Dark Souls luring gamers into a false sense of security, set to be harder than Demon Souls
Dark Souls is the highly anticipated, and equally dreaded, sequel to one of the hardest games in recent gaming history: Demon Souls. Developed by Namco Bandai studios, the original was a harsh and unforgiving experience for gamers and the sequel is reported
to be even harder, despite the deceiving appearance.
Rather than make the game frustrating, the higher than normal difficulty level in the game added to the experience and it seems Namco Bandai want to take difficulty levels even higher.
However, the developers did reveal that they wanted the game to remain enjoyable rather than a non-stop festival of frustration. In order to do that Namco Bandai have increased the number of ‘Bonfires’, where players can replenish their ammo, items and health
and also save their games.
While this may sound confusing, the only reason they made the game easier, was so that they could make it harder. The increase in bonfires are there to accommodate an increase in difficulty.
Brain Hong, Namco Bandai’s brand manager, elaborated that point in a press release, “The best way to explain bonfires is that the developers wanted to make the game harder. Which they did, but they were also very concerned with game balance. With the increased
difficulty of play it is much harder, but harder to the point of not being fun.”
In what seems to be a fitting recreation of the age old adage, ‘They giveth with one hand and taketh with the other’, Namco Bandai are striving to find the sweet spot where frustration and satisfaction become one in the same.
Brandon Zien, another brand manager at Namco Bandai, explained exactly how the increase in bonfires would not make the game any easier, as players who clear a certain area and return will find the area repopulated with enemies.
“If you're one of those players who get to the checkpoint and then fight ahead for 45 minutes to clear a level and then decide to go back to a bonfire to replenish your health and flasks everything will respawn,” said Zien.
Not only will everything respawn, but Zien went one step further and explained they will return in an even more menacing mood (read higher difficulty).
Yet, what made Demon Souls so unique was its unique approach to multiplayer; other gamers could join a players campaign and either harass them, attack them or aid them. Namco Bandai confirmed they were adding new features and ways to expand the popular dynamic
without giving anything concrete away.
They did leave the gaming world with four words however, which are cause for both excitement and a sense of foreboding. They said that Darks Souls is set to be “Harder than Demon's Souls.”
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