After trying to establish which was the first game to exploit dynamic difficulty, we want to extend the topic, proposing other cases in which developers have chosen to adopt similar approaches. So here’s one stock selection characterized by balancing systems designed to react and adapt to situations.
Crash Bandicoot
Perhaps not everyone knows that the historic platformer by Naughty Dogas well as the subsequent exponents of the franchise, uses a difficulty adjustment system capable of slow down obstacles and provide quickly extra in base ai game over. A choice with the aim of helping less skilled players without making the lives of the more skilled players easier.
Half-Life 2
The masterpiece of Valve makes sure of measure supplies given to the players according to their playstyle, so as to keep the perceived tension high in the face of the aftermath of what happened to Black Mesa. A perfect solution therefore for experiences such as survival horror, where good resource management is fundamental to say the least.
Resident Evil 4
Regarding the subgenre just mentioned, also the TPS seminal of Capcom boasts a complex adaptive balance that transcends the mere deployment of resources. This system – known to the public because it is mentioned in the official game guide – evaluates your performance by varying the aggression of enemiestheir resistance to damage and other parameters in real time.
God Hand
Another game directed by Shinji Mikami, another example of a rather elaborate adaptive difficulty. The beat ’em up 3D in question – over the top and unfairly underestimated – places players faced with a changing but constant level of challenge, acting on enemy strength and AI depending on the combo counter. Playing well therefore leads to having to play even better, but also to an increase in performance rewards obtained.
Super Mario Kart
Lo spin-off Nintendo which made kart racing games famous (the first examples date back at least five years earlier) reacts instantly to the performance of the player, providing the most suitable power-ups to his position. In addition, the performance of AI-controlled runners varies on the fly, favoring one competition that tends towards equilibrium. It goes without saying that we also find the same dynamics in the subsequent heirs of the game.
Left 4 Dead
The famous co-op horror FPS boasts a regulatory system called The AI Director which modulates procedural generation based on the performance of individuals, as well as their ability to form a team and collaborate. What’s changing this time is the number and types of zombies to facewhich would become an unmanageable horde if you didn’t progress quickly through the game.
The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild
In its refinement of the concept of non-linear progression inserted in an open world context, the exclusive for Nintendo Switch 2017 uses a balancing system that works in the background. As the number of enemies defeated increases and in relation to their type, in fact, Hyrule is populated with stronger mobs belonging to that same variety. In other words: the more you defeat certain monsters, the more the game chooses to enhance them.
Pokemon Giallo
Well yes: even the improved version of the first games Pokémon – created specifically to ride the success of the anime – adapts according to the skill of the players. Depending on the number of defeats collected in battle, in fact, the inevitable rival of Rosso sports a different evolution of Eeveemore or less effective against Pikachu that accompanies us.
Fallout 3
The third chapter of the post-apocalyptic series of Bethesda – as well as The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion – changes the gaming experience based on the level of your PC, placing you against increasingly more aggressive threats both in terms of parameters and the equipment worn. This dynamic, combined with the now classic loot system internal to those GDRmakes winning a fight secure adequate rewards.
Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain
Another type of adaptive balancing is the one that characterizes the epilogue of the saga that it consecrated Hideo Kojima in the gaming Olympus. Enemies encountered as Big Boss in fact, they actively respond to the player’s approach, taking precautions in an attempt to counter it. For example, in the case of many blows to the headsoldiers would start wearing more protective helmets.
Mega Man Zero
The third tranche of games born from the original Mega Man came out NES in 1987 boasts a high difficulty, but also a system based on the marks obtained at the end of the stage designed for test the most capable players. In addition to better rewardsIn fact, demonstrating one’s ability leads to facing stronger bosses equipped with attacks that enrich the already complex pattern.
Mortal Kombat
The fighting game series to which we owe the birth of the first unified content classification systems (such as the current European PEGI or the US ESRB) has also evolved over time with regards to the balancing systems adopted within it. The most classic is that for every victory there is a corresponding victory CPU reactionthat becoming increasingly aggressive makes every climb a feat regardless of the difficulty level selected.
This concludes our selection of titles characterized by dynamic difficulty management. In case you are still hungry for video game curiosities, don’t miss 10 video games that entered the Guinness Book of Records with mind-boggling numbers and particular records.