Ever since FromSoftware’sDark Soulsfranchise took off in popularity, a great debate has raged about the games' high level of difficulty. There are those who find theDark Soulsgames, andSouls-like games in general, completely inaccessible. Others wouldn’t have it any other way, as they prefer the steep challenge provided by theSouls-like genre, with many seeing it as a fresh of breath air in an industry dominated by easier, more casual gaming experiences.
There are those who enjoy mastering challenging games like theDark Soulstitles, and there are those who simply don’t have the time necessary to invest in the games and “get good.” These people may still want to take in the impressive sights and boss designs found inFromSoftware’s game worlds, but are unable to do so because they find the difficulty too much to overcome.
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And so the debate has been whether or not theDark Soulsgames should add easier difficulty optionsfor more casual players. Purists say no, that givingDark Soulsdifficulty options would completely ruin the grim atmosphere that the games possess and rob them of what makes them special. Others argue that those looking for a challenge could still playDark Soulsas intended, but that difficulty options would make the game more accessible to a wider audience.
FromSoftware so far has seemed uninterested in adding difficulty options toDark Soulsor any of its other games for that matter, but if it ever does decide to do so, there is one indie game that it may want to take inspiration from.CrossCodeby Radical Fish Gamesis a great example of difficulty options done right, and it’s easy to see how the way it handles difficulty could be translated to theDark Soulsseries.
CrossCode’s Approach to Difficulty Options
For those unfamiliar with the game,CrossCodeis an action-RPG with 16-bit style graphics that’s known for its pretty steep challenge.CrossCodeis full of mind-bending puzzles that require players not only to think, but to have perfect timing as they often involve shooting balls of energy at just the right angle and at just the right time. It also has seriously difficult boss fights; some of the battles inCrossCodecould giveDark Soulsbossesa run for their money, for sure.
Like theDark Soulsgames,CrossCodeis completely doable if players invest the time into learning how to pull off all of their special attacks, leveling up their character, and memorizing boss patterns. The game is extremely tough, but also fair. However, the game’s boss fights are difficult enough that some may reach a point where they are unable to progress further, which could be disappointing for anyone that wants to know what happens inCrossCode’s story. The bosses can serve as a roadblock, potentially leading to frustration and players quitting the game entirely.
CrossCode’s ultra-tough difficulty is its default setting, but players are free to adjust things as needed.CrossCodelets players adjust sliders so they can lower the damage they take from enemies as well as the frequency of enemy attacks. They can’t move the dials all the way down to zero, but they can still pull them back rather significantly. Those having trouble withCrossCode’s puzzlescan tweak those as well, slowing things down to make them more doable.
Not only does this make it possible for some players to make more progress inCrossCodewhen they may have quit otherwise, but it allows them to perfectly tailor it to the kind of experience they’re wanting. Maybe someone enjoys figuring outCrossCode’s tougher puzzles, but they have no interest in overcoming its boss battles. Alternatively, someone could have fun beatingCrossCode’s bosses into submission, but may find the puzzles annoying. TheCrossCodeAssist sliders ensure that fans can focus on whatever aspect of the game they enjoy most, minimizing frustration in the process.
Of course,CrossCodeplayers using the Assist sliders don’t have to take things to the extremes either. They could dial back the damage taken from enemies to halfway if they want, while keeping the enemy attack frequency high. It really boils down to player choice and that’s something that theDark Soulsfranchise, and similar games, could learn a lot from.
Dark Souls Easy Mode
IfDark Soulswere to take theCrossCodeapproach to difficulty, it could have its usual high difficulty setting as the default so anyone playing would know that was the way the developers intended the game to be played. However, it could have Assist sliders to allow players to adjust things like the damage they take from enemies, which would in turn open the door for a lot more people to enjoy the franchise andFromSoftware’s other titles.
One reason why this might not work isDark Souls' online multiplayer functionality. Introducing a system like this would potentially makeDark SoulsPvP unfair, as some players could more easily acquire desirable weapons and armor that they could then use to invade other players' games, including those that are playing normally without any assists. A solution to this would be to simply make it impossible for those using the Assist sliders to access the online multiplayer features; someone who would want to use them likely doesn’t want to have to deal with the threat of players invading their game anyway.
Whether or not aDark Soulseasy modeor something equivalent toCrossCode’s Assist sliders ever materializes remains to be seen. The debate will continue for now.
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