260°

Sekiro and Difficulty – Where do we go FROM here?

Like clockwork, a new FROM Software title has been out just over a week and the difficulty discussions are ramping up – is it too hard? Do players just need to ‘git gud’? Why can’t FROM Software just include an easy mode? Player 2 examines the problem from all sides.

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player2.net.au
Sono4211892d ago

Honestly gaming "journalism" is so lazy and predictable..

GottaBjimmyb1891d ago (Edited 1891d ago )

Honestly, they are know for having uncompromising, but fulfilling to complete games. The time and effort you put in directly reflects success in these games. It is not on FROMSOFT to cater to a group who is jot responsible for their success. They know who put them where they are and they know what they want.

I don't even like the souls games or bloodbourne, but I also am not going to sit here and whine that they need to cater the game to me, I will just play the games I do enjoy. Pretty pathetic how these kind of complaints have gone from getting you laughed off a forum, to being able to run a profitable gaming "news" site.

There is an argument that "why not add lower difficulty, you can ignore it if you want it to be difficult." But with this game ans frankly dev specifically, the key appeal they go for is failure breeding success. If you just 1 hot everything and walk around like a god, it pretty much defeats all the positive aspects of the game. If you don't like having a hard time, or worming to overcome intentional obstacles they put in, then the game really just isn't for you. Could you imagine if people demanded super mario world, or banjo kazooie had easy modes because people couldn't beat them? Everyone would completely ignore them, yet somehow, now if a game is hard and requires any learning or practice to complete, it is simply unforgivable.

CP_Company1892d ago

we will continue with the same difficulty or even harder.

these types of games are all about challenge, not about snowflakes. so crying won't help here. just put some hours and be open to learn. these types of games has steep learning curve, but when you will master it, you will feel great.

gamer91892d ago

NES Battletoads, and defeating Mike Tyson in Punch Out. 2 of the greatest gaming memories from childhood =)

lazyboyblue1892d ago

@cp_company
This is my problem with this Sekiro debate. You're speaking for yourself. Why should you care if From Software patch in a new mode that YOU WON'T PLAY? How does it effect you in any way?

You like the game to play exactly how it does? Fabulous. Continue to do that. Meanwhile others who don't like their game quite that challenging can come in and enjoy it too. EVERYBODY wins.

DaDrunkenJester1892d ago

Or you respect their decision and vision for the game and play the way they want you to play.

paintedgamer19841892d ago (Edited 1892d ago )

That will never happen.

CP_Company is the MAJORITY of the gamers that make up the community that buy and keep these games alive and running. From Software pride themselves on giving these gamers a challenge unlike before. That game does not involve a hold your hand version...

I hope to god and everything that is great in this world people like yourself, leave my hard games alone. If its too hard for you, its not your type of game. Its really that simple.

Demons Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and now Sekiro... will never have an easy option EVER

CP_Company1892d ago

lazyboyblue, you want the truth? if there would be an easy mode, i would ditch the hard mode on 5th of 10th try to fight the miniboss or boss. that is HOW that could effect me. HARD MODE IS ALWAYS WITHOUT COMPROMISE THAT IS WHERE THIS GAME SHINES! there was the time when i played with Demon's Bell active, and saw how bosses are even more difficult, i just remove. but i used it just for simple guys.
lady butterfly, seven blade, hirata owl and ape gave me huge pain in my head, i took me maybe 10 hours to kill these 4. but i never gave up, i tried to learn and killed them.

the problem with you and other snowflakes, that you want EASY pass on!!! you want to say that you finished Sekiro(not Shura ending :) )? EARN IT!

carcarias1892d ago

Well, I see where you're coming from but I'm not so sure about it. The thing is, the game is balanced precisely for a certain difficulty. In fact, the entire game is created around the difficulty. It's not like an Uncharted or Witcher 3 imho.

An easy mode isn't a simple thing to implement here. If they literally made it easy, then people would breeze through the game in mere hours and wouldn't even need to explore every nook and cranny to get all the bonuses, optional bosses and items, nor would you need to think carefully about how you spend your skill points to suit your playstyle. There's a lot in these games that you only discover because you NEED to/are forced to. There's the risk you'd simply 'win' by spamming the attack button and a game that lasts 30+ hours would be over in 10, without giving the player a particularly enjoyable experience.

Plus, there are lots of people who might think they won't use the easy mode but then crack and do, even though they could have beaten the game on normal had they persevered. For those people, the game experience they could have had is lost.

I'm also not sure the game would actually hold up in an easy mode, that's how much the game is fitted around the difficulty. It might be getting 8.5's+ everywhere as it is but if reviewers had played it on an easy mode, the game may well have ended up being a 7+, that's how integral to the experience the difficulty setting is.

In the end, From Software have a vision for their game and what it means to play it and the foundation of the game form which everything else flows is the difficulty.

lazyboyblue1892d ago

@CP_
I could almost see your point there for a moment until you called me a snowflake. Its elitist bulls**t and you just make yourself sound really snobby by making comments like that.
I can respect whatever FS decide is right for their own art but something to help the games become more inclusive would be great for many out there.
But at this point t I'd love to see micro transactions introduced to all their games where u can simply pay to get past tough bits because that would be horrible and I'd lmfao.

Wolffenblitz1891d ago

@lazyboyblue

You do realise this goes both ways? You can't say you're upset about being called a snowflake and turn around to say you hope the game is ruined by micro transactions.

FROM SOFTWARE themselves have said.. "Git gud" to people who complain about how hard it is.

Majority of games used to be this hard back in the day. Games that make you start from the start when you run out of lives. Over the years people have started handing out "participation awards" and it's kind of the same thing as putting an easy mode in.

+ Show (3) more repliesLast reply 1891d ago
Alek831892d ago

I agree with the git gud part.

Dark Souls was a lot more challenging.

Man, some people need to play Weaponlord, Smash T.V, or even the more recent Super Meat Boy to see a hard game. Those even make Dark Souls seem lackluster.

Hungryalpaca1892d ago

I actually found dark souls far less challenging than Sekiro. Probably because my reaction time isn’t as good any more and Sekiro is all offence where I play DS defensively

Saijahn1892d ago

I thought they'd go with a general game as the story seemed pretty cool, but they stuck with their difficulty roots and that turned me off to this game quickly. I can respect people like challenging games and I do in certain contexts, but not something that invokes a spirit of destruction from the gpds ty[e of difficulty. Maybe at a decent discount I'll grab this game and give it a shot, but not at retail.

DaDrunkenJester1892d ago

At least you can acknowledge the game isn't exactly for you because of that, respect it, and not ask for the game to cater to you.

Saijahn1890d ago

thanks, im heavily interested in seeing how the story plays out though, so i may grab it at a good discount and try my hand out the legendary difficulty that's attached to these souls type games.

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160°

Before Miyazaki Retires, We Need To Get A Sekiro Sequel

A sequel to the studio's acclaimed title, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, would be the perfect swan song for long-time video game director Hidetaka Miyazaki.

H954d ago

Man you didn't have to do me like that with the title

LoveSpuds54d ago

I just don't see it happening given the success of Elden Ring. I think we'll be seeing a sequel to Elden Ring before anything else.

Demetrius54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

I'm not into souls games but it's good to see that this dev studio stick to what makes their titles unique, there's alot of souls copy n pasted games but they rarely get talked about cause they're looked at as copies and not original created ideas, the souls games are unique cause they offer they're own identity instead imitating I respect that

jznrpg54d ago (Edited 54d ago )

Or Bloodborne 2 preferably both but that’s a lot to ask if he plans on retiring sooner than later

Leeroyw54d ago

Bloodborne 2 or I'd simply love a 60fps remaster. I'd also love a bloodborne randomiser option.

toxic-inferno53d ago

I'm definitely holding out hope for a Bloodborne 60fps remaster still. Some extra features thrown in would be nice too.

With regards to a sequel, I'd actually rather From Software make another new IP with a different setting. That is what made Bloodborne so good - the fact that it took a proven formula and applied it to a completely new setting.

anast53d ago

The hype would be insane if they announced Bloodborne 2.

Inverno53d ago

What if they made a Sekiro/Bloodborne mix?

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120°

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice is a Timeless Classic

With this feature, we will be taking a look at Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice all these years later and break down why it remains such a great time.

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gamingbolt.com
Cacabunga57d ago

I regret i never played it, like many other great games!! Still on my radar, when i become retro gamer in a year or two with all this gaas crap happening around

Psychonaut8557d ago

Absolutely. Amazing art design, and didn’t have the Bloodborne problem so it runs at 60FPS on newer hardware, which is amazing given the reaction based gameplay

Cacabunga57d ago

Wait did it get a next gen patch??

Sciurus_vulgaris57d ago

This one title that never clicked with me. I enjoyed Dark Souls, Demon Souls and Bloodborne, but I never warmed up to Sekiro’s parry-focused combat. I honestly gave up on the game at about the half way point.

Armyofdarkness57d ago

Me too. But after the Stellar Blade demo and parrying like crazy I’m tempted to go back and play this again

Inverno57d ago

Took me a couple years too get into when I first bought it. I had gotten so used to Bloodborne that the gameplay was genuinely confusing me. Picked it up a third time and clicked. The game is souls stripped of all its RPG elements and left with nothing but it's combat. It's Souls at its pureness but I can see why the combat would turn people off. That's why I liked it so much tho, without the choice of weapons it's very focused on a specific style. I think a sequel with a small selection of weapons but each fleshed out would be the right step.

Sciurus_vulgaris56d ago

My problem with Sekiro was the combat, I didn’t find it as engaging as Bloodborne, DarkSouls due to the lack of RPG elements. I even found action games like Ninja Gaiden 1-2 and Ghost of Tsushima more engaging as well.

140°

The 7 Best Souls-Like Games - Mastering the Challenge

The Souls-like genre remains popular, along with FromSoftware's classics there are many contenders. But which are the best Souls-like games?

toxic-inferno65d ago

Hmm... In my opinion, the 7 best are the 6 made by FromSoftware (DeS, DS1, DS2, DS3, BB and ER), then Lies of P. But each to their own.

kevco3365d ago

Still DS1? You don't feel it's been surpassed yet?

Demon's Souls has the remake of course, but DS1 has surely been outdated?

Smellsforfree65d ago

I think that the DS1 remake is better looking than DS2. The interior lighting matched with the low resolution textures in DS2 is very garish, IMO.

Besides graphics, what do you mean by DS1 being "outdated"? I'm someone who played through Elden Ring and just recently played through the DS series, and as far as gameplay went, there were all very similar.

Cacabunga65d ago

I haven’t played many but Bloodborne and NIOH1 are on top of my list.. had a blast with these 2

toxic-inferno64d ago

For world design and interconnectedness (that's a word, right?) DS1 is yet to be beaten.

anast33d ago

All great games beside DS2.

toxic-inferno32d ago

I would agree, but there are some things in DS2 that are great and incredibly memorable. It tries to do things differently, and there are some amazingly cinematic moments.

Of course, there's also poor level design (particularly the interconnectivity of the world), questionable combat choices and some of the worst boss runs since the early days of video games...

anast32d ago

True. I can't disagree the game has some moments.