Nothing at all wrong with it, I just think there should always be choices when it comes to game modes. That way every type of gamer can be happy. Personally I like a challenge on games like Mass Effect, Halo and Gears Of War, so I play those on the hardest level. Other times I just want to be told a story and participate and not have to go back and do things a hundred times.

For most games...Nothing.

But when a game is specifically designed around the difficulty level (ie. the Souls Series), then yes, it is a bit of an issue.

Further, (and lets call a spade a spade here), the Souls games harken back to an era when some gamers couldn't beat certain games. It is a badge of honor to be able to complete the game. To have an "easy" mode, is to take away this feeling for many Souls players.

There are SO MANY other casual experiences out there...why does it have to come to one of the very...VERY few games that arent?

Because having more options is a bad thing.

On a serious note, games are not competing with arcades anymore. Yes, make them challenging if you feel it makes your game better, but add that option so that less experienced gamers can get into more hardcore experiences as well.

You want core games to sell more than casual games? Broaden your audience by helping the casual gamers play hardcore games. Having an option to make your health drain more slowly and attacks do more damage does NOT hurt anyone who chooses the normal or hard modes.

it's all fine and good if a game has an easy mode already implemented, but in the case of dark souls, it's designed to be brutally difficult, so adding an easy mode tarnishes the intended experience of the game.

it's sad that this is only happening because whiny PC elitists can't seem to handle a challenge. X360 owners complained about the difficulty, not having experienced demons souls, but at least they didn't stomp their feet for an easy difficulty setting.

Why is this just now becoming an issue? Games have had difficulty settings for a very long time now.
I'll never understand the mentality of people who complain about something that has no impact on them at all. If you do not want to use it, then don't. It really is that simple. This entitlement some gamers have today is getting out of hand. Now you cant enjoy a game at all if it has options you will never use?

"Further, (and lets call a spade a spade here), the Souls games harken back to an era when some gamers couldn't beat certain games. It is a badge of honor to be able to complete the game. To have an "easy" mode, is to take away this feeling for many Souls players. "

Even back then we had things to help us. They were called Cheat codes.. Contra code comes to mind. Beating Contra using the Contra code to help in no way diminished the accomplishment others felt who beat it without it(If there really were any) We also had Game Genie to help people.

I see my fan club isnt wasting time today. I'm happy I got my own set of fanboys who are so fanatical over my opinion they track me everywhere I go... It puts a smile on my face for sure.

I use Easy mode typically when I rent a game... that way I can at least finish it in a decent amount of time and return it....

Nothing is wrong with it at all. I play on easy because I like to enjoy the game.

this is not even an issue worthy of a response. it is pretty obvious why we have difficulty settings.

How do you make it easier? You either have to completely change the AI, since that's the main reason it's difficult, or make the enemies use pillows as their weapons.

I get that souls is supposed to be hard and ur a cool kid if you beat it, but damn that game was punishing and 1) i'm not good enough to beat it 2) i don't have enough time to sit around and try

That being said, I usually stay on normal for most stuff as it's usually the right balance between fun/challenge/time required

F*** easy mode though!!!

There is nothing wrong with Easy Mode. Video games are meant to be played the way the player wants to play them. That is it. If someone wants it to be a cakewalk, let them enjoy the game the way they want to play it and you feel free to play it the way you want to.

It's such a simple concept. I get the Dark/Demon Souls reference and I agree, if being super hard is their thing then it should continue to be that way.

The "option" can be there to make the game easier, and I'll never get why people would not welcome an option to play any game on any difficulty; just because a game is marketed as "tough" doesn't mean it's ok to knock someone to make it more fun for them to tone down the difficulty. If anything I'd welcome to the easy mode to get through the game for the story, then play harder to get whatever was missed the first time; kind of like an added challenge.

Normal mode I feel should be the standard...

followed by the Harder difficulties!

1 thing easy fucks up is co-op and vs. Lets say and easy mode that still has co-op but only you can summon people with the same difficulty setting, then grieffers will play in easy to hunt down these players who hid in easy (i would). Or what if no matter your difficulty you can summon anyone, then people in easy will be pissed when summoned into someone in hard mode, or me i would hate it if i was summon in easy.

And if anyone thinks cutting PvP in easy mode so in easy you can't be invaded is fucking retarded, that would break the damn community in half.

Easy mode would best work that if you picked easy it would cut both PvP and summons so its in a sense single player only. And maybe remove somethings in easy so to really get everything you can't play in easy.

Dark Fantasy with some horror elements.

Gothic Horror - “the battle between humanity and unnatural forces of evil (sometimes man-made, sometimes supernatural) within an oppressive, inescapable, and bleak landscape.”

eh what?

its always been a gothic horror inspired game.

not sure anyone thought different

Horror simply means fear, shock, and disgust. I felt all of those things my first time seeing the Gaping Dragon.