Life on Story Mode
Posted On: Friday, March 21, 2025
Today was a roller coaster of emotion, so I thought I would start watching Daredevil: Born Again while writing this post. If anyone has seen the first episode, you can probably guess it's not helping lift the spirits.
What has been helping, however, is the fact that we started playing FFXVI this weeek. Although I've always considered myself a "fan" of the series, it wasn't until I played FFXV back in 2017 that I ever actually FINISHED a game. I had played a few others, but sometimes the fandom can get a little... well, intense, and I struggled with the growing onslaught of opinions telling what and how I should like a certain property.
BUT I DIGRESS.
Back to FFXVI. If you've been around the Z-Stream at all, it shouldn't come as a surprise that we're playing on Story Mode. If you're not familiar at all, you might think "WTF Teki, and you call yourself a gamer?" I know, I know. Take away my gamer card, I've disgraced my clan. But let's be real for a minute here - why do we view a playthough on an easy difficulty as a lesser accomplishment?
As a gamer, I don't thrive on combat. The action and battles are not what draws me in. Life is hard enough as it, I don't need to challenged by combos and skills and boss fights that make your knuckles white. At the end of a long day, I want to kick back with a few snacks and immerse myself into a world that allows me to escape reality for a few hours. Give me story! Give me characters! Give me exploration! Give me side quests! Give me lore! Give me Clive chained up naked in a dungeon!... erm, you know what I mean. What I don't want is to feel like smashing my controller. Do I look like a masochist to you? (Don't answer that.)
Now don't get me wrong - if obscenely tough boss fights are what gets you off, don't let me stop you. But why do we frown upon easy mode? How does enjoying yourself make you less of a gamer? Just like the debate about whether or not people who played mobile games or Farmville were considered "gamers," the answer is the same - screw everyone else and enjoy what you want. Life is too short to hate the things that are supposed to give us joy. Some people like the added challenge, while some of us are just here for the plot. Or, you know, "plot".
To summarise the ranting of a tired Teki, let's just say that I've been playing life on hard mode, so I like my games on easy mode. Why not give ourselves a break?
Many hearts, love your faces,
~ Z
