As Shadow of the Erdtree, Elden Ring’s one and only DLC, launched, it was quickly blasted for its difficulty and while criticisms are warranted, FromSoftware stands its ground at not adding a way to modify the game’s difficulty. It appears Helldivers 2 director Johan Pilestedt sees no reason for the game to get a change in difficulty.
As reported by PC Gamer, Pilestedt takes the stance that games don’t have to be for everyone and that if it tries to appeal to all, it appeals to none. More specifically, “A game for everyone is a game for no one,” which is directly taken from the motto of Arrowhead Game Studio. Both developers are fairly niche in the markets it targets and while the two share vastly different audiences in a way, that doesn’t take away from the mindset.
“Good game design is evoking emotion more than anything. Helldivers 2 aims to evoke different emotions—edge-of-the-seat gameplay that turns into epic wins or fails. Shared laughter or collective ‘f**k yeah.'”
@helldivers2 aims to evoke different emotions, edge of the seat gameplay that turns into epic wins or fails. Shared laughter or collective "fuck yeah" 🤣
— Pilestedt (@Pilestedt) June 24, 2024
Obviously, Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree isn’t something for everyone, but rather the people starved for more Elden Ring, the ones who have played the game tirelessly and want more. Smash Jump’s “in-house” Soulslike pro, Luke Gittens, immensely enjoyed the DLC in spite of the difficulty, as that’s something that makes it a part of its experience.
