Dark Souls director pondering easier difficulty mode

Dark Souls - like its spiritual predecessor Demon's Souls - has been loved by the hardcore gamer because its crazy difficulty harkens back to a more unforgiving era. In an interview with Metro UK, game director Hidetaka Miyazaki said he was saddened that the game's difficulty is keeping some players from even trying it.

"I personally want my games to be described as satisfying rather than difficult. As a matter of fact, I am aiming at giving players sense of accomplishment in the use of difficulty," said Miyazaki.

"Having said that, however, it is true that Dark Souls is rather difficult and a number of people may hesitate to play. This fact is really sad to me and I am thinking about whether I should prepare another difficulty that everyone can complete or carefully send all gamers the messages behind our difficult games. "

Miyazaki believes today's easier titles are the result of developers finding interesting game mechanics outside of sheer difficulty.

"If the number of easy games is increasing nowadays, I guess it is because difficulty is not related to interesting and worthwhile game elements in many games among players," he said.

"Interest and value in games and elements required to offer the interest and value are, I suppose, shifting by clashing between diverse and conventional moves. The change you mentioned toward skill-based games is also one of the moves and I do not think that is a dead rock, so the change would not be something to be avoided."

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition was recently released for the PC due to a huge fan effort and petition.