_The debate about the game DARK SOULS (FROMSOFTWARE) and its lack of accessibility due to a missing feature of some difficulty setting seems to never stop. But why is this a problem?
_In the previous post we talked about what makes a barrier and what makes a game? If you take away its core feature or game mechanic, which makes it unique, what also be considered as a barrier – what is left of the game? Often only the narrative.
_In the DARK SOULS series, the main game mechanic are the overwhelming odds you face as a player as you traverse the game, and the feeling of being stuck endlessly on a portion of the game only to finally overcome the impossible seeming odds and beat the boss which decimated you relentless in your last tries – only to face such a challenge very soon again. Many people though don’t get the luxury to just ‘get over it’ and due to its high skill cap and rather complex controls, many players just don’t get far enough to enjoy the game properly. They ultimately abandon the game and choose not to play it any further. Because the narrative is one of a kind, it’s a shame that this is locked aways for many players. But the game being hard is in the end, its core feature which makes it stand out and what makes it DARK SOULS; so it would be no wonder if nothing ever comes to this game in the regards of accessibility.
_Literature & Resources
- Should Dark Souls Have an Easy Mode? Mark Brown, GMTK https://youtu.be/K5tPJDZv_VE
- https://medium.com/potato/the-right-to-play-accessibility-in-gaming-a954b01023f
