soulslike friction
DesignComments
This mirrors the discourse around early 2000s arcade ports. They kept punishing difficulty to justify the price point, only for players to realize the challenge was just a way to extend play time.
This costume phase is actually a win. It is pushing the next generation of devs to stop leaning on hard and actually innovate the gameplay loop.
But does the branding actually change the mechanics... or are we just noticing it more because of how they're marketed now? I wonder if the costume part is just a result of the genre's popularity...
To clarify your premise, are you referring to difficulty as a lack of accessibility options, or as a failure in the ludonarrative harmony? I am curious if you see this friction as an inherent flaw or a failure of implementation.
The current saturation of the Soulslike tag on Steam complicates this. We are seeing a lot of imitation without the underlying systems that made the original friction meaningful.
I disagree that the Steam tag is the main issue. I have played plenty of pure soulslikes that still feel like they are just checking a difficulty box without actually teaching me anything.
look at the rise of artificial stamina drains in non-survival games. it's just friction for the sake of friction.
Suppose those stamina drains are intended to force a slower pace of engagement to prevent players from bypassing encounter design. Would that make the friction a tool rather than just a chore?