10 Easy Modes That RUIN The Game

10 Easy Modes That RUIN The Game

Ty Richardson

Matrix link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1bxsCJ4YYj-0iQ9aJPwuyjNB172st1Da8sGXB3rp3xWg/edit?gid=0#gid=0

FL Notes: N/A

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today, we’re taking a look at 10 games where playing on easy mode is actually ruining the whole experience.

“Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening” (2005)

We can understand why someone wouldn’t want to obliterate themselves with DMC3’s higher difficulties. This truly is a challenging game with its complex combos and tight input windows for said combos. But learning the game is what makes it fun! Bump it down to Easy, and DMC3 becomes a braindead action game where you just mash a button and learn nothing. You’ll perform the most powerful combos by pressing a single button while laying waste to enemies that are already nerfed to hell with comically low health. Yeah, the impatient gamer might want to stay away from DMC if they don’t want to stoop to Easy Mode.

“Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance” (2013)

Much like DMC3, part of the fun with “Metal Gear Rising” is learning the game, learning the enemies, and looking like a badass at overcoming the hurdles. Is it going to be a cakewalk? No, but once you grasp the mechanics, it’s one of the most fun games you could ever play. If you’re just wanting a power fantasy, then sure, play on Easy. However, you may get bored quickly. “Rising’s” Easy mode makes parrying so forgiving that fights will seem completely unfair and boss fights become a total joke. At that point, you’re not playing “Metal Gear Rising” - you’re just playing a basic hack-&-slash with nothing special going on.

“Vampyr” (2018)

“Vampyr” is an interesting case because it has a really unique XP system that ties in with the whole vampire theme. At the start of the game, you’re given minimal abilities, mostly consisting of basic attacks and defensive maneuvers. But, if you choose to absorb the blood of certain characters, you are given more XP and can unlock more powerful abilities. However, the number of people you prey upon will affect the ending you get, thus forcing the player to make moral choices. Do you deal with tough fights for the good of humanity, or slaughter dozens to become unstoppable? Well, you won’t have to choose when playing on Easy as combat becomes so one-sided that you won’t have to ever worry about additional powers to exploit. At least it makes getting the good ending less of a headache, we suppose.

“Super Mario Bros. Wonder” (2023)

In the case of “Super Mario Bros. Wonder”, the existence of an Easy mode does not necessarily ruin the game. No matter what, this is one of the most fun Mario games you could ever play. The thing is that the way Easy Mode is incorporated into the game is what can ruin the experience for some. Basically, if you play as Nabbit or any of the different colored Yoshis, you remove some of the challenge from the game. You’ll only suffer knockback and lose a life from falling into pits. Yes, this might be good for the younger players, but as a wise man once said, “git gud”. Also, let me play as Yoshi and retain the difficulty.

“Persona 5” (2017)

The beauty behind games like “Persona” is coming up with the “perfect” stock. Load up on different types of Personas, create powerful builds, eventually suffer from oppressive bosses like Okumura… It’s a ton of fun. But when you choose to play on “Safe” difficulty, what are you doing, man? How do you expect to learn the game and improve yourself when you’re steamrolling over every group of enemies you come across? We can kind of get it if you’re just there for the visual novel aspects. Even then, why not just play those instead of ignoring a whole half of a 100-hour game?

“Twisted Metal 2” (1996)

Compared to the rest of the list where easy modes destroy the fundamentals of various games, “Twisted Metal 2” handles its lower difficulty rather differently and shames you for using it. At first, your campaign will start normally with Hollywood, followed by Moscow, Paris, and Amazonia. But once you’ve defeated Minion, the midboss, you’ll be greeted with a message that reads, “STOP - No losers allowed beyond this point.You must switch to Medium or Hard to continue.” You will then be booted back to the main menu. All of what little effort you exerted has gone to waste. Perhaps this message “ruined” the game for some, but hey - “Twisted Metal” has never been a super easy series to play. Turn the key or get out of the car, bub.

“Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart” (2021)

Much like “Super Mario Bros. Wonder”, we can understand why, say, a kid might want to play on a low difficulty for “Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart”. This is an adventure starring furry space creatures! But for the older player, the easy settings are actually robbing you of what makes “Rift Apart” so fun. The higher difficulties make weapon-swapping a key part in combat just as previous “Ratchet & Clank” games have. By making fights a breeze, you’re really missing out on what made this series legendary to begin with. It's like wanting a 100-piece puzzle to come in just four pieces instead.

“Silent Hill f” (2025)

We’ll take a break from the whole “you should play this way” schtick for just a second because “Silent Hill f” really does have a difficulty problem. When starting the game, you only get two choices for difficulty - Hard Mode and the notorious “Story Mode”. Here’s the problem - the game’s combat is way too clunky to expect new players to quickly grasp on Hard Mode, even if you’re used to the difficulty of, say, “Dark Souls”. As for…“Story Mode”, “Silent Hill f” is way, way too easy that it's bound to turn some players off. It would be nice if Konami had a setting that gave a happy medium between the two.

“Mario Kart” series (1992-)

There is an unspoken rule among most “Mario Kart” fans when it comes to difficulty. Go to any house party or social gathering where there is “Mario Kart”, and you will find that no one is playing on anything below 150cc. Rarely will you ever find people playing at even 100cc. So, why does no one play 50cc? Well, because it’s slow as hell! At that speed, races take forever, drifts aren’t as satisfying to pull off, and you can easily bully the AI to where it's no longer fun. You need to embrace the chaos!

“DOOM” series (1993-)

Look, everyone has their limits when it comes to “DOOM”. Whether you’re playing the 1993 classic or the new ones directed by Hugo Martin, most fans are in agreement that the games are best played on Ultra-Violence, maybe Hurt Me Plenty in some games. We’re forgiving to those who may be new to FPS and boomer shooter games and choose “Hey, Not Too Rough” difficulty. But…to choose “I’m Too Young to Die”... You aren’t playing “DOOM” anymore. You’re playing a shooting gallery that’s lacking any fun in shooting targets.

Is there a game you feel others are robbing themselves of by playing on low difficulty settings? Let us know down in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays.