“But the director said that the game is supposed to be a challenge”
Everyone knows an artists vision for media is always important and video games are an amazing medium for art to be shown and enjoyed. Still this argument on Sekiro having an easy mode being against the directors original intent is a nonstarter. The directors vision applies no matter who sees the creation or how. There has been a mass of directors and creators retweeting how accessibility hasn’t changed their vision or plans for a game so who are you to argue with any of them? Simple, you’re a person who knows what `, GODMODE does.
“If they want to play an easy game go play something else”
As people who have played Quake properly back in the day know, the difficulty was so baked into the design you had to find the harder difficulty mode in the hub world. Did playing the game on Easy or normal change the fun of blasting a nail cannon into demon spawn? No. Most of the people complaining about that Sekiro debacle most likely loaded nightmare popped open the console and shamelessly typed “impulse 9” with no qualms.
“It’s not fun to just get the experience, there has to be a challenge”
Seems the complainer has forgotten what is at the heart of any successful video game. Fun. I don’t play Silent Hill 2 to be super happy but am I engaged with the content and having an enjoyable time? Sure. Has the game you’re playing just become a never ending plight in bonking your head against the wall for no entertainment at all? It can be a frustrating and enjoyable experience but if the amusement is gone you’re only essentially doing work (and that’s best left to journalists). Going back to Sekiro if you are only frustrated with no enjoyment at all why would you go back at all? I’m sure if the person complaining could type noclip they would.
“I don’t care I love the game as it is”
You know what the entire argument boils down? It’s a lack of empathy. The complainers are of the understanding that they have fun so why can’t you have the exact same fun or none at all? With little to no empathy to think that some people can’t experience that fun feeling from performing the same actions they did. It’s the same response with subtitles and various other accessibility issues where people will always complain that it ruins the level of skill needed. Accessibility and ease of use aren’t always the same but the arguments used by both regularly are. I’m sure nobody that ever loved Quake loaded a mod.
“You can always grind at it to make it easier”
Multiple difficulty settings aren’t anything new. Hell almost any video game now has them as well. Diablo3 is stupidly easy on normal settings but multiple difficulties just pop up the challenge with no worries. Would Diablo3 be as enjoyable at the highest difficulty stage from the go with the sentiment “git gud”? No way! Most games will scale according to the player choice from the start and although From Software games don’t do this in an obvious way they typically allow social aspects to help players in need. The grinding was rarely a patch on the difficulty as you can buff your HP to the sun and back, if your reactions are too slow it won’t matter one bit and all it takes are two hits to die. The fact most guides and wikis don’t have level or stat recommendations sums it up. You either have the skills or you don’t and it would be a lot fairer if you could “give power shield”.
“You’re not a true fan”
Oh, Well I suppose that’s true. I wasn’t first in line to buy Sekiro on day one and I keep spelling the title wrong without realising. If you enjoy the game though, bravo! I enjoy toasting hot cross buns. I’m still stuck on my first Bloodbourne playthrough despite grinding much higher than I feel like I need to be. I was getting into Dark souls until I eventually got to a point where I fell down into an area where toad monsters halved my health and I died miles back never fully able to recover. Sekiro looks absolutely amazing but with those mechanics and that punishing a system? No chance. I may not be a fanatic but I can still appreciate the game and its world. Remember using sv_gravity 0 to see the whole level? It’s like that.
“Just watch a let’s play”
Don’t assume that most people who can’t play a game will be just as satisfied watching someone else play a game for them. If I popped round to your house and played your games while you watched as I finished them without a struggle (yes even that game you’ve had for years and just couldn’t bring yourself to sell or trade) Would you still feel the same way? Nope. I do understand the appeal of let’s play videos though. I’ll go watch PB & Jeff play Mario 64 for the 100th time because it’s more enjoyable than going back to play it myself. Would I do that for a game I can’t play and get the same enjoyment? No. That’s why nobody would bother with watching the demo at the start of Quake, you just jumped in to play.
“That player completed it with a toothbrush, left foot and played the banjo at the same time! Why are you having trouble?”
Everyone is different and that’s why empathy and understanding can be so important. It’s something fanatics can be inclined to forget and that is also why inclusively is always seen as a way of tarnishing something that you love rather than a growth of something specific. As Trent Reznor is quoted to have said about the Quake soundtrack NIN made, “its not music, it’s textures and ambiances and whirling machine noises and stuff. We tried to make the most sinister, depressive, scary, frightening kind of thing… It’s been fun.” See that part? “It’s been fun” Sums it up really doesn’t it.

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