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If you don't know the name Hidetaka Miyazaki, it may be because you aren't a fan of the challenging games that he creates. Miyazaki is the Japanese game director and executive at FromSoftware and is responsible for the creation of the Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro, and the recently released Elden Ring.
While there is certainly an argument to be made for difficult games to be made more accessible to people, Miyazaki says that the higher challenge found in From's games is part of the studio's "identity."
The question of how hard games should be is closely tied to the question of whom games are for. Some argue that they should be accessible: gently guided experiences that adapt to different skills, interests, and physical capabilities. Others say that they should operate on their own terms. In this model, difficulty is the creator’s prerogative; not every game has to be for everyone.
Miyazaki’s work is often invoked by the latter camp, as it suggests that challenge, not escapism or uplift, is the medium’s crucial quality. “It’s an interesting question,†Miyazaki told me. “We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So it’s not something we’re willing to abandon at the moment. It’s our identity.â€
Miyazaki’s work is often invoked by the latter camp, as it suggests that challenge, not escapism or uplift, is the medium’s crucial quality. “It’s an interesting question,†Miyazaki told me. “We are always looking to improve, but, in our games specifically, hardship is what gives meaning to the experience. So it’s not something we’re willing to abandon at the moment. It’s our identity.â€
The recent output by FromSoftware isn't for those that are afraid of dying over and over in games. It's also not for those who don't like a decent challenge. Though FromSoftware has shied away from straight up offering an "easy" mode, the studio has incorporated a significant number of features that make the game a little less challenging.
These added helpers are very apparent in Elden Ring. The latest title still offers players the option to engage in online cooperation where you can summon in friends or be summoned into other players' games. There are also now "summoning pools" where you can throw your name into a hat for a dungeon or area and people can randomly pick you to play with them. There are also far more "checkpoints" in Elden Ring where players can respawn closer to where they died. Fast travel is also available right from the start, instead of being locked away behind a quest or 2/3rds into the game. There are also A.I. summons that take on various forms in Elden Ring.
Even with these various accessibility-like features for players to engage with, Miyazaki is still apologetic to those who feel like the challenge is still too great to overcome.
Still, for every vanquisher of Miyazaki’s monsters, there’s another who glumly sets down the controller. “I do feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome in my games,†Miyazaki told me. He held his head in his hands, then smiled. “I just want as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship.â€
Not sure what else to say, most games have had difficulty modes for decades but i know most fans say that its mere presence would somehow sully the experience.
Dark Souls is more than its difficulty, that's just something people get over as they learn the game and their build gets stronger, to the point where they're inspired to play through the game multiple times because it's become easier for them, at that point the game becomes about its world, the lore, characters, finding weapons, finding secrets, there's plenty to enjoy in a Souls game besides overcoming the difficulty.
Why not let more people experience that?