Dark Souls director considering easy mode, ‘people hesitant to play it’

what about easy mode for the demon souls?… you can start with that… there are people out there that are more interesting in the story and exploration, than fighting idiotic insane hard bosses in boss battles.

make first an option for easy exploration mode without boss battles, second option you keep the game as it is now, third option should be insane hard with one hit you get killed for the die hards out there….

Why not? The more people play it, the better. I think it’s also fair to say that Dark Souls has a lot of cheap deaths.

GFWL will make a lot more hesitant to play it.

@1 & 2 yeah, I mean, if people don’t want to play easy mode, they don’t have to. How long until before his quote gets some fan upset though?

Love Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls. If this means more people will try it, then they should go for it. It deserves to be played.

Methinks this should definitely be considered…as an option for weedy WiiU owners only though – whenever they get the time to do that, that is

Seriously though the main thing they could do to make the game easier is give it an offline only setting via the opening options screen so that you are protected from online invaders at least – even if it does take away one of the game’s main selling points in the process.

When it’s a defining part of the game I don’t think it should be messed with too much. Every game doesn’t have to be for everyone. The game isn’t that difficult when approached with some care. The boss battles are sometimes a little cheap – rebalance that if necessary. Even those can be made easier already by summoning some help from experienced players.

It’s not broken, don’t fix it. Spend the time on new stuff imo.

Mr. Miyazaki, how about toying with the idea of fixing the problems on the PC version? It’s still poorly running (performance, not the other stuff). Planing easy mod for a Souls game, but not taking care of it’s technical problems.

Why?

@5
Offline only would be more difficult. You can avoid frequent invasion in Dark Souls with affiliation choices. You need online to summon help.

@3: there’s actually a crack for the game that gets rid of gfwl. But that means that you can’t play it online.

@4: i’d give it another 5 min. Max till we hear the fans get mad.

If they want to include an easier difficulty they’ll have to do a lot more than just give the player more health. The biggest problems i have with the game are the following:

You encounter an enemy, a huge one, but not a boss, someone like hazel. He swings his huge as weapon, you roll to the side, he still hits you, because he aims at you around the last milisecond before the weapon hits the ground. That means that you have to roll a little bit later. Most huge ass enemies also have way too many fast-attacks, which just seems ridiculous.

The biggest problem though is that after one attack there usually comes another. You lie on the ground, while the enemy prepares the next attack. The moment you get up, he hits you and you die. That’s just cheap.

@8: nope, you can summon ingame characters for help.

Usually, if a game doesn’t have a really really gripping narrative, I don’t touch it. Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls are pretty much the only exceptions to that rule. And the reason I played them is that sense of accomplishment you have after getting through a tough area or defeating a boss. If they make these games easy, they’ll lose all their appeal in my opinion. I recommend these two games to my friends all the time. They try the games, they get their ass kicked, they give up. Makes me feel good when I tell them I’ve finished these games. If there’s an easy mode, that feeling will be gone.

tl;dr: Please don’t do that.

@10

you can still brag about finish the hard mode… easy mode player will not touch it.

Did they ever actually thanked that guy(Durante if I’m not mistaken)for doing what they should’ve done in the first place?

Problem in DarkS is not is diffictulty. Problem — game is pretty badly designed. Demon Souls was way to better! Respawn within visibility range, extemely big penalty for death (way to bigger than in DS), lame balance.

PC fail port = easy mode

I havent bought it for the sole reason of the insane difficulty I read in reviews and from people that have played it.

Surely an easy mode completely defeats the purpose of the game?

Its not as if Dark Souls has a story to speak of, the atmosphere is oppressive and the difficulty is a key part of that.

There would have to be an entire new online set-up because of all the black phantoms destroying the easy mode players.

Personally I admit I would LOVE an easy mode. I was really drawn in by the tone and the implied history of the whole thing, but alas it really was just to crushingly hard and frustrating for my taste. (and skill I suppose) If they provide an easy mode patch for 360 I’ll buy another copy and jump back in. It should be pointed out that an “easy” mode in Dark Souls would still likely be harder than most games on the market.

… pathetic…

There are 99% of games mostly for noobs and people who don’t want/know how to use your own head…

This game isn’t even hard when you learn the basics…

Fck you all whining noobs go play sims if you can’t handle dark souls…

As someone who treasures the difficulty in these games, I think it’s a lame idea. However, if people are that sad that they can’t learn to get better at the game, I guess an easy mode for them would acceptable…PROVIDED you cannot earn any trophies or achievements when playing it.

It’s not even as hard as old games…

People have just got used to checkpoints, infinate ‘lives’ and save states available from any point. Also fast travel etc…

In my opinion Dragons Dogma was the best middle man for people who would like to enjoy a game is similar to dark souls, without much penalty for dying.

Without sounding too much like an old man, but please try Monty Mole, Jet Set Willy, etc… etc… If you really want o see what unfair dificulty is like.

Even games on the SNES / MD were harder… 3. Lives, 3 continues then game over!!! and start again even if you were on the last boss!

Dark / Demon Souls aren’t hard, you just have to get used to the controls and keep your wits about you, also knowing when to gamble or not comes in handy…

It makes it exciting and more ‘real’ than any ‘fake’ choices you could make in a game like mass effect for example…

You see a sleeping dragon buy some treasure… Do you gamble and run in to loot it (risking everything else), or play it safe?!

Again, it’s not hard, it just makes you think, and for that reason, even without a compelling story, it’s the best game this gen for me…

Each persons experience is more unique compared to anything else out their! Kids have just got soft these days!

Videogames went from being entertainment, which asked for effort in return and ‘gamers’ willing to beat the impossible Battletoads because it was interesting and exciting to shallow time killing under various marketing disguises aimed at the widest audience possible.

When I want to play a open world game that challenges me, I fire up Skyrim… Without the patches…

No no no. This is a stupid idea! (not you no.22)

@5 When I played Demon’s Souls I simply turned the internet connection off in the PS3 settings to avoid invaders. But in Dark I played online for the first time and really benefited from summoning other players. I cleared the Depths in like 5 minutes thanks to two other guys

@6, @10 & @16: +1

I haven’t finished either tbh (not really stuck either but it started to feel more like a job than entertainment in the end ) but I think the movement and fighting/hit detection is easily the best in any RPG. Because the controls are so tight you never feel cheated when dying either imo. It’s always your own sloppiness that leads to your death (except some of the traps in Demon’s I guess).

Yes, Miyazaki, there are easy games being made, and the reason for that is because everyone has their own version of “hard”. To some people, “easy mode” is “normal mode”.

I have no problem with them adding an easy mode for less experienced/skilled players. Just please make sure to include a normal/hard mode for the experienced players to enjoy.

@24:

>>> Dark/Demon’s Souls
>>> Tight Controls

What? O___o

Are you serious? I don’t think you can say a game has tight controls when it reacts seconds later.

Example: You get smashed to the ground, furiously, you hit the attack button, your character gets up, the monster (of course) prepares another attack, so you hit the block button, your character stands up, but instead of blocking, he attacks.

That’s not what you can call tight controls. Not by a long shot.

@27 I think in * Souls you shouldn’t “furiously hit the attack button” but rather plan every move carefully. I understand what you’re saying though and I guess being able to “change your mind” wouldn’t be bad. But compared to (for example) Skyrim the fighting in * Souls is leaps ahead imo.

@27: But that’s what defines tight controls. Just the fact that rolling and jumping share the same buttons means that you can’t have that.

I am all for an easy mode. I’m the proud owner of platinums in both games, but for me the draw was not the sense of accomplishment in defeating a tough boss, though that was certainly there, no, it was…

…the satisfaction in building my character the way I wanted them
…the surprise of some fucker randomly turning up to KILL me :O
…the camaraderie of beating the previously unthinkable with the (in my admittedly limited online play experience) incredibly friendly DS online community
…the discovery of new places that really transport you
…the discovery of NPCs who are genuinely important and interesting
…the ability to truly embrace the role of magician, knight, thief, assassin, ranger and have it really change the way you play

The difficulty? Meh, I could take it or leave it to be honest.

For the record, I think that giving you a permanent companion NPC to carry shit for you, cast support spells and draw some agro, as well as giving you some advice about the various areas could be a good way to implement an easy mode, as well as giving you an opportunity to add atmosphere.

Like say your character says “Sen’s Fortress, I’ve heard stories about this place, and none of it good. Watch where you step here…” Dragon’s Dogma style. Obviously, the character would probably be morose like the crestfallen knight or something, but…

I think that could really work for DS.

What a stupid idea. Make it easy and you take away what made the game so great. At first i was pissed off with how hard it was, i nearly broke the game in rage and was cursing the developers. A few months later i gave it another shot, used my brain, and started exploring other areas/level, finding new weapons and getting stronger, till i was able to face the difficult challenges. And demon souls became one of the best games ever made. The game is supposed to give a sense of challenge, a threat, which sucks you right into the world and makes it feel real. This is why it’s one of the few games where you feel like you are actually there and not playing a game. And the game isn’t hard, it’s brilliantly designed.

Really is a bad idea. The whole game is set in such a way that you either getting better or getting nowhere. And reminded that you suck. Take that away and it will lose much of it’s gameplay appeal.

“At first i was pissed off with how hard it was, i nearly broke the game in rage and was cursing the developers. A few months later…” This is why any developer who likes being able to eat and pay his bills wwould consider an easy mode. Most gamers simply aren’t up to the challenge. That’s just reality…

Oh my god noooo, dont you dare add a easy mode to the best game ever…. i will practically sell my copy if they add a stupid easy mode.
this game is meant to be hard, but it isnt hard, once you start a ng its the easiest game ever carrying all your equipment +1 2 3….so if someone cant get through the game, here ls an advise: LEARN HOW TO BLOCK, ROLL AND DONT HACK N SLASH BUTTONS.
For mr hidetaka, please make new regions or more souls game harder.

That’s just crazy talk. ALmost all of my games have an easy mode, and I almost never (maybe never?) use it. What’s the beef? They’re not making you use it. If they had it there, you’d never click it on would you?

I hope all these guys moaning about the difficulty being important never summoned anyone to help them out, I mean, that would just be too EASY don’t you think? :-/

#36 why the hell would you want a easy mode when you can summon someone to help you? No one here is whining…this game was made that way like demons souls, solution? learn to play and plan carefully your hits and moves.

I consider the removal of the horrfying GFWL and Xbox controller scheme off the face of the game an easy mode. I’d take that, but right now the hardest part for me is to understand why do I need to be arsed with “Push LT” “”Hold RB” while I’m playing with a freaking mouse and keyboard, it’s even more annoying than the fact I can’t benefit from online services.

r3volter: You seem to be only seeing this from your own point of view. I have a few gamer friends who were too scared or intimidated by this and Dead Space 1 to get into it. I know if I could make them sit down and get to grips with it, they’d realise it’s not as hard as it seems, but adults only have so much free time for gaming, and if the barrier of entry is to high, they’ll just play something else.

It’s a bit much to say “Get with the program or fuck off noob”. It’s a game for fuck’s sake, how does it take anything away from us to furnish some kind of easy mode? Or to make summoning easier to do, and more obvious for gamers not so savvy with DS…

@27
I’d say the controls are tight and also some of the best combat mechanics in any game of it’s type. It has rules for actions, you can’t just spam moves, stamina control and awareness is a huge part of the combat.

NONONONONONONONONONO. If anything, make it HARDER! HARDER! WHEEEEEEEE!!! SUPER DIEHARD HARDMODE! WHERE A PUNCH CAN KILL YOU AT 1982 HP! WHERE STAMINA USE IS INCREASED BY .5! MAKE IT HARDER!

Or, make a super die-easy mode that I can invade in!

(Buy Chain Armor from Vendor, I like Deprived)

Games should have difficulty levels so everyone can finish them.

Play on normal if you like, but I don’t see what the problem is having a super-easy casual mode too.

Games need not have difficulty levels so that everybody can finish them. Instead, they’re better off having depth of gameplay, to where the less experienced player can get some fun with the game at their level, and feel satisfied; and, then the most experienced of players can play the same game more akin to the skill level of the ones who made it, and they have fun.

That needs to be a design goal from the outset though, the game designed with that accessibility in mind.

@42
When difficulty and sense of achievement are integral to the game then it’s not a problem as such – more of a why bother? Games are distinguished by the interaction, the control, the taking part. If that gets boiled down to press A to win then what’s the point exactly?

Demons souls was harder than dark souls, why would he implement a easy mode in dark souls?, its not dark souls anymore.
Instead of adding a easy mode, i would suggest fixing the damn glitches and bugs the game has and fixing the summons, coz you get fail 9/10 times.
He should make new regions, dlc’s and of course dark souls 2 or another full new souls game harder than the other.
But if he adds a easy mode, please add a nightmare difficulty too, because the game after u beat it is the most easy run of all

@44

Why not bother? If you get one person who enjoys playing on a super-casual mode, isn’t that enough – I know a friend of mine really enjoys the stories in games, but doesn’t like actually playing them? Why not have a Press A To Win for him? It’s not affecting your experience.

@46
Because it misses the point of the experience. You can watch someone complete the game in a couple of hours on Youtube if you just want to see what happens. To properly rebalance and restructure the game to make it easier and still a good game is a reasonable amount of effort too. Effort best spent by the developers on new content and new games. There are plenty of other games out there which cater for the press A to win crowd.

It wouldn’t be the same experience with an easy mode.

I’d have used it on Sif, and the whoopin and a hollerin, arms waving, air punching would not have happened when I finally took that bastard down. I don’t want that cop-out being available.

The game is what it is because it doesn’t pander to anyone. It’s old-skool for those that have been gaming for more than this gen, or the last. Kids these days are mollycoddled so much I’m surprised that their skin hasn’t evolved into chenille.

It’s nothing to do with E-peen, it’s about the satisfaction of perfecting rolls and blocks, stamina management and builds. It’s about being proficient but knowing the sense of trepidation when you aren’t in your comfort zone.

If it had an easy mode you wouldn’t be outside your comfort zone and the atmosphere and tension of the game would just dissipate.

No change, please.

if you want to add a easy mode do it, but dont touch my hard mode.
btw please if you add a easy mode, could you also add a nightmare mode? im tired of not dieing and the game being so easy.

I’m far more likely to buy and play this game if they give me an easy mode. Not because I will never try the harder difficulty level(s), but because I don’t want to be scared away right out of the gate. It’s like Ninja Dog Mode in Ninja Gaiden, only with less deprecation of the player…

I am in same boat as Astral Frost. I haven’t and won’t buy a DS game because it is billed as harder then hell. I buy the game, I want to finish the game.

I don’t mind the game having a harder mode, why would anyone mind the game having an easier mode?