Sifu Updates to Include Difficulty Settings and Accessibility Options

Me reading this after I had to beat Sifu in three days for review:

‘Git gud’ is a stupid mentality so yeah, if the devs implement difficulty options then all the power to them.

This game would be really weird with an easy mode. Loving it so far but if they want the average gamer, let alone someone with a disability, to enjoy this that’s the only option. I just can’t imagine the short scale content would seem reasonable without consistent repetition.

So far Sifu has been f**king brutal.

I think difficulty settings weren't in the game from the off because it would've highlighted the relative lack of content. Youd finish the game in a few hours if you could play it in easy mode. I'd be surprised if difficulty settings are introduced before new content is made available.

The slow of thumb win again. As long as the plat difficulty is still there though... I will allow it!

"Difficulty Modes. Both easier & harder, similar to Metroid Dread's update."

Having not played either Sifu or Metroid Dread, what does this mean does anyone think?

This is great news, although I think the difficulty is just fine as it is. My question, however, is whether or not changing the difficulty of will affect trophy unlocks.

@Futureshark Well Metroid's new harder difficulty means you die in 1 hit so maybe Sifu will do the same with theirs?

I thought they'd add difficultly options later on.

Well I was gonna buy it but eh I'll wait on it.

The hard difficulty made the game a most anticipated game and a instant classic.word up son

I was going to buy it, but decided to pass due to the lack of any difficulty options. I will definitely buy it once those options are included! I just have no interest in brutally difficult games: there’s no enjoyment in that for me. I know that there is for others, so including the option allows folks like me to play it and enjoy it without taking anything away from those who want the brutal difficulty.

On my wishlist after watching a bit of good gameplay, looks great overall.
Glad devs are working on it, adding options is always good, although i prefer learn a game's depth of intricacies, and try as much as can to discover on my own efforts all the game has on offer, all that is interesting, challenging, fun.
As long as it's fair, and not weaknesses of the game itself.
Glad they announced more content too, and even free.

This will be controversial for no good reason.

im interested in seeing all the new options i been playing for a couple of days is a fun game, dont mind if it takes more than a few days to complete im still on level 2 having fun

I mean no one expects Dark Souls games to have difficulty options so not sure why the devs have to bend in this case either.

I can understand that some people just want to play and move on, however I think adding a difficulty option would be sad. Part of the appeal for me was seeing yourself actually get better with subsequent plays. The level 3 boss was literally unbeatable but after doing like 30 times it finally made sense. Now literally fly past her. This moment I think can’t be replicated with an easier difficulty mode.

In the end if that’s the game the developers wanted to make, I think they should stand by it

@RubyCarbuncle Surely as a fully fledged adult with increasing grumpy old Man tendancies you would have learnt by now that something's are just beyond you. And yes you either need to up yourself physically, mentally etc or admit to yourself it's not for you or rather you're not for it. Should Ferrari stop building hardcore track weapons because not everyone can handle them, or maybe you're 7'5" and sports cars should be banned because you don't fit in one. The world would be boring if everyone could do the same, partly as it'll be empty as we all enjoy personal space travel but mainly because there'd be nothing left to challenge anyone.

An easy mode sounds horrible to find fun in this game. The whole gameplay design is around the challenges. If that aspect is gone, you literally walk thru and it becomes 95%
a walking sim. I'll bet my ass, people who'll play it on easy mode won't enjoy walking thru. But hey I'm glad, the devs try to increase their sales potential. I want a sequel or something similar.

I can appreciate both 'sides' of this argument... but for me personally, I actually made the decision to purchase this game based on the perceived level of difficulty.
Having beat Returnal last year, I was keen to test myself with another game that has been renowned for challenge etc - and thought SIFU would fit the bill.

Question - is there a way to stop any auto patch-updates for this specific game? I don't want to be 'tempted' by the option to adjust difficulty, and would honestly rather play this game as the developers originally intended.

Excellent news. I was just about ready to uninstall Sifu and add Sloclap to my boycott list, but adding the option to reduce insane difficulty has restored my trust in the development team.

Yeah sounds good although I'll probably opt for the highest difficulty myself. Honestly there are plenty of competitive games out there to test one's skill and for games like this that get difficulty options it is still easy to showcase your high difficulty skills or banter with friends.

Already bought it on pc, I don't have problem with the enemies difficulty but I want the protagonist age to reset to 20 again between stages. Unlike other hard games like souls series, defeating enemy boss in sifu isn't as exciting since if you died too many times the protag becomes old and it's hampering your progress in later stages.

This is a good update, most player can lower the difficulty so they can enjoy the games, hardcore sifu players can replay the game using the hard difficulty.

And now the game is back on my radar. I can already feel the “git gud” players rolling their eyes!

@CJD87 You can turn auto updates off in the console settings, but not on a individual game by game basis. You can also play your console offline.

How unexpected, I thought the entire point of the game was to be a challenge that required a lot of dedication and repetition.

I’ve only played it the last couple of days, I’m yet to beat the second boss. It’s tough but I like that challenge, it takes me out of my comfort zone and with practice I’m getting better. That’s what makes some games great imo as long as the challenge feels fair and in Sifu I feel it does.

It’s nice that less skilled players or those unwilling to learn will get to experience it I guess, I just wish some more people would leave their comfort zone and experience the game as intended.

Edit: second boss down. Ahhh the sweet smell of victory 😏

Been holding out for the physical for this but its getting harder and harder every day. I think im just gonna have to get it.

Then all the Souls games need difficulty options too. Just leave games how their intended. You don't need to play EVERY game in the world, if you hear a game is too difficult, just skip it. I for one I'm not interested in this game not even because of difficulty but the whole graphics style is meh to me. Hope there's trophies for difficulties leading to platinum, else what's the facking point of someone wasting their time on Hard and another person getting the plat playing on easy. Leave games as they are, there's a lot of easy games out there.

I think it's good thing that there are difficulty options. It allows those who want a little less challenge, which isn't a bad thing, to play this. It also allow those who want more challenge to replay it.

!!!EXCELLENT NEWS!!!(I bet those words will annoy people who seem to think they are better at games than us normal people) Try completing some PS1/2 games and then you will know what hard is to I might get the disc version then when it comes out if it has a normal mode on it. Cool stuff

The thing about this topic is that some these games simply lose all meaning with the difficulty gone. Take any Souls game for example. Would it really be that great of an experience without the challenge? From doesn't present the story in their games in a general audience way. They still don't have moving mouths when npcs talk and generally they stand as still as a tree. The lore is buried in item descriptions.

Sifu is similar in a lot of ways. At best a casual player might enjoy some of the visual flourish but it's a short game with not exactly an exceptional story. Is that really something a player that likes to play just for the story would want?

I welcome devs choosing if difficulty settings fit their game. Uncharted for example makes sense to have difficulty setting because the story and acting and presentation can carry that experience. I can't see the same though with Sifu but that's just my opinion.

What a shame lol. That’s what makes sifu great imo is the challenge.

@JohnnyShoulder Cheers mate!
I'm no 'elitist', but I managed to beat Returnal pre-patch... and just know that I definitely would have used & abused the new 'suspend' feature had it been available. The process was frustrating at times, but the sense of accomplishment for beating it (and playing in the form that the devs intended) was amazing! Thanks

If it doesn't conflict with the creators vision, then I am all for it. but I'd despise to see it in games where the difficulty or learning curve / process is an integral part of the experience the devs envisioned. In my opinion, if there's no conflict: Go ahead. For everything else: For the love of God, no. Then simply a game isn't for you, can't have them all or have them how you want them.

@jrt87 A game in which only 27% of players can overcome the second level makes for a compelling argument that the default difficulty setting is unbalanced and poorly playtested. That the developer has acknowledged that error and taken steps to rectify it, so that more people can engage with, progress through and enjoy their game, has restored my faith in them as a developer.

Fromsoft can afford to double down on the difficulty of the Souls series, but can an indy studio afford to alienate new/potential customers with a game that most "filthy casuals" (like me!!) will see less than 50% of? I've completed Bloodborne, Dark Souls 3 and Celeste (other games known for being challenging), but none have felt as vindictive and malicious as Sifu in its current state.

I'm mad that other people might be able to play it now. I mean sure, I can still play it on my preferred difficulty level but the fact that other people can play it on other difficulties, well, that just ruins my day.

See the skill level gatekeepers are sharpening the pitchforks once again..

I dont really care if they bring in skill levels, i'm enjoying it as it is and thats fine by me.

So if they add those and it brings more sales and a possibile sequel, without ruining the underlying mechanic that is already there, then crack on devs.. Crack on!

Love the modern gamers e-peen when it comes to stuff like this.. Should have played some of the stuff in the eighties, that was proper hard back then..

puts on grandad slippers and sips cocoa

Just seen there’s a metal box edition and that’s all I need to know to hold back from playing it now

Dang really? I've spent the last few days trying to master this (currently STILL stuck on the final boss) but it's SO rewarding when it "clicks", and now they're just throwing in an easy mode? Wonder if trophies are disabled?

@Korgon but maybe... what is a challenge to you is utterly impossible for someone else. Maybe even on easy this person is barely able to complete the game and enjoy the content they paid for.

@Flurpsel It's like getting mad that the bowling alley let's people use bumpers. How dare they accommodate people who can barely roll the ball but just want to have a good time. Totally nullifies my enjoyment.

Or those basketball goals you can lower. What do you mean you're not 6'4... maybe basketball isn't for you.

@Flurpsel
That's certainly possible but that wasn't the point I was trying to make. The point I'm trying to make is without the challenge some games simply kind of lose all meaning. If someone finds easy mode difficult enough for them by all means if the game offers that mode put it on easy. I don't really care. I just feel it should be up to the developer to determine if there are multiple difficulties or not.

I love baseball but I'm terrible at hitting. Does that mean that pitchers should pitch only easy floaty pitches so I can hit too? Of course not as that sort of goes against the entire point of baseball.

@Korgon Baseball, in the capacity you're talking about, is competitive. A single player game really isn't the same. It's a recreational hobby. More akin to batting cages than a regulated game between two opposing teams.

Great news - will definitely give this a go now. 😃

Each to their own opinion but I really can’t understand why my playing on an easier setting spoils it in any way for all those who want to play it on the “hard as nails” setting. Saying it’s altering the games “dna” makes no sense - just play it on the hard setting and enjoy your git gud dna. Meantime I’ll happily play and enjoy the slightly easier “ruined” version 😃

@awp69 because its a small indie dev team and if they want their game sell it must appeal to most people ,didn't help them releasing it when they did,there's hard and then there's stupid hard.

Stupid. If their vision was to make a hard game, it shouldn't add an easy mode. If this was always the idea, should have included the easy mode with the game in the first place.

@Gunnerzaurus

"Every game produced doesn't have to appeal to everyone and I wish people could accept that.

I'm HORRIBLE at Souls game. I don't want their DNA to change just to suit me."

The core game would remain the same for those who like the challenge. It would change for those who prefer additional options. Everyone wins.

It also gives people who have nothing to complain about, something to complain about, since it does not affect them in any shape or form.

I bought the game because I heard how hard it was. If people find it challenging they should watch YouTube videos it makes it easier. Also, the more you play, the better you get. It’s more rewarding when you figure it out when you know everyone is struggling.

@Gunnerzaurus Did you miss the part where they're also adding a hard mode? I don't get why it bothers you that some players can choose a lower difficulty level. We don't even know how much lower the difficulty will be, and for those of us with creaky joints and impaired reactions it'll likely be just as hard for us on easy as it is for you on normal.

The Devs know their game. They're not going to ruin it. Meanwhile, why don't you git gud and beat it on the new hard mode, rather than playing on normal like a filthy casual, or whatever you call the rest of us.

@Korgon like Zupertramp said baseball is a competitive sport, as in you play against other people. So it doesnt make sense there. But in single player video games difficulty is very important for the enjoyment and different people simply have different skill levels and also very important: time to invest to get better at it. For example during college I became an ace in Battlefield games because I had all the time in the world. Right now I have a kid and maybe 30 minutes a day..

@zupertramp spot on lol

@zupertramp @Flurpsel
I know its a competitive sport. That's not what the issue is here but I can see I'm not getting through to either of you so I'll just drop it.😅

@nobiwan luckily, nobody is taking that away from you. Heck now that you mastered that boss you can challenge her on the hard difficulty and try to master them again.

You get to continue to enjoy the game exactly how you want it and new people get to play it too, more revenue and more possibility for a sequel. Everyone wins.

Oh and for the record, I'd totally be fine with souls games that were easier in some way, then again I play sim games and rpgs so I'm not one for action anymore but I can still appreciate the atmosphere and enemy designs. If you can't make the simple act of swinging a weapon around without high difficulty fun, then maybe souls games really are overrated one trick ponies. 🤯

Too little too late, it's the Devs image to make a game difficult to complete I don't want any part of it & have no time for it, there are many other games that give far more better enjoyment without being edgy 🙄🙄

@huyi It's "edgy" to make a game challenging... who would've thought...

All you Johnny come latelys that will play it on easy - you don't know what we've have been through! You have no idea, man!

Seriously though, i hope they don't make it too easy, the challenge is part of the fun!

@ATaco thanks for the reply. I hear you! I just think that in the end devs should be able to make the games they want to make without having to please everyone. On the flip side i believe we as gamers should also be able to accept the vision the developers have. If we don’t agree with it, we can of course air our grievances but still acknowledge that that was the game that they wanted to make.

I’ve failed to beat the wet nurse and lady butterfly (bloodborne and Sekiro respectively) and I’ve accepted this. The difficulty is what makes these games. For some games it’s the story, maybe the AI, or the platforming, we should accept that it’s the difficulty for these ones.

I’m definitely all for accessibility. More people should be able to play these soulslike games d as the developers envisioned them.

I guess what I’m saying is more power to the devs to Share their vision that’s the best way to get a good game

@naruball @Gunnerzaurus @Korgon
Seems like a few people are missing the point of the argument you are making.

I agree making a hard game which is hard through sheer mechanics and gameplay, not just this enemy has endless amounts of HP (despise MMO and RPG rubbish that does that) suddenly a lot easier means one might miss out on the sheer joy you get out of finally learning how to overcome that obstacle.

There may very well be people who are physically unable to achieve such things as pattern recognition, muscle memory and certain tactics which are more effective on this enemy. Things that the game doesn’t hold your hand and tell you about. These are things that time, patience and experimentation will reward your efforts with.

Git Gud has become vilified for a toxic mentality now but at it’s essence it was a way of saying to someone put the time and effort in and this game will reward for that effort and no strategy or tips will give you this same feeling. And that reward or discovery is what makes that game so good (realising that an enemy is super weak to poison because you read a description which made you wonder and try something, finding a tough enemy staggers to a certain move set which results in a unique animation) sometimes these things happen and it feels like you the first to discover it. Watching a YouTube tips clip and then redoing what you just saw doesn’t recreate this feeling, neither does a button prompt or pop up message in game. Getting an easy mode and being able to breeze through without having to dedicate that time and effort means that you are devaluing yourself.

I’m not bemoaning that there is an easy mode but if it’s not the devs intention then just let it go it may not need it. There may be a lot of people who now play this and think not much about it because they are missing the entire point of the game the driving force behind it is the combat.

Again I repeat I think by adding these options sometimes it is devaluing your own experience of the game if your choosing it just because you can’t spare the time and patience it takes to overcome the obstacles put in your way. But hey it’s your life and if just finishing the game so you can “experience” the story or say you’ve finished it go ahead but you might not look back at that time as fondly as those which put a lot more time into it to get the whole “experience” out of it.

Hope you have the time to read this long rant and I’m not trying to be smart when I say this I’m genuinely surprised how long this post ended up being

At the end of day difficulty settings are there for a reason. Some people's skill levels are better than others, some have more time to persevere. Has it not crossed your minds easy difficulty might be more than enough challenge to Some. It's all about choice if you pay for the game you should be able to enjoy like the rest.

@Nepp67 then enjoy your game like that, I don't have anything to prove, i just enjoy gaming to relax, not for torture, but your stance is different from mine I guess.

@nobiwan Fair enough, though one thing is I don't think I've ever heard of anyone that gets upset when harder difficulties are added. "Normal" mode is usually the one that is the "proper" experience that the devs intend, so why then do people not get upset when players choose to play on harder difficulties? Those difficulties were not the way the game was meant to be experienced, yet we only ever seem to get upset when a game is made easier.

@nobiwan thing is, most people don't have time nor desire to beat the same level 30 freaking times over and over again. I want to see the end of the game with a moderate challenge and progress, not necessarily easy. If the mode of the game for now is, let's say "hard" - I would really like the option "normal". And that's it.

@Indoorhero what if some people like the game and fighting style, just not the part where in order to finish, you have to do every level perfectly and in one go. Which means you have to do the same things over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. See how my repeated "over" got boring pretty quick? That's how it is with Sifu.

@Korgon I get your point, but options are good. This will allow some people who find the game too hard — or who don’t have hours to put into a game just to get past a single boss — a chance to enjoy the title at a difficulty they feel is appropriate. I haven’t tried it yet but had no interest in playing this game with Elden Ring and so many other games on my backlog or around the corner. So now they just gained a purchase from me (and I bet a lot of other people) by adding difficulty options. At the same time, if I do beat the standard mode, I can play on even harder difficulty settings. So this is a win-win for everyone in multiple ways.

@doctommaso
For sure and it's not like I'm upset at Sloclap for adding the option. They made the game so it's their choice. From a pure business standpoint it makes sense to have difficulty options for many games. I just think there's also nothing wrong necessarily if a dev feels like the game they created is meant to be a bit more difficult than the average game is all. I want developers to make the game they want to make, not necessarily the game the general public wants them to make.

I'm really interested in peoples standpoint on this. As a gamer of relatively moderate skill level, I tend to favour difficulty settings between easy and normal, with the possible exception of semi-serious racers, where I like to be challenged. I can appreciate and understand all levels of opinion here, but one thing irritates me - why do people abhor the introduction of an easier mode if the game retains its harder modes for those that want that challenge? It's not like adding them demeans the effort or the respect earned through defeating the game at the higher levels, so I don't understand why people get so upset when something they enjoy at a punishing difficulty has an option to allow the more casual or lesser capable player to set their own level of challenge.

Some games are created to be challenging - that I get. But to detest the adding of a mode that increases the appeal, broadens the gamerbase, whilst still retaining the ability to seriously test the most capable players seems like a very negative mindset to me. I can appreciate the argument that the ultimate fulfilment comes from being beaten down and rising over and over again, resulting in a better and more rewarding path to glory, but some of us just don't have the skill, patience or - frankly - the time to sink into that.

That being said, you might be surprised that I am not against games being initially impenetrable though, and that's an important point I'd like to make - if a developer aims the game at the hardcore market and it presents a very steep learning curve, that's perfectly fine - it's more the attitudes that follow I take umbrage with. I just think the option of a lower barrier to entry is a considerate touch.

I am frequently in awe of players who can tackle the higher difficulty settings and enjoy watching them play - but I don't think anyone really has the right to think certain games should simply be reserved for that type of player. I like to think that I have the maturity and common sense to know my limits, and if I choose to challenge myself or simply take the B-road to satisfaction, I'd like to think others would understand that without judging my decision or belittling my abilities in the process.

Not everyone needs to walk away from a game having had their arse well and truly kicked to consider it time well spent.

@Korgon Oh I totally agree with you. Well said.

@Gunnerzaurus You're 100% wrong. The game remains the same because it's built with hard difficulty from the ground up. That doesn't change. So your experience remains the same. It only gives the opportunity for people who wouldn't play it to give it a try. Your experience is not affected in any shape or form, unless you worry about what others are playing.

@Gunnerzaurus The devs are not doing this to pander to other gamers out of moral obligation. They might be doing it because they want more customers and this is what a lot of potential customers may want. Devs like Fromsoft can do what they want as their fantasy themes and RPG mechanics will draw in the big RPG crowd who will overlook the difficulty in favour of these two elements. Sifu maybe can't so that.

At the end of the day if easy mode makes the game mechanically meaningless to gamers that request it, that is those players' problem really. I doubt that will be the case though as Sifu is probably going to try and tweak certain punishments rather than an outrageously easy mode.

I watched an entire let’s play of this, something I had not done in years. I immediately knew I didn’t have the patience for this even though it looks absolutely incredible (especially stage 3!).
It’s on my list now & I’ll play it on whatever is just below default.

And now I’m interested again!

@Gunnerzaurus

“I'll say it one more time to everyone : Not every game has to be for you, and THAT'S OKAY.”

The irony of this is hilarious.

Gunnerzaurus and CynicalGamer, not every person has to play the game the same way that you want to, and THAT’S OKAY.
We’ll still enjoy our experience no matter what you believe. Hope you enjoy the game your way too.

@Hamst88 I don't recall saying people can't enjoy the game at lower difficulties. I think you are inferring something unintended from my last post. In fact I applauded this move earlier in this comment thread. Cheers.

@CynicalGamer Fair enough - thanks for the correction. It’s been a very interesting discussion!

@Gunnerzaurus facts, never beaten any fromsoft game & I agree.

Thankfully fromsoft games will never have difficulty options, I do understand Sifu devs adding them though.

When I was younger and had more time I’d scoff at playing a game on easy. These days though I don’t have the patience or time to devote to mastering games and just prefer to enjoy what the game has got to offer on easier difficulties.

So this is good news for me and I might add it to my shopping list!

Beated Sifu yesterday, was really nice experience but really pain the ass as well I have nothing against about adding more difficulties but would be fair also to adjust / adding new trophies reflecting the difficulty specially for those less than 50 / 25 age ones

Yes I'm so excited to see they are going to implement different difficulty levels. I'm a father of 4 and run a construction company but I love to game in my free time. I don't have a whole lot of free time these days so it's hard for me to say Master a game like Sifu at its factory difficulty. I normally play and beat games at a medium difficulty i don't want them too easy but I don't have tens of hundreds of hours to play and replay a game until I can master its mechanics. I really wanted to play Sifu but when I saw all the commotion about its steep and difficult learning curve I decided to skip it out. Once the difficulty options become available I will most likely see it back on my radar and as soon as I play and beat Horizon Forbidden West (and maybe Elden Ring, maybe put Sifu in between the 2) I will most likely be playing Sifu now! Yes 👍

@purplemouse well said. Well said. I wish more people had this same mindset. I compellingly agree with your points and don't get why it upsets certain people so much that some people just don't find enjoyment in punishing games. And why if a game retains its harder difficulty why it matters that it would have an easier one. Idk. I'm really looking forward to Sifu having an easier difficulty than its factory setting. I normally play games on medium and ever so occasionally on hard. Mostly normal. Aside from the point just really liked your comment and well said very mature!

@Hamst88 No worries. In retrospect, the way I typed that post meant it could be interpreted both ways haha. Yep good topic to discuss.

I'd really like to see more granular difficulty options in games like this. Say, a slider to make the parrying window more or less forgiving. This way, each player would be able to tailor the experience to their liking without necessarily breaking the game's design.

Accessibility is not just about disabled people. As we all age, eyesight gets worse, reflexes fade and time to invest in 'gitting gud' becomes more and more scarce. Any gamer who whishes to keep this hobby in the future should be championing for accessibility and difficulty options.

@Zephyr200 The big difference between Soulslike & something like Sifu is that you can brute force it.

You can just level up until your literally killing bosses in under 2mins or summon & beat the games. That’s not possible in Sifu.

I’m also not saying Soulslikes need difficulty options- as mentioned anyone can beat them with enough time.
The way Sifu works with the ageing mechanic sets up an incredible difficulty curve.

I find as time goes on, reflexes slow, and games I would have had no issue wuth 30 years ago, are not so easy anymore! If the game is very demanding of my relexes, there is a good chance it might just be too challenging.
Having difficulty options is therefire pretty desirable for me in reaction games, it makes the difference between playable and not for some titles.

@Titntin it's not about reflexes anymore and old age, it's about time and patience and Devs respecting that time constraints when your are a grown adult with responsibilities, I'm not a dam early teen anymore, I'm a grown adult with a life with bills to pay, I don't have time for "getting better" and all this nonsense, I want to get better at real life and issues that are persisting currently regarding my personal health, not this nonsense, I'll leave the Dev and his stupid game to hell while I worry about real life problems in my own experience 🙄🙄 smdh, they are not gaining or focusing their mind on anything frugal with this kind of mentally lol

@TomK2 excalty my point with your situation but at the same time if you can feel you can balance your life with demanding games like this, then koduos I guess, I want to focus on other important bits of my life instead of deprivaty!

@Gunnerzaurus Looking at these comments you'd think Sifu is the only game available on the entire planet right now. Yeah we're grown adults with responsibilities we have no time to master anything though we know there's no deadline on finishing games we're still in a hurry. What's next? open worlds are too big we have no time to explore, there should be a linear option. Games should be 5hrs tops so we can hurriedly jump to the next latest trending game. 😏

Just wanna reiterate not angry or upset about this issue. Just feel the need to say that not every game needs this option in this case the devs added this feature as an after thought.
What I am trying discuss is why the need for something like this as let’s just take Souls series as an example if the devs felt compelled to add difficulty settings it would take time away from other things or just overall more time between games as they ensuring each difficulty felt both fair and rewarding. In such a scenario there may be no Sekiro or Bloodborne as too much time was spent from each Dark Souls game.
What if you play Sifu now and because it’s easy you finish it quickly and just as quick forget it as the story isn’t exactly ground breaking. Then later your telling someone who would love the challenge of the combat and the mastering of its skills and your saying “ah it’s alright I guess I forgotten it already”. Then the game gets bad reviews because it wasn’t intended be played in such a way. This is all just hypothetical and maybe extreme examples too.
I just don’t think necessary to bemoan the lack of difficulty options.

@ATaco very sound point. I had to reflect on that a little.
I guess it’s because such difficulties usually get added as bonus content like Metroid recently. Soo you must go through the game as it was intended to play it in anyway. That doesn’t work so well the other way round, but it can be done.
.
What would convince me for sure about adding difficulty to such games from the go would be: 1. seeing how that would affect reviews Day 1. Would a souls-borne game review the same by someone playing it on easy mode?
2. Will the devs feel that the message/game they were trying to put across was received despite the different difficulties?
3. Will both the “git gud” and “I just want the story” players be happy? (This is very interesting because many times such games have little to offer in the story department).

however, for sure your point here definitely has me thinking quite a bit but I must say let’s agree to disagree for now 🙏🏿

This is lame - it just panders to lazy gamers who can’t be bothered learning a game’s systems and want to button mash.

@Yorgen I hear you and I think you’re coming exclusively from a gamers perspective, which is okay.
However, Some of the best games are those that are very clear about what they are offering; death standing is unapologetically tedious, soulsgames hard, quantum dream games too hand holdy/passive idk, but whoever gets them knows exactly what they are getting into (if you watch reviews) If the devs for those games implement all the feedback we’d have the same game.

I think devs make games well aware of their target group, in this case gamers that want a (very) steep challenge for example, with a touch of tedium.
I hope this doesn’t come off harsh but if you’re complaining about the foundation of the game - fair challenge (I say “fair” because I think sifu isn’t cheap in it’s difficulty, every enemy is fairly beatable), then you probably aren’t who the game was made for and this should be okay, you have the option not to play it. The devs shouldn’t have to make a game for everyone. We should, as gamers/consumers know what we want and not make the devs change what they’ve made specifically for one niche fit every other.
I’d be happier with them dedicating the time entirely too Accessibility. How can players with disabilities experience Sifu as they envisioned it.

@nobiwan difficulty options make games more accessible too. So if you truly want them to dedicate their time on accessibility, difficulty options are probably one of the easier things to implement with one of the bigger gains on making the game more accessible.

Captions and visual aspects that were also called out aren't the only types of accessibility options. For example, some gamers with disabilities may have difficulty with rapid button presses and so even something as simple as an easier difficulty may open the game up to them by allowing easier strategies to succeed and not punishing them for something they may not be able to physically do.

@huyi Fair enough, we all have different needs.
I merely want a little consideration as to those of us who cant physically react in the same time frame as teenagers, and only then if it doesnt harm the game.
Perfectly happy to play for 100s of hours or to persevere until i get good enough to advance (ive 98 hours in Returnal, still not beaten lvl 3, doh).
Im not interested in games being shorter because 'ive more important things to do'.. If people havent got time for games maye they should just watch a film?

@mikeawmids the issue is, the game will not be fun if it's not difficult. Truthfully if you just unlock all the skills and spam focus meter and weapons you can cheese most bosses. But it's not fun when it's easy. The game feel bland. You would be doing your self a disservice. And honestly it's not that hard you just need to practice more and be patient.

@ATaco okay, see you're missing the point. Because it's not the simple act of swinging a sword. Infact it's similar to a haunted house in that the endorphins if what might be around the corner makes it exciting. The pressure of needing to focus and Larry (sifu) or dodge roll ( souls) at the right time leaves you on the edge of your seat. The risk and reward if going in for an attack adds to that excitement. Souls games wouldn't even be popular without that rush. In fact dmc with easy autocombo mode is why ppl think the game is mid/ average. Unbeknownst to most but things that are challenging actually make it fun once you accomplish it. Weightlifting for example is like this. Struggling for months to lift a weight is depressing, BUT once you do you've hit your personal best. It brings a since of internal pride. There are alot of things in life like that. People who get plastic surgery to get muscles don't know what that feels like. It's the same thing. That mentality of it's to hard make it easier isn't benefiting anyone. Infact more ppl will play it and beat it quickly on easy and "say this game was too short and boring. Why are people even saying its good?" It will ruin the reviews.

@Fight_Teza_Fight sifu just needs a better training mode that let's train against any one you've beaten before. This allows you to practice their moves. And in turn focus and hone your skills for that particular moveset

@huyi I also have kids. I still think we can agree that if the game was easy it would defeat the purpose it's a short game for a reason. The story is average, the gameplay is where it shines. You'll feel like you wasted your money if you beat it in 3 hours. JS. This game just isn't for you. Because it is infact about patience. Knowing when to strike and when to defend. Greedy people get beat up. It's actually not that hard. And if you really wanted you could just upgrade structure and focus and most bosses are easy.

@Milktastrophe very valid argument there, I cannot say no to that.
I was being very optimistic in my line of thought, I’ve seen some absolutely insane disabled gamers play games at levels that even I can’t achieve in my dreams, so I was thinking of Accessibility more in terms of things like 2 button controls or one handed, something in this direction, this means the game remains the same but it’s made possible for almost anyone to play it as it is meant to be played. it’s an incomplete thought but it ends in “… disability isn’t always inability” I don’t want to speak too much for disabled people lest I run the risk of sounding insensitive. However I would find it interesting to hear their say on this topic. I imagine that there are several who probably don’t want it slapped in their face with such modes (I could be wrong), but I guess an easy mode would help especially the casual ones genuinely into such souls like games but unable to perform the more complex moves. I stress “genuinely” because this is the crux of this discussion I think. Game difficulty options are good but some games leave this convention that’s why we now have a sub genre. You do not go to a platformer and say there should be less jumping. In the Same light, you don’t go to a soulslike and say there should be an easy mode. (Oh wait the devs didn’t say this is a soulslike did they? I might have invalidated my own argument, idk anymore lol)

I’m assuming you’ve been following this particular thread I hope this serves as a conclusion to my thoughts:
I really don’t like that gamers get a game of genre x and instead of accepting the in this case fully functional, intentionally challenging and repetitive mechanics of it, want them changed to “respect” their time. In the End this is what it boils down to to me. One fails to let go of game x and accept that it’s simply not for them. Buys it anyway, only confirming that’s it’s not for them. Is in denial and copes with denial by blaming developer. But player didn’t respect themselves by accepting game isn’t for them. Reviews and maybe previews clearly mentioned it’s a hard game. The game wasn’t forced into anyone’s console the devs shouldn’t have to change their vision to yours, mine especially when is fully functional and has a fully supportive fan base.
I feel I lost myself in there somehow soo I won’t reply after this. But thank you, this has been a really good discussion point, would be cool to see what’s devs think about it too.

All in all, I am for developers freedom to create on this one. If from the go developers want the game to have an easy normal and hard mode good. If they don’t, then they shouldn’t be squeezed into it. They shouldn’t be responsible for us failing to make the right purchasing decisions especially if all the information was provided prior to purchase to ensure that the right decision is made.

@nobiwan So I agree with a lot of that. I stated in the "did you buy" article after finding out there was a lack of accessibility features that this game didn't seem to be for me, and that's ok.

What confuses me is that the developers have come out and said they're going to add extra difficulty modes and accessibility features after launch, and there's a load of people who seem angry about it. I for one trust that the developers will do what they're comfortable doing with their game. If making it too easy ruins it, I trust they'll not make the easier mode too easy. Meanwhile they're adding an even harder mode for those who really want to test their mettle.

I run a Discord server for other disabled and chronically ill people, and one of the things that comes up over and again is that everyone's different. What helps one person makes things harder for another, and while for one person difficulty levels might fix everything, for another it does nothing, and other accessibility options are needed. We'll all each other what options are available, whether this game is ok if you have these problems. It's really encouraging when we see games in genres we can't usually play accommodating us, and it kinda stinks to see other gamers throwing their rattle out of the pram because stuff they don't have to use, but which makes a huge difference to us, is being added.

Everyone complaining, you realize that nothing is being removed from the game right? You can still play on the same difficulty that you've been enjoying up till now. And they're even adding a hard mode. Funny how no one complains about that, even though it's also not the original, "intended" experience.

@Nitlacamp Nice paragraph but really, fun is subjective. Dynasty Warriors games are literally all about swinging a sword around forever and people like those games. Why? Because it's fun. It doesn't need crazy combos, it doesn't need absurd challenge. Fun. Is. Subjective. Let people have fun however they want to have fun. Good game design accommodates any play style.

@Nitlacamp agreed.

The Beyond podcast had an interview with dev and he discussed the high difficulty. Sounds to me this added easy mode is an afterthought due to the reaction of gamers which found it too hard. I could be wrong though.

@Gunnerzaurus if you could provide any point as to how the game remaining the same and giving other people a different way to play changes your opinion, we could have had a decent discussion.

@Filth_Element thanks for elaborating your point so well, but I still disagree. I see what you mean, but it's important to keep in mind that some people would simply never give the game a try, if it didn't have difficulty options. So, now they get to try it and experience it differently that it was intended, sure. But they may still enjoy it and it helps the game sell better. Everyone wins.

@naruball I think Bayonetta 1 is a good example of what I think ‘could’ happen. The easy mode is sooo ridiculously easy it’s one boring and two broken. Even high skill players who can pure platinum all levels on the most ridiculously hard mode “pure infinite climax” which has no witch time slow down can’t pure platinum some levels on easy. This is because it hasn’t been balanced and enemies die too quickly for a combo score and if you take time to kill the enemies you lose score on time.

So I think you could easily play this so that you can see all the cut scenes, enjoy the story (which isn’t that great tbh) and finish the game in a prompt manner so that you can move onto the next. The real point here is did you enjoy it or will you walk away from (IMO) the greatest action games and just think it was sub par. It does a disservice to the game devs and the player.

Im not mad about an easy mode being added I just think in some cases it isn’t the intent of the game and people might miss out on why a game is well regarded. Yes game sales will go up but what about reputation that may well go down.

Look you don’t have to agree but that is where my head is at when seeing news like this or the “social media backlash” for a game like this. Anyway it’s always nice to have a real discussion instead of a slagging off match.

@naruball lol I just saw your reply to @Gunnerzaurus and my whole nice to have a discussion seems like a smarted ar**d comment! It wasn’t meant that way 😅

@Filth_Element to be honest, I never played Bayonetta 1, so I have no idea how bad the easy mode is, but I can imagine. And that's an extreme scenario, since it doesn't mean that these developers will make the same mistake with the easy mode. Keep in mind that some people play Dynasty Warriors games where 99.9% of enemies have a lower IQ than a potato and exist just to be killed. They still enjoy them!

As for people playing the easy mode and getting the sense that the game isn't good, well a) some may still like it even if it's awful by most people's standards, b) the game still sells a copy it otherwise wouldn't, and c) what impression would they have had of it if they had never played it anyway? Its reputation will still be great, since most people who buy it, do so for the normal difficulty (i.e. as it was intended to be played). Those who try the added easy difficulty know that it wasn't made to be played on easy. The only people left who may criticize it are those who have no idea about the game, because they don't frequent gaming sites, and bought it because it looked cool. Those are unlikely to affect its reputation, since they don't post online. They may tell a friend that they didn't like it, but that's it.