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[khaaan]

I don't mind that these games don't have an easy mode and I'm also not against the idea of including one.

The video showed aspects of the game that allow a player to make the experience easier for themselves. Aspects that some fans of the series already have an elitist attitude about, I might add. Would the world end if these things were placed behind menu toggle? Surely the designers behind this game wouldn't approach a hypothetical easy mode by lowering enemy health, increasing drops, removing some mobs and calling it a day.

The video brought up Fire Emblem as an example of a game that introduced difficulty options but still retained the difficulty it's known for. It contrasted Fire Emblem with Spelunky to show how Spelunky handles difficulty through its game design. The thing is that Fire Emblem has these design choices too. There are characters that aren't worth using, there are characters that see good all around growth and there are characters that are overpowered. You can choose to use your buff items on these characters, and you can choose to pair them with someone to further their strengths or mitigate their weaknesses.There are characters that will let you solo the entire game, even on the hardest difficulty. Occasionally there will be tight situations but I could always choose to reset and try again. All of those choices are optional and choose the easier option then that "satisfaction", i.e. the reason some people insist on playing a certain way is mitigated regardless of what I picked .

Translating that to Souls games, what if I beat the game by summoning, grinding, and save scumming? What if I hop online and read a strategy on trivializing a boss? Or the best path of progression? Or finding overpowered weapons early? Am I still getting that "Souls experience" just because there was no menu option? If that's the way I'm going to play, what's an option that's going to lower the difficulty even more going to do?

 

[TheSpoiler]

I fully understand that but that ultimately isn't something relevant to me. I'm more of a story guy so I naturally want to see the story, don't see what is wrong with that.

There's nothing wrong with that, honestly.

But on the flipside, I wouldn't expect the game to cater to my niche needs and wants.

 

[Paz]

This is one of those things where if they had actually added an easy mode years ago it would be such a non issue that nobody would have cared, but now it's coalesced into this super personal thing that is a major deal. An easy mode that buffs player HP and damage output would still be harder than most games. To argue that the game would be ruined for anybody playing such an easy mode is to suggest that there is insufficient merit in the other aspects of the game to make it worth playing. That kind of all or nothing approach rings very hollow to me, since difficulty is innately subjective, what is trivial to one person may still be very challenging and rewarding to a less experienced or less skilled gamer.

But why does something have to be for everyone? I think there's immense merit in the idea that Dark Souls pushes players towards a goal with challenge being one of their many tools, if there was an easy mode I wonder how many thousands of players who found the incredible core of the experience would have just opted out and seen a bunch of moderately pretty locales instead?

I think I just fundamentally disagree with the role you see a game creator playing, having difficulty modes is an important creative choice just like choosing to present your world in a first or third person view and so on.

 

[SmartWaffles]

There's nothing wrong with that, honestly.

But on the flipside, I wouldn't expect the game to cater to my niche needs and wants.

I didn't expect that either, just a wishful thinking.

 

[potatohead]

I fully understand that but that ultimately isn't something relevant to me. I'm more of a story guy so I naturally want to see the story, don't see what is wrong with that.

Nothing wrong with that.

My suggestion would be to get the PC version and see if there is a trainer available so you can cheat.

I remember DS1 had trainers for like unlimited souls and soul levels and such, I'm sure DS3 has the same stuff but I haven't checked.

You don't even have to use all the cheats, just put the scaling to a level where you are having fun.

 

[Sephzilla]

I fully understand that but that ultimately isn't something relevant to me. I'm more of a story guy so I naturally want to see the story, don't see what is wrong with that.

Well, to be clear, there absolutely isn't anything wrong with that.

 

[Manu]

Even if that's the case, my point still stands. If you want to play the game on normal difficulty, you can play it on normal difficulty and ignore easy mode. Just because it's an option it doesn't affect players who don't want to play on easy mode whatsoever.

"Man, I'd love to watch Stanley Kubrick movies, but they're kinda boring to me. Do you have an edit of The Shining that included tits and Michael Bay-style explosions?"

 

[KevinCow]

That difficulty isn't to weed out and alienate players who can't handle the game

Maybe that's not the intention, but that's exactly the result. Many people have given up on the series because they found it too hard.

I'm personally interested in a lot of things about the series, and I actually enjoyed basic gameplay of the tutorial area of Dark Souls 1, which I played at a friend's house. But I know that there are parts later in the game where you'll have to face a boss that can kill you in literally two hits, and then you have to spend 5+ minutes fighting your way back to the boss to make another attempt every single time you lose, and that's just something I absolutely do not have the patience for.

The argument that "People who would play on easy mode wouldn't be getting the intended experience" falls flat in the face of the fact that people who would play on easy mode aren't getting any experience without it.

I'm not even asking for something that's so stupidly easy that a baby could beat it. I'm fine with a little bit of challenge. All I'm asking for is bosses that don't kill me in two hits, and maybe an extra bonfire closer to certain bosses so it's not a 5 minute trek back to it every time I die. Then I might give the series a chance.

 

[AlexBasch]

I would welcome a easy difficulty just for seeing the story. I don't care about those exploration, sense of danger or accomplishment. I just want to explore the world on my own to find all the details without the time wasting run back again and again.

But that's the fun part of the Souls games...

The dread of "should I go down this path or should I return to the bonfire to level up? I have a lot of souls and plenty Estus Flasks...I should be fine.

Then boom, you make a wrong turn and some motherfucker out of nowhere kicks your ass because you didn't expect it. The exploration being dangerous is part of the game, without it, you'd be playing a walking simulator.

 

[GeordieMark]

Actually, the reason the level design is so satisfying is linked to the difficulty. If you could walk through everything easily then unlocking a shortcut wouldn't be as rewarding.

Yes, but difficulty is a personal thing. What is hard to one person isn't to another. Souls threads are full of people arguing about which games, areas and bosses are toughest.

Easy mode doesn't have to mean a complete pushover. Just slightly more forgiving.

 

[brawly]

Yea, then the same dudes will go and tell you how hard Demons Souls is :x

The first 1-2 games you play in the series will always be the hardest to you. But Demons is a complete fucking joke of a game if you beat the other ones already and know how to play.

Yep. Demon's Souls was the first game I played in the series and I gave up early. Didn't make it past 1-2. It was hard then.

When Dark Souls came out I beat that one and then beat it some more, went back to Demon's Souls and breezed through. I wouldn't call it easy though.

 

[SmartWaffles]

Nothing wrong with that.

My suggestion would be to get the PC version and see if there is a trainer available so you can cheat.

I remember DS1 had trainers for like unlimited souls and soul levels and such, I'm sure DS3 has the same stuff but I haven't checked.

You don't even have to use all the cheats, just put the scaling to a level where you are having fun.

That works haha. I managed to get past Father Gascoigne by grinding to something like level 35 and rolled over him, but having to do that again for each boss I'm having trouble with is a serious pain so I end up hanging up the game for now.

 

[LiK]

Summoning is Easy mode and you can even play easily with friends this time. No one should have any issues beating this game even if they're new.

 

[Screaming Meat]

All I'm asking for is bosses that don't kill me in two hits

Concentrate on upping your health when you level up. Also, you can summon help. Most of the AI in these games can't handle multiple targets.

and maybe an extra bonfire closer to certain bosses so it's not a 5 minute trek back to it every time I die. Then I might give the series a chance.

DS2, DS3 and Bloodborne have that for the most part.

 

[Paz]

Nothing wrong with that.

My suggestion would be to get the PC version and see if there is a trainer available so you can cheat.

I remember DS1 had trainers for like unlimited souls and soul levels and such, I'm sure DS3 has the same stuff but I haven't checked.

You don't even have to use all the cheats, just put the scaling to a level where you are having fun.

I think you're probably better off recommending a different game if someone tells you they love stories and dislike exploration, danger, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with that. It's pretty unlikely they are going to have a great time with Dark Souls given where their interests lie even if you remove the bits they don't find fun.

And there isn't really anything wrong with that for either person, someone who knows my gaming tastes would probably tell me to ignore Farcry but check out Bloodborne even though they are both considered to be good games.

 

[shandy706]

(On the subject of an easy mode)

Sure.

Put one in, but have it disable all the achievements/trophies but a couple.

 

[NIN90]

Maybe that's not the intention, but that's exactly the result. Many people have given up on the series because they found it too hard.

I'm personally interested in a lot of things about the series, and I actually enjoyed basic gameplay of the tutorial area of Dark Souls 1, which I played at a friend's house. But I know that there are parts later in the game where you'll have to face a boss that can kill you in literally two hits, and then you have to spend 5+ minutes fighting your way back to the boss to make another attempt every single time you lose, and that's just something I absolutely do not have the patience for.

The argument that "People who would play on easy mode wouldn't be getting the intended experience" falls flat in the face of the fact that people who would play on easy mode aren't getting any experience without it.

I'm not even asking for something that's so stupidly easy that a baby could beat it. I'm fine with a little bit of challenge. All I'm asking for is bosses that don't kill me in two hits, and maybe an extra bonfire closer to certain bosses so it's not a 5 minute trek back to it every time I die. Then I might give the series a chance.

To be fair, they have cut down considerably on the tedium of getting back to boss fights. If you are observant and unlock shortcuts, most boss runs are probably less than 2 minutes.

 

[GamingOblivion]

The easy mode is using summons. And then invaders get put into the mix. Anyone who doesn't understand it doesn't understand what the SoulsBorne series is.

 

[007]

Even if that's the case, my point still stands. If you want to play the game on normal difficulty, you can play it on normal difficulty and ignore easy mode. Just because it's an option it doesn't affect players who don't want to play on easy mode whatsoever.

I don't care that it doesn't affect me, it would actively rob you of the experience crafted for you, and would waste many of the systems and themes put in place to further your experience.

No one who shares this opinion says it because it would devalue their experience. They want you to see the games the way they were meant to be seen, played, enjoyed, hated and reflected on.

Your point may still stand, but you miss the point of the game entirely if that is the case.

 

[Taruranto]

I would welcome a easy difficulty just for seeing the story. I don't care about those exploration, sense of danger or accomplishment. I just want to explore the world on my own to find all the details without the time wasting run back again and again.

If only there were games aimed at people like you...

 

[More_Badass]

You can't speak for everyone though. Level design is still going to be impressive if the game was easier, just as it doesn't get more impressive when you progress through the NG+'s and the game gets harder.

There are so many good things about Souls that aren't linked to difficulty.

Level design doesn't exist in vacuum. The shortcuts are so satisfying not just because it shows how carefully crafted thee world is, but also because you had to earn that shortcut, through improving your skills, defeating enemies that seemed impossible to best, and your reward is a shortcut that shortens your journey and lets you avoid that gauntlet.

And there are a lot of good things in Souls that isn't the difficulty, but those good things and the difficulty work in concert with each other. That oppressive grim world wouldn't feel so claustrophobic if you could just waltz through without entering each area with caution and fear. Those twisted horrific enemies wouldn't feel so imposing if each one wasn't a test of your combat prowess. The challenge makes those enemies not just look scary, but make you scared of them because you respect the damage they deal and how precious your health is when there's no bonfire in sight and you're low on health.

 

[nynt9]

Yes, but difficulty is a personal thing. What is hard to one person isn't to another. Souls threads are full of people arguing about which games, areas and bosses are toughest.

Easy mode doesn't have to mean a complete pushover. Just slightly more forgiving.

Then you'd still have people asking for the game to be made easier.

 

[SmartWaffles]

If only there were games aimed at people like you...

Don't make me wrong though, I fully understand what the series is and am not against any hard games. Heck I finished multiple Halos on legendary and 100%ed Ori and the Blind Forest 4 times.

 

[potatohead]

I think you're probably better off recommending a different game if someone tells you they love stories and dislike exploration, danger, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with that. It's pretty unlikely they are going to have a great time with Dark Souls given where their interests lie even if you remove the bits they don't find fun.

And there isn't really anything wrong with that for either person, someone who knows my gaming tastes would probably tell me to ignore Farcry but check out Bloodborne even though they are both considered to be good games.

Yea that's fine.

But let's say someone really wants to play "this" game without that stress too much. They really wanted to enjoy the world-building aspect or story like he explained.

I'm just giving him/her an option.

Cheating in videogames is not so bad. It's not stopping anyone else from enjoying the game proper (unless he goes online and starts rekting people).

So based on "his specific request" that's why I suggested that.

I'm not trying to help a generic everybody which happens to be nobody, this guy had a specific question/problem that I tried to help him out with.

 

[Haribi]

I'll never understand how people can be so inherently opposed to something that has absolutely no affect on them whatsoever.

Even if an easy mode "defeats the design and purpose of the game" (whatever that means) why do you care? It's their problem not yours. Just play the game however you like and let others do the same. Your experience of the game doesn't get worse just because other people play on a different difficulty.

So yes, I do think games should have an easy mode.

 

[braves01]

I think it could use an easy mode. It wouldnt really harm anything except the git gud barrier to entry that prevents players with diverse types of gaming experience from exploring the series. Making an easy mode would be good for the series.

 

[Mman235]

All I'm asking for is bosses that don't kill me in two hits, and maybe an extra bonfire closer to certain bosses so it's not a 5 minute trek back to it every time I die. Then I might give the series a chance.

The longest run I can think of is 4-2 in Demon's Souls (and the optional Frozen Outskirts boss in DS2 I guess), and that's the only one that comes close to five minutes. Every other game has runs that are a couple of minutes maximum. DS2, BB and DS3 in particular have most bosses less than a minute away.

Also increase your health; it's the best stat in every game until the softcaps.

 

[Riposte]

This is one of those things where if they had actually added an easy mode years ago it would be such a non issue that nobody would have cared, but now it's coalesced into this super personal thing that is a major deal. An easy mode that buffs player HP and damage output would still be harder than most games. To argue that the game would be ruined for anybody playing such an easy mode is to suggest that there is insufficient merit in the other aspects of the game to make it worth playing. That kind of all or nothing approach rings very hollow to me, since difficulty is innately subjective, what is trivial to one person may still be very challenging and rewarding to a less experienced or less skilled gamer.

And yet, if videogames had fewer difficulty settings (mainly settings for going easier) in general this would also be a non-issue for the opposite reason. What you are describing is not a fallacy in the way people treat the Souls series, but rather an example of expectations or what is accepted. Yeah, people would accept an easy mode if it had always been there, because the meaning of not having an easy mode would not have been there (they would have not learned they like the feeling of not having an easy mode exist). The inverse is also true. While what is difficult is "subjective", the existence of explicit difficulty options (or options of any kind) is apparent to everyone, as a piece of the larger game design, what is expressed to the player. To say it is "all or nothing" to not include a difficulty setting is to say it is "all or nothing" for a game to not subvert/contradict itself. Souls games are treated as a bit of an exception here (by, say, game journos) because they are rarely punished for going against larger expectations, but that's the power of memes for you. One could argue that if Demon's Souls had a full array of difficulty settings it would never have quite caught on with word of mouth.

I would like an easy mode so I can just enjoy the narrative.

You can add one using mods, likely even for Dark Souls III at this point.

Souls players spend their entire time eulogising about how incredible it is - don;t you want to other people to enjoy that as well?

The fact of the matter is that I don't care one way or another. I'm completely concerned with my personal reaction to the game, despite, or in spite, of what's going on in other people's brains while they play it. Difficulty being a toggle affects that to a vague extent, depended on its implementation, and how difficulty affects the overall meaning - for most games, not just the Souls series, it's a critical part of making mechanics matter, to give them weight, meaning. It's likely more critical to Souls because it's more central to the themes and tone. To put it simply, I don't want to see the magic hand of the system saying "yeah, but none of this shit really matters".

This sort of guilt-trip argument is a bit sickening given the larger implications. It's art; you are not and were never owed enjoyment. Only videogames seems to have to deal with this sort of logic, because people believe it's central aspect, interactivity, is disposable (particularly in face of utilitarian collectivist hedonism).

 

[CyclopsRock]

What narrative? It's a story pieced together environmentally. Are most people on easy mode even going to spend the time scouring item descriptions, gleaning the non-linear storytelling as a byproduct, if they aren't being pushed by the game to seek out better tools to survive?

If they're doing it for the narrative, yeah.

 

[More_Badass]

I'll never understand how people can be so inherently opposed to something that has absolutely no affect on them whatsoever.

Even if an easy mode "defeats the design and purpose of the game" (whatever that means) why do you care? It's their problem not yours. Just play the game however you like and let others do the same. Your experience of the game doesn't get worse just because other people play on a different difficulty.

So yes, I do think games should have an easy mode.

In truth, those players who say this doesn't need an easy mode, they don't matter. When one talks about the design of the game, they're speaking with the developer in mind. How the developers crafted and designed every aspect of the game towards a certain goal and experience. That's the experience they want you to have. They didn't add an easy mode because of that. It has nothing do with us, the players, and everything to do with the developer's intent, and respecting/appreciating that.

And honestly, if you ask "whatever that means", I think that indicates you should learn more about what makes a game tick, how game design works, how controls and level design and pacing and lightning and color schemes and all that act as the many legs that hold up the foundation of a game. All of those things are carefully crafted to influence you to play in a way that the developer wants. It always comes back to how and why a developer made a game the way that they did, their reasoning behind it, and their goal for doing so

 

[GeordieMark]

Level design doesn't exist in vacuum. The shortcuts are so satisfying not just because it shows how carefully crafted thee world is, but also because you had to earn that shortcut, through improving your skills, defeating enemies that seemed impossible to best, and your reward is a shortcut that shortens your journey and lets you avoid that gauntlet.

And there are a lot of good things in Souls that isn't the difficulty, but those good things and the difficulty work in concert with each other. That oppressive grim world wouldn't feel so claustrophobic if you could just waltz through without entering each area with caution and fear. Those twisted horrific enemies wouldn't feel so imposing if each one wasn't a test of your combat prowess. The challenge makes those enemies not just look scary, but make you scared of them because you respect the damage they deal and how precious your health is when there's no bonfire in sight and you're low on health.

I totally get that, but nobody is asking for a complete removal of any semblance of challenge from the game. Just for a slightly toned down setting. I don't get why people seem to think it has to be either what it is now, or absolutely joke difficulty. There is a balance that could be found if From wanted to.

For example, I play Uncharted on normal. I know a lot of GAF plays on crushing. I am still bloody delighted to reach checkpoints, and still find some areas pretty tough going. I can't just stroll through the game ignoring cover and combat mechanics, and I wouldn't expect a Dark Souls easy mode to be much different. Even if enemies did 20 - 30% less damage, most could still finish you off if you ignore the rules of the game.

I do appreciate what all you guys saying easy mode will ruin the game are saying to me, and I agree that some aspects of the game will lose some impact, but I just can't help but disagree that a slightly easier mode completely ruins the game. At the end of the day, who am I to care if someone plays the game on easy and doesn't experience the "real Dark Souls"?

Then you'd still have people asking for the game to be made easier.

Well you're never going to please everyone.

 

[gunslikewhoa]

I don't think a more forgiving mode would ruin it especially. it depends why you want it.

Really want to get into the Souls series - i tried DS2 and stopped after awhile. The reason I stopped was not that it was too hard, i just don;t get much time to pay games these days and sinking a lot of that precious time into grinding and repeating bits over and over are not how i choose to spend my time BUT i really would like to see as much of the game as I can.

I don't want to be walked through it but i do want to see the game. If adding a more forgiving mode allows me - and others who wan this to see it - it does;t affect the rest of the souls players. Just don;t do it! We haven't sullied your precious game have we, jan added an option to allow us to see it all a little easier

You wouldn't be 'seeing' the game at all, though. You would be something that is nothing like the developer's vision for the player's experience. This is their precious game, not ours.

Souls players spend their entire time eulogising about how incredible it is - don;t you want to other people to enjoy that as well?

Yes, but that is impossible to do in easy mode. The game would not be incredible at all.

My problem with specific builds + co op as "easy mode" is how the hell is anyone who actually NEEDS an easy mode supposed to know that? It's usually the least knowledgable players that want that, they're not going to know all those ins and outs unless they're a Souls veteran (who, somehow, still needs easy mode) or looks up a ton of info online. I don't think that's a reasonable method of accessibility, since you have to discover it first.

Saleswise though, the series clearly doesn't "need" one. I don't personally mind the lack of it's inclusion, but something that requires moderate knowledge of the game doesn't really count as "easy mode" in my opinion. Like, Mario 3 is really short and pretty easy if you know where the whistles are. People who find the game hard sure as hell don't know where the whistles are though.

Use an ember...click summon signs. There's your 'ton of info.'

 

[JetSetRadio]

Yes, and also a trophy for completing it solo on normal.

 

[magnetic]

The biggest difficulty for me weren't the actual enemy encounters, but learning all the RPG systems like what stats does what.

I went from shitting my pants at the Pursuer who kept bashing away my shield in DS2 to stabbing him to death with an upgraded rapier and some light starter armor, just dodging towards him during each attack - most of the time was spent making an entirely new character.

At the beginning, I had no idea what my options were. I thought a fat short and a large shield were all that mattered, but now I'm enjoying the game so much more as a nimble shieldless DEX character.

I was used to deliberately combat and learning enemy patterns from Monster Hunter, but my biggest hurdle was getting to know all the stats and systems. I basically spent a third of my playtime in wikis.

I started and stopped both DS1 and 2 multiple times and it finally clicked. Learning boss patterns was fun, but learning that I pumped a lot of souls into a very unhelpful selection of stats with no way to reset my points (in DS1) was frustrating on a much different level.

 

[Dvidus]

I love his channel. The guy delves into some pretty interesting concepts. Really curious about this vid since I love the Souls-series.

 

[Calamari41]

The dirty secret of Souls games is that they're really not all that difficult. They are very hard during the first few hours, but once you get the hang of it, it's just a matter of working your way through it. I find that NES games like Ghosts n' Goblins are significantly more difficult than Souls, which just requires you to put some work in. "Git gud" is a dumb meme, but it doesn't take much to get good at Souls games. Some of my friends aren't hardcore gamers at all, who I would peg as topping out skill-wise at beating Zelda more than Souls... and they're just as good as I am at Souls.

 

[Moon_frogger]

I suck at games. Can't get 3 hours into xcom before the game is done. Suck at call of duty, street fighter. Never platinumed anything. Yet I've beaten every souls game at least to ng+ completion. They aren't that hard. For those of you into 'story' games there isn't much here for you anyway. Just a bunch of item descriptions you can read on a wiki. All that's left is the pacing and challenge, which would be rendered worthless with any more 'easy' mode than the game allows.

The thing that makes these games addicting, I mean really addicting, is the endorphin rush from beating that tough boss. Nobody who likes these games will disagree with me about that. It's just a fact. Making the bosses easy would just ruin the game. There are already enough built in mechanics to make things easier. Not everything has to cater to everybody all the time.

 

[Servbot24]

The dirty secret of Souls games is that they're really not all that difficult. They are very hard during the first few hours, but once you get the hang of it, it's just a matter of working your way through it. I find that NES games like Ghosts n' Goblins are significantly more difficult than Souls, which just requires you to put some work in. "Git gud" is a dumb meme, but it doesn't take much to get good at Souls games. Some of my friends aren't hardcore gamers at all, who I would peg as topping out skill-wise at beating Zelda more than Souls... and they're just as good as I am at Souls.

Even Mario Bros is much more difficult than Souls.

 

[mcwizardry]

Great video, an easy mode is not necessary in my opinion.

 

[Kai Dracon]

When people ask for an easy mode to just see the story in a game like Dark Souls, it makes me wonder if they really know what they're asking for. These games are not really content tourism experiences - there are no long NPC conversations with branching story paths, no CG cutscenes after every boss that act as more of a reward than the actual gameplay.

As a comparison, "Story Time" difficulties have recently been added to classic style RPGs like Pillars of Eternity or the Baldur's Gate enhanced editions. Because Story Time makes sense there - those games are as much about talking to NPCs, making permanent story decisions, and exploring branching quests, as they are about combat.

I wonder, in a Souls game, how many players would rush through if the games were easy and not notice the environmental storytelling, never bother finding and examining most items because they wouldn't be necessary, and then remark that the games have no story.

 

[Foggy]

If you think you're bad at the game and feeling discouraged, just watch a Jeff Green stream. I can guarantee you're better than him and he's beaten every Souls game other than Demon Souls. And he's enjoying it every step of the way.

 

[SoraanTribal]

Are there any mods for the PC versions that can provide an easier experience? I know it's blasphemous and I understand that (I love the challenge), but one of my friends/roommates is very interested in the games, but he's not super great at the combat and gives up even before getting to the first boss most of the time. Recently, he attempted Bloodborne, but died so much and gave up. He mainly loves the exploration, npcs, and worlds, but he can usually never make it out of the first area, lol. :/ He gets pretty frustrated easily haha

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I can't agree. I play character action games on their hardest difficulties and love them for their challenge. By contrast, I find Soulsborne games massively lacking in skill-based challenge, and almost entirely focused on stats. I am aware people disagree with this; it's just my experience.

I loved Bloodborne's world, the exploration, the story, and the feel of the combat. I ended up giving up on it because I was sick of getting stuck on every boss, going back to areas I'd cleared to level up, and chipping away at the difficulty until my character was good enough to balance the boss's stats and do worthwhile damage per strike while taking sensible damage per hit.

That's just me. I don't enjoy spending an hour dodge rolling through a boss's patterns while quaffing potions to resist its poison and watching every one of my paltry attacks knock off a sliver of its health bar. That's not enjoyable difficulty. The high risk, high reward style of something like Devil May Cry or Bayonetta is much more fun for me: I know I have the tools I need, and it's not about levelling up. Same with The Evil Within. Plenty of checkpoints, and never feeling like I lacked the tools to engage in a fair fight.

Soulsborne games make me feel like my tools are worthless until I upgrade them through grinding. I get that some people enjoy the difficulty of fighting a rhino with a toothpick. I don't, but there's so much about the games I do love. The regular enemy difficulty is perfect. It's really just the bosses that take the fun out of it for me.

I'd love to go back to Bloodborne and just play through the damn thing on a difficulty level that's balanced to save me from tedious grinding every time I reached a boss. I play offline, and the whole phantom summoning thing isn't something I have any interest in. If the game offered an easy mode, I'd have played it and enjoyed the glorious Lovecraftian world; and I'd have picked up the DLC for more. No, it's clearly not designed for me and people like me, and I agree there's no reason it should be - except to permit more people to enjoy a beautifully crafted game in a way that's slightly different to its hardcore fans.

I've never understood people who can play character actions on a high difficulty having trouble with the Souls games. Maybe it's just because I have a lot of experience with RPGs, but I found Ninja Gaiden on the default difficulty incredibly difficult and generally give up a few levels into the game, while I've managed to beat Dark Souls & Bloodborne without much hassle (would have beaten Dark Souls 2 as well, but I got bored before the end). Just pick a weapon or two (or spells), upgrade the relevant offensive stat (str for heavy weapons, dex for fast weapons, Int and/or Faith for magic), don't neglect to LV-Up your defensive stats (especially life), play defensively, and you're good. And if you get really stuck, you can always summon other players for help.

The only way you're going to get difficulty remotely close to high level character action game play is if you play without LV-Ups.

 

[Sullichin]

I have heard people complain that summoning makes the game too easy and trivializes it. I can only imagine the reaction if there was an actual easy mode!

 

[CountAntonius]

It's called co op and you punishment is the possibility of invasions.

 

[Calamari41]

When people ask for an easy mode to just see the story in a game like Dark Souls, it makes me wonder if they really know what they're asking for. These games are not really content tourism experiences - there are no long NPC conversations with branching story paths, no CG cutscenes after every boss that act as more of a reward than the actual gameplay.

As a comparison, "Story Time" difficulties have recently been added to classic style RPGs like Pillars of Eternity or the Baldur's Gate enhanced editions. Because Story Time makes sense there - those games are as much about talking to NPCs, making permanent story decisions, and exploring branching quests, as they are about combat.

I wonder, in a Souls game, how many players would rush through if the games were easy and not notice the environmental storytelling, never bother finding and examining most items because they wouldn't be necessary, and then remark that the games have no story.

Great post. I vividly remember playing Dark Souls for the first time and being beyond fascinated by the Valley of the Drakes (leading into Blighttown) and New Londo because I was so afraid of them, knowing I wasn't supposed to be there yet and knowing I would get destroyed if I kept going further. That fear is what caused the fascination that compelled me to go as deep as I could into them.

 

[Sullichin]

Are there any mods for the PC versions that can provide an easier experience? I know it's blasphemous and I understand that (I love the challenge), but one of my friends/roommates is very interested in the games, but he's not super great at the combat and gives up even before getting to the first boss most of the time. Recently, he attempted Bloodborne, but died so much and gave up. He mainly loves the exploration, npcs, and worlds, but he can usually never make it out of the first area, lol. :/ He gets pretty frustrated easily haha

Yeah pretty sure there's already trainers to do things like unlimited health etc. But you'll probably get banned from online mode.
Just doing coop is a better idea! you can show him the ropes

 

[SoraanTribal]

Yeah pretty sure there's already trainers to do things like unlimited health etc. But you'll probably get banned from online mode.
Just doing coop is a better idea! you can show him the ropes

He has no interest in the online modes anyways. I've been playing Dark Souls 3 a lot and he's just really into watching me play right now. Wonder if he'd be interested in modding DS1 on PC or something. I wouldn't want to take away the challenge, but maybe if it gets him more into the series and makes him want to try without mods... I dunno.

Hmm, that's a good point, I suppose. We could play Co-Op and that'd help him get through areas for sure.

 

[Auctopus]

Bloodborne is easy mode. Or just summoning.

Easy mode breaks the game.

 

[tcrunch]

Pump health stat and summon.
Easy mode.