| 1 | %% Image selected per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1638071830075438400 |
| 2 | %% Please do not replace or remove without starting a new thread. |
| 3 | %% |
| 4 | [[quoteright:350:[[Webcomic/TheGamercat https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tgc_easy_4.png]]]] |
| 5 | %% |
| 6 | ->''"People don't spend sixty bucks on a game they know they can beat."'' |
| 7 | -->-- '''George Wood''', ''[[Series/GamingInTheClintonYears Flights of Fantasy]] VideoGame/ToyStory'' [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4i6QoWONLQ review]][[note]]Immediately after [[ItsHardSoItSucks complaining about the game's difficulty]] and showcasing some cheat codes to make the game beatable.[[/note]] |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Sometimes a gamer plays a new game only to find the level of challenge is less than what they expected -- sometimes considerably so. To some gamers, this shall not stand! VideoGames are about overcoming ''challenge''! NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction, after all, and without challenge, a game is little more than a pointless exercise. |
| 10 | |
| 11 | Of course, there is nothing inherently ''wrong'' with an "easy" game. Some people prefer them that way. Further, depending on the individual, the genre and the game playing setting, the reasons for gaming vary greatly from "overcoming challenge for a sense of accomplishment" to "distracting one from the mundane minutia of life" and everything in between. Some changes that make a game easier can remove unnecessarily difficult or frustrating parts, making for a more enjoyable experience overall. This trope is the reaction fans have when a game, particularly one from a franchise known for challenging games, presents itself as less challenging than its predecessors or than what one would normally expect from games of a similar genre. |
| 12 | |
| 13 | This can certainly be a valid reaction, however; when you can breeze through a game without breaking a sweat once, even the parts that should be difficult, it is easy for a game to become a monotonous and boring experience. Excessive handholding, the oversimplification or elimination of more complex mechanics, and easily accessible "win buttons" or {{Game Breaker}}s with no downside to using them can also sink a game, among other related issues. When an attempt to make a game more accessible instead removes depth or any sense of challenge from parts that were clearly intended to be difficult, this reaction is understandable. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | This is ''not'' a page to complain about easy games. Only add examples where the sentiment has been expressed by reviewers or a sizable number of fans when comparing a game to previous installments in a franchise or similar games of that genre. |
| 16 | |
| 17 | Be aware with adding examples where people mention about how once they found a GameBreaker, learned to exploit a {{Good Bad Bug|s}}, caught the hang of it, learned the way the game mechanics worked, then that they found the game trivial afterwards. |
| 18 | |
| 19 | This type of complaint can happen if [[SequelDifficultyDrop the game's predecessor was more difficult]]. The level of reasonableness depends on ''what'' is being complained about; if it's new AntiFrustrationFeatures, better design decisions, or the smoothing out or elimination of clunkiness that has historically been a thing and has been viewed as part of the challenge, it's probably just people being change-averse. On the other hand, if it's people complaining about the game being boring or monotonous due to gameplay or design decisions that make it easy to rip the game wide open, streamline it to the point where there is zero depth (or incentive to experiment), or handhold the player to the point where failure is virtually impossible, they may have a point. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | This also becomes incredibly annoying for developers if people complained about the previous game being too hard, or if it was hard [[FakeDifficulty but for all the wrong reasons]]. It really makes for the perpetual UnpleasableFanbase. |
| 22 | |
| 23 | ItsShortSoItSucks is a SisterTrope, with several points overlapping with this. The opposite is ItsHardSoItSucks. Also see TheyChangedItNowItSucks. When people try to force the way they play the game (which generally has to do with difficulty) onto other people, you have a {{Scrub}} or a [[StopHavingFunGuys "Stop Having Fun" Guy]]. When you have both It's Easy, so It Sucks and ItsHardSoItSucks, you wind up with an UnpleasableFanbase. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | ---- |
| 26 | !!Examples: |
| 27 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 28 | |
| 29 | [[folder:Action Adventure]] |
| 30 | * ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}'' |
| 31 | ** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaSymphonyOfTheNight'' angered many fans of the series' incredible challenge factor. The {{Metroidvania}} installments of the series tend towards easier difficulty in general. There are so many possible {{Game Breaker}}s found through normal means that by the end of the game, the only challenge most players will face is purely [[SelfImposedChallenge Self Imposed]]. Despite this, though, ''Symphony of the Night'' is still widely considered the best game in the entire series. |
| 32 | ** ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaHarmonyOfDissonance'' gets flack for being the easiest game in the series, among other things. |
| 33 | * ''VideoGame/EternalDarkness'', due to its horror focus, often gets called a survival-horror game, but two aspects of the game's design obliterate the "survival" half and render it incompatible: a replenishing ManaMeter (complete with spells to restore your health and SanityMeter, as well as provide a protective shield) and unbreakable melee weapons which can decapitate enemies or sever their arms. While firearms all have limited ammo, they're never necessary to get past obstacles and usually weaker than your sword/mace/axe/etc. People going into the game tend to wonder how a game so easy could get so much love, especially if they find [[InfinityPlusOneElement the Mantorok rune]]. |
| 34 | * Many ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' fans complain how the games have steadily gotten easier over the course of the series, especially after the VideoGame3DLeap. The series added more and more interesting puzzles but included easier combat, fewer traps, and less dangerous {{Boss Battle}}s as part of the deal. The original Wizzrobes could deal ''four'' hearts of damage if they hit you with a beam attack, but it is rather hard to find any enemy that can do anything close to that in the 3D games except for [[spoiler:the instant-kill trains]] in ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSpiritTracks''. |
| 35 | * ''VideoGame/LaMulana'' is a TakeThat against newer generations of games; the manual calls anyone used to playing newer games a wuss. Ironically, NIGORO (the developers of ''La-Mulana'') toned down the difficulty (at least of certain elements, like the save system) for the remake, citing the need to make the game more accessible for more mainstream customers (considering it was originally released for [=WiiWare=], this was a valid concern), [[http://la-mulana.com/en/blog/about_difficulty.html well aware that this trope would be a potential reaction from some players.]] In exchange, they buffed the damage enemies can deal to you, as well as making Guardians more difficult to defeat. |
| 36 | * This was a complaint leveled at ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'' a lot, and it ''was'' an easy game: The items were cheap and powerful, and a plentiful AutoRevive was built into your abilities. It was still critically acclaimed, but sold poorly. |
| 37 | * Sword combat in ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedIVBlackFlag'' was widely criticised for being too easy and lacking nuance. This was addressed by developers for the game's sequel, ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedUnity'', where combat is harder and has consequences when done openly. |
| 38 | [[/folder]] |
| 39 | |
| 40 | [[folder:Action Game]] |
| 41 | * ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'': |
| 42 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'' was criticized for a lot of design choices, the too-easy fights being just one of many. And then came [[SequelDifficultySpike the sequel.]] |
| 43 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'' was criticised by long-time fans of the series due its significantly lower difficulty compared to the third game. |
| 44 | ** The North American version of ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'' had to be released twice because the original version was unplayably hard. This is probably the only instance in the series where this trope was not invoked by fans. |
| 45 | ** ''VideoGame/DmCDevilMayCry'' was accused of this, especially in regards to how the revamped style meter makes it painfully easy to go from D to SSS with just a few of the right moves. The boss fights in general have been criticized for being much less difficult than those of past games as well. |
| 46 | ** ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'' didn't have it as bad as the last two numbered games, but Dante experts coming from ''4'' lamented about the loss of the extremely high-level execution and glitch abusing Dante had in the last game. |
| 47 | * Many fans of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI'' were disappointed that the game's hard mode was locked behind new game+, since many fans who were looking for a challenge found the demo and the base game itself to be too easy. |
| 48 | ** Inaccessible difficulty options aside, the game was also criticized for having little strategy during boss fights, since all bosses have a stagger meter and elemental affinities are non-existent, for example, Bomb enemies from previous ''Final Fantasy'' entries who were immune to or even absorbed fire-elemental attacks are now completely vulnerable to fire. |
| 49 | * The VideoGame/FreddiFish series arcade styled spinoff ''Freddi Fish and Luther's Water Worries'' gets a lot of this. Being a children's game, you shouldn't expect much to begin with, but it's very hard to actually lose in it at all, [[PanderingToTheBase even if you're in the game's target audience.]] Unless you stand perfectly still and do nothing, trying at all will grant you a win. |
| 50 | * ''VideoGame/{{Gungrave}}'' and ''Nightshade'' got this, as their challenge was mainly based around getting a high score or equivalent, and they were fairly easy if you wanted to just charge through to the end. Oddly, the more traditionally difficult ''Gungrave: Overdose'' and ''Shinobi'' instead get complaints about being ''too hard''. In Nightshade's case, it managed to feel more like a traditional Shinobi game due to easy levels, but relatively hard bosses. Of course, ditching the health-draining sword mechanic of [=PS2=] Shinobi made fans of ''that'' game find Nightshade to be too easy, so it's really a case of BrokenBase. |
| 51 | * The ''VideoGame/NinjaGaiden'' series prided itself on being some of the hardest games around. This changed in the reboot version of ''Ninja Gaiden 3''. Critics and fans hated the game for taking the strategic fighting elements from the first two and toning them down to a simple one button hack & slash. One common complaint being that you can close your eyes and still kill all the enemies. |
| 52 | [[/folder]] |
| 53 | |
| 54 | [[folder:Adventure Game]] |
| 55 | * This was a major complaint levelled at ''VideoGame/LeisureSuitLarry5PassionatePattiDoesALittleUndercoverWork'': The designer's intention was to make the game play more like an interactive cartoon rather than a complicated adventure game, and make sure as many people as possible finish the game, therefore removing old Sierra adventure game standards such as [[TheManyDeathsOfYou death]] or {{Unwinnable}} situations. Despite ''Larry 5'' being, for these reasons alone, significantly better than the games that preceded it, adventure game fans cried foul as their beloved genre was being dumbed down for the masses. |
| 56 | * Hardcore Creator/{{Sierra}} enthusiasts and Creator/LucasArts adventure gamers whined and whined about how games after Zak [=McKraken=] were programmed so that it would be impossible to lose (Unless you were absolutely trying) or make the game {{unwinnable}}, therefore "Dumbing it down for the masses". Nevermind that people ''to this day'' whine about how Sierra Adventure games ruined them by having the realistic scenarios of characters using the wrong item and dying. |
| 57 | * And even when another Sierra adventure game called ''VideoGame/TorinsPassage'' came around and featured an in-game hint feature at the cost of points, people whined about how that hint feature was too easy. The minmaxing, powergaming types are compelled to use every tool at their disposal to their advantage for maximum gaming efficiency: GameBreaker weapons, physics glitches, you name it. Those people ''did'' have to use the in-game hint feature, simply because it was available to be used, but they don't have to like it. |
| 58 | * The Telltale's ''VideoGame/BackToTheFutureTheGame'' has been called this by many gamers. The puzzles are very simplistic and the games short, however, the dialogue and story were written by Bob Gale, the writer of the films, and the voice talent is top-notch. This results in a BrokenBase between fans of the film and hardcore gamers who want a challenge. |
| 59 | * EnvironmentalNarrativeGames like ''VideoGame/DearEsther'', ''VideoGame/GoneHome'' and ''VideoGame/TheStanleyParable'' tend to receive this criticism, due to their limited interactivity and lack of challenge, to the point that some critics deny that they are even video games at all. |
| 60 | [[/folder]] |
| 61 | |
| 62 | [[folder:Driving Game]] |
| 63 | * ''VideoGame/MarioKart'': |
| 64 | ** ''VideoGame/MarioKartWii'' is accused of being dumbed down. Not just because [[GameBreaker snaking]] is useless now, but the fact that in order to gain mini turbos, you have to drift on corners and maintain it, which is easier than wiggling the analog stick left to right and getting many turbos in a row while drifting. |
| 65 | ** ''VideoGame/MarioKart7'' more so, since not only is the drifting very similar to ''Wii''[='s=], but the star rankings have been made much easier to get and things like wheelies, bikes and much of single player mode have been removed as well. |
| 66 | ** ''VideoGame/MarioKart8'': In a track-specific example, [[VideoGame/MarioKartSuperCircuit GBA Riverside Park]] managed to be considered underwhelming by fans because of how easy it is. Granted, the original was a Mushroom Cup course, so it was never going to be truly challenging, but it comes across as lacking compared to the ''VideoGame/MarioKartTour'' version, which built itself around the game's tight controls and speed cap. The ''8 Deluxe'' version does add some Ptooies in an attempt to add ''some'' danger to the track, but they move slowly enough that they're rarely a genuine threat, and there are multiple wide turns that allow for racers to easily stack up purple mini-turbos with little in their way. |
| 67 | * ''VideoGame/WanganMidnight Maximum Tune'': |
| 68 | ** Some fans of racing games complain that the game takes about as much skill as a NASCAR game due to the abundance of straight roads [[FandomRivalry compared to]], say, ''VideoGame/InitialDArcadeStage''. |
| 69 | ** From ''Maximum Tune 3'' onwards, Story Mode took a significant drop in difficulty, which some argue ruin the prestige of Story Mode "undefeated" status. |
| 70 | * The ''VideoGame/{{Forza}}'' series after ''Motorsport 3'' gets this because of its unlimited rewind feature, which is optional, not available in multiplayer, and a detriment for your leaderboard standings. |
| 71 | [[/folder]] |
| 72 | |
| 73 | [[folder:Fighting Game]] |
| 74 | * Many fans of ''Franchise/StreetFighter'' derided ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'', and later, ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'', as being too easy because characters had full limb movement and the game didn't require you to learn combos to win. Never mind that 3D games have a far larger variety of moves and thus less of a need to stick to a strategy, old school players still deride it as 'button mashing'. |
| 75 | * ''Street Fighter'' fans also tend to dislike ''Franchise/MortalKombat'' titles of Midway era for relying on Violence factor, rather than strategy. And claim, that aside from special moves, ''Mortal Kombat'' characters are exactly the same. |
| 76 | * A common criticism with newer fighting games, particularly those by Capcom, is their alleged simplicity compared to older titles. Particularly, fans of ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom2'' commonly cite this trope as a reason they dislike ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''. |
| 77 | * ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' was accused of being dumbed down for casuals due to the reworked physics and overall game speed being slower compared to [[VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee the previous game]]. WordOfGod stated that ''Brawl'' was made the way it was to allow new players to jump into the series without being totally clobbered by experienced players. |
| 78 | * A major complaint about ''VideoGame/FightingMasters'' is its basic gameplay, and the fact that, for a fighting game, it lacks combos and strategy, even for a game from the 90s. No matter which character you pick, or which character you're up against, you end up doing the same thing over and over again: All you have to do is stun your enemy, grab him and slam him hard into the ground; rinse and repeat till he's down for the count. |
| 79 | * ''VideoGame/DragonBallFighterZ'': |
| 80 | ** The game caught some flack for this, primarily due to an auto-combo system that can be used by rapidly hitting the attack button. Auto-Combos aren't new in fighting games, but [=FighterZ=]'s are unusual in that they are ''actually helpful'', and see use even within tournaments. There's the fact that the moves on every single character have the same button inputs. That said, it's still a wildly popular game within the competitive scene, showing that this opinion isn't universal. |
| 81 | ** The game's story mode caught some flack for its low difficulty. The AI is braindead, characters have ways to level up their stats to make them even more powerful, and the game never really has any challenge at all until the very end. There ''is'' a hard mode, but the game needs to be beaten first for it to be unlocked. It is widely considered to be a tedious grind, which isn't helped by the fact that beating it (or [[BribingYourWayToVictory buying the season pass]]) is required to unlock Android 21. In contrast, arcade mode has been hit with a heavy dose of ItsHardSoItSucks. |
| 82 | * ''VideoGame/BlazBlueCrossTagBattle'' has been accused of this compared to the previous titles, due to it being in permanent Stylish mode (Which allows for autocombos with the press of one button) while removing the Technical mode, the CPU being too easy, the Story mode being short, and in general, being directed to a more casual audience. |
| 83 | [[/folder]] |
| 84 | |
| 85 | [[folder:First-Person Shooter]] |
| 86 | * ''Platform/{{Roblox}}'s Anomalous Activities'' is often criticized for how very easy it is for the mercs to achieve their objective while in practice the anomaly almost has no counter aside from hoping that they can engage in Terror Form and pray that luck manages to get on their side, while the mercs can use teamwork easily to take down the anomaly with surprising ease. Not being helped that there have been multiple updates that give the mercs an easier time, while the anomaly got multiple nerfs without any benefit, and the advanced techniques to them are [[GuideDangIt so well-hidden]] that it's not uncommon to see mercs winning outside of incredibly bad skill, and the maps often tend to favor mercs rather than the anomaly. |
| 87 | * ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' gets criticized a lot for the Vita-Chambers. Whenever you die, you respawn nearby without penalty, so even a tough enemy like a Big Daddy can be worn down over several "lives", removing almost all challenge and a lot of scariness from the game. A patch added the option to disable the chambers, making it much harder. (Granted, you could have always chosen to simply reload the game and wipe your progress instead of letting the Vita-Chambers revive you. Same end result.) |
| 88 | * While ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'', which ''Bioshock'' is the SpiritualSuccessor of, had resurrection chambers, the difference was that there was only one on each level and you had to find and activate it first. And it costs you- no nanites; you stay dead! There was no penalty for the original ''VideoGame/SystemShock'', but in that game, you didn't just die if the machines weren't activated, [[NightmareFuel SHODAN turned your corpse into one of her cyborgs.]] This same money-costing principle from ''System Shock 2'' was carried over to ''VideoGame/BioshockInfinite'', although played from a strange angle. If you died while Elizabeth was present, she would revive you with some kind of hypo. If you were alone, you'd emerge from Booker [=DeWitt=]'s office...somehow. |
| 89 | * ''VideoGame/{{Halo 3}}'': |
| 90 | ** When the game isn't being bashed for gameplay modifications or whatever, it's being bashed because it's too easy. The developers have freely admitted that Easy difficulty is purposely developed so that "my grandma can complete the game if she wants". However, try it on [[HarderThanHard Legendary]]. |
| 91 | ** While still being a challenge, Legendary in ''Halo 3'' in itself is still toned down compared to Legendary in ''VideoGame/{{Halo 2}}''. There are only, at best, a handful of Sniper Jackals in the entire game of ''Halo 3'' (likely because they were DemonicSpiders in ''Halo 2''), and while the Brutes are significantly improved from ''2'' to ''3'', the Brutes are not even close to being a replacement for how fierce and challenging the Elites could be. More importantly, the Sniper Jackals who are still in the game don't pull off the "I can kill you in one shot if you are ''driving a vehicle''" thing anymore. |
| 92 | * ''VideoGame/Left4Dead2'' is usually blasted for being too easy due to the inclusion of the Magnum (one hit kill on common infected, regardless of game mode) and melee weapons (same as the Magnum in terms of killing power). |
| 93 | * RegeneratingHealth is usually looked down upon as making modern [=FPSs=] too easy in comparison to the traditional health system in older ones. Sure, the concept was to help to remove nigh-{{Unwinnable}} situations in which your character is dangerously low on health and there are plenty of enemies in sight, but not enough (or even ''any'') health packs available. The observed problem is that many games regenerate your health to FULL, so no matter how bad the situation is or how bad you mess up, hiding in cover meant no consequences short of lost ammo. Compromises tend to be more favorably met like an energy shield system where [[RegeneratingShieldStaticHealth only some of your HP regenerates, not all]], having health regenerate much slower, or only regenerating up to a still-low level. |
| 94 | * ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'' |
| 95 | ** In ''VideoGame/Doom3'', the monsters are slow, deal surprisingly little damage (no common mook save for the [[EliteMooks Hell Knight]] deals more than 20 damage per hit, when an [[TheGoomba Imp]] could deal up to 24), attack in too small groups to make up for the non-lethality, and medkits and armor are scattered ''everywhere'', to the point where they often end up ignored. A remedy for this would be to ramp up the difficulty, but Veteran (Hard) still falls short, and the HarderThanHard Nightmare mode revolves around the FakeDifficulty of your health dropping constantly, instead of actually making the demons a credible threat. Skilled players have to resort to values-altering {{Game Mod}}s to make the game legitimately challenging. |
| 96 | ** The classic titles also get hit with this from time to time, thanks to the abundance of [[GameMod custom map packs]][[note]][[FanNickname megawads]][[/note]] that have raised the skill ceiling further and further over the course of three decades and counting. Not only have the map-making fans learned how to use ''Doom'''s bestiary to much deadlier extents than Creator/IdSoftware ever did, computing power has increased over time and made maps with thousands of enemies possible to create and run without much difficulty. The first and second titles are now seen as pathetically easy, with only ''The Plutonia Experiment'' -- a wad that was considered NintendoHard back in its day -- holding up as the ''baseline'' difficulty for modern standards. |
| 97 | [[/folder]] |
| 98 | |
| 99 | [[folder:MMORPG]] |
| 100 | |
| 101 | %% Guys, cut out all the Justifying Edits. Please. Just list the facts. |
| 102 | |
| 103 | * In the {{MMORPG}} genre, a vocal minority loathe ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' because, compared to other [=MMORPGs=] of the time, it was too easy to grind to max level, the penalties for dying [[DeathIsASlapOnTheWrist were a pittance]], it was too easy to gain gear (via PVP), etc. And then the ''Wrath of the Lich King'' expansion introduced entirely new levels of complaining to the existing UnpleasableFanbase: |
| 104 | ** Starting raids were too easy. Epics were too easy to get. ([[MemeticMutation "Purples are the new blues!"]]) Stats were simplified too much. Never mind that Blizzard ''wants'' more players to get into raids, citing as examples the 2% or less of the player base that ever entered Naxxramas at level 60, or Sunwell Plateau at level 70. Never mind that all raids since 3.1 have featured "hard modes" that award better gear and [[CosmeticAward Achievements]]. |
| 105 | ** In many cases raid bosses will be released harder than intended, either because of {{Game Breaking Bug}}s or insufficient real world testing. In these cases, the raiders who do manage to kill the boss prior to its inevitable nerf will cry foul. |
| 106 | *** The developers responded to complaints that raiding was "too easy" by adding Algalon "the Raid Destroyer" the Observer, who took over a month for players to first kill, and is generally considered one of the hardest bosses (for deliberate reasons, not because of a bug or because the boss was temporarily overpowered because the next one wasn't ready yet) ever introduced in the game. (It should be noted, also, that you need to beat the hard mode of the "final" boss of the dungeon Algalon appears in in order to reach Algalon - and the toggle resets weekly - and that that hard mode is ''also'' considered one of the legitimately hardest fights in the game.) |
| 107 | ** There have also been complaints, of all things, about Blizzard's attempts to simplify the stat system, under the premise that players shouldn't have to consult a strategy guide, develop spreadsheets, or run third-party simulation programs to figure out if a piece of gear is an upgrade for them or not. (As well as removing stats that were redundant and making Intellect work ''the same way as Strength and Agility'' did for DPS classes.) |
| 108 | ** Even the user interface isn't exempt from this trope, as there's a vocal minority who complain that Blizzard "hates mods" despite: directly supporting and advocating their use, deliberately keeping the core UI simple to encourage people to develop addons, and incorporating the best user-developed addon features into their own UI. Oh, and making sure that any addons that ''do'' provide an unfair or unacceptable advantage will no longer work. |
| 109 | ** As a rare aversion to this trope, the addition of the Dungeon Finder feature in patch 3.3 was met with near universal praise, despite a few grumbles that it made traveling to dungeons unnecessary. |
| 110 | ** Back in ''Wrath'', ten-man raids were geared for people with ten-man gear, whereas the 25-man versions gave out gear that was noticeably superior. As a result, a raid group with gear from a raid's 25-man version would have a relatively easy time with the 10-man version. Naturally, this was no longer the case once 10- and 25-man raids started giving out the same quality gear in ''Cataclysm''. |
| 111 | ** A rather hilarious example... people apparently have short memories when it comes to difficulties in [=WoW=]. Heroics were just "Zerging" in Wrath and were complained about for being "too easy"... by people decked out in top-of-the-line raiding gear and alts used to being carried through by people wearing said gear. What happened about a year later in ''Cataclysm'' when people began to get geared out again? They once again found themselves way too over-geared for the heroics and thought they were too easy. Groups of fresh 85s who're at the ''bare minimum'' gear requirement for heroics are rare in 2012, since almost all the time there's at least one person who's (sometimes drastically) overgeared who carries a group through. |
| 112 | * The death penalties for ''VideoGame/CityOfHeroes'' are considered to be even easier than [=WoW=]'s, except that their players liked it that way. Lately there have been complaints that the game is getting ''too'' easy as the already weak penalties have been reduced to near irrelevance; however, with the introduction of the mission editor in issue 14, players who like a challenge will be able to play (and create) missions as difficult as they like, to the point of creating new enemy groups which make Malta and Knives of Artemis look like wimps. |
| 113 | * There's a vocal part of the ''[[Website/GaiaOnline zOMG!]]'' fanbase that insists any nerfing of any quest or enemy is ruining the game by making it easy. This includes the parts of the game that were honestly too difficult for the CL it was meant for. And the game is ''still in beta''. There's also the update in the first half of December 2009. Enemies (including bosses) were universally weakened, and many buff rings had their duration increased and/or recharge time drastically shortened as well as given an area of effect that reached all players visible on the screen ''without using any Rage Ranks''. The tutorial has also been stripped out, which gives veteran players the impression that newcomers aren't bothering to learn basic mechanics of the game such as swapping rings or ''leveling up''. Oh, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking gold rewards have been increased]], but it's still a pittance compared to what other methods on the site can earn. |
| 114 | * This happened quite a bit with ''VideoGame/GuildWars''...Even ''Factions'' received this complaint when it was new! Nevermind the amounts of [[ThatOneLevel missions declared as "Newbie Traps"]] that happen ''very early in the game'' compared to even Prophecies's [[ThatOneLevel annoying levels.]] |
| 115 | ** And a lot of things in the game catch hell for precisely this reason. Heroes, PVE Skills, inscriptions for weapons (never mind that the previous system ''sucked ass''), specific weapons becoming more common, etc etc... |
| 116 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' |
| 117 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'' sometimes has its veteran players complain that new expansions have made the game too easy. Of course, they have only brought the game somewhat into line with modern MMO standards for ease of play and soloability, and the game is still an epic time sink for grinding and camping Notorious Monsters, among other things. And these kinds of things are what people consider difficulty in an MMOG.... |
| 118 | *** An upcoming (as of June 2010) update is set to remove the [[FakeDifficulty level caps]] from the ''Chains of Promathia'' expansion, widely regarded as the hardest series of missions in the game mostly because it's impossible to find help for them since most players cleared the missions five years ago and never looked back. Once the announcement of the cap removal was made, cue throngs of whining elitists who will literally not be affected by the change in the slightest because it "takes away from the game's difficulty". |
| 119 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' is hit with this on all fronts from the hardcore players. Compared to the original game, the reboot ''A Realm Reborn'' is significantly easy and the game was redesigned with casual and new players in mind since defeat carries a small penalty and retrying certain quests or trials gives you an extra boost so that you can have a better shot at winning. Because the game was made with ease of difficulty, a lot of hardcore players (especially those who grew up on ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXI'') feel that the game is only catering to the lowest common denominator and that the game will suffer a quick death if it doesn't challenge its players to push their limits. The same players will also complain about old content getting nerfed, even after they're no longer relevant or would be a roadblock for new/returning players that want to catch up to their friends. |
| 120 | ** The Japanese and North American versions of the GBA remake of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'' landed into this because of a bug - the game would semi-regularly (as in, somewhere around 20% of the time) give a character a free turn immediately after taking their previous turn. It was kind of like using Quick in the [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyV fifth]] or [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI sixth]] game, except for free, didn't require any grinding to take advantage of, and available from the beginning (and keep in mind, Quick is frequently cited as a GameBreaker in those games even with those limitations). The bonus turns made the game's difficulty curve plummet, and it's frequently cited as the worst version of the game because of it. The shame of it too is that the North American translation is usually noted to be among the best that the game ever received. |
| 121 | [[/folder]] |
| 122 | |
| 123 | [[folder:MOBA]] |
| 124 | * ''VideoGame/LeagueOfLegends'' is often considered by ''VideoGame/HeroesOfNewerth'' and ''Dota'' fans to be a "noob game" due to its lower skill cap and newbie-friendly features at the expense of player skill and the competitive scene. True to this trope, ''[=LoL=]'' went on to become one of the most successful online games in the West while ''[=HoN=]'' experienced very limited growth in it's playerbase after the open beta and was forced to adapt the same free-to-play model as ''[=LoL=]'' a year after it launched. The hostility of the [[StopHavingFunGuys community]] towards new players was likely one of the key reasons for this (though having a price tag for over a year compared to ''[=LoL=]'' being free-to-play the whole time didn't help matters). ''[=HoN=]'' also went on to become notorious for its extreme RocketTagGameplay as time went on, which deflated much of the "skill" argument due to the overabundance of massive burst, long-duration crowd control, and "win button" self-buffs and gameplay that had started to become more and more of a contest of who had faster reflexes. The "[=LoL=] is for casuals" insult became increasingly outdated as, while it has a somewhat easier learning curve, the game became increasingly complex and convoluted as the years went by. |
| 125 | ** "Noob champion" is a common insult by players who pick difficult champions for its own sake and then get destroyed by players with easy or stronger champions. You'd think if you lose as a direct result of not picking the best champion then you are the noob... |
| 126 | * ''VideoGame/HeroesOfTheStorm'' gets it even worse than ''[=LoL=]'' for its simplified mechanics design ("No gold? No items? All farm shared by the entire team? Maps where gimmicks will win the battle for you? Bah, casuals!"), multiple different maps each with their own unique primary objective rather than a focus on the traditional "3 lanes and jungle" design, much shorter matches, and large number of really bizarrely-designed "gimmicky" heroes (such as Cho'Gall, a single two-headed ogre hero controlled cooperatively by ''two players''). To be fair, a large part of this is just hatred of [[Creator/BlizzardEntertainment Blizzard]] in general for their fairly open attempts to appeal to the widest market possible (as they do with ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' and ''VideoGame/{{Hearthstone}}''), mixed with [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks players simply being unwilling to accept such wild deviation from the MOBA formula]]. |
| 127 | * Wanna know what's having it worse than all of the above? Enter ''[[MobilePhoneGame Mobile]]'' MOBA games like ''VideoGame/MobileLegendsBangBang'' and to some extent ''VideoGame/ArenaOfValor'' and ''VideoGame/HonorOfKings''! The purpose of these games are to make a more compact experience you can carry everywhere, so the core elements of these games are decidedly even less complex than even ''League of Legends''. Control with analog stick, buy from everywhere in the map, pick-up recovery item behind every first towers, etc (and people say ''League'' is already simplified from ''Dota''). On top of [[AmericansHateTingle how mobile format is generally reviled in Western English-speaking countries]], this is usually what mobile MOBA fans had to face against the PC MOBA players. It's either this or [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks the sudden shift of change due to changing formats due to the desired platform.]] |
| 128 | [[/folder]] |
| 129 | |
| 130 | [[folder:Party Game]] |
| 131 | * ''VideoGame/MarioPartyTheTop100'' is criticized for being very heavily stacked in the player’s favor. The AI is weaker than usual, with Medium being on par with 1-8’s memetically bad Easy (and is, in fact, the lowest difficulty option), with Hard not being much better. Even if by some miracle you do lose, second and third still count as a win. Unless you deliberately try, you’re practically guaranteed to “win” every minigame you play. |
| 132 | [[/folder]] |
| 133 | |
| 134 | [[folder:Platform Game]] |
| 135 | * ''VideoGame/MarsupilamiHoobadventure'': A common complaint about the game is its nigh-''{{VideoGame/Kirby}}''-level easiness. Fruits are so common that [[MeaninglessLives lives become meaningless]], even with the LawOfOneHundred in place, and there are health jars located after most hazards. That said, like with ''Kirby'', the main difficulty of the game comes from going for OneHundredPercentCompletion, rather than getting to the end of the game. |
| 136 | * The ''Franchise/MegaMan'' franchise to an extent. |
| 137 | ** Despite its still-present challenge, people don't like the new abilities that give a better chance of beating bosses. The ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' series gets more flak because of the dash jump and other such abilities. Especially so for the first ''VideoGame/MegaManX1''[[note]]Not to be confused with the first ''VideoGame/MegaMan1'' game, which is NintendoHard[[/note]], which is considered to be the easiest game in the franchise. |
| 138 | ** To this day, ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'' still takes a ''huge'' amount of flak for introducing the slide move. This is odd, since ''[=MM3=]'' is still considerably harder than the previous entry (at least on the Western "Normal" difficulty mode), and ''VideoGame/MegaMan4'' is downright ridiculous in places. |
| 139 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManII'' is considered the worst ''Mega Man'' handleld game and one of the worst ''Mega Man'' game in general. It's due to ear-bleeding sound instrumentation, Metal Blade, that can obliterate any enemy and the easiest boss fights in the franchise. |
| 140 | ** Subversively ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' is a throwback to the NintendoHard era. It's short, but very difficult. And then along came ''VideoGame/MegaMan10'', with the addition of an Easy Mode. Cue rage from the StopHavingFunGuys (Never mind the fact that ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'' also had an easy mode, even if it wasn't called that...). |
| 141 | ** The ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'' series calls players' bluff. The stages are fairly easy, but the ranking system is aggressively demanding. You have to get at least an A rank to receive [[PowerCopying EX Techs]]. ''Zero 4'' toned this down, refreshing for a lot of the ''Zero'' fanbase. (However, try the {{Self Imposed Challenge}}s in the ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZX ZX]]'' subseries.) |
| 142 | ** ''VideoGame/MegaManRockForce'''s old version was criticized for being way too easy. The newer version is harder. |
| 143 | * ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'': |
| 144 | ** The ''[[VideoGameRemake Super Mario Advance]]'' series is often accused of this, what with things such as your number of lives being saved. To ''Super Mario Advance 4'''s credit, it had an e-Reader card that replaces the enemies with harder versions, but that [[NoExportForYou never made it out of Japan]]. |
| 145 | ** [[http://gonintendo.com/viewstory.php?id=105540 Miyamoto himself has stated]] that he regrets making ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1'' for DS too easy. |
| 146 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' is often bashed for being too easy, people saying how getting 60 stars to fight Bowser in the finale is a cakewalk compared to how ''VideoGame/SuperMario64'' did it (''64'' required 70 stars to access the final stage), and only a few of the 120 stars in total posed a challenge. ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'' seems to have taken the "easy so it sucks" complaints to heart and made the majority of the game more challenging (except according to some who played the game, like ''Creator/JoshScorcher''), though there are still some complaints because of its [[MercyMode Cosmic Guide]]. |
| 147 | ** ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBrosWii'' is accused of being easy due to how often you can gain extra lives and friends in multiplayer can put themselves inside bubbles to skip chunks of the level while their other friends get past the harder parts. There were also tons of complaints about the Super Guide where an AI-controlled Luigi can beat the level for you if you lose several lives in a row in a given level. |
| 148 | ** ''VideoGame/SuperPrincessPeach'' got this criticism on feminist grounds, with some commentators arguing that its relative easiness compared to the main ''Mario'' games was (indirectly or otherwise) insulting to the abilities of female gamers. |
| 149 | ** ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'' traded in large, imaginative, dangerous levels for short, boring, easy ones. The FinalBoss even has invincibility powerups in the same room as him. |
| 150 | %%** (NOTE: Please explain whether the low difficulty was a point or criticism, this whole example reads like a direct rant from the troper who wrote it) ''Yoshi's New Island'', while definitely harder than ''Yoshi's Story'', is still markedly easier than either of its predecessors. For one thing, the stages are far more linear; any side areas that exist are very small and usually only exist to facilitate red coin or flower storage (often the items are simply sitting out in the open, unguarded, without even a cursory attempt at hiding them behind a puzzle). That it traded in the challenging, expansive vehicle sequences of the original game and ''DS'' for glorified minigames didn't help. |
| 151 | * ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' |
| 152 | ** A lot of people hated ''VideoGame/MetroidFusion'' for giving you the location of your next destination and closing off alternate routes, claiming that it destroyed the series's emphasis on [[{{Metroidvania}} exploration]]. |
| 153 | ** Gamespot infamously deducted points from ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'' because the controls were too good and thus the game was "too easy". |
| 154 | ** People complained about ''VideoGame/SuperMetroid'' back in the day, saying the inclusion of an automap feature was a travesty against everything ''Metroid'' was about. |
| 155 | * ''Franchise/TombRaider'' |
| 156 | ** Old fans in particular often blame Crystal Dynamics' games of being too easy and straight-forward in comparison to the often expansive and difficult Core Design games. |
| 157 | ** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderTheLastRevelation'' was designed to be a good jumping-on point for new players, but long-time players who had gotten used to the [[NintendoHard brutally difficult]] ''VideoGame/TombRaiderIII'' could be left wondering, "Is this game ''ever'' going to get hard?" |
| 158 | * ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia2008'' |
| 159 | ** The game has been criticized for being very easy, as the companion saves you from any death while platforming or fighting, though you're brought back at the beginning of whatever platforming, or after the enemy regains a good chunk of health. For all intents and purposes, this means that the game establishes checkpoints at every safe platform, rather than forcing you to go back to some arbitrary checkpoint and waste time redoing five minutes or so of platforming just to get back to where you were before. |
| 160 | ** Another complaint about the 2008 ''Prince of Persia'' has to do with the changes to the series platform running, climbing, and jumping. It feels much more hand-held than before, and things like direction and distance and timing feel less important. As long as the buttons are pressed in the correct order, it is difficult to screw up a maneuver. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Npb34fHDIwc As this review comments]], it has been reduced to a quick-time-event. |
| 161 | * ''VideoGame/WarioLand'' and ''VideoGame/WarioWare'' games often fall into this gap as well as ItsShortSoItSucks, due to being generally short games that reward 100% completion more than a main mode. In the case of ''VideoGame/WarioWare'', this is likely because the gameplay is deliberately kept simple as part of the series premise, and due to the fact the first run through only requires you to play through the first micro game set difficulty level to move on to another. For ''VideoGame/WarioLand'', it's probably because of the health set up being extremely generous towards the player (aka about ten heart points to complete invincibility). Which completely ignores that both series have some quite difficult bonus challenges and secrets. |
| 162 | * ''Magazine/NintendoPower's'' only complaint about the Wii version of ''VideoGame/{{Klonoa}}'' was that it was a bit easier... because Klonoa had one more heart than in the original version. They gave it a 9.0 anyway. |
| 163 | * In ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry1'', visits to Cranky's Cabin are accompanied by Cranky ranting about how newer games have been dumbed down for new players. |
| 164 | * ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games generally tend to [[AvertedTrope avert]] this - they were actually ''designed'' to be very easy (as the first game was developed at a time when Nintendo had a [[NintendoHard trope-naming reputation]] for publishing difficult titles) yet nobody seems to have any problem. This becomes quite weird when you hear this trope being invoked elsewhere, since ''how many other games allow you to fly over most of the stage without even having to find a power-up?'' There have, however, been a few exceptions: |
| 165 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbysEpicYarn'' received a lot of complaints from reviewers about how easy it was, with many of them citing the fact that you can't die--there are no bottomless pits or health. However, the developers have stated that for experienced gamers, they designed the gameplay to be "shame-based": The focus is not on completing each stage, but on completing each stage ''with a high bead count,'' and ''any'' misstep you make will cause Kirby to start bleeding beads like it's nobody's business. To beat the game (especially [[EasyLevelsHardBosses the bosses]]) with all gold medals ([[BrokeTheRatingScale with the bosses' secret patches being one level above gold]]) is a ''much'' taller order than simply finishing the levels. |
| 166 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbyTripleDeluxe'' was criticized by reviewers for its easiness. [[CriticalDissonance The fans still love it]], though, and tend to look down on the reviews very harshly for their apparent [[AnimationAgeGhetto stance]] on the nature of the game. |
| 167 | ** ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' is thought to have gone too far with easiness even by fans. A lot of this is due to the central ally system: your AI-controlled partners can steamroll enemies and bosses and will solve puzzles by themselves if they can. Even discounting allies, puzzle rooms are a lot simpler (many of them provide you with the abilities you need, and they'll outright tell you the solution unless you turn off the hints) and boss fights, normally the biggest challenge of ''Kirby'' games, are less complex. The post-game content is more challenging, but it's still a significant SequelDifficultyDrop from ''VideoGame/KirbyPlanetRobobot'', one of the harder games in the series. |
| 168 | * This was the main complaint against the first ''VideoGame/JakAndDaxter'' game. ''VideoGame/JakIIRenegade'' fixed that. |
| 169 | * ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'': Fans of the later games (especially ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfSpyro'') are prone to saying this about the original series. The second game introduced the ability to save anywhere in the level. This, coupled with the lack of dragon statues, changed the game into somewhat of a standard platformer. |
| 170 | * ''VideoGame/JettRocket'' received some flack for this--despite being just about the only 3D {{Platformer}} on Platform/WiiWare, reviewers wanted something NintendoHard. |
| 171 | * ''VideoGame/{{Jumper}}'' fans usually criticize lack of DifficultySpike in ''Jumper Three'' [[ItsShortSoItSucks and its lack of length]]. |
| 172 | * ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankAll4One'' received criticism that its gameplay was very simplistic and easy compared to previous titles in the franchise, due to being a cooperative party game rather than a single player. The levels were short and completely linear with no serious incentive to backtrack, there were no gadgets to use aside from the vacuum that was built to pick up and launch the other players, and the boss fights were simple. |
| 173 | * ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'': |
| 174 | ** Many complain about the rather short and simplistic level design in ''VideoGame/SonicChaos'', especially compared to the usually larger difficulty spike of the 8-bit titles. |
| 175 | ** One of the main criticisms leveled against ''VideoGame/SonicColors'' is that it, especially bosses, are too easy. |
| 176 | ** The difficulty of ''VideoGame/SonicForces'' is a common criticism with the game, and why to some the game ultimately [[SoOkayItsAverage doesn't stand out very much]]. Even on Hard difficulty, which is cited to be for experienced ''Sonic'' players, the game is ridiculously ''easy'' and simplistic for a ''Sonic'' game. Levels are very short, extremely linear if not borderline on-rails some of the time, the Avatar Wispon abilities are [[GameBreaker extremely broken]], the enemies rarely pose a threat, and it is just as easy if not easier than ''Generations'' to get S-Ranks. The only genuinely difficult part of the game is the time trial Challenge Missions, which require intimate knowledge of each level's shortcuts and controls. |
| 177 | * A common complaint about ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'' is that the Prevasion mechanic (basically a ManaShield, allowing you to automatically dodge attacks as long as you have EP, which can be easily recharged anytime) and Joule's Anthem (when you run out of health, there is a chance that you will be revived with several power-ups, including [[VideoGameFlight infinite mid-air jumps]]) make in practically impossible to die. Of course, these complaints no longer apply when you're trying to get a high rank, as Prevasion reduces your Kudos to zero when it activates and the Anthem massively hurts your rank. |
| 178 | * A common complaint about the ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' games. Game Informer complained that the Vita game in particular has infinite checkpoints for every level except boss battles. |
| 179 | * A number of ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'' players who originally found the SandWorm EscapeSequence to be [[ItsHardSoItSucks the most frustrating event in the game]] complained of the opposite after Moon Studios released a patch to {{nerf}} its difficulty. Many have also criticized the overall Normal difficulty setting as being too easy compared to that of [[VideoGame/OriAndTheBlindForest the first game]]. |
| 180 | * ''Barney's Hide & Seek Game'', based on ''Series/BarneyTheDinosaur'' is ridiculously easy even for the target audience. It is impossible to lose or die, and if enough time goes by without the player pressing any buttons, the game plays and beats itself for them. |
| 181 | [[/folder]] |
| 182 | |
| 183 | [[folder:Puzzle Game]] |
| 184 | * Part of the backlash for newer ''VideoGame/{{Tetris}}'' games comes from [[GameBreaker infinite spin]]. Then there's the purists of older versions of ''Tetris'' (especially the iconic 1989 Game Boy version) that denounce the piece generator in later versions, saying that surviving a wave of S and Z pieces and going 50 pieces without an I piece is what ''Tetris'' is all about. Other complaints include hard drop making the game go too fast, ghost pieces making low-gravity too easy, and hold pieces upending the premise of the game. The one set of exceptions to this trope is the ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster'' series...which is seen as too ''difficult'' instead. |
| 185 | * ''VideoGame/TetrisTheGrandMaster 3'' implements floor kicks, which allow an I block on a flat surface to rotate upright, allowing it to more easily slip into holes one block wide.[[labelnote:Elaboration]]When rotating an I that's horizontal, its third block from the left is used as the pivot. There must be two empty cells under this third block in order for the I to rotate into a vertical position.[[/labelnote]] This feature was not in ''[=TGM3=]'''s predecessors, which has led some players to believe that this ruins the challenge of the ''TGM'' series. |
| 186 | * There were complaints about the introduction of 'Super Hints' in ''VideoGame/ProfessorLaytonAndTheUnwoundFuture''. In the previous two games there were three hints that you could unlock via hint coins. Super Hints more or less solve the puzzle for you and cost an extra two coins. |
| 187 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall 3D'' gets a lot of hate for this. [[SequelDifficultyDrop Considering how hard the originals were.]] Same with ''VideoGame/SuperMonkeyBall Step and Roll'', despite of the obstacles that block the player's way. |
| 188 | * ''VideoGame/YouHaveToBurnTheRope'': The game's reception actually notably averts this. The game is a DeconstructionGame with an InvincibleHero and a ZeroEffortBoss parodying these kinds of overly easy games, but it's quite popular. |
| 189 | [[/folder]] |
| 190 | |
| 191 | [[folder:Real-Time Strategy]] |
| 192 | * ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' fixed many of the ''problems'' posed by the limitations of the original game's design and mechanics. This significantly lowered the amount of micromanagement needed to get even basic tasks done (typical of [=SC1=]'s era) and freed up more [[SomeDexterityRequired Actions Per Minute]] for actual ''strategy'', a change that saw many ''[[VideoGame/StarcraftBroodWar Brood War]]'' B-listers skyrocket to the top of ladders and tournaments and old pros bring out stunning new plays. However, to this day there are still large numbers of fans demanding a return to ''BW'' mechanics, both for individual units and for larger portions of the game. |
| 193 | [[/folder]] |
| 194 | |
| 195 | [[folder:Rhythm Game]] |
| 196 | * When ''VideoGame/GuitarHero: World Tour'''s track list was announced, fans complained that there was no song on par with "[[ThatOneBoss Through The Fire and The Flames]]". Fan backlash and {{flame war}}s are expected as those fans realize that "Satch Boogie" is not on that level, and that's the only really hard song in the game. |
| 197 | * ''Music/TheBeatles: VideoGame/RockBand'' earned its fair share of this before it was even out; players who cut their teeth on ''VideoGame/GuitarHero III'''s "Through the Fire and Flames" decried ''[-TB:RB-]'' as "just a bunch of tier 1 songs." One muses that perhaps those fans are missing the point of having a Beatles game... |
| 198 | * ''VideoGame/RockBand'' has had a no-fail cheat available since its first installment, for those who play for fun rather than score. With Rock Band 3, however, no-fail mode no longer disabled a player from saving their top score or registering it on the leaderboards. Some complaints arose from the more hardcore competitive fans, despite the fact that anyone needing no-fail mode to pass a song would never maintain a multiplier long enough to even approach a leaderboard-topping score. |
| 199 | * ''VideoGame/{{DJMAX}} Portable 2'' reuses a few songs from the original ''DJMAX Portable'' such as "Blythe" and "NB Ranger", and gives them new, usually-easier charts. Fans complained about the new charts. |
| 200 | * Some players don't like the new Fever system in ''DJMAX Portable Clazziquai Edition'' and ''Black Square'', because they lack the distracting tinting of the playfield when you get a x3 Fever or more going, the x5 Fever mode in both games doesn't cause your speed multiplier to increase, and the x7 Fever mode only causes it to do so when you hit x7. Some even go as far as to wish that the x7 Fever feature had ''two'' increases in speed multiplier. It Doesn't Have FakeDifficulty, So It Sucks. |
| 201 | * ''VideoGame/DanceDanceRevolution'': |
| 202 | ** ''Mario Mix'' was blasted by fans and critics for being easier than the other DDR games in the franchise, including the highest difficulty level. Some believed the lowered difficulty was to appeal to the younger Nintendo fan audience. |
| 203 | ** ''X2'' had the Good timing window (which doesn't reduce health) absorb the Almost window (which did), allowing players to pass songs more easily. Some felt this encouraged button-mashing and cheapened a pass. |
| 204 | ** ''[=DanceDanceRevolution=]'' (2013) introduces a major change to the combo system: Goods now increment combo instead of breaking it. Combined with the previous change, many players were unhappy as it devalued Full Combos. While many players can regularly get Full Combos or Perfect Full Combos, very few can get them on every song, so most players have some "blue [=FCs=]" now. |
| 205 | ** ''A'' significantly changed the grading system for the first time in almost a decade. Aside from adding pluses and minuses to the letter grades, the score requirements for all grades were reduced. It's very difficult to pass a song without getting at least a C+ or B- (both equivalent to a D before). This is ignoring that Greats are now worth 60% of a Perfect (versus 50%) and Goods are worth 20% (versus nothing). Of course, some older fans complained, some to gatekeep, some because they felt like their own scores were now "cheating", and some worried that new players wouldn't want to develop their accuracy, since you could "flail" through a song and still get an A- (an old C). |
| 206 | * If you indulge in the ''VideoGame/InTheGroove'' scene, get used to some players declaring that any chart below double-digit difficulty sucks, and most other players declaring that any chart under 9 sucks. |
| 207 | * ''VideoGame/{{Cytus}}'' was criticized for its exceptionally lenient window for a "Perfect" judgement. The devleopers responded by adding two different kinds of Perfects: A perfect-Perfect and a slightly-off Perfect, with the former being used for a harder [[ScoringPoints scoring system]] referred to as TP. |
| 208 | * ''VideoGame/PopnMusic Lapistoria'' rebalances the {{scoring|Points}} system so that GREAT and GOOD judgements are now worth more points[[note]]in previous games, GREAT gets you 50% of the note's points, and GOOD 10%; in ''Lapistoria'' the values are now 70% and 40%, respectively[[/note]]. This has made many players exceptionally unhappy. Some feel that the change in scoring ratios would've been bad regardless of whether they were made stricter or looser, as it completely skewers the scoring scale and makes it very hard to compare scores from older games with scores made on ''Lapistoria''. |
| 209 | * Some players of ''VideoGame/{{beatmania}} IIDX'' dismiss other rhythm games for having too low of a skill ceiling. Usually, the one exception is ''VideoGame/PopNMusic'', but [[AmericansHateTingle in the West, its cutesy artstyle is something of a point of contention]]. |
| 210 | * One of the more recurring criticisms of ''[[VideoGame/HatsuneMikuProjectDiva Hatsune Miku: Project Mirai DX]]'' is the lack of an Extreme difficulty level outside of a small group of songs, meaning that the game is much easier than other ''Project Diva'' titles. |
| 211 | * ''VideoGame/PumpItUp'', the main competitor to ''Dance Dance Revolution'', is routinely memed on by ''DDR'' players due to its significantly looser timing windows. This has led to rebuttals that ''Pump'' is meant to be played with timing windows as wide as they are as higher-end charts are often designed with the more lenient timing in mind. |
| 212 | [[/folder]] |
| 213 | |
| 214 | [[folder:Role-Playing Game]] |
| 215 | * ''VideoGame/ArTonelicoMelodyOfElemia'' was panned by fans on both sides of the pond for being way, way too easy. It still proved popular enough to spawn [[VideoGame/ArTonelicoIIMelodyOfMetafalica a sequel]], which upped the difficulty slightly, but not so much as to alienate those who ''liked'' the fact that it was easy. |
| 216 | * ''VideoGame/AtelierSeries'': |
| 217 | ** One of several complaints against ''VideoGame/ManaKhemia2FallOfAlchemy'' is how easy the game is compared to its predecessor, even in Hard Mode. |
| 218 | ** A common criticism of ''VideoGame/AtelierRyza2LostLegendsAndTheSecretFairy'' is that once you manage to grasp how the various item crafting mechanics work (which should come very quickly if you've played the previous game), almost all challenge goes out the window. Just making semi-decent equipment should let you breeze your way through the whole game, even on Hard difficulty. If you're playing on PC, some players will even recommend downloading a save file that has the HarderThanHard difficulties unlocked right from the start, which is the only way the game will pose any kind of challenge for an experienced player. |
| 219 | * Though the ''VideoGame/BaldursGate'' and ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' series weren't ever really seen as presenting killer difficulty compared to other companies' [[RolePlayingGame [=RPGs=]]], later Bioware franchises like ''VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic'', ''VideoGame/JadeEmpire'' and ''Franchise/MassEffect'' have vastly "streamlined" combat and shorter, much more linear ([[CopyAndPasteEnvironments and repetitive]]) campaigns that older fans complain are a cash-in on the genre and give less bang for the buck. |
| 220 | * This criticism happened to ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'', despite having difficulty settings; and several bosses are ''still'' difficult on Easy Mode. |
| 221 | ** The console version in particular got flak for this, because the "Normal" difficulty mode on consoles is actually the "Easy" difficulty on the PC. This is because of FriendlyFire: it's a lot harder to manage your party's exact location to avoid them getting caught in your own AOE with a controller instead of a mouse. |
| 222 | ** ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'' is criticised for being easier than the first one. |
| 223 | * ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' |
| 224 | ** The remakes of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' had purists complaining about hits being redirected to live enemies if they targeted enemies that had just died; in the original, they would have automatically missed, which is considered FakeDifficulty nowadays. Later remakes were stuck in "easy mode" (the PSX version had to option for "old-school" difficulty or easy mode). In addition to making level ups easier to achieve (level 2 takes 12 XP instead of 40, for example), it replaced the [[VancianMagic "x spells per level" mechanic]] with a straight MP mechanic. This ended up seriously unbalancing the game towards the player, who could now cast NUKE (Flare) many, many times per dungeon, as opposed to two or three times. However, the developers DID realize how devastatingly powerful this is: all enemies have increased magic resistance, and bosses are almost entirely immune to attack magic (except Lich with Dia. Go. Fucking. Nuts). The ability to save anywhere was mostly excused for the portable versions, since [[AcceptableBreaksFromReality players might need to quit and set the game down on short notice]]. |
| 225 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyMysticQuest'' was specifically designed for newcomers to the roleplaying-game genre. General concensus, especially among the hardcore ''Final Fantasy'' fans, was that they went too far with that goal (it doesn't help that the game was A) [[ItsShortSoItSucks short]], and B) [[ViewersAreMorons bundled with its strategy guide]]). |
| 226 | ** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'' was bashed for, among other things, ease of play, which contrasted directly the much-hyped difficulty of use. It's not a hard game by any stretch of the imagination, but it's not supposed to be. |
| 227 | * ''VideoGame/InuyashaTheSecretOfTheCursedMask'' received significant flak for how simple and easy the game was. There's no MP system so special attacks can be spammed with impunity (they do lower a character's place in the next round's turn order, but in normal combat it was rare for a fight to last more than one round anyway and against bosses it wasn't a significant drawback), all the bosses had simple attack patterns that rarely hit more than one character at a time, you used all of the main characters at a time rather than having an ArbitraryHeadcountLimit like most [=RPGs=] so the enemies were almost always outnumbered, resulting in a game where it was virtually impossible to lose even if you were actively trying. |
| 228 | * ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' |
| 229 | ** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII'' got this type of criticism because of its simple reaction commands and the addition of Drive forms, and the almost total removal of any platforming or puzzles whatsoever. Which was why Creator/SquareEnix decided to program ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsBirthBySleep'' as it was. One troper's response to the whining about the difficulty of the Mysterious Figure optional boss: |
| 230 | --> "Guys? PLEASE don't complain about how 'easy' ''Kingdom Hearts'' games are... because then we get bosses like Vanitas Sentiment and the Mysterious Figure." |
| 231 | ** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsChainOfMemories'' has been criticized for being somewhat easy, as on many boss fights against enemies with decks (for example, the Organization members), the player can repeatedly dodge the boss's sleights (which remove one card from the deck) to drain the boss' card reserves. Eventually, the boss will be unable to make more than a few attacks without reloading, will hardly ever use any of the sleights, and most likely will have used up its Enemy Cards, so it will be relatively easy pickings. And your deck was never shuffled, this is because you can stack it so that you only have to mash the buttons to pull out sleight after sleight, during some of which you are invincible, then once your deck is badly depleted via sleight depletion, reload it with an Elixir (which reloads used cards as well). |
| 232 | ** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' was criticized for being too easy, even on Proud. With so many options for combat, Magic being insanely powerful, and other factors, the game was regarded as too easy. [[NintendoHard Then Square Enix patched in Critical Mode...]] |
| 233 | * ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' ''[[UpdatedReRelease Portable]]''. It removes the Tired feature (a feature where your party members would grow tired as you climbed Tartarus during the Dark Hour, and they'd leave the party when they became tired) so you can proceed as far as you can in one night. It adds a Save option at your desk in school, so you can save before hanging out with Social Links during the day and reload if you make a mistake and do not need to restart from the previous night. Money is ''extremely'' easy to get, so you can abuse the healing clock in the Tartarus' ground floor. Approaching the entrance of the Tartarus floor allows you to start from your latest floor and not just the beginning. The Jealousy mechanic was removed if you choose to play as the male character, meaning you can date multiple of the girls at once without worrying about Social Links reversing. And it took over the battle mechanics of ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}}'', so you also can choose to have direct control of your party members as well. Whether all these changes were good or bad is [[BrokenBase debated]] among fans, since while some players(especially those who played the original or FES) think they make the game too easy, others, like those who started with later entries in the series, think this [[AntiFrustrationFeatures removes needlessly frustrating parts of the game]]. |
| 234 | * ''VideoGame/GrandiaII'' got flak for this, with some players going as far as beating the game for the first time without losing a single winnable battle (there were some [[HopelessBossFight uniwnnable ones, Millenia and Melfice]]). |
| 235 | * HypeBacklash aside, a common complaint against ''VideoGame/FableI'' was that it was extremely easy. This was largely due to you being able to carry an infinite number of health potions (which instantly restore your health to full), and health potions being really cheap to buy, resulting in it being virtually impossible for anything (even the major bosses) to kill you as long as you just kept mashing that "drink potion" key. |
| 236 | * This was extended even further with ''VideoGame/FableII''. It is completely impossible to die. Losing all of your health merely results in scarring. And of course, you can carry an infinite number of health potions and resurrection phials (still very cheap). |
| 237 | * ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'' games have been hit with this criticism throughout the series' history, some games more than others. |
| 238 | ** The main games in general get this accusation from [[SeriousBusiness more competitive players]] who have every last bit of the system memorized, not accounting for the all-ages target audience and varying playstyles of other players. |
| 239 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' were criticized for this by fans for their low enemy levels and simple Gym Leaders (not counting [[ThatOneBoss Whitney]]). Wild and opponent trainer Pokémon leveled in the 23-25 range even by the eighth Gym badge, and the Champion's highest-leveled Pokémon was level 50. While this served to accommodate the lengthy Kanto [[PostEndGameContent post game]], it resulted in a nasty [[LevelGrinding grind]] especially when preparing to face the TrueFinalBoss (whose team was in the 75-80 range). The remakes ''[=HeartGold=]'' and ''[=SoulSilver=]'' were similarly criticized for not fixing this, though they featured welcome improvements in other areas like improved AI and high-level Gym Leader rematches. |
| 240 | ** The otherwise highly-praised ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'' were criticized for doing away with Poison's infamous overworld damage. You could also find a lot more places that sell Lemonades, or [=NPCs=] who were medical trainers, so some bemoaned how easy it was to get from town to town without fainting. ''Black and White'' also have no Gym Leaders with more than three Pokémon and reduce the EliteFour from having five Pokémon each to four, both of which continued through ''X and Y''. |
| 241 | ** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' were lauded for including difficulty levels, but the catch was that Hard Mode was only natively available in ''Black 2'' (and only in the [[PostEndGameContent post game]], without a friend or a spare game to send it over from). Players noted that, despite the overall SequelDifficultySpike, the main story experience did suffer in key areas without Hard Mode (like Ghetsis' Hydreigon being unable to touch a Steel-type). |
| 242 | ** The 3DS era of games, beginning with ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'', was quite controversial with fans for easing up on much of the series' difficulty. The biggest example of this was the new[[note]]technically not "new" because a similar item existed in Generation I, though not nearly as effective[[/note]] inclusion of a team-wide Experience Share that gave experience even to non-participating Pokémon. Though this could technically be turned off, it seemed to represent a shift in the games' design philosophy that prioritized more casual play (especially since, by default, it was turned on; experiencing greater difficulty was therefore a voluntary action). Players noted other key ways the games were easier -- the dungeons were simpler with fewer puzzles, the Gym Leaders used incredibly simple movesets (often with fewer than four moves), you now gained experience by merely ''catching'' Pokémon instead of defeating them (which extended to your entire party with the Exp. Share on), the new affection mechanic conferred free boosts (like randomly shrugging off status effects or surviving would-be finishing moves) that AI trainers never got, and you were regularly given [[GameBreaker very powerful Pokémon]] for free (most notably Korrina's Lucario in ''X and Y'' and Latios/Latias in ''[[{{VideoGame/PokemonRubyAndSapphire}} Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire]]'', Mega Stones and all). While ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' featured some genuine challenges with the Totem battles and [[ThatOneBoss Ultra Necrozma]], the 3DS titles are still primarily remembered for their downgrades in game difficulty. |
| 243 | ** This only progressed in the eighth generation, with the Exp. Share now being ''mandatory'' with no way to turn it off. ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' are controversial for other reasons, but a leading criticism is how they continue the series' downward trend in difficulty; the region is full of [=NPCs=] who will hand you free potions and fully heal your team on the spot, but besides that, most areas consist of straight pathways with little to no puzzles and there's (barring a DifficultySpike or two) a very low level curve. ''[[VideoGame/PokemonDiamondAndPearl Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl]]'' continue with the baked-in Exp. Share without adjusting the original ''Diamond and Pearl''[='s=] level curve, making it difficult to avoid becoming overleveled. They also repeat Generation VI's habit of giving you powerful freebies by gifting you the rare Mythical Pokémon Mew and Jirachi after you get the first badge if you have save files of previous Switch titles. |
| 244 | ** The games' online fandom is now [[BrokenBase fractured]] into two camps on the subject; one camp despises the "hand-holding" of the newer games and yearns for the more hands-free approach of the earlier games which prioritized player independence. The other camp appreciates the lack of LevelGrinding typically required without an Exp. Share, and often argues that the games were [[FranchiseOriginalSin always easy]] due to poor AI and an easily-gameable ElementalRockPaperScissors matchup system and that the first camp only [[NostalgiaFilter remembers]] the older games as challenging because they were worse at games in their childhoods. |
| 245 | * GaidenGame ''VideoGame/SuikodenTierkreis'' is often bashed by a portion of ''Suikoden'' fans for being much easier than the main games. And that's just one of the reasons why they refuse to support this game... |
| 246 | * ''[[VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar Lunar: Silver Star Harmony]]'' has gotten shit for being easy than previous versions of Lunar. The limit-breaks have also been criticized. Never mind that one, they're actually optional, two, unless you unleash them all at once, only trivialize trash mob fights (With the exception of Mia's Mist Barrier. A ChallengeGamer doing a low level run's wet dream), and, notably, the fact that Luna was actually ''useful'' when you had her with you. (She wasn't that useful in the Playstation&Saturn versions, and was absent in the Sega CD) |
| 247 | * ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' is frequently lauded as an excellent classic-style RPG, but old school Final Fantasy fans are sometimes dismayed by its apparently low difficulty level. This often changes once they've seen the later bosses, though, especially in the Nintendo DS remake. |
| 248 | ** The later bosses in ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' are easier than most ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' games. The difference is that your level is much more controlled in ''Chrono Trigger'', so you can't just over level to steam roll bosses as easily. |
| 249 | ** Also surprisingly, many people don't have an issue of the game being easy; sometimes people cite it as [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools a good way to introduce people to the genre]]. |
| 250 | ** ''VideoGame/ChronoCross'' also gets some flack for being pretty easy. Your main character, Serge, is easily the most powerful character available ''and'' can't be removed from the party until NewGamePlus. There's a few bosses that can be tough, but for the most part you can just plow through everything with little trouble. That being said, it ''is'' harder than ''Trigger'', especially considering you can't grind in ''Cross''. |
| 251 | * ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion'' has players complaining about a lot of things, but one of them is that the (optional) travel system makes the game too easy, since you can evade random encounters after you first found a location. |
| 252 | * ''VideoGame/{{Avadon}}'' is an interesting case in that it's not much easier than most other recent western [=RPGs=], but the default difficulty is significantly easier than [[VideoGame/BaldursGate the game it's been repeatedly compared to]]. The complaint goes something like this--[=RPGs=] that are such obvious '90s throwbacks are hardly ever made nowadays, so it's disappointing to fans of the genre not to get a challenge out of this particular game. (For what it's worth, the highest difficulty level is painfully hard--it's just streamlined, lacking a lot of challenges that the creator considers FakeDifficulty.) |
| 253 | * The main complaint against ''Heroes of Ruin'', otherwise a good hack'n'slash game in vein of Diablo, was a ridiculously easy difficulty - you can find health potions everywhere in the dungeon, it's easy to reach the game's gold piece cap of 99,999 before two thirds of the way through, and many enemies can be killed just by mashing the attack button. |
| 254 | * One of the biggest complaints fans have with ''VideoGame/FairyFencerF'' is that it is the easiest Creator/CompileHeart game to date. This is from the same company who gave us NintendoHard games like ''VideoGame/HyperdimensionNeptuniaV'', ''VideoGame/RecordOfAgarestWarZero'' and ''VideoGame/CrossEdge''. |
| 255 | * While generally being viewed as a massive improvements over the previous game, many of the criticism of ''VideoGame/OctopathTravelerII'' is that the game is made too easy with not enough challenges because of the introduction of new mechanics like [[LimitBreak Latent Power]], EX Skills and some new abilities, and it's easy to get powerful equipments and/or summons early on to make the entire game easier. |
| 256 | * ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei'': |
| 257 | ** There are players who feel that the way fusion is handled in ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor'', ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor2'', ''VideoGame/{{Persona 4}} [[UpdatedRerelease Golden]]'', and ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIV''--namely, in that the player is allowed to choose what skills the resulting demon can inherit instead of the RNG doing it for them--takes a lot of challenge out of the game, believing that the best way to play is either to just deal with whatever skills the RNG spits out [[SaveScumming or back out of fusion and enter it again until you get the skills you want]]. |
| 258 | ** While players accustomed to ''VideoGame/{{Persona 3}}'' and ''4'' [[ItsHardSoItSucks decry]] ''Shin Megami Tensei IV'' as "the ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'' of Persona", mainline series veterans feel the opposite about ''IV'', citing the aforementioned fusion inheritance options, boss battles ending in about five turns, GameOver being met with an offer to be revived rather than booting the player straight back to the title screen, lack of puzzle dungeons, and overall comparative ease of bosses as turn-offs to the game. |
| 259 | * ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterGenerations'' got some flak for the lack of [[HarderThanHard G-Rank quests]], the addition of Hunter Arts and Hunter Styles (''especially'' [[HighTierScrappy Adept Style]] for its ability to effortlessly dodge attacks), and various adjustments to damage and monster health in the hunter's favor. The topic about difficulty in the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series further escalated due to ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterWorld'' and especially ''VideoGame/MonsterHunterRise'' being deemed even easier by longtime fans. |
| 260 | * [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky Compared to]] [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsFromZeroAndTrailsToAzure its predecessors]], ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsOfColdSteel'' gets a ton of flack for making battles too easy, buffs up physical attacks that they can out damage arts, and barely any memorable boss fights that did give players a hard time. This got worse as the Erebonia arc went on with ''Cold Steel III'' introducing the Brave Order system that greatly broke the game wide open as it allows players to not give any enemy any turns whatsoever, buffed attacks even more, easily break the newly introduced BreakMeter system, and made boss fights a joke overall. ''Cold Steel IV'' somewhat nerfed some aspects but then introduced even more powerful combinations that the nerf was barely visible at all. Part of it is because in previous games, physical attacks were useless unless it's a: a [[LimitBreak S-Craft]] on a critical turn or b: can recover really fast (like Alan Richard) and another part is that the game forces players to use arts that take up so many turns just to cast a magic spell. |
| 261 | * ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' gets this from many players. |
| 262 | ** Some people think the game is a bit too easy on the Neutral and Pacifist routes. While the fact that you only have 20 HP on the latter makes things harder, some fights only amount to waiting out the enemy or performing relatively simple sequences of ACT commands, so there's less strategy involved in going on the offensive, and in the final boss on the latter route, [[spoiler:you're automatically revived if you die]]. The Genocide route has two of the hardest bosses in the game, especially the final boss, but as you can see elsewhere on this page, there are reasons why a lot of people don't want to play it. |
| 263 | ** Likewise, other than the two [[NintendoHard impossibly difficult]] bosses on the Genocide route most of the enemies can be killed in one hit and most puzzles are already solved or deactivated, leading others to consider the Genocide route as being too easy and, unlike the Pacifist or Neutral routes, without any sort of feel-good reward for the hair-pullingly frustrating parts. To be fair, [[InvokedTrope this is completely intentional]], and important to the game's message - if the Genocide route was any fun, its meaning would be all but lost. |
| 264 | * One of the most common critcisms of ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'' is the fact that it's extremely easy to overlevel yourself by the midgame. If you do all of the sidequests as they become available, by the game's halfway point you can easily be ten levels above anything the story can throw at you. It's compounded by the Bonus Exp mechanic, which allows you to level yourself up even ''further'' even though the only time you'll ever need it is [[EarlyGameHell at the very beginning of the game]], meaning players will boost themselves by a few levels to help with early bosses, only to find themselves even further ahead of everything by the end of the game, making what should be the most difficult story battles considerably less challenging. Compounding it even ''further'' are the Chain Attack mechanics, which can easily be [[GameBreaker utilized to whale on enemies for extended periods without them having any chance to fight back]]. There is a Hard Mode, which does make things more challenging, but it still doesn't fix the level scaling. Many players consider the NewGamePlus mode to be far better balanced, mainly because it comes with an option to [[SelfImposedChallenge de-level yourself to match the enemy levels.]] |
| 265 | * ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' caught a lot of flack for this. The previous games weren’t exactly ''hard'' but weren’t afraid of throwing curveballs at the player, and they provided multiple forms of a SelfImposedChallenge that could increase the difficulty. In ''Super'' you practically have to try to die and there’s no real way of raising the difficulty beyond only playing as Mario and avoiding the myriad [[GameBreaker game breakers]]. |
| 266 | * ''VideoGame/SuperMarioRPG'' is a fairly straightforward RPG that isn't difficult overall save for the one or two bosses that are [[ThatOneBoss surprisingly hard]]. Between how powerful Mario's party can get, the big assortment of items that can keep the party healthy, and the small chance of getting a freebie of any item you use (that also includes powerful and rare items like the invincibility granting Red Essences for example), hardcore RPG players tend to view the game as insultingly easy. The Nintendo Switch remake skews the difficulty even further towards the easy side due to the quality of life updates[[labelnote:Examples]] Items stack instead of taking up individual slots, the timing of timed hits are visually shown by a "!" until you get the hang of it, many single target enemy spells can be blocked with a timed button press, party members can be swapped during battle, game overs don't happen until the entire party is defeated, the new [[LimitBreak Triple Move]] mechanic can shred enemies to pieces, fully heal and revive the entire party, or grant one time damage immunity, and perfect timing on physical attacks can cause small splash damage to the entire enemy party.[[/labelnote]] and the ability to switch the difficulty to an easy mode. |
| 267 | [[/folder]] |
| 268 | |
| 269 | [[folder:Shoot 'em Up]] |
| 270 | * ''Gunstar Super Heroes'' got criticized for this by fans of the original ''VideoGame/GunstarHeroes'', since the original gun mix system was swapped for having three types of ammo from the start and the option of using a huge cannon whenever. Oh, and some bosses were seriously toned down, one barely even attacking anymore. |
| 271 | * ''VideoGame/ThunderForce VI'' received this reaction from many fans. |
| 272 | * ''[[VideoGame/DonPachi DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu]] ver. 1.5'' gets this from a lot of players, due to forced auto-bomb (the game automaticlaly fires a bomb to protect you if you get hit). Many players, particularly those playing to simply complete the game, feel that this cheapens the value of completing the game on one credit, as auto-bombs effectively turn bombs into spare lives. On the other hand, those playing for score disregrd it, because bombs are just as detrimental to score as dying is. ''[=DoDonPachi DaiFukkatsu=] BLACK LABEL'' addresses this issue by granting the option to turn it off, although score attackers were displeased by how easy it is to maintain combo in ''BLACK LABEL''. |
| 273 | ** When ''[=DoDonPachi Saidaioujou=]'' was revealed, some players feared it would end up being too easy due to players being able to clear the location test's 3 stages, never mind the inclusion of an Expert mode. Of course, come the game's actual release and this died away, with many players considering it a SequelDifficultySpike. |
| 274 | * Some ''VideoGame/{{Hellsinker}}'' players argue that using Kagura's Infernal Sabbath setup, which consists of only three weapons (a variable-width SpreadShot, two close-range orbs, and the very traditional SmartBomb), to be too simple for a MindScrew game where most other playable characters do not follow the established conventions of the ShootEmUp genre. |
| 275 | * This is one of the most common complains of ''VideoGame/TouhouShinreibyouTenDesires'' as, [[SequelDifficultyDrop especially when compared to Undefined Fantastic Object]], it was considered way too easy due to less bullets, simpler scoring system and a system which effectively made players completely invincible without having to use a bomb, as well as the first final boss in the series to not be immune to bombs during her last attack, players also often complain of dying less to bullets and more to enemies bumping into them. Of course, comes ''VideoGame/TouhouKishinjouDoubleDealingCharacter'', [[SequelDifficultySpike and the fans]] complain it's too hard. |
| 276 | * While ''Hellfire S: The Another Story'', the [[NoExportForYou Japan-exclusive]] PC Engine CD-ROM[[superscript:2]] port of ''VideoGame/Hellfire1989'', gets praise for its arranged soundtrack and more extensive alternate story and cutscenes (and is perhaps [[BestKnownForTheFanservice best known for]] the intro cutscene of the protagonist wearing only a ModestyBedsheet), it gets some criticism from fans of the arcade and Sega Genesis versions for being too easy and unengaging. While there are multiple difficulty levels, even the harder of the two, Normal difficulty, is still a fairly easy experience compared to the Genesis version, whose Hard difficulty level (and especially the North America-exclusive [[HarderThanHard Yea Right difficulty]]) provide a level of challenge closer to the arcade original. |
| 277 | [[/folder]] |
| 278 | |
| 279 | [[folder:Simulation Game]] |
| 280 | * After several games which gradually raised the difficulty and complexity, culminating with the NintendoHard ''VideoGame/SimCity 4'', ''VideoGame/SimCity Societies'' toned down the difficulty, removed the zoning system, and instead replaced it with a social influence system that would determine whether your city will be made of slums or [[CrystalSpiresAndTogas crystal spires]]. Due mainly to these changes, ''Societies'' was poorly-received. |
| 281 | * ''[[VideoGame/{{X}} X3: Terran Conflict]]'' got this complaint from some veteran ''X'' players, due largely to the fact that making your first million credits now took much less time. (The first million is always the hardest, then you can buy a factory and your [[MemeticMutation profitsss]] multiply.) |
| 282 | * A common complaint with ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing: Happy Home Designer'' is that decorating has no challenge as you're given a very generous minimal standard for each job and with the removal of the real-time system from past ''Animal Crossing'' games, there are no deadlines to anything in-game. You play the game at your pace. |
| 283 | * ''VideoGame/HarvestTown'' gets a lot of criticism for not being challenging enough. Crops aren't season-specific and can even grow during winter, meaning that the player can grow any crop they want at any time, instead of having to buy seeds and plant strategically around the seasons. The 7 Nov 2019 update takes this even further by removing the penalties of not watering plants and/or feeding animals, and is again met with a barrage of protests, complaining that the game has become catered to lazy people. |
| 284 | [[/folder]] |
| 285 | |
| 286 | [[folder:Sports Game]] |
| 287 | * The ''VideoGame/BackyardSports'' series, to IGN at least. The scores just get lower and lower because the games get easier and easier (and cheesier). |
| 288 | * An interesting example is the ''[[VideoGame/TonyHawkProSkater Tony Hawk]]'' series. |
| 289 | ** The first game's goals are much easier than later games, but it is harder to score more points due to the lack of mechanics available. In later games, it is easier to score more points but the goals are harder. Unsurprisingly, the highest rated game in the series is ''Pro Skater 2'', which is easily the hardest. |
| 290 | ** The remade classic levels in ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' and ''American Wasteland'' are good examples. In the original ''Tony Hawk's Pro Skater'', it is quite hard to get up the mountain in ''Downhill Jam'', in ''Underground 2'', it is possible to just get off your board and climb up there. Similarly, in ''American Wasteland'', the Downtown level is made easier with the ability to just climb the raised areas at the beginning of the level rather than having to go up the ramp to get to them. The mall level in ''American Wasteland'' features an steep ramp to the left of the fountain, that would have been almost impossible to get up to in the original game. But in this, it is possible to get up there and get off your board. |
| 291 | [[/folder]] |
| 292 | |
| 293 | [[folder:Stealth-Based Game]] |
| 294 | * ''VideoGame/MetalGear'': |
| 295 | ** The Japanese version of ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' frequently had this criticism lobbied at it. To counter this, the American version was given adjustable difficulty... with the Japanese version being the ''Easy'' difficulty. |
| 296 | ** One third of the complaints about ''The Twin Snakes'' were that the addition of the tranquilizer gun and first-person aiming made the game too easy. The other two-thirds were about the voice acting and cutscene changes. |
| 297 | ** ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots'' received flack for including a silenced pistol from the get-go. In previous games, the tranq gun was stealthy but only temporarily incapacitated the enemy, while the standard handgun was lethal but loud. Combining the two removes much of the challenge, as you can just shoot enemies with wilful abandon. |
| 298 | * Many longtime fans of the ''VideoGame/RainbowSix'' series complain about the series' shift from hardcore "one-shot kill" tactical shooters to standard FirstPersonShooter action games, starting with ''Rainbow Six: Lockdown'' and solidified in ''Rainbow Six: Vegas''. |
| 299 | [[/folder]] |
| 300 | |
| 301 | [[folder:Survival Horror]] |
| 302 | * Despite being considered one of the scariest games ever, ''VideoGame/DeadSpace'' has been commented by many to be surprisingly easy. The enemies can go down quite easily provided you have a good aim, and you'll eventually be able to read when enemies will show up, not to mention multiple GoodBadBugs that can be used for your help, like using doors to execute enemies; because of this, some people complain that the easiness reduces the horror of the game and, unless you're a first time player, recommend playing on harder difficulties instead. |
| 303 | * ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'': |
| 304 | ** When ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' was ported to the Wii, aiming became much easier due to motion controls. While much of the fanbase was pleased with easier controls, purists went on ranting about how the game was ruined because it was too easy to shoot things. |
| 305 | ** A criticism ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Remake'' faced was that it wasn't as challenging as the [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil3Nemesis original]]. Puzzles are either non-existent or highly basic, Nemesis is fairly easy to ward off thanks to his slow and somewhat sluggish movements, infinite weaponry do not require doing extensive challenges to obtain, and ammunition is far more plentiful. Especially when you compare the game to its [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2Remake predecessor]], which was praised for being more difficult than its [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil2 original]]. |
| 306 | ** Though certainly not an easy game by any means, ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilVillage'' was criticized for being comparatively less challenging than its [[VideoGame/ResidentEvil7Biohazard predecessor]]. These criticisms were attributed to the increase in ammo supplies, the return of the ability to upgrade weapons, most of the bosses being relatively slow with obvious weak points, and not requiring players to perform overly challenging tasks to obtain infinite ammo. In fact, infinite ammo and all other unlockables in the game can even be simply [[BribingYourWayToVictory bought via a $5 DLC]], practically eliminating the need to either grind for points or complete the necessary challenges. |
| 307 | * A common complaint about ''VideoGame/SilentHillHomecoming'' was that its updated controls made combat less threatening, since you could actually dodge. In an interesting twist for this trope, many also suggested that making it easier to fight things made the game less scary, since traditionally fighting enemies just led to you dying, so it was smarter to run. |
| 308 | [[/folder]] |
| 309 | |
| 310 | [[folder:Turn-Based Strategy]] |
| 311 | * ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' |
| 312 | ** A lot of people complained about ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'' being easier than the previous games. ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheSacredStones'' was even easier than its predecessor. Then came ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'', which brought back the difficulty in full force. |
| 313 | ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', has the option of "Casual" mode, where the player can save at any time, even mid-battle, and defeated characters regenerate after battle (in previous games, death was permanent).[[note]][[OlderThanTheyThink This was actually introduced in the game before it]], ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemMysteryOfTheEmblem New Mystery of the Emblem]]'', but that was [[NoExportForYou never localized]].[[/note]] While there hasn't been a particularly large outcry against the casual option, there are still vocal groups who insists you're not experiencing the "real" game if you're not willing to face potential permadeath. |
| 314 | ** ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' seems to make a conscious effort to address the criticism leveled at its predecessor by having two different story paths. One is similar to ''Awakening'' in that it has a world map, allowing free LevelGrinding, and mostly requires you to defeat all foes or the boss to clear maps. The other, however, harkens back to the earlier entries of the series with a linear campaign that offers limited experience, and more complex victory conditions like seizing thrones and such. Even still, the announcement that this would be the [[VideoGame/FireEmblemGaiden second]] ''Fire Emblem'' game to completely do away with BreakableWeapons, as well as the introduction of [[EasierThanEasy Phoenix Mode]], which revives units after each ''turn'', not just after each battle, have been met with significant ire. [[note]]It should be noted, however, that ''Gaiden'' long before ''Fates'' had unbreakable weapons and that did not make the game any easier. As for ''Fates'', while you are no longer limited in how often you can use your best weapons by durability, most strong weapons have significant drawbacks; for example, Silver weapons debuff the user's attack after combat.[[/note]] |
| 315 | * The ''Advance Wars'' series (part of the ''VideoGame/NintendoWars'' series) has become much easier across all four games. The first game's campaign was moderate, but the hard campaign was nigh impossible. ''Advance Wars 2'' reduced the difficulty in both game modes, and ''Advance Wars: Dual Strike''...well, thanks to [[GameBreaker skills]], the hard campaign was easier than the normal one. Even though ''Advance Wars: Days of Ruin'' increased the difficulty a bit, it is nothing compared to the first game's difficulty. |
| 316 | * ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsAdvance''. A widespread criticism from fans of the Playstation ''FF Tactics'' was that the game felt so toned down by comparison. In the original Tactics, no matter what map you were on, if a unit died, there was the risk of their spirit turning into a crystal/chest and being lost forever. In Tactics Advance, that was only possible on one or two specific areas. |
| 317 | * Modern ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWars'' games, especially the ones for Platform/NintendoDS (W, K, L) are criticized because they are easy. This is mainly because your units are godly powerful when you've fully upgraded their weapon power and the uses of support attacks make the battles even easier. Even final bosses can be killed in a single turn with little effort. |
| 318 | [[/folder]] |
| 319 | |
| 320 | [[folder:Visual Novel]] |
| 321 | * ''VisualNovel/AceAttorneyInvestigations'' was far easier then the previous games, which was one of the complaints fans had with the game. In fact, the game is so easy that it's almost ''impossible'' to get a game over unless you're purposely failing or stuck on a certain section and blindly guessing, mainly due to penalties being very small; the standard is 10% while the highest in the game is only 20%. By contrast, in the first game you could only make five mistakes, of varying severity, and in ''Justice For All'', ''Trials and Tribulations'', ''VisualNovel/ApolloJusticeAceAttorney'', and ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneyDualDestinies'' 20% was the minimum, and in special circumstances, you could lose 40%-100%. The sequel to ''Investigations'', ''Gyakuten Kenji 2'' (''Ace Attorney Investigations 2''), upped the difficulty however. 10% still being the standard penalty, it raises to 50% for an important moment in case 4, standard penalties raise to 30% in the final portion of case 5 and during the final rebuttal of the game, penalties for incorrect objections are raised to 50%. There's also a particular moment during one logic chess section where picking a bad option as to what to say results in a 100% penalty, completely emptying the time-bar and resulting in an instant failure. The raise in difficulty likely occurred due to this trope being in effect for the first ''Investigations''. |
| 322 | * Every entry in the ''Franchise/AceAttorney'' series has been hit with this complaint at one point or another: the introduction of profiles, the removal of profiles as "presentable" evidence, the introduction of "perceive" abilities, changes in gameplay structure, and the occasional ThatOneLevel where it's possible to lose anywhere from half to the entirety of your lifebar. Depending on what the player considers difficult and whether or not they ''want'' to live life in the shadow of a game over tends to invoke this trope. |
| 323 | * See above about ''Ace Attorney''; now imagine taking the life bar out of the equation. The result is ''VideoGame/DetectivePikachu''. You're free to guess incorrectly during case wrap-ups as many times as you like, and each time, Pikachu will just ask you to think about the case harder and try again, no penalty. |
| 324 | [[/folder]] |
| 325 | |
| 326 | [[folder:Unsorted Video Games]] |
| 327 | * ''VideoGame/HearthstoneHeroesOfWarcraft'' is a simplified version of the now-defunct ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' TCG, which in turn uses somewhat similar but different rules than ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering''. Among other things, ''Hearthstone'' gives players mana for free every turn (while [=WoW=] TCG requires you to specifically choose what card to sacrifice for mana), doesn't allow players to play out of turn (Secret cards can be activated out of turn, but the one who plays those secrets can't quite control when it fires), there is no card whose activation you can manually choose (all activations are triggered) etc. And because of that, many veteran card game players complain ''Hearthstone'' sucks. |
| 328 | * A few Nintendo games include a feature called the [[AntiFrustrationFeature Super Guide]]. Its purpose is to offer inexperienced players a chance to skip a level if they struggle to beat it, but some have derided it for defeating the point of offering a challenge, discouraging effort and making the player feel like the game is disgracing them when it appears. Never mind that you aren't being forced to use it no matter how much the game coaxes you into using it. Similar features such as special assist powerups have also received flak. |
| 329 | [[/folder]] |
| 330 | |
| 331 | !!Non-video game examples: |
| 332 | |
| 333 | [[folder:Board Games]] |
| 334 | * One person analyzed ratings on Board game geek [[http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-worst-board-games-ever-invented/ and posted his results]]. He noted that the "easy" games, War, TabletopGame/TicTacToe, ''TabletopGame/SnakesAndLadders'', and others have a lot of ratings and are rated poorly -- with them being notable outliers on the graph. These games have easy mechanics but are purely games of chance. |
| 335 | [[/folder]] |
| 336 | |
| 337 | [[folder:Collectible Card Game]] |
| 338 | * ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' started a practice of printing italicized rules text on cards when space permitted, making it slightly easier to actually play the game without having a rulebook handy. Of course, hardcores who already know all the rules hate it. Wizards of the Coast even poked fun at its fanbase in a joke set: [[http://ww2.wizards.com/gatherer/CardDetails.aspx?&id=73943 Duh]] |
| 339 | ** The removal of Manaburn means that the odds of dying to one's own manaramp deck have been all but nullified. Naturally, this takes a good chunk of the fun out of playing said decks. |
| 340 | ** Ironically, this practice makes it amazingly easy to tell exactly how long individual players have been playing. By taking the point of what they felt was the downfall of "challenging" Magic and then going back two years to the last Standard format before that set/block's release, you usually get the entrance point. This leads to hilarious conversations between players about how the latest sets are too dumbed down and have too many cash grab rares, without either realising that the "good old days" that they both think they are discussing are actually fifteen years apart. |
| 341 | ** It also doesn't help opinions when a lead designer goes on record with, [[http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mr255 "The real question isn't "Are we dumbing down the game too fast?" It's "Are we dumbing down the game fast enough?" "]] |
| 342 | ** In a metagame example, the color Green often gets this treatment. All the other colors have cool spells and flashy effects to throw at you (KillItWithFire, PowerNullifier, MindRape, TheSacredDarkness, PhlebotinumBreakdown, and more), but Green just has... {{Mook}}s. The fact that it's the easiest color to start with, and the color most likely to appeal to Timmy players, doesn't help. |
| 343 | * There is a similar issue in competitions for the ''[[TabletopGame/{{Pokemon}} Pokémon Trading Card Game]]'': Tournament rules state that if a participant asks to see an opponent's face-up card in play, the opponent ''must'' comply; and if you have any foreign-language cards, you must set aside duplicates of those cards in your country's dominant language at all times for your opponents to see.[[note]]This rule has since been replaced by a stricter rule banning foreign-language cards outright.[[/note]] Naturally, every competition, there are players who attempt to skirt these rules, under the idea that competitors should already know what these cards do, and too bad for them if they don't. They can't get away with it for very long, though, because a tournament official will penalize them if caught or reported. |
| 344 | [[/folder]] |
| 345 | |
| 346 | [[folder:Computers]] |
| 347 | * Some programmers look down on Visual Basic because it's easier for beginners to create working programs in compared to the likes of C, C++, and Java. This is sometimes extended to other languages (notably Python and Lisp) as well.[[note]]Being easy is what programming languages were designed for, otherwise we would write in machine code.[[/note]] |
| 348 | ** A related complaint is that it makes it easier to make a "badly written" program that still "works". That becomes a problem when another programmer has to modify said program. |
| 349 | ** A more recent example would be the advent of App Inventor. Many long time programmers turn their noses up at it, arguing it is too simplified and coddles its users. Never mind the fact that it is very useful in beginning level classes, and can get people interested into programming that would never have considered it if all they had to jump into was traditional languages. |
| 350 | * Ubuntu is looked down upon by most "serious" Linux users due to its design being more geared for general use. Ubuntu's new Unity interface got this from longtime users. There is also the fact that it was designed with touchscreens in mind, which still have not replaced keyboard and mouse controls on traditional desktops and laptops[[note]]And many would argue shouldn't, due to the ergonomic challenges of using a touch screen on an upright display[[/note]]. Ubuntu later switched to a modified version of GNOME 3. |
| 351 | * Platform/{{Unix}}[=/=]Linux/DOS users tend to look down on [=GUIs=] for this reason. From a performance and power issue, this does make sense, as [=GUIs=] eat up a lot of resources in a computer, and [=GUIs=] tend to make things so abstract that getting under the hood can be a pain in the ass. However, for people just trying to do basic computer work, [=GUIs=] are a Godsend, and kept them from languishing in the realms of laboratories, businesses, and hobbyists. |
| 352 | [[/folder]] |
| 353 | |
| 354 | [[folder:Film]] |
| 355 | * ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'': Scaramanga's entire reason for saving Bond's life and bringing him to the island. He wants a challenge, and doesn't want to spoil it by shooting the only man who can match him while he's unconscious. |
| 356 | * At one point of ''Film/{{Torque}}'', the heroes assess their situation. One comments that what they have to do won't be easy. Leader Cary Ford quips "Wouldn't be fun if it were easy." Later, the situation worsens and one guy says "I know you said it wouldn't be fun if it were easy, but does it have to be ''this'' much fun?" |
| 357 | [[/folder]] |
| 358 | |
| 359 | [[folder:Game Show]] |
| 360 | * Some longtime fans of ''Series/{{Jeopardy}}'' criticized the show for seemingly getting easier over time, particularly in the early 2000s. While it's very much subjective in this case, the purported "easiness" may just be the result of learning more material by watching the show for an extended period of time. |
| 361 | ** Similarly, when the current version debuted in 1984, there was criticism (mostly, by fans of the NBC series) about the show's material during the first season, especially during the first few months. The producers admitted such was the case, deliberately so so as to acquaint new viewers with the show's concept and to allow time for the question writers to come up with more challenging material. |
| 362 | ** The "Kids' Week" games that started in the early 2000s were widely loathed for featuring questions that are too easy even for that demographic (in addition to making the "Teen Tournament" feel redundant). They stopped doing them after 2014, [[OvershadowedByControversy mostly due to the Sony hacks]], as well as a firestorm the previous year after a contestant was penalized for slightly misspelling a response. |
| 363 | * Similar criticism is held against sister show ''Series/WheelOfFortune'', which has gradually introduced more and more specific categories over time (for instance, something that would've previously been just a Thing might now be Around the House, Living Thing, Food & Drink, etc.). What's more, the daily Prize Puzzles are often themed to vacations or beaches in some way. |
| 364 | * Fans criticized the American version of ''Series/WhoWantsToBeAMillionaire'' during its original ABC run when the game was easy enough that a Millionaire was crowned in a matter of ''months'', or even ''weeks'' or ''days''. The show upped the difficulty of questions when the show moved to syndication (although this was the result of a lower budget) [[UnpleasableFanbase yet the fans still complained]] [[ItsHardSoItSucks about the difficulty which results in droughts of million-dollar wins that can last for]] ''[[ItsHardSoItSucks years]]'' and fans are screaming that difficulty should be lowered. All we can say is BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor. |
| 365 | ** A question worth $250,000 or more (or one of the last 3 questions in general) that is [[NonIndicativeDifficulty way too easy for its level]] almost always elicits this reaction. To name a few: |
| 366 | *** Dan Blonsky's $1 Mil: "The Earth is approximately how many miles away from the sun"? (The answer is [[spoiler:93 million miles.)]] Compare that to his $500,000 question, which asked what celebrity was featured on the cover of the very first ''People'' magazine. |
| 367 | *** Dawid Michaelewski's final question: "How many candles are lit on the eighth day of the Jewish Festival of Light"? (AKA, Hanukkah.) Obviously, the answer is eight...And to make it even worse, he got it wrong! |
| 368 | *** Mark Kerr's £500,000 question: "In Shakespeare's ''Romeo and Juliet,'' which of these characters doesn't die"? ''Anyone'' from the UK should know what the answer is as soon as the choices appear, especially since there was a joke answer, which isn't supposed to happen at this level. [[spoiler:He walked away with 250k pounds.]] |
| 369 | *** Ingram Wilcox's 250k pound question isn't easy at all...but it's been reused no less than ''three times,'' resulting in this trope. |
| 370 | |
| 371 | [[/folder]] |
| 372 | |
| 373 | [[folder:Hobbies]] |
| 374 | * In the early [=1990s=], Bandai introduced several simple labor-saving ideas for Gunpla (''Franchise/{{Gundam}}'' model kits) in order to appeal to beginners. This included parts that came pre-molded in the proper colors so there was no need to paint them (which also solved the issue of small hard-to-paint places like the Gundams' faces), and runners made to match up so the builder could assemble several parts at the same time simply by locking the two runners together and then clipping off the completed parts. However, long-time modelers complained because they felt that simplifying things took away the challenge of building and limited customization. Because of the complaints (and because the changes were more expensive than anticipated), Bandai dropped them after only about three years. |
| 375 | * The model railway hobby and the plastic kit modelling hobby overlap in many ways, but kits and accessories aimed at each camp show differing priorities. The modeller is often fired by the challenge inherent in making the model and accepts complexity. The railway modeller tends to be looking for kits with the minimum need for assembly, and ideally, pre-assembled pre-painted pieces that can be slotted into a layout with little additional work. Therefore modellers can be dismissive of railway modelling because of the simplicity or pre-built nature of its set pieces. |
| 376 | [[/folder]] |
| 377 | |
| 378 | [[folder:Literature]] |
| 379 | * In Patrick Süskind's novella ''The Story of Mr Sommer'', the narrator's sister comments that the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Diabelli Diabelli]] pieces he has to play on the piano are so easy that even people who can't play anything else can play them. |
| 380 | [[/folder]] |
| 381 | |
| 382 | [[folder:Live-Action TV]] |
| 383 | * In ''Series/StargateSG1'', "Avatar", the base scientists have built a virtual-reality training simulation. Unfortunately, they have no field experience, and when Teal'c gives the program a test run, he completely curb-stomps it and complains that it's far too easy. So he volunteers to plug in and let it learn from his experiences to make a more challenging scenario; he gets his wish [[GoneHorriblyRight and then some]]. |
| 384 | * Put to good use for the episode "Fair Haven" on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', in which Captain Janeway expresses some serious concerns to The Doctor at realizing she's falling in love with a holographic character. He--at first--fails to see the problem with this kind of one-sided relationship. |
| 385 | -->'''Janeway:''' "...and if there's something I don't like, I can simply change it." |
| 386 | -->'''Doctor:''' "I've noticed that Humans usually try to change the people they fall in love with; what's the difference?" |
| 387 | -->'''Janeway:''' "In this case, it works!" |
| 388 | * In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Fistful of Datas", Worf reluctantly joins his son in a holodeck reproduction of a [[TheWildWest Western town called Deadwood]]. When Worf easily dispatches some outlaws in a saloon brawl, Alexander complains that it shouldn't be easy to be the good guy. He has the computer increase the difficulty level a little bit, and the next time Worf faces these outlaws in a brawl, it's more of a challenge. |
| 389 | -->'''Worf''': I'm beginning to see the appeal of this program. |
| 390 | * One episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' has Leonard, Raj, Amy, and Emily try out an escape room. However, it proves disappointing due to being too easy for them. (They complete it in just over six minutes.) As they leave, they reason it was easy for ''them'' since they're two physicists, a biologist, and a medical doctor. |
| 391 | [[/folder]] |
| 392 | |
| 393 | [[folder:Music]] |
| 394 | * Some more musically inclined people, particularly fans of ProgressiveRock and ArenaRock, hate PunkRock because [[ThreeChordsAndTheTruth "It's only three chords."]] |
| 395 | * The very reason why Viola players are mocked is because their instrument is considered easier to play on than playing on a Violin. |
| 396 | * Many cellists felt this way in regards to Music/PachelbelsCanon, as the cello part consists of [[PachelbelsCanonProgression the same eight notes]] repeated ''ad nauseum''. |
| 397 | * Justified with the recorder, a woodwind instrument with a simple design and a comparatively easy learning curve. [[https://www.wqxr.org/story/why-did-we-learn-play-recorder-school/ It was because of its accessibility that it was adopted into the US school curriculum]], leading to children's first impressions of the instrument being awkward training sessions where they played obnoxious ditties such as "Hot Cross Buns" and "Mary Had A Little Lamb." Furthermore, the recorders used for public education are made with plastic, rather than wood, which exemplifies bad playing and leads to SoBadItsGood renditions like [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QydCHk1VfVM this]]. |
| 398 | [[/folder]] |
| 399 | |
| 400 | [[folder:Pinball]] |
| 401 | * This is a common criticism of ''Pinball/JunkYard'', as everything in the game is pretty straightforward, even its WizardMode - nothing in the game requires more than 5 shots (even the Super Jackpot only needs 2), everything is spelled out directly for the player, and it is pretty linear for a pinball table, leading to experts often growing bored of it if they play it for too long. Often forgotten is the fact that pinball tables are just as meant to be out in public for people to drop coins in to play, which is what ''Junk Yard'' is almost certainly meant for. |
| 402 | * Some longtime {{pinball}} players use this as a criticism against more modern games, which try to entertain casual players by lowering the difficulty of starting the first multiball mode or jackpot bonus, with some games even starting multiball automatically on the last ball if the player hasn't triggered it on his own. The criticism is usually limited to the early part of the game, however; most modern pins have [[SequelDifficultySpike ridiculously complicated]] [[WizardMode endgames]] to satisfy home collectors looking for years of challenge from their tables. |
| 403 | [[/folder]] |
| 404 | |
| 405 | [[folder:Sports]] |
| 406 | * Often, many sports teams at the high school and college levels – most commonly, football and basketball – will schedule at least one non-conference game where there is great disparity in talent levels between the two teams. For the "superior" team, it often becomes an exercise in rote gameplay, particularly since the game is expected to be one-sided; however, the winning coach's objectives may be to allow their team to perfect certain plays and assess talent in an actual game situation, and virtually guarantee younger players (those who will likely make up the junior varsity for most of the season) playing time once the expected one-sided score is established. While sometimes players of the supposedly better team will complain about the game's easy difficulty level, the trope is more often applied by fans and the media (i.e., sportswriters and broadcasting), disparaging the winning team for their choice of (their hapless) non-conference opponent. |
| 407 | * Good golfers, particularly longer hitters, can get bored when they have to play more forward tees than they usually do in order to play the same tees as their less skilled/athletic playing partners. They didn't spend $300+ dollars on a driver to hit 3-iron off every tee. |
| 408 | * ''UsefulNotes/FormulaOne'' gets criticized for being too easy to drive, so easy [[TeenGenius a seventeen years old with merely two-year autosport experiences can drive]]. The conspiracy is so huge the FIA invokes the car to be harder to access to call back fans. In addition, with the exceptions of [[HundredPercentHeroismRating the pre-2000s "legends"]], when a driver gains a series of "easy" wins via dominations, people complain. This has happened with Schumacher, Vettel, and Mercedes AMG's 2014 duo. |
| 409 | [[/folder]] |
| 410 | |
| 411 | [[folder:Tabletop Games]] |
| 412 | * Some people have this attitude even in Tabletop Roleplaying games. If a Game Master refuses to have Player Characters die, then they (and the players) are wusses. The derisive term "MontyHaul Campaign" originates here as well for games that award too much loot. |
| 413 | * This is one of the main complaints about the {{Space Marine}}s and their variants in ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}''. The 5th Edition Space Marine Codex and its variants are all full of viable units that can be easily mixed and matched to create powerful lists. Because of this, many people (especially those who play armies one or two editions behind) see people who play Space Marines as being less talented at playing the game than others. |
| 414 | * ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 4th edition took many measures to make itself "newbie friendly" and in turn drew vicious ire from fans of the third edition who actually enjoyed the complexity in 3ed and find the "simplicity" in 4ed makes the game boring. |
| 415 | ** Tabletop games as a rule are divided between players who enjoy them for their strategy aspects [[StopHavingFunGuys (and think everyone else should as well)]] and [[{{ItsHardSoItSucks}} players who view strategy as a barrier to "roleplaying."]] The former group is likely to despise almost anything the latter enjoys for this reason. |
| 416 | * An updated version of Operation has received a low reception due to Creator/{{Hasbro}} making the openings so large, a child could very easily grab the pieces without setting off the buzzer. |
| 417 | [[/folder]] |
| 418 | |
| 419 | [[folder:Web Original]] |
| 420 | * [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1ZtBCpo0eU This video on how Quake might be done if it was released in the current day]] is a stab at modern shooter games seemingly becoming like this, combined with DownloadableContent and {{Railroading}}. |
| 421 | * WebVideo/TheIrateGamer invokes this trope in ''WebAnimation/TheFrolloShow'' after [[WesternAnimation/TheHunchbackOfNotreDameDisney Frollo]] and [[Anime/PantyAndStockingWithGarterbelt Stocking]] easily kill [[{{WesternAnimation/Aladdin}} Jafar]] in the ''Frollo Beats Up Evil Residents'' saga. [[spoiler: [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor The Game Genie grants his wish]]. Jafar is revived into a snake and chomps off the Bores' head in response.]] |
| 422 | -->'''Frollo:''' '''''YOU IDIOT!!!''''' |
| 423 | [[/folder]] |
| 424 | |
| 425 | [[folder:Real Life]] |
| 426 | * Different type example: LARP (mainly, fantasy). Many old-school larpers whine a lot about modern games to be "tamed", because organizers don't take the risk to allow some props or actions. While it's not a real problem (it is easy to find a small, hardcore group that plays with hard weapons and allows full contact), the difference between old players and new players is big. |
| 427 | * How many times do you hear your parents complaining that you have it "easy"? When one thinks about it, if your life is easier than that of your parents, it is a good sign. It means that ScienceMarchesOn, TechnologyMarchesOn and that the fundamental, basic goal of a Civilised world (and the real objective of Human civilisation itself) is being achieved - [[EarnYourHappyEnding to end suffering.]] And to know that this is so after several generations working hard so that it should be - that is a wondrous thing to behold. |
| 428 | * Flame wars can frequently erupt between car enthusiasts with one side insisting that [[StopHavingFunGuys you're not truly driving a car]] if it is equipped with an automatic transmission, has stability control, features anti-lock brakes, etc. |
| 429 | [[/folder]] |
| 430 | ---- |
| 431 | There's just no pleasing people, is there? |
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/context.php
FollowingContext Main / ItsEasySoItSucks
Go To
- Show Spoilers
- Night Vision
- Sticky Header
- Wide Load
