[predcon]

Usually, a difficulty modifier like "Death is final, no reloading from saves possible" is a modifier separate from all difficulty level selections. Like, it would be set off to the side as a tickbox or something, and marked "Hardcore" or whatever. Is "Dark" difficulty as hard as "Insane", but without the "Finality of death" modifier? Or is it there, and not mentioned in the difficulty's description? Since the difficulty is placed one above "Insane" I would guess it's the former.

I'm also a little confused on a few the aspects of "Dark" difficulty itself. Are the only 'perks', if you can call them such, that it has items unique to it, or are there "Dark" dialogue choices and stuff, too? Are environments "darker"? Do ordinary beasties like wolves now sport glowing eyes and 'battle-damaged' coats of fur?

[DonSwingKing]

"Insane" difficulty is pretty much same as "Hard" difficulty only whitout the ability to load a game after death.
Dark mode adds to new items and has some flashy effects while in combat. I'm not sure if the combat is more challenging than on Hard/Insane.

[Daywalker30]

DonSwingKing said:

Dark mode adds to new items and has some flashy effects while in combat. ›››

Wait the Dark Mode has additional/different effects and new items?
I thought that the combats would be really difficult like in most other games.

[Jobbert]

Dark mode is harder than Hard and Insane in terms of combat too. All the enemies deal more damage than in Hard and Insane etc.

[Costin Moroianu]

Jobbert said:

Dark mode is harder than Hard and Insane in terms of combat too. All the enemies deal more damage than in Hard and Insane etc. ›››

It's not harder then Insane. Enemies on Insane to the exact same damage as they do in Dark Mode.

[predcon]

I guess the "Finality of Death" modifier was left out because of the unique items, then, to prevent players from experiencing the frustration of losing all that progress irreparably.

[dragonbird]

predcon said:

I guess the "Finality of Death" modifier was left out because of the unique items, then, to prevent players from experiencing the frustration of losing all that progress irreparably. ›››

It was, I think, due to player feedback that they wanted a harder difficulty level without the permanent death. (CDPR listen). "Dark" is more difficult than "Hard". My understanding is that this means it's also more difficult than "Insane".

[Guy N'wah]

I have not compared Hard and Dark, but I think dragonbird is right.

I do know that if your Geralt does not defend himself at all times in Dark mode, he quickly becomes nekker chow. It is an exciting mode, even without the overpowered weapons.

[slimgrin]

Costin Moroianu said:

It's not harder then Insane. Enemies on Insane to the exact same damage as they do in Dark Mode. ›››

I've heard conflicting accounts on this straight from the devs.

@ OP: My own take on Dark mode is, get the gear at the beginning of each chapter, and it'll be easier than 'hard' difficulty in most situations.

[Atalyah]

dragonbird said:

It was, I think, due to player feedback that they wanted a harder difficulty level without the permanent death. (CDPR listen). "Dark" is more difficult than "Hard". My understanding is that this means it's also more difficult than "Insane". ›››

That’s what I thought it was. I've played both hard and dark but not compared them properly.

I could never play insane because permanent deaths drive me...well insane.

[delict]

Daywalker30 said:

Wait the Dark Mode has additional/different effects and new items?
I thought that the combats would be really difficult like in most other games. ›››

in each act you ve got new complete set of dark armor and both swords which you can craft for yourself and thats imho the most difficult part, you have to made a lot of money and that means completing all of the quests for the better good.

hard/dark/insane combat difficulty does not change.

[dragonbird]

Quoting from the patch notes:
"The ‘Dark’ difficulty setting is the most demanding difficulty level in gameplay terms. Under this setting, each and every foe represents a significant challenge. In addition to raising the difficulty bar, ..."

I think that those saying that "Dark", "Hard" and "Insane" are all the same difficulty are just getting more used to the game

[.Volsung.]

dragonbird said:

I think that those saying that "Dark", "Hard" and "Insane" are all the same difficulty are just getting more used to the game ›››

I played Dark mode some time after the release of patch 2.0, having played TW2 three times before. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between normal/hard/dark. Perhaps the first few nekkers felt tougher, and perhaps I was doing a better job due to pressure but many enemies were maybe easier than before. I killed those endrega queens in dark mode without a hitch, my best run ever, and didn't even bother getting the dark items.

I suppose that's what it is: once you get the hang of combat, including tactics/movement/preparation, it just flows nicely.

[delict]

volsung84 said:

I played Dark mode some time after the release of patch 2.0, having played TW2 three times before. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between normal/hard/dark. Perhaps the first few nekkers felt tougher, and perhaps I was doing a better job due to pressure but many enemies were maybe easier than before. I killed those endrega queens in dark mode without a hitch, my best run ever, and didn't even bother getting the dark items.

I suppose that's what it is: once you get the hang of combat, including tactics/movement/preparation, it just flows nicely. ›››

show us your warrior's spirit in the arena then!

[dragonbird]

volsung84 said:

I played Dark mode some time after the release of patch 2.0, having played TW2 three times before. Honestly, I couldn't tell the difference between normal/hard/dark. Perhaps the first few nekkers felt tougher, and perhaps I was doing a better job due to pressure but many enemies were maybe easier than before. I killed those endrega queens in dark mode without a hitch, my best run ever, and didn't even bother getting the dark items.

I suppose that's what it is: once you get the hang of combat, including tactics/movement/preparation, it just flows nicely. ›››

I think you're right. The "difficulty level" is a lot less important than the "learning curve". I died a lot more times on Easy (first playthrough) than I did on Dark Mode, but it wasn't because Dark Mode was easier, it was because I had learned the combat.

I also agree that there isn't a huge difference between modes, but if you read the threads on "Dark Mode/Alchemy Build/Draug" there does seem to be a consensus that Dark Mode is harder than Hard. However, some of this may also be due to some of the rebalancing done for version 2.0.

[Bratinov]

Finished hard with around 3 deaths, not too bad...

I tried Insane twice, its so f***ng cheap, first time I got one shotted in the prison while in a door animation, second time the game spawned a Nekker behind me while I was in a cave, a battle just finished, no time to even block, didn't even see it coming , again one shotted from full health... and I refuse to grind to get backstab damage reduction early. (I was one level away from its first rank)
I can't see how anything can be more frustrating.

[dragonbird]

Bratinov said:

I tried Insane twice, its so f***ng cheap, first time I got one shotted in the prison while in a door animation, second time the game spawned a Nekker behind me while I was in a cave, a battle just finished, no time to even block, didn't even see it coming , again one shotted from full health... and I refuse to grind to get backstab damage reduction early. (I was one level away from its first rank)
I can't see how anything can be more frustrating. ›››

You got further than me. I got killed in the early prologue, on scenes that I could walk through on Hard. It wasn't because the game was significantly harder (I can do them in Dark), it was just that I was so nervous about dying I was playing really, really badly. I gave up after two attempts - insane just isn't for me.

[Costin Moroianu]

I've played TW2 on Insane and finished it on insane around 8 times now. I've spent 400 hours in this game overall ( all of them either playing the story on Insane or Arena on Dark, I've also played on Dark in the Campaign ) I do not find Dark harder then Insane in any way, in fact it's quite boring.

Just saying, if you are going to claim something at least play the game on Insane to know what you are talking about.

[Bratinov]

dragonbird said:

You got further than me. I got killed in the early prologue, on scenes that I could walk through on Hard. It wasn't because the game was significantly harder (I can do them in Dark), it was just that I was so nervous about dying I was playing really, really badly. I gave up after two attempts - insane just isn't for me. ›››

I know the feeling, there is this indy game called "The binding of Isaac" with achievements for not taking any damage, its almost as nerve wreaking

I can deal with most enemies, but sneak attack and qte deaths are BS, don't even want to think how I'll deal with the Eternal Battle, I found a place to grind in the Prologue (at the ballista), got 1 level for around 1 hour of grinding, but its really mind-numbing and if your attention slips there you're dead

Taking a break for now.

[Bratinov]

Costin Moroianu said:

I've played TW2 on Insane and finished it on insane around 8 times now. I've spent 400 hours in this game overall ( all of them either playing the story on Insane or Arena on Dark, I've also played on Dark in the Campaign ) I do not find Dark harder then Insane in any way, in fact it's quite boring.

Just saying, if you are going to claim something at least play the game on Insane to know what you are talking about. ›››

Any tips? Nothing too cheesy please