Creator Of One Of The Best-Reviewed Games Ever Responds To Complaints Over Game’s Difficulty

The director behind one of the highest-rated video games of all time has spoken out after receiving complaints that the game is too difficult to complete.

Japanese studio FromSoftware released its latest game, Elden Ring, towards the end of last month to an audience who were keen to get stuck in to the highly-anticipated title.

The game has earned a Metacritic rating of 97%, though the praise started to flood in even before it went public as those with early access sang their praises and ranked it among the best video games ever released.

Finished Elden Ring. One of the greatest video games ever made, it was amazing. Everything I ever wanted in a game. I love Elden Ring. pic.twitter.com/u8RieM6Bik

— ♡ (@_sleepytired_) March 2, 2022

Not everyone who plays the game has had such a positive experience, though, with some players getting frustrated at the time and patience required to complete the game.

Many have taken to social media to vent their feelings, with one player writing, 'I was honestly ENJOYING my time with Elden Ring thus far UNTIL I got to my first boss. I was reminded how STUPIDLY difficult these games are. Why would I want to play something that's just NOT fun?'

I was honestly ENJOYING my time with Elden Ring thus far UNTIL I got to my first boss. I was reminded how STUPIDLY difficult these games are. Why would I want to play something that's just NOT fun? Why doesn't this have an OPTIONAL "easy" mode? It's 2022---not 1999. Refunded. pic.twitter.com/d0ZFRCBFpH

— Michael Does Life (@MichaelDoesLife) February 24, 2022

Though the difficulty of the game has proven too much for some, director Hidetaka Miyazaki has made clear that creating tough titles is 'not something [FromSoftware is] willing to abandon at the moment', adding, 'It's our identity.'

Discussing the challenging nature of the title with The New Yorker, Miyazaki explained that 'hardship is what gives meaning to the experience', and said his games allow users to experience the gratification of problem-solving.

He said, 'I wouldn’t say that my life story, to put it in grandiose terms, has affected the way I make games. A more accurate way to look at it is problem solving. We all face problems in our daily lives. Finding answers is always a satisfying thing. But in life, you know, there’s not a lot that gives us those feelings readily.'

Although the director said he does 'feel apologetic toward anyone who feels there’s just too much to overcome' in his games, he indicated he would not change the rules as he just wants 'as many players as possible to experience the joy that comes from overcoming hardship'.

The best feeling ever in elden ring is bashing your head against a difficult boss for 2 hours straight and then killing it.

Straight up feels like clearing an ultimate.

— Shiny 👀 (@ShinyFFXIV) March 3, 2022

The difficulty of Elden Ring should not come as much of a surprise to fans of FromSoftware, who will know that the 2011 game Dark Souls, which put Miyazaki in the spotlight, has since become notorious for its challenging nature.

While that knowledge might not provide much comfort for those who feel like they want to throw their controllers across the room while playing Elden Ring, I suppose at least you can be safe in the knowledge that Miyazaki believes it's worth it.

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