I know here it sounds like i am a poor gamer, but i play, i struggle, i finish.

anyway, i have to start and play on medium (normal/default) always or i feel like i am gipping myself of full experience. easy would just be trying to get through campaign and not caring. but, if i buy a game, i want value and experience and especially explore. not just run through it. i die, a lot, but that is the fun of it, trying to figure how to approach it and it may take me more than a few tries sometimes, i do get passed it, and that's a great feeling.

so, basically, always normal difficulty to start. i have gone to easy on some levels of Wolfenstein's. i will admit that, but not whole game...

95% of the time, I leave it on the default difficulty. Sometimes I'll dial it down (Mortal Kombat XL whooped my ass after being away from the franchise since MK2), and sometimes I'll crank it up (Knack 2 was one I played on Hard all the way in my first playthrough). There are times I'll wish I'd done something other than the default, such as Bayonetta 2 winding up being surreally easy compared to the original, but Normal / Medium usually works out alright for me.

I feel like I could handle more most of the time, but there'll usually be a few spots in Normal / Medium games that give me just enough trouble to be glad I didn't.

Medium/Normal/Default. I can't really think of any time where I need or want to drop down to an easier difficulty, as most of the time the default option is just about right for me. In my younger days I might replay games on a harder difficulty, but these days the idea of a "challenge" doesn't really appeal to me, especially as I prefer to play more story driven games now.

Whichever one I need to in order to earn the Platinum trophy. If no trophies are tied to difficultly, then usually I will play at whatever is the default.

I always start on the default. If I get annoyed, I'll dial it down, and if I play it a second time, I usually dial it up.

Almost all the time the "Normal/Default" starting out but depending on the game like they offer multiple characters, better rewards & loot, a more realistic experience I'll do a second play thru on the next of higher setting.

https://forum.dvdtalk.com/video-game...lay-games.html

10 years old, but still.

Nowadays it's just whatever the default setting is. I figure that is the mode that has been given the most attention by the developers for the optimum play experience.

Artificially inflating difficulty(and playtime) with less health and/or bullet sponge enemies adversely affects the experience, IMO. I've certainly run through many on Hard, but for the most part games fall into that category. Games where the AI actually adapts to your gameplay/strategy on a hard mode is far more interesting. I think those are few and far between though. It's too easy for developers to just adjust the health sliders or make every enemy an expert marksman and call it a day.

Default unless it's a first person shooter, then I raise the difficulty to the hardest level.

Always the easiest for me. I almost never finish games, because I don't have much patience anymore. If I die 2 or 3 times at the same spot, I'll get frustrated and quit.

Default usually.

Stay a million miles away from Dark Souls and Bloodborne

These days, Normal for any action type game and bumped up harder for Sports games. Default difficulty on Madden is too easy, considering I've been playing the game for over a decade.

Normal most of the time. Exceptions being when it doesn't affect achievements (then might as well play it on easy), or Diablo (where I turn it up as much as possible).

Sports games when I still played them...wrestling games I tend to turn it up to hard...but everything else I keep as simple as possible because I just don't care.

Default / Medium

Funny that this came up now, but I just started Wolfenstein II over the weekend. There were two medium options. Regular medium for people not good or familiar with FPS and (harder?) medium for people that want more of a challenge. I went with the second one because worse case, I can always bump it down later if I need to. I just thought that was an odd choice and a little confusing for picking out difficulty levels. I think the standard 3 or 5 difficulty settings is just fine.

I start on the default difficulty but will drop it to easy in a heartbeat if I start getting frustrated.

Like most of you here, I start on the default difficulty. And that's where I usually stay, although sometimes I change a notch depending on if the gameplay seems either too easy or frustratingly difficult.

I’m like most people here, almost always start on the normal/default setting. I adjust to easy or difficult depending on the situation or sometimes to difficult on a second play through or if I want a quick second play through I’ll just put it on easy.

default, unless its a franchise I'm very familiar with (Uncharted, infamous) and plan on playing for Platinum then I'll start on HArd.

I use the easiest setting. I'm not a great game player, and my time is very limited. For me, a game with challenge is good and a game that entertains is better.

I almost always go for medium/default. I don't think I've ever moved the difficulty up a notch or two, but I have moved it down when I just want to focus on a game's story.

Easiest one possible.

I'm so disappointed in Cuphead. I love the animation style and presentation, but there's no mode for exploration, it's just hard and harder.

Easiest. I don’t have a lot of time during the week and would rather explore than spend time dying repeatedly.

I'll AMEN that.....

Depending on the game, I will play on easy for an hour to just get a feel for the game. After that, I will crank up the difficulty if need be.

I usually start on Normal, but if I have to turn it down (since I generally am not super-skilled) I will.

This. As you get older time becomes more and more valuable. I don't have the patience for frustration with what should be a relaxing hobby.