So I've only dabbled with this game, but I want to get back into it especially after the most recent update. I was only 3 hours in so I might start again, but now I have the option of "Radiant Mode" (Easier Mode).

Should I try the easy mode instead?

In the early bits I played I clearly saw that this game was going to become brutal, and i'm ok with that, I like the challenge of a dark souls, a hard platformer or to use another turn based game, Xcom/Long War on a high difficulty. However, I don't want to spend 1000 hours on this one game, can I realistically play through this game in say... under 100 hours on the normal mode? Alex mentioned putting mountains of time into the game and not even finishing it, i'd hope to be able to actually complete it sometime.

Steam reviewers have around 80 to 200 hours put into the game, but I'm wondering if all of them didn't actually complete the thing, do I need radiant mode to complete this game in a normal human amount of time? Will I be missing some aspect of the balance or gameplay by playing in the easier mode?

Radiant mode doesn't make the game easier just less of a grind in the mid to late game. No monster placement or stats were changed in any way they just give you better access to filling your ranks and leveling folks more quickly. I believe the developers stated the goal of radiant mode was to take the normal completion time from 80 hours to 40 hours.

I'm in the same boat and I'll definitely be holding off until radiant mode gets added to the PS4 version down the line.

I want to say my final time for beating it was around 100-110 hours, but I'm not exactly sure. I played through it on steam family share and switched hard drives since then so my stats aren't there.

edit: I should also probably mention I only lost 2 good characters during the whole thing so that might be on the low end of time it would take.

From what the developers have said, Radiant mode should simply be shorter, not easier. As someone who had 20+ hours in the game before this latest update, I'm myself starting over on radiant. If I can get through the game now in 40-50 hours rather than 80-100 that sounds much better to me. I absolutely love everything about this game aside from the previous requirement to grind the same limited content for 100+ hours, so condensing the amazing stuff that's there sounds like an improvement to me.

The changes in radiant mode are making me think I should give this game another shot. In my first attempt at playing through it, I stopped after about 30-40 hours because it felt like I was just constantly grinding and barely ever making any progress.

If all radiant mode does is reduce the grinding then I would say that's probably the way to play it. There was definitely too much grinding when I played through it.

Oh wow it sounds like I should come back and play radiant mode then. My biggest reason for stopping was because I didn't want to grind out the rest of the game.

Yes and so should I.

Oh ok, It wasn't clear to me that it just shortened the time to play the game. I thought it changed more than that. I need to read patch notes better...

Neat, i'll give it a go I think! Thanks!

Edit: I ll also note that it says when you start a Radiant save that Radiant is recommended for your "First Darkest Dungeon Experience." Seems like this is the mode they want you to play first, which is an odd pivot from what the original game set out as.

Just wanted to say that the Radiant update finally came out on PS4 earlier this week. It should make even the normal mode less grindy, since equipment and skill upgrades cost a little less and you earn slightly more gold.

Thanks for the heads up!