Assassin’s Creed III creative director Alex Hutchinson speak out against “easy mode.”
Speaking to Edge, Hutchinson says “Many games are ruined by developers’ desire to ensure they’re accessible to as many players as possible”
“A lot of games have been ruined by easy modes,” he said. “If you have a cover shooter and you switch it to easy and you don’t haave to use cover, you kind of broke your game. You made a game that is essentially the worst possible version of your game.”
It’s a problem unique to videogames, he continues, lamenting the fact that this is the only creative industry that needs to provide difficulty options.
“It’s like if I picked up a book and it said, ‘Do you want the easy version or the complicated version?’ [Game designers] can simplify the language, you know; we can make it two syllables.”
For those afraid Assassin’s Creed III will considerably up the difficulty level, rest assured that balance is crucial for the team. “We’re not trying to make a brutally difficult game, so we go through all the playtest data and make sure it works.”
“Easy mode” is the topic du jour after the producer for notoriously difficult RPG Dark Souls is considering an “easy mode” in the series’ next game, because people are so scared of it, despite the fact that it goes against the game’s design principles.
Previously Alex Hutchison said ‘Assassin’s Creed is a franchise, like Mario or Resident Evil’ and ‘We’ve Got A Lot of Secrets’ In Assassin’s Creed III
Assassin’s Creed III will release on October 30 for PS3, Xbox360 and on November 20 for PC.
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I don't understand this kind of mentality from some game makers, that their personal tastes should be everybody's style of playing. I find myself getting more and more alienated from modern gaming. Personally, I play for relaxation and escapism, with enough challenge to keep me engaged. I can't stand repetition ad nauseum until I finally get the perfect sequence of twitch and button mashing. The Dark Souls people are right if they want a larger audience, i.e. more money. If they want gaming "purity", that's fine. Just understand that you will have a much smaller customer base. I tried the first one, got bored with the repetition of trying for perfection and quit after 30 minutes. I'll never buy another. That's OK, too. I don't have to, and I wasn't their target audience.
By your own admition, is that to say you haven't played ACII, AC:B, or AC:R? They have drastically changed the format of the game franchise in those 3 years of games. It isn't about saving citizens, pickpocketing, etc; it has a whole new dynamic that has the side missions playing a part in the main missions as well. Plus the story arch for the last 3 games has been remarkable. If you haven't, and I am simply assuming there, played the last three, I HIGHLY recommend that you do. You are missing out on a great story with a much better gameplay.
On the issue of 'personal tastes', I see your point as well as Mr. Hutchinson's. It is a question of purity over escapism, as you put it, or visa versa. However, wouldn't you say that in playing ACI, you found it rather easy to go from place to place, kill whomever, and then slip away gracefully? I look forward to the challenge of a new difficulty. I am also of the opinion that the AC franchise is not a 'relaxation and escapism' type of game. It draws you in like reading 'To Kill A Mockingbird' or watching episodes of 'House'. It isn't for the 'lay gamer'. Just my opinion, not everyone's….