Featured Image: (Pacer Story by Brandon Mochrie/ Pacer Graphic by Sophia Phillips)
FromSoftware is a video game developing studio that is known for their incredibly difficult titles, vague stories and larger than life enemies. Their games are not easy to learn and punish players who are less familiar with their style of gameplay. However, they are massively popular and successful. They are so successful, in fact, that they now have their own style of gameplay coined.
FromSoftware has been making notoriously difficult games since their first one, “King’s Field,” came out in 1994. They saw massive success after their 2012 hit “Dark Souls” brought the developers into the mainstream. Since then, they have had continued success.
This makes the player beg the question: what made them so popular in the first place? This trend is something you can see even outside of FromSoftware games. Games with adjustable difficulties still have players choosing to play on hard mode.
A large reason that people like to play these games is the sense of accomplishment. The feeling of beating a boss that has been a nuisance for hours is one that many can say makes them feel as if they achieved something grandiose. A large part of that struggle is the fun of learning about the boss, each failed attempt bringing some new ideas on how to fight them. This style of games also has a wide array of secrets and less than obvious story details, sometimes including other parts of the game. This adds to the sense of discovery one feels when exploring the massive worlds of these games.
Science also shows that behind the difficulty of really hard enemies is a foundational difference in how gamers see the world. Seemingly impossible enemies teach problem solving and other skills that gamers are good at identifying and having. Studies suggest that playing these difficult games can help other skills as well, such as memory and cognitive flexibility. The thrill is clearly one worth chasing, both from a player perspective as well as from a developer perspective.
These style of games offer more than just a little fun, they offer a challenge that can change brain chemistry. They make players stop and think, allowing them to find hidden treasures. Commercially making these games can be great if they are executed properly, as they always manage to become huge successes for their respective companies. If a company makes a mistake, however, they could be in hot water with the community and fans. A delicate balance must be maintained, with certain characteristics included, to truly make their game a “souls-like.”
When done correctly, these games can improve brain function, and provide a sense of accomplishment that other games just can’t offer. The studios behind them will typically profit off of these projects and, if your anything like FromSoftware, you might just solidify your place in the gaming world with a difficult game like “Dark Souls.”
