Volition Reflects On Red Faction: Guerrilla And The Casual Difficulty Effect

24 Comments Posted July 15, 2009 - By Patrick Klepek

Volition Reflects On Red Faction: Guerrilla And The Casual Difficulty Effect

I've read more than one report about gamers ratcheting back the difficulty level in Red Faction: Guerrilla in order to lessen frustration with the game's combat and let them focus on playing with the game's organic destructability. Red Faction: Guerrilla calls its easiest difficulty "casual," and the number of gamers making the switch to playing Red Faction:Guerrilla on casual is on the rise -- it's currently at 40%, according to Volition.

"We do track daily averages for the difficulty levels," explained Volition producer Rick White over e-mail. "They went from around 30% Casual at street to now around 40% Casual. There has been a very slow ramp in Casual usage – and we attribute that also to the game moving from the hard core early adopters to a more mass audience game. So that’s really good news for RFG [Red Faction: Guerrilla] players, that it can be fun for the hard core shooter audience, as well as the more mass audience that just wants to blow &%*( up."

When's the last time you seriously considered playing a game on the easy difficulty? It's semantics, but there's a difference between labeling something "easy" and "casual." The former could imply the player is somehow a lesser gamer, whereas casual has become a more accepted term, with the rise of iPhone, web games, DS and Wii.

I recently admitted to having no problem with Overlord: Dark Legend providing almost zero challenge; in fact, it's actually been a refreshing change of pace. I've simply enjoyed the mechanics and been approaching the game differently, as a result. The way some people have been altering the difficulty settings for their time with Red Faction: Guerrilla has given me a similar vibe. White agreed.

"I feel that I am an advanced player, but only have time to play games for a few hours a week," admitted White. "This means I want to get into a game and have instant gratification, and not struggle with trying to figure out what the designer was thinking or struggling with complex UI. So 'casual' is less about being 'easy' vs. accessibility and limited time to dedicate to any given game."

Volition Reflects On Red Faction: Guerrilla And The Casual Difficulty Effect

White hinted at some more complicated design challenges, too. In order to design an entertaining game, the development team should enjoy what they're creating, right?

"Red Faction: Guerrilla definitely has the history and heart of a tough action shooter game," he said. "However, by making it open world, it really makes the game interesting to the more mass audience as well. We needed to keep the challenge there for the more hard core players (and our designers ;-), but also wanted to make it more accessible for all players interested in different genres of games."

The lessons learned from the different ways gamers are approaching Red Faction: Guerrilla will be incorporate into "future products," said White.

How many TheFeed readers experienced Red Faction: Guerrilla on casual? Did any of you start on one difficulty and switch to another? Share your experiences!

Tags: PlayStation 3, Videogames, Xbox 360

Comments

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miniminch337

i switched from normal to casual. i just wanted to blow stuff up. 1st?

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:21 AM | Reply | Report

-9 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
ververdan0226

Was normal and then went casual towards the latter half of the game.

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:23 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
down311

Should I rent this ? The demo was kinda fun but I thought the MP was pretty lame.

How long is the campaign ?

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:40 AM | Reply | Report

-2 thumbs up thumbs down

1 Reply
jamofpearls

I started on casual, and will play through on casual.

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:40 AM | Reply | Report

+3 thumbs up thumbs down

1 Reply
snookgum123

Once I beat the game I dont tend to play it again unless it is coop. So I make it hard as possible. That way if the game is short it makes the game seem longer and if the game is long it makes it even much more longer. I think that is will worth my hard earn 60$ for the game. But than thats just me. And if I can't beat a level I continue on with a different game and come back to it later. But I do understand what you mean easy mode means less stress, more accomplisment, and fun to just blow them up! But than I just don't have that kind of money to spend on a next game deal so I rather play it on hard level.

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:49 AM | Reply | Report

+4 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
Empyu

I've been playing on the hardest difficulty setting, but am constantly tempted to turn it down. I haven't played it in a few weeks because of Ghostbusters and Blazblue, and it's hard for me to think of playing it again because of some of the troubles I've had. Some of the Eos levels are just brutal.

Luckily, difficulty settings don't affect the Demolition activities. Those turned out to be one of my favorite parts of the game.

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:54 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
Stukes

i started playn on hard then on the last mission i switched it to casual just cause i wanted to finish the game.

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:56 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
mindsale

The game's more difficult settings use a "cheap" methodology - rather than strategically placing enemies or giving them greater healthbars, they just zerg you - throwing more and more at you until you're dead. The online multiplayer continues to amaze, though - 125 layers of depth FTW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=HToerZI980E

Posted: July 15, 2009 8:58 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
ABXPuPpeT

ABXPuPpeT's comment is abusive and has been removed.

Posted: July 15, 2009 9:21 AM | Reply | Report

-4 thumbs up thumbs down

3 Replies
Brian Leahy

I actually just got around to starting this last night and I enjoy blowing buildings up more than I enjoy dying. Still on normal, though.

Posted: July 15, 2009 9:37 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
PSpepper

I beat normal, but I used cheats on the last fight.

Posted: July 15, 2009 9:43 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
Beetlevegas

@snookgum123
I am right there with you.

I played killzone 2 on the hard. it was the first time i started a shooter on hard and it was hard. i got pined down a couple of times but i never went down a level. i look for games on sale and so when i spend $60 on a game i make sure its good. know i am going back on the hardest.
If you down a level it dosent make you any less of a gamer. It was just hard and you wanted to go down. nothing more.

Posted: July 15, 2009 10:05 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
SPE825

I tend to play games for the entertainment value as opposed to sheer challenge. I played RFG on casual from the beginning because I wanted to blow everything to hell and back.

Posted: July 15, 2009 10:10 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
MasterJoe72

I've been playing this game on normal and I guess I'm half way through it and it gets pretty hard if you have a swarm of enemies surrounding you. I think half the time it's easy, and half the time it's not. And besides, (in campaign) all you got to do if you low on health is jump in a car.

Posted: July 15, 2009 10:12 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
EKG

I started the game on Normal Difficulty and I beat it on Normal Difficulty. The ONLY level I found myself having a hard time with was the very last level where you need to take that tank all the way up the Mountain. That was Insane Hard. But I plan on playing it on the hardest Difficulty Next. Heck, If I can beat Ninja Gaiden Black on its Hardest Difficulty that RFG should be a cakewalk.

Posted: July 15, 2009 10:45 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
EntropyMu

I admit, on games that don't have an easy mode, I often like to use cheats to have a casual play through of the game. Sometimes I'll do this first, sometimes after beating it "the hard way". Anyone else do something similar?

Posted: July 15, 2009 11:02 AM | Reply | Report

+1 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
palpatine

I played the game all the way through on Normal Difficulty. I died once in the 3rd to last mission, where you destroy the big EDF base, but I never died on the following missions. The big trudge up the mountain with the Artillery tank, road blocks, and finally the big battle at the top I beat in one try.

Posted: July 15, 2009 11:11 AM | Reply | Report

0 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
CMcCon342

Played it on Casual, loved it. Still found it plenty challenging, especially with the less than forgiving checkpoints. Started playing on Normal and have been finding it very difficult. My tactics of getting a big truck and smashing my way to the objective don't work too well. I think I'll replay it on casual.

Love the game, really love the multiplayer.

Think this game deserves more attention than its gotten.

Posted: July 15, 2009 11:29 AM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
hamsterkiller

I played the entire campaign on the medium difficulty and i fully enjoyed it. Athough i did die alot during some of the missions. What was fun for me was getting in the red alert and somehow making it out without dying then going back and doing it again.

Posted: July 15, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Report

+3 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies
jonesy4213

Still playing on hard. It is ridiculous, but at the same time it makes me have to stratagize to complete the more difficult missions. Still stuck on the sniper mission in Eos.

Posted: July 15, 2009 12:21 PM | Reply | Report

+2 thumbs up thumbs down

0 Replies