Games like Dark Souls are truly different from many mainstream games, only because they evoke a sense which tells you that you may never be able to beat it. Dark Souls takes this approach, and challenges you head on. However, it is a very tight, and very risky rope.
Unless you are stubborn, you may just end up not even making it halfway through. If you do though, this is where those stubborn gamers benefit: you will try and try ’till you finally beat it. This is what makes the game: after trying for so long to just clear a corridor that has held you back for over two hours, even though it may not be significant in terms of story or boss killing, you will feel a sense of accomplishment at nearly every turn.
I’m not usually a stubborn gamer; I typically play most games on the normal difficulty because I like to enjoy it without the frustration of not being able to beat something, and I enjoy playing like that. But when games like Dark Souls, Hotline Miami, Super Meat Boy come along; it is hard denying how addicting these games can be.
But Dark Souls was different. I knew, going into it, I was going to be royally screwed over and over and over at nearly every turn. I had to actually stop, assess the area, and then plan what approach I was going to take. In most games, I would go in all guns blazing ’till every man was wasted. I had a lot of fun in Dishonoured doing this, but nearly every time I did that in Dark souls, the enemies wiped the floor with me.
It was also a different kind of frustration, not like in games like FIFA where you want to hit the person who scored against you in the 90th minute, (often following through with that hit as well). This frustration was strange; it was a form of criticism coming from the game itself, saying “no, you did this wrong; go back and try again differently,” and it made me want to keep improving how I approach new areas. When I first entered the castle after defeating the abyssal demon, I charged in with my axe and was bombarded by several enemies and immediately died.
I am a barbarian gamer; I never usually bother with defence, I just run in and attempt to pummel everyone. I quickly learnt I couldn’t do that here, as I had to actually parry effectively, move with precision timing, and swing without wasting energy. It made you think about how you’re going to do it.
Similar in its own way is Red Orchestra 2 on realism mode. It is the most difficult online shooter, and one of the more frustrating ones that I have played; but, like Dark Souls, it is a welcomed frustration. It moves me away from simplistic shooters like Call of Duty where you run around like a mad man. That strategy is often effective in Call of Duty, but if you do that in Red Orchestra 2 in realism mode, online, you will be shot the second your body is visible, basically saying “here I am: you’re free kill for today.
You have to actually be careful: take in everything you see, and then move, because if you have just seen someone, they most likely have seen you too. It is a steep learning curve if you have never played it before and are used to the more mainstream style of shooter; you will be killed many times, unless you’re just damn good. The steep learning curve changes when you change; it will always be hard if you charge like I do, but if you play smart and vigilant, you will be rewarded with many kills.
Indie titles like Super Meat Boy or Hotline Miami excel in this line of work. They are near the most frustrating games that I have played, yet I loved them. It is addicting; they make you punch the desk in frustration and push you to the limit, but the second you say you are finished with the game, you find yourself picking it up again.
Difficulty in games is a game in itself; it is very much its own achievement. In games like Dark Souls you are rewarded for that difficulty, which is the same rewarding feeling you get when you have achieved something; it makes these games awesome. But, with more mainstream games like Call of Duty leading the way, it makes it very difficult for unique games to be acknowledged by casual gamers.
Casual gamers will most likely not bother with these type of games when they can just stick with the more mainstream genre. It is unfortunate, but the truth. It is certainly risky, but if it is done right the risks are well worth it. As long as the developers believe in their project without reshaping themselves to suit the mainstream market, they will keep the devoted gamers. If they try to make themselves more appealing to suit the mainstream market, they walk the tight rope of losing both sets of gamers.
