The repetition of such debates is beginning to feel symptomatic of online insanity.
FromSoftware has been very open about the difficulty of their games andwhy they make them that way.
Dont get me wrong.Shadow of the Erdtree(Elden Rings first and only DLC expansion)is incredibly challenging.
There is no shame in finding the game difficult.
That is a simple fact.
Hey, there are reasons why the game just got abalance updatedesigned to make it slightly easier.
See, it doesnt really matter how powerful your baseElden Ringcharacter is heading into the DLC.
They will likely be destroyed by one ofShadow of the Erdtrees first foes in just a few hits.
FromSoftware warned players it would be this way.
Hilariously, Bandai Namco eventweeted out a reminderof that mechanic in response to the initial difficulty concerns.
When they werent catered to, they asked to speak to the manager.
Its a fascinating reaction that reveals the fault in that often tribalistic difficulty debate.
So far as that goes,Shadow of the Erdtreemay just be their masterpiece.
Said creativity is on full display in the brilliant layout of the games world.
Its technically smaller than the baseElden Ringmap, but it is far more dense.
Shadow of the Erdtreeis not perfect, nor is it perfectly balanced.
Money aside, the cost of such an experience is the same as it has ever been.
Theyve upped the ante inShadow of the Erdtree, but these games have never been power fantasies.
Not even veteran players get a pass based on what theyve previously accomplished.
Mind you, theres nothing inherently wrong with power fantasy games that make us feel like deities.
They ask a lot and they give more.
They are, at the very least, the necessary counterpart to the modern power fantasy gaming experience.
They expect to die in these games.
I think a lot of players feel that way right now.
