The compromise I’ve seen games do, is proper difficulty options. Myself personally, if I like a game enough. I’m going to play it twice, or three times.
With the final run on the hardest difficulty.
With the final run on the hardest difficulty.
I’ve played hard games, hell. Once spent 6 hours trying to kill an old man in a wheel chair on top a castle.
Had to scale the castle. Though, I think its rigidness may have held it back.