A note on Insane Difficulty in GOWJ (open for discussion)

[Paging Dr. Kantus]

I've been informed multiple times that EPIC has decided to crank up the difficulty in GOWJ and I even read in GAMEINFORMER that they felt they had gone "soft." EPIC now is looking to games like Dark Souls (good game btw) to design the difficulty. I understand the concept behind this, as the humans are not familiar with the locust only months after E-Day, but does EPIC really realize how difficult GOW3 was on Insane? For those of you who did NOT complete GOW3 on Insane CINEMATIC NO MUTATORS SOLO, JUST LIKE HOW DARK SOULS IS PLAYED!, it goes something like this: no experimenting with cool weapons, no rushing, no suppress fire because stupid teammates do not rush and it wastes ammo, no staying in cover for too long or a Gunker/(Savage)Boomer/Grenadier/Lambent will blow you to bits from ridiculous ranges. Ammo used faster than supplied, AI is dull, checkpoints are few and far between, and every group of enemies has an expert in explosives, (Lambent all explode), forcing you out of cover and into the excessive stopping power that gives you the luxury of death without even having to take a single step. In short, Insane is survival, it is played much like the way multiplayer is played and deaths are just as frequent, you may get a lucky streak and reach the checkpoint, but no more often then you would in versus against a decent team. And do not get me started on the final boss of GOW3, even harder than RAAM was when I was only 13 years old and would not even join XBOX LIVE for a good while.
I rant about them making cinematic more bearable because I do not want to be forced to use a cheap mutator that kills a Boomer in 2 shots, or a mutator that allows you to run up to a Mauler and smack him THROUGH HIS BOOMSHIELD with the but of your gun to send him flying in pieces in the air. I do not want to have the darker atmosphere of Gears of War 1 only for it to be marred by numbers popping up from every kill and flowers coming out of bullet holes, I want a true Gears of War experience for my first playthrough at least. I enjoy using mutators and think that they add to the gameplay and replayability, but if I want to get more into the story (especially on Insane, that is always my most memorable playthrough), I don't want to have to rely on them like a large amount of people do (and I don't blame them) because the Gears 3 campaign just had far too many cheap deaths and did not give you the tools to combat them without reverting to cheap mutators.
Enough rambling on my part, for those of you who beat GOW3 on insane without mutators, what did you think? Also, how do you think they could make GOWJ harder like they have been saying. Increased health? Less weapon reliability? More attack power? More locust? Explosive spam?...

[PopeAdrian37th]

I always play through on hardcore then insane. And I agree about Myrrah being ridiculous on solo insane no mutators. Raam was much easier by myself.

[Locust_Forever]

I always play through on hardcore then insane. And I agree about Myrrah being ridiculous on solo insane no mutators. Raam was much easier by myself.

I also do my first runs on hardcore then insane. But personally i thought gow3 was the easiest of the lot, everything but the final battle on Azura. And with the Queen there it wasnt suppose to be a walk in the park.

[Louix BlenkTron]

Hardcore then Insane. No Mutators for campaign as it is then played as it was designed. Raam was hard, Myrrah was not so hard, but that lambent brumak in GOW2 was far too easy.

Overall i agree with you OP

[kylemcp]

are we talking about the same game here? GOW3 was too easy on insane... I found myself bored for the whole thing until the final boss, that is when it finally got difficult. I don't know... I would like GOWJ on insane to be like the final boss of GOW3 through the whole campaign. It's mean't to be 'insane' after all.

[Gee C Squared]

I'm sorry but this is crazy. If you can't beat the hardest difficulty you can lower it, if other people want a challenge then that option should be there too surely.

[Hooded Claw 006]

are we talking about the same game here? GOW3 was too easy on insane... I found myself bored for the whole thing until the final boss, that is when it finally got difficult. I don't know... I would like GOWJ on insane to be like the final boss of GOW3 through the whole campaign. It's mean't to be 'insane' after all.

Agreed, I only struggled with the final boss and the boarding of the Gas Barge when you have to fight off all the Therons with Torque bows. Did it on Insane Campaign so no mutators.

[Kontoya]

I did most of the insane campaign without mutators or anything until Act V. Act V just kept whooping my ass so I had to give up the ghost and do it on Arcade x.x

[No KNOTsense]

I want Gow J to be really hard, so hard that I'll sweat with focus. I didn't sweat when I played Gears 3's campaign on insane. I did sweat when I played through Dark Souls. I say crank up the difficulty!

[Paging Dr. Kantus]

Wow, I guess you guys are just really good, because I thought it was VERY HARD, and I have played some hard games. Ninja Gaiden 2 on Master Ninja, beat Gears 1 and 2 on Insane solo no problem (except RAAM). Many parts were easy and many of my roadblocks were just parts that were cheap i.e. Gunker on sentinel bridge, gas barge spamming mortars, armored kantus/serapede fight/etc. BTW thanks for the feedback!

[Unyinz]

Gears 3's difficult came more from making some of the encounters heavily luck based (such as "hope Myrrah doesn't spawn too many guards,) which relied on hoping the enemies didn't use a certain attack or formation. It sounds like Gears Judgment will have a more "real" sense of difficult in that it will prove challenging while relying entirely on the player, instead of simply making the enemies stronger. I'm looking forward to it, and I've always been a fan of difficult games. I'm hoping that a Gears Judgment solo Insane playthrough will just be brutal.

[REBORNvision316]

GoW 1 was only truly difficult on insane because Dom was completely incompetent. I fully agree that RAAM was difficult (before the multiple tactics and walkthroughs were produced). GoW 2 was much easier because of the help of the smarter AI. Gears 3 was the hardest of the lot, especially the final fight with Myrrah. I am very excited to see how Gow Judgement's difficulty is amped up with smarter AI and enemy tactics however.

[taffenaff]

If you don't have 4 pro players you are not going to complete GoWJ on insane maybe

hope that

[Maaaaaz]

I'm rather looking forward to it being much harder.

[DJ CARNIV AL]

Make it difficult, more enemies, better AI, more strategic methods required throughout to defeat bosses, encamped forces. Gow 1 had some awesome set pieces, 2 and more so 3 had very little strategy required to defeat other than LANCER LANCER LANCER!

[ClearlyBalkan]

...... no experimenting with cool weapons, no rushing, no suppress fire because stupid teammates do not rush and it wastes ammo, no staying in cover for too long or a Gunker/(Savage)Boomer/Grenadier/Lambent will blow you to bits from ridiculous ranges. Ammo used faster than supplied, AI is dull, checkpoints are few and far between, and every group of enemies has an expert in explosives, (Lambent all explode), forcing you out of cover and into the excessive stopping power that gives you the luxury of death without even having to take a single step....

Yeah I remember this. GOW3 solo, no mutators was really Insane on insane difficulty & I loved every second of it.

I'm looking forward to Insane difficulty of GOWJ & new S3 system that they announced.

[kylemcp]

Agreed, I only struggled with the final boss and the boarding of the Gas Barge when you have to fight off all the Therons with Torque bows. Did it on Insane Campaign so no mutators.

forgot about the gas barge! that bit was hard as well. the game needs more bits like that. bits where you have to stop playing for a day and come back to it with a fresh mind.

[Predalian5]

Gears 3 Campaign on Insane and doing it solo with no mutators wasn't hard. I got it in 2 days. The only hard part for me was the middle,
When you need to steal that gas floating thingy, Those turret Boomshots were ridiculous! You could be 2 Leaps away and still get killed.

[the Welsh Guy]

Gears 3 Campaign on Insane and doing it solo with no mutators wasn't hard. I got it in 2 days. The only hard part for me was the middle,
When you need to steal that gas floating thingy, Those turret Boomshots were ridiculous! You could be 2 Leaps away and still get killed.

i almost ripped my hair out on that part lol

[flaco1009]

They should put it like Ninja Gaiden 2 xD

[ronin0331]

I beat the game on insane, no mutators and I have to say I thought it was too easy also. Outside of Myrrah, and a couple of the Gunkers in the Hanover level (landing on the bridge!) it was easy enough if you used your cover and didn't rush. I found GOW 1 to be much harder and I hope Judgement is in the same vein.

[Kracker Kid]

yeah, gears 3 was easy. last boss wasnt difficult, it was cheap, big difference. if epic concentrates on actual difficulty, and not the fake difficulty myrrah used, i'll be so happy

[ll ALEX76 ll]

Gears 3 on Insane solo without mutators was the easiest Gears.
It had only one hard part which was Myrrah but even this wasn't that hard like Raam on Insane solo.
All Gears 3 enemies are pushovers comparing to Elites from Reach on Legendary.
I would like to see some challenge in next campaign.

[Andy157]

With the exception of dropping off the zip line, Act 1 chp 7 I think (which was kind of bull ****, you die so quick and there just really is no where to go, I really believe a little bit of luck is needed to get past this part), and the final boss with myrrah (which was still easier than raam on insane in GOW1) I thought the whole campagin was easier than the the rest. I wouldn't mind a bit if they did make the campaign more difficult.

[Kracker Kid]

Gears 3 on Insane solo without mutators was the easiest Gears.
It had only one hard part which was Myrrah but even this wasn't that hard like Raam on Insane solo.
All Gears 3 enemies are pushovers comparing to Elites from Reach on Legendary.
I would like to see some challenge in next campaign.

the elites on legendary in ANY halo game were extremely difficult.... until you discover that a charged plasma pistol + headshot with secondary weapon = instant kill. hide till your health regenerates, rinse and repeat

[DenyThisFlesh]

They should put it like Ninja Gaiden 2 xD

NG2 Master Ninja was pretty ridiculous. I did it, but I died a lot. Ninjas Gaiden Black was worse though. I never managed to finish very hard on that. I wasn't as derermined as I was with NG2 though.

[ll ALEX76 ll]

the elites on legendary in ANY halo game were extremely difficult.... until you discover that a charged plasma pistol + headshot with secondary weapon = instant kill. hide till your health regenerates, rinse and repeat

Nice tip until You don't face 4-5 of them plus numerous other enemies
I just wanted to compare two franchises on their highest difficulty.
Unfortunately most games are getting easier, let's say Modern Warfare on Veteran was hard comparing to Modern Warfare 3 on Veteran.

[Kracker Kid]

Nice tip until You don't face 4-5 of them plus numerous other enemies

i've actually never had a problem with this combo. sure there were parts i would have to repeat over and over, but thats expected anyways from the high difficulty. just charge while in cover, pop out, shoot, switch weapon, aim for head, then hide. the hardest part is when you dont have a precise weapon, like the battle rifle or pistol >_<

[RoboSeal1]

I really hope they dont screw with the checkpoint difficulty making us go through a 10 minute shootout die then try all over again like dark souls

[freddytayam]

Gears of War 1, Insane Solo, Lambent Wretches were a pain. Well, Wretches themSELVES! And Boomers seemed to be Bullet sponges compared to Gears of War 3

[MIST GHILLIE]

3 hard parts on gears3

that bit where you go on the zipline. complete luck no strategy whatsoever.
hijack. some strategy( staying on the opposite side) but mostly luck, its pretty much hope that you dont get splash damaged which can happen at almost any time.
Myraah. Quite a bit of strategy but still it was for me, run out to get dawn and hope there arent therons there .I dont know if there is a more consistent way of doing it though.

But even so I hope the game is harder, but not hard as in requires luck as the first two moments in the list do. I want it to be difficulty which is dependant on skill and skill alone.

[ronin0331]

I would add that fighting the mom Corpser on Insane solo was frustrating too. The medium sized Corpsers would claw from underground a kill you in an instant and with no one else to share the wealth with it's reload checkpoint till you get lucky.

[PopularHydra]

I beat the game on hardcore difficulty on my first playthrough but when I went again on insane, I had to play with friends and mutators. The last boss I did it normally but what I did was have my friends fight the queen and therons while I camp behind the elevator and they are on easy while I am on insane. LOL

[Judg3mentDrag0n]

I only had a problem with the Gas Barge circling you, The Gunker on the bridge, The first armoured Kantus and the Myrrah. The rest was ok. I am looking forward to a harder campaign

[NFI]

Gears 3 cinematic w no mutators by myself in my opinion was easy up until the final boss which sucked. It took some time but eventually I figured that out as well.

The zip line part was simple. Just get behind the dumpster to the bottom left and your set.

[Chimpangee]

In difficulty
Gow1>Gow3>Gow2.
To me, Gow3 on insane alone wasn't really that difficult. Weird thing is that the final boss felt much easier when playing solo on insane than in 4-player co-op.

[FreakkoRock]

Surely Gears 3 was hard on Insane, but the only part that really make us worry was Myrrah, other than that, It doesnt feel that youre playing Insane.
For example, do you remember in Gears 1 that if you were hit by a couple of bullets you surely die, that feeling was, somehow gone from the third game...




























BTW, Im back for a long time mising the forums.......yay

[sklorbit2]

I like what I have heard so far about the difficulty of gowj. Gears 3 on insane was pretty hard, but it was hard in kind of a superficial way. I am happy to hear difficulty wont just mean less health for me and more health for enemies. Shooting clip after clip into an enemy is not fun.

I want my screen to be so full of enemies I am truly scared and hopeless lol.

[ronin0331]

"Gears 3 on insane was pretty hard, but it was hard in kind of a superficial way."

Sklorbit2 nailed. The difficulty in GOW3 was cheap; Myrrah was tough because if you took cover from her, the guards got you and vice versa. Raam was tough, but not cheap, you had to be quick, you had to be accurate; you didn't have to be lucky.

[Paging Dr. Kantus]

lol, Bungie is lucky i didn't start an account on their forums while i was playing through Reach legendary solo, their banhammer would be dulled before i ran out of fake email addresses. it was immensely more difficult then GOW3, but at least it was consistently difficult, GOW3 was sporadically difficult.