Poll: Dark Souls, Easy Mode, Do We Get "Hard" Mode?

[The White Hunter]

So here are my thoughts; Dark Souls 2 could very well have an easy mode. It wouldn't need to be dumbed down, as somebody suggested they could simply make it so things did less damage and poison when you don't have an item to get rid of it less of an absolute death sentence, for example.

Another user also suggested having Easy mode be offline-only as a tutorial. Also a good suggestion. Sorry by the way, I can't remember either of your names and don't wish to delve into the previous threads after them.

Anyway, so long as this easy mode retained challenging gameplay and gave a sense of accomplishment I think it would work just fine, I mean it's never going to be babys' first RPG is it?

Long story short, if we get an easy mode, does the current difficulty become Normal? If so, do we get a hard mode option?

Would you like hard mode as an option? Would you dare face a harder Dark Souls?
How do you think increased difficulty could be achieved without sacrificing the delicate balance the gameplay offers as is?

EDIT: Not sure if this belongs in Off-Topic, if it belongs in Gaming Discussion could a mod please move it there? Thanks!

 

[The White Hunter]

Maybe.

If only because both Demon's and Dark Souls have lots of good things going for them, but the only claim to fame they seem to be able to exert is their difficulty level.

Thats what people rave about. I'd say it also has a good element of actually role-playing, the gameplay is very engrossing and immersive, the atmosphere is terrific and the world(s) fun to explore. The gameplay is tense and exciting as a result of being so punishing.

It's not hard, it hurts you because it loves you. I like them a lot for a fair few reasons people tend to ignore.

 

[Shadowstar38]

Doesnt matter if there's an easy mode in the game. A long as you can play it normally, it's all good. Go ahead and let the newcomers be weened in.

 

[The White Hunter]

If anything I hope they make it more unforgiving, but also more fair.

I can get hit 3 times by a boss or fail to block an attack by a normal enemy without any trouble, and then I take one step and am instakilled without warning by an enviromental, scripted event? Shit makes no sense.

Anyway. If the easy difficulty just made checkpoints more frequent, I'd use it. I'm not sure if I'd select it if it made the rest of the game easier too.

More frequent checkpointing I could gladly get behind in both previous titles I've lost a lot of progress to it to be honest. Not a huge deal of instakill has happened to me though, except by the fucking bulky spear pricks in Demons Souls's.

 

[The White Hunter]

If anything I hope they make it more unforgiving, but also more fair.

I can get hit 3 times by a boss or fail to block an attack by a normal enemy without any trouble, and then I take one step and am instakilled without warning by an enviromental, scripted event? Shit makes no sense.

Anyway. If the easy difficulty just made checkpoints more frequent, I'd use it. I'm not sure if I'd select it if it made the rest of the game easier too.

More frequent checkpointing I could gladly get behind in both previous titles I've lost a lot of progress to it to be honest. Not a huge deal of instakill has happened to me though, except by the fucking bulky spear pricks in Demons Souls's.

Maybe that would be an easy difficulty setting that would suit the game; combat is still brutal, but you get more frequent checkpoints, or lose less stuff upon death.

I think that's how I would do it, it would keep the core of the game intact while still giving the more casual or unskilled motivation to keep going. So From, if you're reading this; do it.

Yeah that'd be a perfectly reasonable easy mode, keep the challenge, ease the sting of defeat. I know that I've had to just leave the game for a week or 2 before just because it fucked me up and sent me back a long fucking way.