Okay, to avoid the status quo, I'll try to get away from hacks altogether.
One thing that has always turned me off about not just a game, but also a school textbook, is a sense of direction. Too often, on a test, quiz, or worksheet, I KNOW the content, but I can't go forward because the questions are so vague.
It's even worse in a game, where you have to pay $30-60 for it. If you're going to shell out that much cash, you probably want the WHOLE experience, and cheap difficulty and a lack of direction are the two main culprits of stealing that from us.