the NES entries, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is a complete cake walk. Just to ensure there are no misunderstandings; Symphony of the Night is a wonderful action role-play𒆙ing game and sits among the pinnacle of the franchise, but that does not excuse the lack of any real challenge offered by the bosses. Unlike💯 the earlier titles, Alucard gains stats by leveling up and the enemies have a hard time keeping up with him. For those yearning to be tested, the only option is to drop any weapons and go bare fisted.
25 Hard: Crash Bandicoot 💙 🍌
Naughty Dog's iconic platformer was always excruciatingly hard, but the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy's more precise controls just exacerbated matters. While the sequels are considerably more forgiving, the original game features some of the hardest stages of any post-SNES platformer. "Slippery Climb," "High Road," and "Native Fortress" require perfect timing and nerves of steel to be completed, while 's "Stormy Ascent" seems designed purely to destroy controllers. Crash Bandicoot is rightfully considered a classic, although the sequels' gentler spirits hardly hurt their overal🌳l appeal.
24 🏅 Easy: Doom 3
As the granddaddy of first-person shooters, Doom amassed a reputation for run and gun combat that requires total concentration from even veteran players. While 2016's Doom got things right, Doom 3's monsters come across as little more than moving targets that occasionally tap on the playable character's armor. Ramping up the difficulty to "" barely raises the stakes, while "" mode relies on cheap tricks to give off the semblance of a challenge. Despite garnering at the time, Doom 3 tends to be con⛦sidered the weakest entry in the 💞storied franchise's history.
23 Hard: Sup🍷er Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy belongs to a rare breed of platformers, one that manages to be excruciatingly punishing but perfectly fair. AAA companies rarely spend money on 2D adventure games, so fans rely on the indie market to scratch that itch. When it comes to , failure is a given, but Team Meat limited the frustration by creating shorter levels and makin𝓡g respawning almost instant. After succumbing to the grinder more than 50 times, victory is rewarded with a short replay that summarizes the player's various attempts at overcoming the obstacles.
22 Easy: Ōkami 🌟
Ōkami is a masterpiece and there is precious little we would change about it! Lasting for nearly , Clover Studio's picturesque action-adventure game features gorgeous environments, an interesting combat system, and a fascinating story. If there is one slight nitpick, it would have to be the difficulty level, as Ōkami can be beaten without much fuss. Due to the exaggerated length of the adventure, battles eventually become monotonous due to their simplicity. Even though Clover Studio created one of the PlayStation 2's defining games, the enemies could pack a more significant🥃 punch and items needed to be harder to buy.
21 ☂ Hard: The Witcher 2
Bless the hearts of everyone working at CD Projekt Red, but the studio cannot seem to grasp the concept of tutorials. As Geralt is already a seasoned warrior with a wide range of skills, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings starts with an overwhelming information dump that tries to explain too many different concepts. Taken place in the middle of a massive battle, gamers are tasked with clearing out an ambush before being provided with any time to grasp the not so intuitive controls. Dark Souls' tutorial boss is legendary, but the Asylum Demon's got nothing on The Witcher 2's no-name soldiers.