Wednesday 30 January 2008

Challenge or fun?

I have Sega Rally for both the 360 and the PSP. Now, Sega Rally is a brilliant game, however having both brings something to my attention (as, by now you've probably guessed, a lot of things do).

The 360 version's main aim is to challenge you. The tracks are tough, the AI is brutal, and if you're not careful, a slip on a corner can cost you an entire race. And that one slip can cost you a perfect championship, because you can't restart on a race. You need a lot of points to open the next championship up. I have loads of points in each of the Premier Championships but still need more because I still haven't unlocked the Final. It means I'll need nigh-on perfect races to unlock it.

However, the PSP version doesn't bother so much with challenging you. It adds a restart. The AI is a bit less hard, and a bit more forgiving, too. In one night I got every Championship in the Premier Class, including the final, because the point requirements are a lot less stringent. As a result the game is a lot more fun, a lot more pick-up-and-play, because one mistake doesn't mean you have to start again from the beginning.

Does this mean challenge isn't fun? Of course not. People thrive on challenge. If a game was too easy it wouldn't be any fun. But there is a line. Once crossed, challenge starts to become frustrating.

But then there are still people who enjoy those games. Devil May Cry, Geometry Wars, Ninja Gaiden, Ghouls n' Ghosts, MegaMan, and Contra. All of these have huge followings simply because they're hard-as-nails tough. Frustrating tough. They give a great sense of satisfaction if you manage to get to the end because you are the ultimate gamer. And why shouldn't it?

Still, all of these games are shunned by the rest of gaming society because they just want to play games that are fun. They don't like spending several hours trying to get past one level. Indeed, I've spent many hours trying to get past level one on Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts, and I still can't do it. So I don't try any more. Neither does everyone else. And then we get told we're no good at games because we don't have the time nor the patience to memorize patterns, and button combinations, and level designs.

Why can't companies do what SEGA did, and release two versions of the game, even on different consoles, one, to satisfy the crowd which thrives on challenge, and another to satisfy those of us which just want some fun?

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