It's what entices a player to continue playing and is a crucial factor in the game's appeal. Having the feeling of fulfillment wash over a player after accomplishing a difficult feat is more important than any other aspect of a difficult video game.
If a difficult game is done right, it can fill gamers with the overwhelming sense of reward mentioned previously.
Related: NBA Jam: New Mod Adds Modern Roster to Classic Game However, if gamers are given the necessary tools and feel like they just need to improve their skills to get past a specific enemy, they will likely keep at it until they fulfill their objective. Simply overpowering enemy AI while giving players inadequate items to combat their foes will lead to them quitting through a blind rage. Players must feel that their continued failure stems from their lack of experience or inaccuracies rather than unfair gameplay mechanics. Although modern games pose a different type of challenge than most retro titles, they all offer the same joyous feeling that has spellbound gamers for generations.įinding an equal balance between challenge and fairness is vital to a difficult game's success. Dark Souls and Bloodborne put a modern spin on classic difficulty spikes, captivating gamers with their high-risk-high-reward mentality.
Related: Why Resident Evil's Gameplay Changed Over TimeĪ few modern games feature similar difficulty curves and enjoy almost identical cult-like followings. Despite their tough gameplay, they build up extremely loyal fanbases that can't get enough of their ecstatic sense of reward. Classic games like Ghosts 'n Goblins and Battletoads became legendary for their grueling difficulty and are often regarded as some of the hardest video games of all time. The overwhelming sensation of accomplishment gamers get after beating a challenging boss or getting past a seemingly impossible level makes all the countless hours of frustration worthwhile. Although steep difficulty spikes and strenuous level memorization isn't as apparent in modern video games as they once were, there is still a subset of gamers willing to push their skills to the absolute limit. Overcoming their challenges fill gamers with a euphoric sense of achievement that keeps them playing for hours on end. They offer complex experiences that are as rewarding as they are frustrating. Difficult video games have been around almost as long as the medium itself.