I'm getting a bit of writer's block right now, so I'll just come out and say it: it drives me crazy that professional game reviewers keep giving higher scores to more challenging games. I'll just jump right into it an name a name. This is the game that revitalized the whole 'challenge is cool' trend.
Demon's Souls.
This game got rave reviews. There are some good reasons for this. It featured a very creative way to play with other people. You can join another person's session and help them out. Or you can go in as an invader and try and kill them. Or you can play by yourself but once in a while see 'shadows' of other players as they do their own thing. But most of all, I think, the reviewers love the game because it's challenging.
Like most others, I bought into the hype and played it. Yes, the game is challenging. Too challenging for me, I admit. But despite the challenge it is an uneven game. For instance, the combat is slow and sluggish. The story is thin and bare boned and it suffers from a wiggy third person camera. Fans of the game would probably like this though. They probably think the slower combat makes for a more intellectual and strategic experience. I know a lot of people don't care for a good story if the game plays well enough and third person camera wigging out happens all the time.
BUT WAIT! Let's do a little thought experiment here. Suppose Demon's Souls was actually 'normal', or even 'easy'. Would it still get the good scores? I don't think so, and if you search deep within yourself, I think you'll agree. If the game was easy, people would complain. 'Oh, the combat is too slow and sluggish.' 'Oh, the story is too thin and bare boned.' 'Oh, the third person camera wiggs out too much.'
All of a sudden, a game with flaws gets given a free pass because it's challenging. But you don't have to take my word for it. The proof is out there for all to see. Let's do another experiment and in doing so, you will see a double standard.. Ask you self the following:
Have you ever read a single review where a game got high scores because it's easy?
