Would you NOT buy a Souls game if it had different difficulty options?

[Gemüsepizza]

I realize that this topic is kind of similar to the one about Elden Ring, unfortunately it's the only way to get a poll about what I think, is a much more interesting question.


Just imagine Dark Souls IV / Demon's Souls II / Bloodborne II gets announced/released. Developed by From Software/Bluepoint Games. Next-gen only, incredible graphics and art. Gameplay looks amazing, an improvement in every way. High review scores.

But... the game has two modes: Normal difficulty and Easy difficulty:

- Normal difficulty behaves like previous games, and the game is balanced for that.

- Easy difficulty has a few % modifiers like increased player health, decreased enemy dmg, and a few, small QOL improvements that don't really take away dev resources (like Assist mode in Super Mario Odyssey).


Would you, as someone who is generally interested in Souls games, NOT buy this game if it had such an option in addition to normal difficulty? And why?

 

[fracas]

I don't really care about souls games but I can't imagine being so obtuse as to avoid a game because it provides basic accessibility options

 

[Izzard]

Interesting question.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

They already do have multiple difficulty options and I still buy them.

I wouldn't NOT buy the game if it had a selectable "easy mode", but that kind of thing kind of feels like missing the point when the games already give you plenty of tools to manually adjust difficulty on the fly.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

I'd still by it. I don't care how other people play their games. it doesn't affect me and my experience at all.

 

[julia crawford]

???

 

[Belthazar90]

Would buy it anyway. But an easy mode toggle is such an uninteresting way of balancing the challenge of the game for different people, I prefer the way they do it now: different builds, starting classes and playstyles for making the game easier/harder.

 

[Weiss]

"What kind of asshole wouldn't buy a game because it had optional difficulty sliders?" is what I want to say but, no, there really are a bunch of folks who are that kind of asshole. Playing hard video games is the only accomplishment they'll ever have in life and by god will they hold onto it.

 

[Teiresias]

I would not buy it, and I'd start a petition to have difficulty options patched out and those with a save game on easy set to an even harder difficulty than default as punishment.

 

[Deleted member 56266]

Literally why would anyone initially interested not buy it after hearing about such a feature

 

[Kevers]

I would probably buy it. I don't have the patience for these games but I love the worlds and artstyles, especially Bloodborne.

 

[defaltoption]

Buy of course, anyone who seriously wouldn't is dumb as hell.

"Wow others get to enjoy this, no thanks"

 

[Bing-Bong]

"What kind of asshole wouldn't buy a game because it had optional difficulty sliders?"

Click to shrink...

I couldn't have say it better.

 

[Jimnymebob]

I wouldn't play an easy mode, but I'd obviously still buy and play the game.

 

[Bardeh]

Why is it an interesting question? Anyone who wouldn't buy it is objectively a complete moron and their opinion shouldn't count for anything. Why do we need to care about them or even think about them?

 

[signal]

No one serious is going to pick 'not buy'

 

[cvbas]

Made by From? Sure.
Made by Bluepoint and with difficulty modes? Maybe not.

You put them both together in the OP, but my answer and feelings change a lot depending on who's designing and balancing the game.

 

[Freeglader]

I think the games already have natural difficulty options built in. I'll buy anything FromSoftware makes regardless.

 

[Mentalist]

I play these games for the exploration, world-building and cool bosses to fight

Difficulty is literally the last thing I consider in making a purchase decision.

 

[super-famicom]

Elden Rings is an insta buy for me.

 

[GSG]

I want to know who the people are that said that they wouldn't buy it and what their reasoning is.

 

[SunBroDave]

Of course not, that's ridiculous. If someone else wants to play on Easy, that doesn't affect me in any way.

 

[sdefresne]

I realize that this topic is kind of similar to the one about Elden Ring, unfortunately it's the only way to get a poll about what I think, is a much more interesting question.


Just imagine Dark Souls IV / Demon's Souls II / Bloodborne II get's announced/released. Developed by From Software/Bluepoint Games. Next-gen only, incredible graphics and art. Gameplay looks amazing, an improvement in every way. High review scores.

But... the game has two modes: Normal difficulty and Easy difficulty:

- Normal difficulty behaves like previous games, and the game is balanced for that.

- Easy difficulty has a few % modifiers like increased player health, decreased enemy dmg, and a few, small QOL improvements that don't really take away dev resources (like Assist mode in Super Mario Odyssey).


Would you, as someone who is generally interested in Souls games, NOT buy this game if it had such an option in addition to normal difficulty? And why?

Click to shrink...

I don't mind as long as the normal/easy players don't interact in invasion/coop. Otherwise their increased health will make this unfair.

 

[Y2Kev]

If you don't buy a game because it has a difficulty slider then I dunno about u...

 

[Roytheone]

A lot of souls like game already have summoning that make the game easier and can totally destroy the balance, and that only made the games more fun imo.

 

[Matthias]

Yep, I refuse to play a game knowing that not everyone else plays it like me. When talking about the game, I'd have to ask what difficulty that was used to learn if the person is worthy of my presence.

 

[BackwoodsAltar]

I wouldn't be against there being an easy or more accesible mode added to any of these games. I'd just play the game on the recommended difficulty. If anyone wouldn't buy the game because more people can play it, I think they're being a bit silly. But gamers are silly, anyway, so I wouldn't be shocked.

 

[carlosrso]

Souls are not about fun, they are about surpassing your limitations until you reach your goal. Frustration is an integral part of the experience.
But options are options, if you want a normal game go on easy, no problem...

 

[zswordsman]

Gate keeping to the max. If someone is so salty because a Dev included an easier difficulty in their games then that's on them. I would get it because FROM games are fun even with the difficulty.

 

[Leo]

No, I'd just advise people to play in the intended difficulty since the game is designed around it and I don't think they would get the full excellent experience these games are if they play it on easy.

But in the end, everyone should make their choice, having options is good.

 

[Sideswipe]

Elden Ring is different for me because of its setting being more fantastical from what I can tell. Maybe it will end up being the same in the end though.

Dark/Demon Souls aesthetic doesn't appeal to me so no buy there.

A sci-fi From game would be a 100% buy though.

 

[zombiejames]

These arguments about difficulty in Souls games always sounds silly to me. The thing with Souls games is that while they don't have different difficulty modes in a menu, they have features built-in to make the games easier for yourself. Magic, summoning NPCs, and co-op are great examples of this. Having trouble with a boss? Spam projectiles from a safe distance. Call a friend to make it 2-on-1. Or 3-on-1. Or whatever the limit in the game is.

 

[We_care_a_lot]

Of course i would buy but the more relevant question in my opinion is:

would the souls series have been so wildly successful if players could just put it on easy mode and breeze through like every other game on the market at the time of release? Would we even be having Conversations about souls games in 2021? Would FromSoft be relevant if they didn't breakthrough with a refreshing approach to game design and difficulty that resonated with so many players?

I think that answer is resounding NO.

I often see an argument for easy mode as 'well they should do it to expand their audience' but I don't think that audience would even exist in the first place if their games weren't known for being a satisfying challenge that felt massively rewarding to overcome. They don't NEED to expand their audience. the audience for these games is already MASSIVE for a reason, why take the chance and mess with what made the formula so successful in the first place? all games do not need to cater to all audiences. if they did, things would be extremely homogenized and frankly, boring.

 

[LongDongJunon]

Just play the normal difficulty and ignore easy. That mode isn't for you. The option being there doesnt take anything away from the game either. The game YOU want to play is still in the package.

 

[The Third Heat]

I would probably PRE-ORDER the game if it had difficulty options, rather than simply hemming and hawing for a few weeks after release worrying it'll be "too hard" but wanting to dig into these worlds so much.

The thought of having an "easy mode" that isn't some obtuse "you gotta play as X and use Y and summon Z" makes me so giddy.

 

[TreIII]

I wouldn't have a problem with it. Like with any other challenging games I love to play, the main thing I would hope for is that the game is balanced around the harder modes of play, and then scales it back for the easier modes.

The likes of DMC and Bayonetta have been doing this type of thing for ages. It wouldn't sacrifice the "sanctity" of Souls games to do similar, in my eyes.

 

[BossAttack]

Of course i would buy but the more relevant question in my opinion is:

would the souls series have been so wildly successful if players could just put it on easy mode and breeze through like every other game on the market at the time of release? Would we even be having Conversations about souls games in 2021? Would FromSoft be relevant if they didn't breakthrough with a refreshing approach to game design and difficulty that resonated with so many players?

I think that answer is resounding NO.

I often see an argument for easy mode as 'well they should do it to expand their audience' but I don't think that audience would even exist in the first place if their games weren't known for being a satisfying challenge that felt massively rewarding to overcome. They don't NEED to expand their audience. the audience for these games is already MASSIVE for a reason, why take the chance and mess with what made the formula so successful in the first place? all games do not need to cater to all audiences. if they did, things would be extremely homogenized and frankly, boring.

Click to shrink...

Facts.

 

[ChrisD]

I don't see why such a thing would effect my enjoyment at all

 

[GaussianMultivariate]

Not buying a game because it has options feels very elitist, like annoyingly elitist.

 

[Potterson]

Buy although I know there would come a moment when I would change to Easy to beat something and then I would feel bad about it...

 

[Dogui]

I would buy a Souls game regardless of having difficulty modes or not because the game would be designed around that.

You people just want to simplify the matter to "If you would buy the game either way, then every game should have difficulty modes" while the devs of these games themselves seems to disagree.

 

[xpownz]

I would not not buy any dark souls ever

 

[sebn]

Why does anyone care about this?

 

[Daria]

I'd buy it because DS is notoriously difficult (for me) and I'd like an easier option

 

[Sloth Guevara]

I don't really care about souls games but I can't imagine being so obtuse as to avoid a game because it provides basic accessibility options

Click to shrink...

This.

 

[Torpedo Vegas]

The thought of having an "easy mode" that isn't some obtuse "you gotta play as X and use Y and summon Z" makes me so giddy.

Click to shrink...

You mean you don't want to play as a class you don't like, using weapons and spell you don't want to use, while summoning people you don't want to play with? If you don't do all that I'm afraid you might have a bad experience.

 

[gitrektali]

More options are never a problem for me, even though almost every soulsborne game has ways to make the game easier baked into the mechanics.

 

[Lothars]

Of course i would buy but the more relevant question in my opinion is:

would the souls series have been so wildly successful if players could just put it on easy mode and breeze through like every other game on the market at the time of release? Would we even be having Conversations about souls games in 2021? Would FromSoft be relevant if they didn't breakthrough with a refreshing approach to game design and difficulty that resonated with so many players?

I think that answer is resounding NO.

I often see an argument for easy mode as 'well they should do it to expand their audience' but I don't think that audience would even exist in the first place if their games weren't known for being a satisfying challenge that felt massively rewarding to overcome. They don't NEED to expand their audience. the audience for these games is already MASSIVE for a reason, why take the chance and mess with what made the formula so successful in the first place? all games do not need to cater to all audiences. if they did, things would be extremely homogenized and frankly, boring.

Click to shrink...

I think that's a poor argument that continues to miss the point on this talk. The difficulty is only one part of it but it's not the most important part, I think the games easily would have been just as successful and popular as they are now if they offered more options and heck just some basic accessibility options would open it up even more. There's many examples of games that are hard but offered multiple difficulties.

 

[Ganado]

That would be the saddest shit ever.

 

[Redstreak]

I think that's a poor argument that continues to miss the point on this talk. The difficulty is only one part of it but it's not the most important part, I think the games easily would have been just as successful and popular as they are now if they offered more options and heck just some basic accessibility options would open it up even more. There's many examples of games that are hard but offered multiple difficulties.

Click to shrink...

It's true that the series is more than just its difficulty but even the company itself has pushed it as the big selling point a la "prepare to die"