Does Difficulty Still Have a Place in Modern Video Games?

Today's breed of gamer is significantly different from 20 years ago. We have become a more varied and diverse species of human with different tastes and preferences. However, new traits are becoming the norm. Traits such as being unable to commit as much time to their favorite games, not being as dextrous, or simply not having interest in playing something that may be too difficult for them, instead giving up at the slightest roadblock.

However, the gamers of old still exist - the ones that look for the chance to test themselves in games for the ultimate satisfaction. This breed isn't content with the instant gratification of today's games, and pines for a time when games actually challenged players. They want to be able to brag about beating the original Ninja Gaiden or TMNT on the NES in a single run without dying, a feat that can be seen as a badge of honor.

But, what of the people in the middle of this spectrum? Gamers that just want to be able to feel challenged in a game, but not to a point where it feels pointless. They don't want to have tutorials thrown into their face every five minutes, but they still want to actually have to think when it comes to a particular situation, and when they die, they want it to be because they messed up, not because the game wanted to instantly crush them to a pulp for no reason whatsoever.

At this point you may be wondering just what the bloody hell I'm getting at here, but the gist of it would be that video games don't have the kind of difficulty curve as they should. This is pretty common knowledge for anyone that has paid attention to what's been put out recently, but over the past couple of years, we have seen developers find ways to challenge gamers in ways that makes those who remember the olden days end up tearing up when they realize they actually have to try at something.

Of these games, Dark Souls stands out as an extreme, but effective, example. I'm not just bringing it up because it's become my favorite game of the modern era, but because it stands as a testament that games can be difficult, but still fun. The amount of options you have available when building your character is staggering, and most situations have multiple options in how to progress. The high degree of difficulty in the game is only matched by the number of solutions to a given problem, although the PvP aspect is admittedly pretty shot in terms of weapon balance.

At the same time, however, Dark Souls also forgiving in some ways. When you die, and you will, you keep all of your gear, instead losing any souls and humanity you had at the time. You then have a chance of reclaiming them by interacting with the blood stain that was left when you originally died. Many enemy attacks are also easy to read, having clear signs of what they're going to do, and they can be avoided if you stay focused and watch for them. If you're having troubles, you can also invite other players to your game to help you out, and of course, you can intentionally build your character to be as overpowered or weak as you want. It's a game that realizes its own difficulty, but it isn't afraid to make you learn how to progress the hard way.

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