Five Franchises that Threw Difficulty Out the Window

A lot of folks have been complaining about how gaming is in a slump lately. About the fact that, as we've progressed into the modern era of gaming, games have become simpler and simpler. They're just not as challenging as they once were. Oh, sure, we're seeing a few titles that shirk the norm, such as Dark Souls, Demon's Souls, and Dragon's Dogma, but as a whole, games simply aren't as tough as they used to be. Right? 

In any case, we're not here to argue whether or not that statement's true. While gaming in general may not have changed as much as some of the more vocal proponents may think it has, the five franchises here most certainly have. Either in the interest of appealing to a wider audience or simple genre decay, the following titles have, since their inception, dropped in difficulty like a stone. 

Fable

Fable was never terribly difficult, but I do remember being challenged on occasion. My first encounter with the White Balverine was a sobering affair, and the final confrontation with Jack of Blades was entertaining and tough.

Flash forward to Fable II and III, and the mechanics have… decayed, somehow. While they didn't necessarily improve things a great deal, each game felt considerably and exponentially easier than previous titles in the series. Whether this was a conscious move on Lionhead Studios part or simply the result of updated mechanics is hard to tell, but one thing's for sure: Difficult, the new Fable titles were not. 

Fable - Gameplay Video

Fable III -  A Call to Action Trailer

(Continued on the Next Page...)