These games are too hard

[Litwick]

I keep getting lost. I don't understand where I'm supposed to go. My head hurts every time I play. Here's hoping they add a minimap for people who don't feel like searching up walkthroughs just to finish a game.

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Litwick:

Originally posted by LegendaryThunder:

How old were you in 2006? You have to be a very young millenial if you are struggling this much, this game was made during the GOLDEN ERA. 95-2000 was when gaming was at it's zenith, new genres were made every year.

You are going to have to LEARN, this game does not need new controls, a minimap, an objectives list or a built in hint giver. In fact I remember at the time people thought Tomb Raider was just a teeny weeny bit easy because you could pause the game and heal or change weapons.

Stop asking that every game have third person controls, LEARN TANK CONTROLS, learn critical thinking, begin to memorize your surroundings, figure out how to quick wit in a fight. I am not trying to be patronizing, I saw 6 year olds play this game like it was crack and now I'm just kind of shocked at how stagnant the video game playerbase is.

I was 9. I played Tomb Raider on the PS1 when I was 5 and never got past the first level. I don't think most games were this difficult even then.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rVuRhpLScI
You have no idea.
Battletoads SNES, Ghouls 'n Ghosts NES, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles NES, Contra NES, Ninja Gaiden Master System (yes that version is harder due to the piss poor Master System controller)
And yes these are just a few examples and some of these games would be hard even today with a modern control but the control itself was a limiting factor while the gameplay itself was the other (slow and for today standards deemed clunky af) and still these games sold and were praised for it.

You was born in an era (as you had 9yo by 2006) where games were becoming easier and easier and more like "playable movies" so even the first level of Tomb Raider was something this incredibly difficult (by how you described it yourself):

Originally posted by Litwick:

I was 9. I played Tomb Raider on the PS1 when I was 5 and never got past the first level. I don't think most games were this difficult even then.

Games were way harder and most of the 80s games were ports of arcade games that were meant to eat coins the players had to purchase with real money (and it had to eat coins fast because if 1 single player kept playing for 30min to 2h or more there with 1 single coin it would not be profitable for the machine owner so yes these games "start hard already" to start eating coins from there), meaning these games were "meant to be beatable" but nowhere close to be "fair" by today standards because the purpose of those games was for the player to spend money on lives and continues.

[EF_Neo1st]

Matter of fact, Tomb Raider 1 was not even deemed as "hard game", just "normal difficulty to easy" as it was just a matter of exploring where it have some "more compex or difficult to figure out" puzzles in the middle of the game, but the platforming being this "not hard" after you understand tank controls makes the whole game "not hard" to the 90s standards.

[Geo]

Ah, the glorious struggle of gaming "back in the day." You were practically Indiana Jones with a controller, solving mysteries, deciphering cryptic clues, and maybe accidentally pushing buttons out of sheer desperation. You had nothing but a flimsy game manual—and let’s be honest, those things were written like IKEA furniture instructions, with half the vital information missing. But you persevered, like a champion.

Modern games? Oh, they’ve traded exploration for hand-holding, haven’t they? “Stuck? Here’s your glowing trail of breadcrumbs.” Need a hint? Don’t worry, the game’s basically whispering sweet nothings in your ear. And those random yellow walls? What a delight—nothing screams “immersive cave adventure” like neon paint shouting, “Jump here!” They might as well add flashing arrows and a spotlight. It’s like, congratulations, you’re a passenger now—just sit back and let the game play itself.

At least we earned our victories, didn't we? With blood, sweat, tears, and maybe a few rage-quits along the way. Ah, the golden age. 😉

Sorry couldn't resist xD

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Geo:

Ah, the glorious struggle of gaming "back in the day." You were practically Indiana Jones with a controller, solving mysteries, deciphering cryptic clues, and maybe accidentally pushing buttons out of sheer desperation. You had nothing but a flimsy game manual—and let’s be honest, those things were written like IKEA furniture instructions, with half the vital information missing. But you persevered, like a champion.

Modern games? Oh, they’ve traded exploration for hand-holding, haven’t they? “Stuck? Here’s your glowing trail of breadcrumbs.” Need a hint? Don’t worry, the game’s basically whispering sweet nothings in your ear. And those random yellow walls? What a delight—nothing screams “immersive cave adventure” like neon paint shouting, “Jump here!” They might as well add flashing arrows and a spotlight. It’s like, congratulations, you’re a passenger now—just sit back and let the game play itself.

At least we earned our victories, didn't we? With blood, sweat, tears, and maybe a few rage-quits along the way. Ah, the golden age. 😉

Sorry couldn't resist xD

"jokes aside" what you said is basically the truth of "then and now" because games became playable movies in the 2000s (even more from 2005 to 2015) where anything that was not "handholding the player" was deemed as "poor development" and "unnecessary difficulty" because apparently "players like to enjoy their games sitting back and relaxing" and can not think for themselves, have a bit of challenge or do a few more inputs to do some action, let alone retry a few seconds to a few minutes because they could not nail a jump.

[Geo]

Originally posted by EF_Neo1st:

"jokes aside" what you said is basically the truth of "then and now" because games became playable movies in the 2000s (even more from 2005 to 2015) where anything that was not "handholding the player" was deemed as "poor development" and "unnecessary difficulty" because apparently "players like to enjoy their games sitting back and relaxing" and can not think for themselves, have a bit of challenge or do a few more inputs to do some action, let alone retry a few seconds to a few minutes because they could not nail a jump.

Exactly this, sure the graphics on the next gen tomb raiders were sweet and all, there was a real lack of tombs or a tomb raider feel, brainstorming puzzles (add a cookie to the cookie jar job done) with a couple of mini-caves with puzzles for toddlers thrown into the mix, rest of the game felt like a scavenging deer hunting simulator experience, with some "timed-events" thrown in, to make the game feel somewhat exciting... let's not forget the yellow paint and the constant I should use my focus here commentary from lara every 5 seconds of the game.

Tomb raider 1 wasn't all that difficult, and the chances them adding a mini map is around 0.000000000000000%. defeats the purpose.

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Geo:

Originally posted by EF_Neo1st:

"jokes aside" what you said is basically the truth of "then and now" because games became playable movies in the 2000s (even more from 2005 to 2015) where anything that was not "handholding the player" was deemed as "poor development" and "unnecessary difficulty" because apparently "players like to enjoy their games sitting back and relaxing" and can not think for themselves, have a bit of challenge or do a few more inputs to do some action, let alone retry a few seconds to a few minutes because they could not nail a jump.

Exactly this, sure the graphics on the next gen tomb raiders were sweet and all, there was a real lack of tombs or a tomb raider feel, brainstorming puzzles (add a cookie to the cookie jar job done) with a couple of mini-caves with puzzles for toddlers thrown into the mix, rest of the game felt like a scavenging deer hunting simulator experience, with some "timed-events" thrown in, to make the game feel somewhat exciting... let's not forget the yellow paint and the constant I should use my focus here commentary from lara every 5 seconds of the game.

Tomb raider 1 wasn't all that difficult, and the chances them adding a mini map is around 0.000000000000000%. defeats the purpose.

Not really the best but one of the best puzzles at Shadow of the Tomb Raider (that has the most and best puzzles of the Uncharted trilogy featuring that version of Lara)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXZuTr-vMRU

Puzzles at Tomb Raider games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMJmyt9YDGY
It is the whole level (so the whole level would be represented by a tomb at the later trilogy before the remaster and usually the tombs are just passageways into a room or a small area with some mechanical puzzle to be solved)

That is the difference, we have "mini Tomb Raider experiences" within the Uncharted experience and the best exploration experience at Shadow is within the Hidden City that have a lot of stuff literally hidden behind "not so obvious" passages and locations inside or under the houses and underwater, not being "just scavenging" like most other areas, meanwhile Shadow is deemed by the Uncharted 2013 fans to be the worst game of the trilogy because it lacks combat and have too unnecessary stuff that require walkthrough to get by (lol,the tombs and finding the way through the hub areas like the Hidden City, even considering all you mentioned)

[Geo]

Originally posted by EF_Neo1st:

Originally posted by Geo:

Exactly this, sure the graphics on the next gen tomb raiders were sweet and all, there was a real lack of tombs or a tomb raider feel, brainstorming puzzles (add a cookie to the cookie jar job done) with a couple of mini-caves with puzzles for toddlers thrown into the mix, rest of the game felt like a scavenging deer hunting simulator experience, with some "timed-events" thrown in, to make the game feel somewhat exciting... let's not forget the yellow paint and the constant I should use my focus here commentary from lara every 5 seconds of the game.

Tomb raider 1 wasn't all that difficult, and the chances them adding a mini map is around 0.000000000000000%. defeats the purpose.

Not really the best but one of the best puzzles at Shadow of the Tomb Raider (that has the most and best puzzles of the Uncharted trilogy featuring that version of Lara)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXZuTr-vMRU

Puzzles at Tomb Raider games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMJmyt9YDGY
It is the whole level (so the whole level would be represented by a tomb at the later trilogy before the remaster and usually the tombs are just passageways into a room or a small area with some mechanical puzzle to be solved)

That is the difference, we have "mini Tomb Raider experiences" within the Uncharted experience and the best exploration experience at Shadow is within the Hidden City that have a lot of stuff literally hidden behind "not so obvious" passages and locations inside or under the houses and underwater, not being "just scavenging" like most other areas, meanwhile Shadow is deemed by the Uncharted 2013 fans to be the worst game of the trilogy because it lacks combat and have too unnecessary stuff that require walkthrough to get by (lol,the tombs and finding the way through the hub areas like the Hidden City, even considering all you mentioned)

Yeh pretty much, sottr did have some nice underwater areas, still, had more fun from the remasters of 1-5 so far, considering I have never played TR4 or 5, they still make modern tomb raider games feel like an idle walking ledge jumping, bear hunting simulator in comparison. (TR6 is absolute dogsh1t let's be honest)

Anyhow, good luck to you guys out there if you managed to play these games without a minimap "cringe moment"

[EF_Neo1st]

Originally posted by Geo:

Originally posted by EF_Neo1st:

Not really the best but one of the best puzzles at Shadow of the Tomb Raider (that has the most and best puzzles of the Uncharted trilogy featuring that version of Lara)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXZuTr-vMRU

Puzzles at Tomb Raider games:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMJmyt9YDGY
It is the whole level (so the whole level would be represented by a tomb at the later trilogy before the remaster and usually the tombs are just passageways into a room or a small area with some mechanical puzzle to be solved)

That is the difference, we have "mini Tomb Raider experiences" within the Uncharted experience and the best exploration experience at Shadow is within the Hidden City that have a lot of stuff literally hidden behind "not so obvious" passages and locations inside or under the houses and underwater, not being "just scavenging" like most other areas, meanwhile Shadow is deemed by the Uncharted 2013 fans to be the worst game of the trilogy because it lacks combat and have too unnecessary stuff that require walkthrough to get by (lol,the tombs and finding the way through the hub areas like the Hidden City, even considering all you mentioned)

Yeh pretty much, sottr did have some nice underwater areas, still, had more fun from the remasters of 1-5 so far, considering I have never played TR4 or 5, they still make modern tomb raider games feel like an idle walking ledge jumping, bear hunting simulator in comparison. (TR6 is absolute dogsh1t let's be honest)

Anyhow, good luck to you guys out there if you managed to play these games without a minimap "cringe moment"

Shadow of the Tomb Raideer end up being closest to a "Tomb Rider game" by being somewhat like the firts few levels of the first Tomb Raider game in that regard.

TR 4 is more like a metroidvania between levels as the "actual level" is "multilevel" and you have to go back and forth through the levels collecting items and solving puzzles to get what you need to solve a puzzle in the middle of the "multi-level" or at the end of it, sometimes you have to go back and forth multiple times depending on the route you take.

TR 5 is more streamlined in regard to thatr but like a "gauntlet mixing plenty of stuff", mechanical puzzles, not easy or hard platforming and shooting enemies (more true in the later levels) where the final level may work like a giant gauntlet of that and TR 5 was being made as an expansion of TR 4 but ended up as a standalone game.

[chakkman]

Originally posted by Litwick:

I keep getting lost. I don't understand where I'm supposed to go. My head hurts every time I play.

Let me express my deepest condolence.

Now go buy one of those AAA "I explain and do everything for you, poor player" games, that seem to be more down your alley.

[Powellinho.72]

Thats how it is, you gotta explore and find out! No signs telling you go this way with arrows, just look around, we all got lost here and there but you keep playing and figure it out. That was part of the fun.

[chakkman]

Originally posted by Powellinho.72:

That was part of the fun.

I would even say the main part.

WTH is wrong with the kiddos these days? They really got pampered too much.

[Tilarta]

I know, it's like the gamers these days don't know what to do unless there's a minimap to consult. As soon as they can't find it, they probably refund the game.

In my day young whippersnapper, we didn't need no stinking minimap.

[Wonder Box]

Originally posted by Litwick:

I keep getting lost. I don't understand where I'm supposed to go. My head hurts every time I play. Here's hoping they add a minimap for people who don't feel like searching up walkthroughs just to finish a game.

it s not your fault, any game made before 2010 confuses the heck out of gen z.

[Powellinho.72]

Originally posted by chakkman:

Originally posted by Powellinho.72:

That was part of the fun.

I would even say the main part.

WTH is wrong with the kiddos these days? They really got pampered too much.

I think with some of the bigger titles, they trying to make it more appealing to wider audience, then what happens is features/mechanics are added to make it easier and over time it went too far. Like with many other things wrong with the industry these days.

[Geo]

Originally posted by Powellinho.72:

Originally posted by chakkman:

I would even say the main part.

WTH is wrong with the kiddos these days? They really got pampered too much.

I think with some of the bigger titles, they trying to make it more appealing to wider audience, then what happens is features/mechanics are added to make it easier and over time it went too far. Like with many other things wrong with the industry these days.

or add too much in the way of graphics like let's fill this tomb with debris or foilage everywhere (genz tomb raider series) that the game requires a focus to find that tiny arrow lying in the middle of a forest. games have just become pointless focus simulators the worst part about this is, like the OP, grow up not knowing how to fully use their brain, relying on focus to do everything for them or AI and copilots. world is a mess.