I’m of two minds about difficult games like Nioh 3—one mind thinks that difficulty’s a matter of accessibility, that there’s really no harm in adding a setting so that someone (for any reason) is able to see a game through. The other half of me thinks that difficulty’s often kind of the point, and can be a part of a game itself. I’m also one of those pretentious gits that thinks videogames don’t have to be fun to be worth making or playing, though.
Very much in the ‘it’s the point’ camp is game director of Nioh 3 Masaki Fujita, who spoke with Eurogamer on the subject this week. In case you’re unfamiliar, Nioh 3 is a soulslike action game with an emphasis on skill expression and difficulty.
That point, “more variations on strategies”, is the crux of the thing. Elden Ring is more accessible than the OG Dark Souls not because it’s inherently easier, but because if you wanna go google a cheesy build that can melt through enemies and use the Mimic Tear summon, that’s… basically a difficulty setting with more steps, right?
Still, Fujita continues: “The enjoyment and sense of accomplishment of being able to figure out on your own how to overcome a situation is what we see as one of the best parts of this series.” Well, hey—my own personal inner turmoil aside, based on my coworker’s glowing words? It clearly worked for Nioh 3. We don’t just give 90s to anybody.
Read the full article here
