From Software's Hidetaka Miyazaki says toughness should have purpose; PC version of game made largely in response to petition.
Dark Souls director Hidetaka Miyazaki says his game's notorious difficulty is a means to a more satisfying end. The From Software developer told Metro about his game and how fan demand for a PC version eventually led to the creation of the Prepare to Die Edition.
"I personally want my games to be described as satisfying rather than difficult," Miyazaki said. "However, I suppose gamers do not particularly prefer easy games. What they want is interesting and worthwhile games to play, so I think it is natural that hindrance or stress that does not attribute to such interesting and worthwhile elements will be removed in the end."
He said the game's PC version, Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition, was not planned during original development. But a successful fan petition was one of the "main factors" that pushed From Studios to release on the platform in August.
Miyazaki remained non-committal about a sequel to Dark Souls, itself a spiritual successor to 2009's Demon's Souls. Dark Souls' console versions sold 1.19 million copies as of the end of March, pushing publisher Namco Bandai to its strongest fiscal year since 2008.
Connor Sheridan is the News Intern at GameSpot in San Francisco. He loves Super Metroid and has seen "Weird Al" Yankovic in concert three times.
I read that Miyazaki was taken off the Dark Souls 2 project against his will because he did not agree to all of From Softwares changes, but they hired Shibuya (who's only experience is art for resident evil) because he wanted to make the game easier and more accessible to the people who did not like dark souls. This is a petition to put Miyazaki back as the director and remove Shibya. This is a link to From Software that you can state your opinion. http://www.fromsoftware.jp/en/inquiry/.
A better more invested story worthy of the best RPG combat game ever, with more humans, and human themes and philosophy involved (compassion, honor, love, vengeance) and more story choices with multiple endings including the choice of a heroic not so sad ending as well as an evil ending and a love story, that could alone (w/o the excellent combat) motivate DS2 players to play through again to see the alternate endings based on these various choices. These endings should be based on complex choices and not at all like the awful cheesy endings in Fallout based on single actions in the game.
don't like the idea of dark souls being "more accessible." i kind like the feeling that it takes somewhat of an elite intellect and reflexes to beat the game and solve its mysteries. if everyone can do it, that takes away a huge chunk from the experience. i'm not even saying i'm that group of "elite", but if you aren't then, i think its better that people have to go online and look up stuff from gamers who have gone before them and give credit to those who solved it first. i didn't think the game was very hard to learn in the first place, so i get really frustrated everytime this Tomohiro Shibuya makes a comment. He's clearly targetting the people who didn't like the game. Fire this guy please.
just tried to play Dishonored for a day, was not very fun despite the high rating on gamespot. Demon's Soul's has ruined a lot of games for me including skyrim...i don't think i can go back to cheesy combat anymore
Tomohiro Shibuya. please fire this guy. Not only does he make inconsiderate stupid remarks about our beloved game, his only experience is Resident Evil Outbreak. That's bad!! Lets get a petition going. We can't let a guy with no credibility handle dark souls 2. Why is Hidetaka Miyazaki stepping down? We need to find someone who's designed some really good games. or make him feel the pressure of how good and great this game is and how many people will be cranky if he screws this up...he seems so clueless about RPG and fantasy lore in his interview. Why is he "learning" everything from Miyazaki? this game needs like the top experienced designers who know a lot about this stuff. Please come back and be the director Hidetaka Miyazaki!!
Look, the game is somewhat hardcore, but it's not that hardcore. If you want hardcore, go FFXI in it's original days, where it took literally, 365+ days for many people to cap out ONE (1) job, days or weeks to advance a single level. That's pathetically hardcore, Darksouls IS NOT - in relation to REAL time sink games.
As a gamer of well over 30 years, some of us know what defines hardcore (hardcore defines who can WASTE the most time), and Darksouls fits somewhat in that group, but it will NEVER be the most hardcore. And, as part of the hardcore group, some of us these days just don't have time, or even give a darn about hardcore games like we did in the past, we've wasted enough of our time on time sinks from years ago. When I bought this game, it was to SEE how the game was, as I was looking for something enjoyable but still reasonable. Unfortunately, without a difficulty setting, it alienates a large portion of it's gamer base. I'm apt to think that a company DID NOT put gamers ahead of it's investors, I think they screwed up in it's design, and while the game MAY have been profitable in it's release, I can't help but find MANY copies selling for very low prices at Gamestop. I think they're selling it as intentionally difficult as an excuse, it's incredibly stupid to NOT include the option, since a business's core are dollars, not game difficulties. However, a smart gamer (such as yourself) purchases pre-owned, so they can take them back in 7 days if they don't fit their gaming style, which is the reason you will find these ALWAYS available at Gamestop. There's just not enough interest to keep the game, opposed to selling the title back.
The game offers some new additions to the genre, which is cool, but it's takes away in other areas, it definitely didn't keep my interest, or offer replay value in any way. I would say if you want to try it out, try USED at Gamestop for the 7 day return, because many people WILL return it.
Before they amateur gamers chime in with the "your not hardcore enough" comments. Well, my history is that I rented games one by one, rental store by rental store, never returned until beat - and ALL games were beat. I placed 2nd in the blockbuster video game challenges when I was young (before many of you were born), so yeah I wasted a lot of time in my younger life. If you think your hardcore, you might be, but maybe not to the level YOU think you are.
@cored911 WHY are you CAPITALIZING every other WORD?
By the way, you're VERY full of yourself, touting accomplishments and such. I've been gaming since the arcade days of the early 80's also and think this game is just fine. So they chose to not offer a difficulty choice....that's their decision. If you don't like it, don't play it.
Also, difficulty does NOT equal time sink. A game that forces you to grind for hours and hours but never really challenges you isn't difficult, it's just long.
@cored911 You said it yourself: "...Darksouls IS NOT - in relation to REAL time sink games.""--in relation to real time sink games."Dark Souls is hardcore, just not regarding length of time required to beat the game.
whatever you do please DO NOT add an easy mode and water the game down. It's great the way it is.
How about a PC Port of Demon's Souls next? I've got hundreds of hours on Dark Souls but never even got to play Demon's.
I also really hope there's a third Souls title in the works.
@MisterFister666 Get a PS3. I bought one used for 150$ I got the console a controller with the wire and GOW3 for that price this summer just to play Demons souls which I found used at EB games for 10$. the games really worth it even if I like Dark souls bosses more AND theres the awesome Last of us game coming soon exclusive for PS3 you wont want to miss that
@GamerOuTLaWz @MisterFister666
I probably will get a console, once I'm not broke-ass. I had a PS3 but it died on me. Whatever media they choose to release it on though, I think they oughta do a bundle of both D Souls games to raise money for a third installment. It wouldn't really recquire any new programming, and I'm sure at least the hardcore fans would buy it. Also how awesome would it be if the third one were set in the far east? DRAGON SOULS!!
The director is 100% correct... the game is a masterpiece and can't wait to get the DLC for the 360!
I am currently level 30 and have only four kings and lord gwen left. I watched a guy beat the game as a level 20 and it blew my mind. So after you beat it the first time, if you wanna see how well crafted the game really is, try a low level playthrough. Frustrating, but incredibly rewarding.
@Raziel5483 there is a player who has beaten this game in 35 minutes. Being naked for most of the run. And now they say that this game is insanely hard.......
@solid_snake1461 @Raziel5483 Yes because every single player can do that (Sarcasm) There will ALWAYS be at least one player that can do things like that. The average playthrough is over 50 hours
@solid_snake1461 @Raziel5483 If there's a video online can you post a link? It's very hard to believe that it is at all possible but if it is I have to see it. I'm just too lazy to search for a video... if one exists.
@Cuthbert1970 @Raziel5483 look for "dark souls 35 minutes run". I'm not doing the work for you.
@solid_snake1461 @Raziel5483 cause this game has been out for a year..but when it was fresh and new to everyone one yes it was hard
3 Like I've beaten demons souls over 5 times and have over 100 hours of gameplay on it and on dark souls im stuck on the 4 kings and have about 40 hours of gameplay on it, the souls games are easily the best JRPG's i have ever played in my life nothing will amount to this series
my Deprived in his loincloth, wielding a club fear no one coz he is ready to die over and over again
Largely in response to petition ? That's why they did a sh*tty job porting.
On topic, 90% of gaming at the moment revolves around casualization, so I praise whoever supports gaming the way it was made in the 90's and early 2000.
@Sardinar a shitty job porting?
well your one of what two, maybe three that thinks so...
for a company to create a game solely based upon what their fans want IMO is remarkable and selfless.
KUDOS to FROM SOFTWARE to use common sense in creating one of the greatest games ever created and giving the publishers numbers to brag about, i think the other companies should be taking notes
1 Like demon souls and dark souls are both such good games. I think dark souls may just have won be over more
Awesome game. I still like playing other games as well. It doesn't have to be only Dark Souls and Demon Souls. Enjoy variety guys. :)
1 Like I think they should make Demon's Souls II next, totally going back to that format as a base, but building from it in the direction Mr. Tamazaki dictates, with all marketing interference dealt with swiftly by whatever Yakuza assasins modern Japan has to offer. This man's work should be supported and nurtured in a most 'beck and call' manner, notone daring to taint this particular genius among genius's of gaming. He is a planetary treasure to the human race. D Souls games have done only one negative thing.... they made everything else that comes out an uninteresting worm of a competitior, and it's become virtually impossible to get sucked into something new, leading me to drastic gaming habits like instead of somehting fresh, I am going for 15 completions of Demon's Souls.
Nice game, I really enjoy it, although I die a lot, but trail and error makes this game as fun as hell, looking forward for more from Software and Namco, this game is a jewel and worthwhile, the best hardcore game I even known.
This comment has been deleted
@percuvius2 That fast, nice, still stuck in the middle of no where, but is making progress.
I thought pc gamers are suppose to be the hardcore gamers? Come on I want to hear the voice of all the hardcore pc gamers out there! Why are you guys being silent!? let From Software know that the people that are complaining are casual gamers! lol
@cds325 I think everyone is waiting for From to add the ability to calibrate gamepads into the same scheme as the consoles, instead of basically saying, 'sorry, you'll just have to move a few buttons around differently, not because we cannot make the controls exactly the same, but because we decided to lock them with apparently unadjustable space swapping, preventing us the simple and uncomplicating choice to set it up the way it shouls default to. The setting is forced to bring suspicious thoughts, wodering if it's done this way to spite PC gamers in an angry fit. Paranoid and negative thinking? The alternative is that they innocently and accidentily messed up the settings and locked them up via a lack of customization. Maybe it's a marketing tactic, to frustrate users who bought the pc version into impatience and so we go ahead and spend more cash for the console downloadable content, the stuff we wish to enjoy with the controller setup we had before the dyslexic clusterphque they dealt us.
There, one negative reaction criticism of From Software and friends. That is as far as I can go without my love for this company demanding another compliment, like the fact that I found a cure for Dark Souls addiction.... Demon's Souls relapse.
@cds325 I want to ask you this? Are you HIGH? Cause of your console version? What? Can't be play Dark Sould Prepare to Die Edition, knowing its a better edition? :P
This game rocks, we want more!
Are you high? Don't be jealous just because you are playing inferior edition on your console toys. No one is complaining about difficulty on PC. Developers are just being introduced to more varied type of gamers who have more than one brain cell up there unlike consoletards.
So obviously they realize their game isn't perfect as console kids said it was.
I am up to the last boss and I would have to say If you take your time level up heaps and upgrade your weapons the game gets more easy its just time consuming and theres nothing wrong with that because thats is were half the fun comes from.
This is how I've been playing.Slowly and leveling up.Because I know this is one of those games 3 months after I beat it I want to play it again.Than a few months later I'm playing it again because it's so good.The combat is so good when I play any other game the combat pales in comparison.
I must say, while at first I was turned off by the game's harsh difficulty, it has a way of making you want to get better and overcome the challenge. And mark my words, if you have never played this game, while you must prepare to die you must also prepare to be satisfied. I'm on my first play through of the PTD edition and I just beat Ornstein and Smough. I can't tell you how victorious and great it felt when I saw Ornstein fall...such a great game moment that I will remember forever. We need more games like this where the player isn't babied throughout the play experience, or given so many over the top abilities that the game becomes far too easy. Believe it or not, this game reminds me a heck of a lot of Castlevania 2, on the NES. Talk about a game that offered no warnings...lol! Glad this finally came out on PC, it was an excellent move.
@goggles123456I got a hold of the black iron set and farmed the silver knights downstairs to upgrade it to +5... (getting twinkling from giant smith) that plus the silver knight shield +5 and black knight sword +5... pwned Ornstein and Smough on the first go. Good times.
It reminds me of when I used to play Nintendo 8 bit games.Most games these days seem watered down and too easy.
Older gamers appreciate these games more. Wow remember the days when poor controls or game mechanics were used cheaply as difficulty (I'm looking at you games with relentless respawning enemies on the edges of the screen that hit you and sent you flying backwards towards any one of the numerous death holes as if there was a magnet at the bottom).
Praise the sun! My brothers, the shining light that lead us out of the dark hours of half-baked RPGs is finally here!
Please stay true to that spirit, Miyazaki-san, and NEVER, EVER, stoop low just to satisfy the lowest common denominator and whiny brats who were too spoiled to actually play challenging games (look at what happened to Ninja Gaiden 3). The Souls games are IMO, the masterpieces of this current gen.
Tom Mc Shea hypothesizes how Dark Souls II could retain the series' punishing appeal while welcoming in new players.
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