It certainly feels that way. Or have my gaming skills simply deteriorated in the intervening years?

SS4 is the only Sam game that is fun to play on "Serious" difficulty

Oh great. I didn't realise I was that much out of practice

Originally posted by tcassat:

If you play under the same conditions (i.e. without using skills and gadgets) then SS4 is much harder (and in some cases unfair). If you make liberal use of the gadgets and use skilltree to its full potential (including changing skills for each combat) then SS4 is considerably easier than SS3.

I'd rate this as the truest statement.

Originally posted by Ghoul Hunter:

Originally posted by tcassat:

If you play under the same conditions (i.e. without using skills and gadgets) then SS4 is much harder (and in some cases unfair). If you make liberal use of the gadgets and use skilltree to its full potential (including changing skills for each combat) then SS4 is considerably easier than SS3.

I'd rate this as the truest statement.

I'd Agree.

I don't think so but its always going to be a matter of opinion. Of course it's possible you have become decrepit since SS3, LOL

Did SS3 have x11 multiplier? I felt this game was more difficult but its been a long time since I played SS3. The x11 multiplier makes SS4 the clear winner in difficulty, but I dont think SS4 has mental difficulty yet. So it depends on how you look at the comparison.

I am in the same boat as you OP. Its been too long for me to be able to tell.

Played all 3 predecessor games back in time and was thinking the same about 4. Must be the increased age LOL

SS4's hitboxes are way smaller than any other SS.
It requires to aim better but at the same time, increase your rate of fire to compensate.

If you can aim well, SS4 is easier than SS3, by a landslide.

Played first 2 ever

Dunno if I'd say it's actually much harder, maybe a bit. An increase in difficulty by like 5% is enough to make a game like sam go from really hard to impossible for some people.
I'd characterize serious difficulty for 4 as "not fun" whereas for BFE, I found most of the tough sections to be fun enough.
Certain enemies are a royal pain to deal with though. I hate groups of processed anthropolyps in close range, and octanian zealots are frustrating when there's not much space and there's a decent bit of enemy variety (like the place where you first encounter them, how fun!)

Originally posted by (415!)Fle@B@gL@ne:

Played first 2 ever

is this a machine translation?

If you play under the same conditions (i.e. without using skills and gadgets) then SS4 is much harder (and in some cases unfair). If you make liberal use of the gadgets and use skilltree to its full potential (including changing skills for each combat) then SS4 is considerably easier than SS3.

Originally posted by Ambiguous Assassin:

It certainly feels that way. Or have my gaming skills simply deteriorated in the intervening years?

Nah. SS3 is harder. Guardian of Time is absolutely brutal compared to any of the levels in this game, it kinda makes SS4 look like a joke.

SS4 is harder to run though, almost ridiculous how much it tanks my computer, despite being a good rig.