Dark Souls director is “really sad” about game’s reputation of being hard, considering making not-so-hard mode
Paul Yan September 4, 2012 - 7:08 amNews: Hard-as-hell Dark Souls may have been a big hit, but the game’s reputation of being difficult is not something the game’s director Hidetaka Miyazaki likes.
I haven’t played Dark Souls, but everyone on this entire planet says it’s hard. Really, really hard. Our own James Pickard reviewed the recently-released PC version of the game and said “at times the punishments can feel far too severe and just a touch unfair.” That right there makes me nervous and it’s one of the big reasons why I don’t dare pick up the game. Its reputation of being brutally difficult just scares away folks like me, and as it turns out, that makes the game’s director Hidetaka Miyazaki “really sad” to the point that he’s actually considering adding in an easier difficulty setting.
In a Dark Souls interview with Metro, in which the publication admits the translation is “a bit murky,” Miyazaki said:
“I personally want my games to be described as satisfying rather than difficult. As a matter of fact, I am aiming at giving players sense of accomplishment in the use of difficulty. Having said that, however, it is true that Dark Souls is rather difficult and a number of people may hesitate to play. This fact is really sad to me and I am thinking about whether I should prepare another difficulty that everyone can complete or carefully send all gamers the messages behind our difficult games.”
“However,” Miyazaki continued, “I suppose gamers do not particularly prefer easy games. What they want is interesting and worthwhile games to play, so I think it is natural that hindrance or stress that does not attribute to such interesting and worthwhile elements will be removed in the end. If the number of easy games is increasing nowadays, I guess it is because difficulty is not related to interesting and worthwhile game elements in many games among players.”
Unlike some people, I’m actually glad that games have gotten easier. If it means being less frustrated and actually beating a game I spent $60 on, then I have no problem. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good challenge, but I don’t want to play a game that causes me to pull my hair out, scream at the TV, throw my controller, and then punch a little girl in the face.
