Unanimous Praise

"High difficulty has always been a defining trait players associate with Soulslike games. I do not deny this. I believe that behind every player who conquered a BOSS in the game, there is also a frustrated player who gave up. I am deeply sorry for those players who feel there are too many hardships to overcome in the game."

"Difficulty is a designer's prerogative. Not every game needs to cater to everyone. This is something I have always believed in and acted upon."

"But high difficulty and hardship are not the only labels of Soulslike games... What high difficulty gives the game experience is meaning, and that is something I do not wish to abandon. It is indeed one of the game's defining traits."

"Compared to high difficulty, however, I would rather let more players experience the joy that comes from overcoming difficulties and hardships. In real life, death is a frightening thing, but in games, we can give death more meaning. It should not be nothing but painful; it can become enjoyable."

"As for players believing that Ashes, powerful Weapon Skill combinations, and so on make the game easier, I do not deny that. In fact, when developing Elden Ring, that was precisely the direction we were aiming for."

"Rather than stubbornly demanding that players improve their mechanical skills, we made appropriate changes in Elden Ring. But this was not a compromise made to lower the game's barrier to entry. We wanted players to have more ways to solve a problem they found difficult."

"Yes, that's right: 'solving problems.' There were many similar elements in previous Soulslike games: friendly Messages left behind by those who came before, companions who could assist you. And with Elden Ring presented to players as an Open World, we had more choices and could