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Will there ever be an EASY mode for Bloodborne?

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Odrion said:
So we both agree that having a skill barrier to the content does add to the enjoyment of the series then.
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No it doesn't. On the contrary: one of the biggest draws of the series is the moment you can finally overcome the required skill barrier.
 
melkier33 said:
Not sure if I missed it, but why is the handicapped card being tossed out here?
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A justification for his point. If handicapped people can have ramps, then games should have an easy mode. I know, it doesn't make sense to me either.

I believe there is a distinct difference between adding an option that alters the game as is to allow more to play the game as is, than to change the fundamental structure of the game to accommodate those who can play the game, but not as its designed.
 
I wish there was an easy mode as well.

I actually love that the game is extremely difficult, and if I was back in highschool I would probably have beaten it months ago. But ever since I've started working, I haven't had time to dedicate hours into games, but I still like playing games through to the end. I beat the first boss in Bloodborne but then I put it down because I didn't have time and now I can't get back into it :/
 
The_Dama said:
I want give the game a second chance but it's hard and I simply don't have the time and energy to keep dying over and over again.

I know the game is meant to be hard on purpose but c'mon give us newbs a break. I play all my games on easy because it's not frustrating and I get to actually finish a game without wasting any time.

They will probably never do it but I feel they are missing out on some sales.
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Hey OP, honestly the game is not THAT hard if you have the patience to learn how to play, or figure out how to be strategic during encounters.

I suck at these kind of games, but I enjoyed playing for 10-15 hours before selling it (no time and I didn't want the lose value). I enjoyed it until the third boss when I just didn't want to put the time in anymore, but I think it's not all that hard.
 
Odrion said:
Yes and for that to happen you need a skill barrier.
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I wouldn't call it a skill barrier it's a learning curve. Most people that aren't good at the game play it like every other game. You have to unlearn what other games teach you, and pay respect to the games rules.
 
I wish every game was the like the souls games in which they didn't have any difficulty selection, like they all were back in the day.

There is just the game. The way it was meant to be. Pure and untarnished.

Too easy? Too hard? Tough luck mate, love it or leave it.

Video games have been going downhill ever since we've had variable difficulties.
 
King Gilga said:
I wish every game was the like the souls games in which they didn't have any difficulty selection, like they all were back in the day.

There is just the game. The way it was meant to be. Pure and untarnished.

Too easy? Too hard? Tough luck mate, love it or leave it.

Video games have been going downhill ever since we've had variable difficulties.
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I guess video games have been going downhill since the NES days. I don't see how they aren't dead.
 
Brawly Likes to Brawl said:
It's a bit dramatic to see people pulling the "toxic" and "worst fanbase" card over people bringing up the possibility that not all games are meant to be enjoyed by all skill levels.
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The notion that there's only one correct way to enjoy a game is absurd. That's probably why people consider an illogical stance to be unreasonable.
 
hal9001 said:
Thread of entitled and elitist comments. Why can't there be an easy mode such as giving players more health or infinite blood vials whilst still maintaining the difficulty? That way the game design would not be compromised. Everyone should be given opportunity to experience the game.
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Why is that? Is this a new law I missed?
 
Hmmm...if one was given the power to run through Bloodborne on easy, does that ones opinion matter at all in threads concerning Bloodborne? Does their playthrough, that diminishes the whole Souls/BB theme and aesthetic, amount enough to a viable opinion? Would a reviewer be held in contempt for using such modes to run through the game and would his review criticisms be appreciated or looked down upon? The answer to these questions will probably provide the answers as to why an Easy mode wouldn't be a good suggestion in these types of games.

Git gud or don't play. Why spend your time and money when you know you can't give it that much time or attention?

And no. I don't think all games should be made equal or to the sane standard for them to accommodate everyone. Books don't. Movies don't. TV shows don't. Etc.
 
Lets face the facts, From made the game with the difficulty in mind because that is how they earned their core fan base to begin with (Demon's Souls). As we have seen with Sony marketing to your core is much more profitable than marketing to the casual group. From has earned that dedicated fan base and each game sells well for being a niche title. If they are ever going to make a "souls" game with an easy mode they will not call it a souls game but something entirely different. From knows this and if people who want an easy mode ever actually watched any of the game developer interviews you will know this argument for an "easy" mode is in vain. From isn't going to cater to you because they don't want to nor do they care about your money they already have a dedicated fan base.
 
I mean there's a really simple way to make bloodbourne easymode faceroll without adding something that the other souls games didn't have.

Just add shields.
 
I never understood the point of why they made these games so hard. whats so bad about adding an easy difficulty? it doesnt take away from experience at all.
 
Vegito said:
I never understood the point of why they made these games so hard.
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They're not so hard. It's every other AAA game that's too easy.

I've beaten every single Souls game several times. I don't think I've ever seen a level after level 3 in Battletoads.
 
Ralemont said:
Souls games aren't worth playing without the difficulty. That doesn't cast them in a particularly good light, really, but it is what it is. I suspect if people played on Easy Mode they'd finish the game wondering what all the fuss was about.
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Making it easy would just undermine every aspect of the game's design. It isn't just how it plays, it is how it feels. It is how you approach the game. The level design, which is brilliant, is almost negated when you can just run into a swarm of enemies hacking and slashing. The ominous feeling, the dread, disappears when you aren't in danger. There was one portion of the game where you are in a pitch black room and you can hear things running around you, scratching the floor boards. You know that they could very easily kill you if you make a wrong move. That was incredibly intense for me. Those moments define that game. Remove the challeng and those moments don't exist.

If you undermine the core aspect of any game you are going to have little of value left. That isn't a condemnation at all.
 
This game is my first and only (so far) "Souls" game.

It's hard. Very hard.

It's also in my top 3 of all-time favorites. It reminded me of old-school games like Mega Man. It's not meant to be a "when" you beat it, it's a "if" you beat. It's meant to mean something when you can beat it.

It will remain one of my favorite gaming experiences. I got fed up after two days and put it on Craigslist. I got 6 offers for it overnight and decided to "try" one more time. That night, it "clicked," I removed the CL ad, and never looked back. 50 hours later I got the "true" ending and felt so accomplished. Such a fantastic game. I'll never forget it. The difficulty is part of the experience and I hope they never ease up.
 
I just started replaying the game properly in anticipation for the expansion, and now if you cancel a summoning they don't even take an insight away. They've already made it easier.

Really though, it's just challenging not especially difficult. There's a cavalcade of things you can do as the player to adjust the difficulty to being easier or harder for yourself. It's more organic than having difficulty settings, and that is lovely.
 
poodaddy said:
Not to sound like an elitist, but the whole "I don't have time for a hard game" thing is nonsense. Full time worker, student, and dad here and I adored the shit out of Bloodborne and I honestly want the very idea of an easy mode to be eliminated. It would literally ruin what From Software games are all about; there's a reason why they coined the term "get gud." The games are not unfair in anyway, they just force you to learn mechanics and honestly that's an old school quality of gaming that I wish there was more of today. When a game's unforgiving but fair it immensely increases the sense of satisfaction one will get when they complete it.
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How would an easy setting ruin what From games are all about?
 
TheFuzz said:
This game is my first and only (so far) "Souls" game.

It's hard. Very hard.

It's also in my top 3 of all-time favorites. It reminded me of old-school games like Mega Man. It's not meant to be a "when" you beat it, it's a "if" you beat. It's meant to mean something when you can beat it.

It will remain one of my favorite gaming experiences. I got fed up after two days and put it on Craigslist. I got 6 offers for it overnight and decided to "try" one more time. That night, it "clicked," I removed the CL ad, and never looked back. 50 hours later I got the "true" ending and felt so accomplished. Such a fantastic game. I'll never forget it. The difficulty is part of the experience and I hope they never ease up.
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Good post, it took me 6 hours and a 2 month break before dark souls finally "click" with me. And now the souls/Bloodborne games are some of my favorites.
 
Lys Skygge said:
It would completely compromise online invasions. Who would have the upper hand? The normal player or the easy mode player? What about asking for assistance? What if you happened to summon an "easy mode" player? Would the game become easier for the normal player or become harder for the easy mode player? The online aspect of Souls games is a big part of its design. No one wants a split player-base based on difficulty in addition to platform. And no one wants to have their experience compromised because they happen to summon an easy mode player.

Just read through the thread, there are plenty of good reasons why easy mode is not needed in Souls games.
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So your worry is about splitting the player base? I have read enough of these threads to know that the vast majority of players brave enough to ask for a lesser difficulty never make it past the first boss. They don't play these games to begin with. They are not even part of the player base. You would still have plenty of people to invade. You would still have a large pool of people to coop with. There would be a new audience to From games that you would never have to interact with. You wouldn't even know they were there or know they existed.

I would love to see From sell more games and more people to see the worlds that they build and I could care less if their difficulty is lower.

I don't care about your player base excuse because it isn't real.
 
Clockwork5 said:
How would an easy setting ruin what From games are all about?
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Because difficulty is core to what they're all about. People have been making this point over and over again. Difficulty is not just a toggle for the Souls series, it is core to their design, charm, and appeal. If you want pretty, easy RPGs go play something else, this is not the game for you.

This entire thread is just going in circles, but once again, this is a pointless discussion as DkS III will wrap up the Souls series and I can guarantee you it will not have an easy mode.
 
there's a real simple method of helping new players without adding on an "easy" difficulty. have one time use consumables purchasable through microtransactions. that way people who have trouble can go buy them, then pop them when they're fighting a boss for extra resistance, damage or recovery.
 
Alucrid said:
there's a real simple method of helping new players without adding on an "easy" difficulty. have one time use consumables purchasable through microtransactions. that way people who have trouble can go buy them, then pop them when they're fighting a boss for extra resistance, damage or recovery.
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*vomits*
 
Alucrid said:
there's a real simple method of helping new players without adding on an "easy" difficulty. have one time use consumables purchasable through microtransactions. that way people who have trouble can go buy them, then pop them when they're fighting a boss for extra resistance, damage or recovery.
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Joke post?
 
I would be inclined to say the standard mode of Bloodborne is already the easiest way to play the game, because you can impose restrictions on yourself to make it harder from there (no consumables, limited weapons, no leveling, etc). I can understand playing an easy mode on a game just to experience it, but I think with games like this, the difficulty lends itself to the overall package.
 
The_Dama said:
They will probably never do it but I feel they are missing out on some sales.
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I would argue that the backlash from putting in such a mode would result in the hardcore fanbase (which Bloodborne/Souls has fostered successfully) leaving in droves... making the casual sales increase a net drop.

I think it was the perfect difficulty, and I'm a bit average at these games usually (finished it after a couple weeks, thoroughly enjoyed it).
 
LongMuckDong said:
I would argue that the backlash from putting in such a mode would result in the hardcore fanbase (which Bloodborne/Souls has fostered successfully) leaving in droves... making the casual sales increase a net drop.

I think it was the perfect difficulty, and I'm a bit average at these games usually (finished it after a couple weeks, thoroughly enjoyed it).
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I don't think it would actually make much difference either way. I don't think the Ninja Gaiden fans left that game because they added an easy difficulty, but at the same time I do not think it would attract a significant amount of people to the franchise either, even with an easier mode.

Similarly, I don't think the 'easy mode' on added to the Megaman games on the PS3 drew in many, if any new fans either. I think because of the way that it's described in the games, the difficulty modes often come across as condescending, so a lot of people don't find that, that appealing. There's that, and the fact that the games have built themselves on a reputation of being challenging, so they'd have to backpedal a lot to remarket themselves to a new audience of more casual consumers if they wanted to make any impact on sales, obviously it's that marketing process that has risk of turning veterans away... so ultimately they're better not to market it accessibly, and in turn, it isn't liable to draw in many newer players.

That, and a lot of the appeal for these games is in the challenge. I know most Bloodborne fans will tell you the lore written into the item descriptions is something akin to the work of tolstoy, but narratively the games aren't especially profound. Exploring the environments is enjoyable but if made devoid of difficulty then these consumers might be better off with more open world, exploration RPGs (eg. Witcher & Elder Scrolls).

I think the best bet honestly would be to put some accessibility features into the game very subtly. Maybe a couple of items or a covenant that can help you in PvE in a way that is accessible. There are ways you can get a lot of help from NPCs in the Souls games, but that process is often convoluted and easy to miss. Maybe providing you with the option to have an NPC assistant that you can summon, early on into the game, would be a good way of reducing the difficulty for newer players. At the same time, they would want to offer incentives for veterans for not using said NPC assistants.
 
If they did add an easy mode i imagine the hardcore fans would bitch and moan and complain but when the next game comes out they will still buy it lol and it would make even more moey.
 
Chronospherics said:
I think the best bet honestly would be to put some accessibility features into the game very subtly. Maybe a couple of items or a covenant that can help you in PvE in a way that is accessible. There are ways you can get a lot of help from NPCs in the Souls games, but that process is often convoluted and easy to miss. Maybe providing you with the option to have an NPC assistant that you can summon, early on into the game, would be a good way of reducing the difficulty for newer players. At the same time, they would want to offer incentives for veterans for not using said NPC assistants.
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Bloodborne just did exactly this with the latest patch.
 
I wish they did. Just bump up the player health and drain the enemy health on easy mode, that way it doesn't affect the game design.

Call it chicken shit mode and lock out trophies. Shame the player everytime he boots up a savegame on chicken shit mode, I don't care.
 
Why do some people think they are entitled to an easy mode, exactly?

What if... the game's mode is actually Easy, and choosing Hard is not levelling up? Hoho.
 
There should be but l33t g4m3rz get upset at the idea of someone else using a feature they personally won't use, for whatever reason.
 
The_Dama said:
I want give the game a second chance but it's hard and I simply don't have the time and energy to keep dying over and over again.

I know the game is meant to be hard on purpose but c'mon give us newbs a break. I play all my games on easy because it's not frustrating and I get to actually finish a game without wasting any time.

They will probably never do it but I feel they are missing out on some sales.
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If they make an easy mode the game flops and the entire studio goes under. They are not missing sales by not having an easy mode, it's a huge part of the reason the game is even successful.
 
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