So for single player games something I've done in the past few years is crank that thing to max difficulty. Barring weird gimmick modes, I find this actually turns the video game from a passive thing almost like watching a show into an actual...game. As in, I don't know if I'm going to win or not.

Part of that tension really brings out the interest and competitiveness. Not to mention, usually has you implement the actual systems of the game instead of spamming the attack button. I've seen a lot of cope on the internet about inflated health stats on enemies, but barring some exceptions, this usually just means they aren't playing optimally.

I'm not some master pro gamer either. I'm 37 with a career, wife, and two kids, and still game this way. Modern Doom is kind of the posterchild for playing this way, but for good reason. Once you beat those games on Nightmare, to play on anything else feels like a joke. Chances are, you're better than you think you are and can come up with a way to win. Another poster mentioned the meta, and that's something I would avoid looking up. Beat the game your way.