Let’s start by saying that Difficulty and Accessibility are not the opposite of each other, and there are ways to make a game more accessible without watering down the experience, and the difficulty.
A clear example are the tutorials, which are of higher quality and quantity with the Breach Refind Update (even if there are still obscure systems that should be explained better, and we don’t have a page where we can re-study all the tutorials we have already seen).
It is also important to say that if we want to have true accessibility even for those with medical conditions, the “Easy Mode” is not of any help, to make the game accessible to these people we need an Accessibility/Story mode.
- Difficulty Options Pros and Cons
In general, the implementation was done in a hasty and superficial manner and it is clear that the devs did not take enough time to imagine the system and test it.
I’d rather have just a Accessibility/Story mode and the universal experience, but it’s still worth looking into the current system.
Easy mode Pros
There are people who have never played action games or games with stamina who are now able to approach the game.
Easy mode Cons
It’s clear that there are some options missing, the easy mode can still be too difficult for some players and there is certainly a group of players who want a simpler experience than the basic game but find the easy mode trivializing.
In my opinion, accessibility settings would be much better than a rigid and unmodifiable mode, for example, an option to make stamina less limiting or remove it completely without nerfing enemies, and there are many anti-spots that could be modified directly by the player.
Hard mode Pros
Making new characters and getting them to lv30 quickly is more fun, and I and many other people like the extra challenge.
Hard mode Cons
The balancing of area levels in relation to Player Level can break completely making the mode even easier than normal mode (more on this later). Once you reach level 30, the benefits are gone, there should be more loot and other benefits.
Here too the rigidity of the system is useless, and it would be more interesting and fun to give the player options to control such as resistance, enemy damage and poise, but also other factors such as removing the focus gained from gathering resources, losing all focus when you are out of combat for 30 seconds, and other interesting negative effects.
If we have to go the Menu Difficulty settings route:
I offer this solution in light of the fact that in the end the DEVs decided to include adjustable difficulty but I remain of the opinion that having in-game accessibility systems like summons in Elder Ring is a better solution.
I would prefer to have the ability to adjust all the systems both positively and negatively and have a Custom realm, rather than hard rigid modes that are better than nothing but help little.
he player can build his experience and has the ability to adjust stats like enemy damage from 20% to 200%, but also the possibility to add unique modifiers like Remove stamina, remove stagger (player), remove stagger (enemies), and other positive and negative modifiers, Negative modifiers and some special modifiers should be unlocked after you finish the game at least once.
- Unsolved Problems
Balancing of area levels in relation to Player Level
I understand that to avoid us going straight to certain areas, these are high level, but I find it problematic that once you exceed the level of these areas, they remain 4-6 levels below the player.
This is problematic throughout the game but once you hit level 30 it’s a big problem, It seems like the game expects you to be level 26 with the gear at 12.
The only way to face enemies of your same level is to reach the lower levels of the crucible, or to level up the level of the plague by sacrificing items, Both are annoying, the first because to get to these enemies you have to go through the previous levels of the crucible, the second because in addition to enemies of your own level you also get curses.
The areas should be the same level as you, and the plague areas should only increase the curses with sacrifices instead of the enemy’s level.
Speaking of pestilent areas, I find the purple effect nauseating and it should be possible to disable it. The effect also makes the areas less aesthetically pleasing, and in the long run discourages the desire to revisit them.
RNG is Randomizing Difficulty 
The game is very unbalanced, and as a direct result of this, since Items, Enchantments and Rings are all distributed by RNG.
It can easily happen that a player’s first experience with the game is It is often much easier or more difficult for reasons that are completely beyond the player’s control.
Without knowing how to play potrebbe is using a very weak or very strong weapon.
Finding a strong Ring early in the game could easily oversimplify entire sections of the game.
The enchantment system is also responsible for a lot of the RNG.
Solutions:
The first and obvious solution is to balance the weapons, All weapons should inflict similar damage (of course there are exceptions but you have to be reasonable: a more difficult weapon to use should inflict a little more damage to reward the player),
Rings should not be distributed by RNG, until the postgame.
The enchantment system is a very complex Topic and I try to solve its problems here: The RNG Problem, Enchantment System & Gem System “TOGETHER” (Update).
Inherent Problems of “Menu” Difficulty Settings
Changing the difficulty freely during the game can be a problem
If you can change the difficulty at any time and you you find an obstacle what do you do?
- You change the difficulty: You think that you did everything correctly but you chose a difficulty that is not right for you.
- You Don’t change the difficulty: You think that the difficulty you chose is right and then you die constantly until you learn or you Farm Xp do some looting, upgrade your weapons etc.
This is a decision that the player is not in a position to take.
Taking one of the two choices depends more on the emotional state of the player than on what would make the player have the best experience.
So it’s based on your luck whether you pick the right option for you.
And this is terrible, if you consider the consequences that making the wrong choice brings:
Let’s say that you choose option 1 (and it wasn’t the right choice for you)
Instead of learning, decide to lower the difficulty, a choice that can ruin the experience, as the satisfaction of overcoming the obstacle is lost, and all future obstacles in the game, which are increasingly more difficult, will be encountered without the tools (understanding of the game) necessary to solve them (since they did not obtain them before).
Let’s say that you choose option 2 (and it wasn’t the right choice for you)
Maybe you’re afraid of the possible consequences of choice number 1 or you are a stubborn player who take it as a given that they are forced to complete the game on hard difficulty, and end up having a poor experience in the other direction, where the game is so difficult and punishing that they cannot learn, Or waste your time farming XP which has a similar result in lowering the difficulty and you would have had more fun by lowering the difficulty.
Selecting a difficulty at the beginning of the game is also problematic
If you heve not already played the game, you don’t know its systems, you don’t know the controls, you don’t know how the combat works, you don’t know if it’s similar to a game you’ve played before, how do you determine what difficulty is right for you?
You can’t, All solutions to this dilemma are terrible compromises.
For example you could play the initial part of the game on different difficulty to find the right one for you.
Or you could get advice from a friend who knows your skill level.
- What would I do, My solutions
In-Game Difficulty Settings
Difficulties can be overcome in various ways: with combat skills, levels, consumables (active items), combat strategies etc.
I hope that other methods will be added, (something like summons in Elder Ring) I would not want an inexperienced player to find himself in front of a wall without being familiar with these systems (partly due to the lack of adequate tutorials and partly due to the lack of exploration of the game mechanics) and decide to use Accessibility features when they are perfectly able to overcome the wall.
I already talked about it in the Old Difficulty and Accessibility Post but I think it’s good idea to summarize all the comments I made in this topic:
The social aspect may not interest you but:
It is important to say that one of the benefits of Having a shared Intended experience is the knowledge that everyone was able to complete a challenge within the same base restrictions is what makes players understand that their accomplishments in the game are “real” or how they relate to other players.
An integral part of the success of a game like Elder Ring.
What I say next is also valid outside of this reflection on social dynamics.
I think the game becomes more interesting when instead of adding an option at the beginning of the game (where new players don’t even know what the correct difficulty is for their skill level since they haven’t played the game) there are systems in game that can make your life easier/harder if you decide to use them.
If it’s the player adapts and solves the problems in game it would be a more satisfying experience for everyone.
If the Accessibility comes from inside the game instead of from a setting it’s better for the experience.
These are some examples that I would implement It:
Allies (summons):
After dying once at the hands of Warrick, Lara can offer her help in combat, using her bow.
Likewise, Odessa can help fight the The Caretaker, Ellsworth and Winnick can help with The Lost Huntress, etc. (and of course you can also refuse their help).
You may also have a pet to help you while exploring, and you may recruit people at the tavern to help you (kinda like spirit ashes).
More useful consumables:
Bombs could be more common, and could have a faster animation so they are easier to use.
Traps that can be placed in advance, and then lure enemies into them.
There should be tutorials to encourage the use of active items, not just to show what they do.
Difficulty Increasers/Challenge items:
Items that can be used to make the game more difficult, in geme without using eternal menu options.
There may be some trophies related to the use of these items, but they shouldn’t have any special bonuses to compensate for the difficulty level, they should be for entertainment purposes only.
They should punish the player only when he makes a mistake not just for existing.
For example my concept for the cursed gems Using just one cursed gem can be a good thing as it adds slots (just like a purple item) Using just one cursed gem can be a good thing But you can put one or more cursed gems on the same item just for the challenge of doing so (since the slots don’t keep increasing and stop at 6).
Cursed Small Skull
Same for all gear: Add 2 gem slots but take 15%-10% extra damage for 10-7 seconds each time you take Damage, this effect can stack up to 4 times
Cursed Chipped Emerald
Same for all gear: Add 2 gem slots but Lose 25-17 Stamina on Focus Use
Cursed Chipped Jede
Same for all gear: Add 2 gem slots but take 30%-20% extra damage for 3-2 seconds each time you roll
Cursed Tiny Feather
Same for all gear: Add 2 gem slots but Equip Load Decreased by 6%-4% for 6-4 seconds each time you roll this effect can stack up to 4 timesIf you want to se more of this reed: The RNG Problem, Enchantment System & Gem System
Environmental Benefits:
More Points from which to dive on enemies, traps to weaken enemies, enemies hitting each other, etc.
Accessibility/Story Mode
It’s a mode to be used only if you really don’t care about the difficulty component of the game or if you have disabilities that prevent you from playing it.
If they have tried everything and still can’t proceed, or if they have disabilities that prevent them from playing a mechanically complex game like NRFTW, and are having a bad experience then it’s a good idea for them to use Accessibility features or Story Mode.
I know that This is a bit controversial, and I’d like to know your opinion on it:
For one thing, I think it’s really beautiful that art like this video game is shared with people who are important to you, like your little sibling, your parents, your partner, and your friends, etc.
But accessibility shouldn’t limit artistic expression. As I said at the beginning, difficulty and accessibility aren’t the opposite of each other, and there are ways to make a game more accessible without compromising the experience and the difficulty… But that’s not always possible, and so artistic expression takes priority over accessibility IMO.
Even if Dark Souls is your favorite game, it doesn’t mean it has to be the first game your girlfriend tries.
There are beautiful games that are simple and accessible to everyone; use those games as a stepping stone before introducing more difficult games. For example Another Crab’s Treasure & Death’s Door are perfect games to play before NRFTW.
My brother is autistic and also has cognitive issues, but he managed to finish Sifu, Sekiro, Elder Ring SOTE, he didn’t succeed because it’s a particular case where he is good at specific things and not good at others, He managed to do this because he put in the effort, not just on these games but also on the simpler games before them.
Before playing Sekiro, he had played Dark Souls 3, before that he had played Dark Souls, before that he had played Zelda BOTW, Hollow Knight, Ori 1 & 2, and before All that he started with Wii Sport (and others simple but beautiful games Games on the Wiil like, Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy.)
This method ensures that everyone can have the intended experience, and can enjoy the games at their best, without compromising the original artistic vision of the devs.