Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice may be a bit of a departure for From Software, but, like all the studio’s recent work, it’s resurrected the discussion regarding difficulty in video games.
Most commonly expressed, there is a fear that lowering difficulty levels would somehow detract from the quality of the game. A lot of the discussion around difficulty is simplistic, to say the least. It’s often as simplistic as “git gud”. Today I’d like to examine difficulty and a game’s sense of challenge specifically through the lens of disability. Disabled gamers adapt to challenges every day, so why stop at games?
The way I see it, an easy mode designed with disabled gamers in mind should basically group various accessibility options together to allow disabled gamers to enjoy the same experiences as other players. Game designers want people to play their games. Accessibility enables challenging games to be made playable by removing the unnecessary barriers forced upon us. It’s not making the game easier, but rather tailoring the experience to the broadest range of players.
Crucially, the accessibility to play does not mean the accessibility to complete a game without engagement. That comes down to an individual’s commitment to a game.
If I know I want to play a game that would be physically taxing, I firstly research every single detail around the control layout and then work out the optimal button remaps. It’s a challenge in itself, and not one the designers intended. Advocating for accessibility doesn’t mean forcing developers to allow disabled gamers to beat every single game they play, absolutely not, we just want to be given the opportunity to at least try to the extent of our abilities. It’s down to respecting From Software’s vision, the team’s blood, sweat and tears going into creating an experience. After all, the difficulty is only one dimension of Sekiro. Grasping onto it deprives us of the fantastic world-building and environmental storytelling.