Ben-DutkaI've never been a big fan of games that feel like immense chores. That's not entertaining to me.
On the other hand, I know a lot of gamers who love difficult, challenging titles like Dark Souls . I call such games downright masochistic (although I might have been singing a different tune 15 years ago or so). But many love and embrace the challenge and I have no problem with that.
What bothers me is the idea of a potentially fantastic game like Bloodborne going unappreciated and un-purchased by people like me, who simply don't want to deal with the brutal difficulty. As an important PlayStation 4 exclusive, I wonder if it would've been better to make the game more accessible to more people…yes, I'm aware that's sacrilege in the eyes of Dark Souls fans everywhere but I'm talking about reality. In reality , extremely difficult games turn off a lot of potential consumers. Games like Dark Souls sell relatively well but they'll never sell what the more accessible mainstream franchises can sell, and there's a reason for that.
Even if Bloodborne is this wonderful 9+ game that critics just love, it won't translate to massive sales. The bottom line is that a lot of gamers are well aware of the impending difficulty and have quite frankly dismissed the title. A lot of my friends have, for instance. It would really suck if the difficulty of the game overshadowed the quality, which could be pretty damn high. It would also suck if one of the first top-tier PS4 exclusives didn't burn up the charts because it was just too forbidding. What do you think? Are you one of those who don't have the time or motivation to tackle something like Bloodborne ?
I don't know, on one hand there are plenty of games for people who don't want a super challenge on the market right now. Diluting the experience of this game yes, it will lead to more sales but it will alienate the fan base that put the game on the map in the first place. We really don't have a lot of games that appeal to this type of crowd, and believe it or not that crowd of gamer is growing…slowly.
If they could find a way to make a casual mode I would say go for it, but I think that would defeat the purpose of these games. Not to mention cause huge balancing issues in the PvP.
It might be selfish for me to say but I think they should keep them as hard as they are. They aren't impossible, they just require patience, planning and a different mind set than if you were playing God of War.
On a side note I thought that they said this was going to be easier than the Souls games. By what degree I don't know, but I thought that is what I heard in an interview.
TL:DR
No it turns me way on, feel these nipples.
Last edited by xenris on 1/30/2015 10:16:45 PM
Last I knew Miyazaki said this would be similar difficulty to the first Demon's Souls haven't heard any word of it being easier.
Oh even the new trailer confirms the earlier words given at gaming events.
Not as much as how dated the combat looks.
Yea I'mma go ahead and stop you there. Demons Souls and Dark Souls have the most basic combat layout that takes strategy to utilize in actual combat situations. Most involved gameplay I've experienced in any game. No QTE or shoot cover. Not a hack and slash. Well timed and executed moves and counters.
Looking forward indeed to more "archaic" gameplay…
Yawn.
*A year later Bloodborne 2 gets announced as a Wii U exclusive and Jawknee's brain implodes on itself from the incredible extreme excitement.All of a sudden the first Bloodborne is now amazing and the second one is a must own for every Wii u owner alive*
lol, piss of Hexen.
🙂
Yeah, I see myself really wanting to play this game and be in its environment, but just getting frustrated whenever I play, thus not even putting much time into it. I'm still gonna buy it though, no way I don't at least try to get through it. The game looks too damn good to pass on.
No blpodborne doesn't intimate me. If anything blpodborne should be intimated of me. With over 200 hours of game play in Demons souls, Dark Souls and, Dark Souls 2 each, Blpodborne should be terrified of me being the true boss.
You are the true bloodborne
The hyper violence of it all is my turn-off.
I'm fine if a game wants to be challenging so as long as it's a game I want to play.
After playing through TLoU I'm ready to take some time away from brutal violence.
EDIT: I think the game is right for as a Sony platform exclusive. Demon's Souls made it's unexpected debut on PS3 and gained it's rep on that platform. It seems fitting Sony would want to commission a game that gives their base an exclusive offering of the same vein. Sure the game doesn't have mass market appeal but it's a good thing most gamer's games don't.
EDIT2: btw. I'm sure there's an easy mode for those who just want to relax and not invest so much energy. Difficulty modes are put there for such a reason.
Last edited by Temjin001 on 1/30/2015 11:03:32 PM
You have obviously never played a Souls game, there is no such thing as a difficulty setting. A difficulty setting would defeat the whole purpose of the series.
Also the Lat of Us was a lot more gory than what we have seen from Bloodborne so far Bloodborne has just been a heaps load of B-horror movie blood and some disturbing enemies. Nothing really that gory.
Oh to make you feel better The Last of Us got censored in Australia and even European regions but Bloodborne has been confirmed to not have received censorship for any region, including the ever strict Australia. So it likely won't be anywhere near as bad as you are guessing it will be.
*cries in corner*
The souls games weren't as hard as monster hunter, so I doubt it.
I don't think it would actually sell so much better if they lowered the difficulty. The games are built around relatively slow, methodical combat that demands caution and thinking. If you could just run up and hack away at enemies with relative ease it would just feel dated and boring. Then it wouldn't really be deserving of those high scores. Unless it made up for the easy combat by making it fast paced and more combo focused like Kingdoms of Amalur, but then it might as well be a completely different game.
On another note one thing that does seem like it might turn me off from the game a bit is the atmosphere. Dark Souls had some bright and fairly beautiful looking areas to go along with the darker, more dreadful ones. This looks pretty somber, kinda like a horror game, except instead of making me scared it makes me depressed.
Last edited by Draguss on 1/30/2015 11:07:10 PM
This has always been a complaint I have had with the souls series. I love the challenge but the colours and environments sometimes depress me like really depress me.
I would like a game with the same challenge as the souls games but a much more saturated and happy colour palette.
Don't think they can make the game easier without making the game basically a different game.
It's "Dark" Fantasy I think the depressive feeling is desired.
I'm all in for this game. I'm not overly fond of super gory games but if the entertainment value is there I can put that aside.
i understand some people want a challenge, not me though, im a complete wuss and usually play through the first time on easy or medium to just enjoy the game and if i like it ill go through on harder levels later on. Like the Souls games, i never got past the first level cause it annoyed me to no end after 5 minutes
Do you mean DKS1? Did you actually try to fight the boss? There's a door you are meant to run through! XD
@shauneepeak i never even made it to the boss, i died like three times at just a normal enemy, finally beat him and died at the next, i have no patience for video games anymore i guess -_-
Um the normal enemies do like 10% health and die in like 3 hits from your broken sword you start with. Once you get your actual weapon things become far more manageable.
he boss is the first true enemy you meet all the other enemies before the boss are non-aggressive and just stand there.
If this was DK2 and NOT DKS1 ignore the goblin dog things and run as fast as you can of the Witches' hut because you have nothing to fight back with, let alone decent armour, until you make it there, then just avoid the cyclops and you should be set.
If you ever care to give it another go.
Doesn't turn me off at all I find most indie games I have tried more difficult than the Souls series. Souls games are simply trial and error till you know what works once you have a good feel for what general things do and don't the games become a great deal more manageable. Also there is always summoning other players which makes certain areas far easier.
In my honest opinion Co Op is the difficulty slider in these games. If you summon 2 phantoms the games become insanely easy in my opinion.
It is still super fun to do but yeah it makes it a lot easier.
Also I agree, I don't think these games are really that hard. Just require a different mind set, when you have that A HA moment in how to play them they become much easier and less stressful.
Last edited by xenris on 1/31/2015 5:43:13 PM
Unless you are on like NG++ Difficulty using Bonfire seeds trying to get one of the higher level boss souls. Then most of the time you'll drag in a couple phantoms who just get one-shotted and have you soloing a boss who is 3 times as powerful as they would have been if you just tried to solo to begin with! XD
I say don't change the formula. These games aren't as expensive to create like other more cinematic AAA titles. I could careless if this doesn't appeal to the masses. I hope the developers never fall victim to this. Last time I checked, you disliked Final Fantasy for changing its core. This is different of course, but the difficulty is part of the brilliance that brings these games together.
Plus all prior 3 titles aren't difficult like people say. No cheating by AI, etc. Just use your wits because pretty much every enemy can become exploitable once you learn their tactics. Everyone is of course brain dead in these games sssooooooooo haha
no, its the cheapness which I'm assuming it will be exactly like demon souls, that turns me off.
i miss the good old days where games were about challenging you and having fun, not cheap tedious impossible crap.
Impossible would indicate that no one could beat the game, many many people can and do.
There is nothing cheap about these games, you can learn the patterns of every enemy, in fact all the games can be beaten at level 1 so leveling up a certain way, or getting a certain item to beat a certain enemy isn't even required.
If something feels cheap about the game take a step back, leave your emotions at the door and try and figure out what the game wants you to do. Chances are the answer is right in front of you.
Yeah it does.
I'm a bit less healthy than I'd like and just aren't up for games that are 'hard' in a fast-paced, action way these days (I can still handle some strategy games on 'hard', but only the ones where 'hard' is hard for non-strategy folk – hard for strategy gamers does me in as well), so won't go near this as I doubt I'd make it too far in before it overwhelmed me.
If they could put in an easier difficulty setting without compromising the gameplay, then I'd be all for it, but far more important they stick to their vision and service their core fans. There's plenty of slow-paced or easier/accessible stuff for the slower-moving gamers out there :).
Look like I need a spare controller to play this game, I always get so pissed when playing hard game and throw and break my controller…
No , leave alone the devs that actually do their own thing instead of trying to please the casual crowd .Displeasing fans that got you were your at is the worst thing a company can ever do .
That's a valid point because everyone (this site included) is always asking that devs keep things fresh and new and of their own rather than do copy cats of things we know will sell. Then we get articles like this that kind of suggest what they are developing may not go over well with the majority. But I think they know that. They developed 2 games prior that are very similar in difficulty so…
Exactly, and the other point people are making is the parallel to the FF franchise.
I'm sure Ben is pissed that game changes to try and appeal to the masses, as most people here are myself included.
We don't need From Software bastardizing such a unique franchise in order to get a couple more sales.
If you keep these games hard all the time eventually people will rise to meet the challenge I believe at least.
Yep another perfect example Xenris!
Once upon a time I would have been all over this game, but these days it's just not my thing. I'm getting older, I have two young kids and a full time career. I only have a little time for video games and I prefer games that relieve stress, and where I get a sense of accomplishment and progress even if I can only play for an hour. I don't want to get stressed out, grinding away at something that seems impossibly difficult and feel like I got absolutely nowhere after my hour is up.
Don't get me wrong, I get the appeal. I wish I had the time and patience for it… but I don't. It's just not for me anymore. I won't even try Bloodborne.
Sadly, yes, I find the difficulty off-putting. I don't have the patience for this type of gaming. I tried Demon & Dark Souls & gave up on them. That was enough for me. I won't bother again. It's why, although I love tactical games, I didn't bother with Natural Doctrine.
Your article brings up good points. I don't understand why they can't offer varying difficulty options – then everybody could enjoy it. CD Project is talking about some crazy hard option that'll wipe your save files if you die in W3. While I won't be playing on that setting, it's there for those who enjoy that type of challenge.
Because the game revolves around the difficulty. The online works because it is one consistent difficulty level.
Making a difficulty mode might be possible if those people didn't get to play online.
But the whole thing just doesn't seem like it would work for the franchise.
Don't underestimate the gamers lest we get another final fantasy mystic quest.
I'm willing to give it a try, from the videos they've shown the battles look fun and hard and roaming around that dark world looks thrilling.I haven't played the soul games so I might be a little lost but I need something *more* challenging asap.
Can anyone tell me if you can play co-op for the entire game? I'm aware just like past souls games the party got disbanded after boss fights. I've heard Bloodborne is the same? But you can just group up again after the boss and on to the next?
You could do it very easily in Demon Souls. It was harder but possible in Dark Souls, Dark Souls 2 made it in between the two I believe.
I would like it if you could set up parties and just go into those procedural dungeons until the party is wiped out. That would make my day.
Yep DS had easy summoning, DKS1 had it so you could be summoned at anytime but you could only summon if you weren't hollowed, DKS2 was probably the easiest of the bunch with both short summons and long summons with being summoned usually reversing your hollowed state so you yourself then could summon. Still had the hollow factor in DKS2 but regaining humanity through a quick summon made it more manageable.
So yes coop ends after a boss, or your timer runs out in DKS2 which on the long summon is plenty. But then you can get another phantom to help you soon as you are in the next zone.
But with DKS2 you can't summon until you help Pate in the Forest of Fallen giants. The others you can summon from the get go.
i guess i have the motivation and i do have time for it if i want to. and i don't mind the dificulty i tried it out last year at a games convention in auckland and i like it even if it was a bit harder than most game but i can apprciate it for what it is and it looks like something i could enjoy alot, so i guess i wouldn't be like urself be i feel i'm up for the challenge
happy gaming
The difficulty not. The archaic combat system – yes. Punch, dodge, punch, dodge, punch, dodge. Please don't tell me it's complex.