Why are hard games so addictive?
Over the last several years, there’s been a significant trend towards making video games harder. Not just more challenging or complex, but really cranking it up to make every minute of gameplay a living hell. Demon’s Souls/Dark Souls is somewhat famous for popularizing that type of difficulty, and the series has become a huge success. But why do people find it so fun to play these infuriatingly hard games?
A lot of people play games to relax, they want to take some time and lose myself in another world. The core Mario titles are great examples, they’re light and fun but still challenging. Even with more intense games like Call of Duty, the general gameplay is pretty easy and all the challenge comes from fighting with other players. Neither of these games makes failure mandatory per se, instead they allow you to just enjoy the gameplay. When you fail, you learn and move on and continue.
On the other hand, there are Dark Souls fans. They will tell you that nothing is as satisfying as beating a boss who just spent the last hour killing you. While it’s true that there is a sense of accomplishment to be had from overcoming a challenge, is losing what makes it fun? Spending more than an hour being decimated by one boss doesn’t sound like much fun, at least not while you’re still losing. Besides, there’s plenty of satisfaction to be had in other, easier games.
But if it’s not the repeated and soul-crushing failure that makes it so addictive, what does? And why do they keep coming back for more?
For initial reasons, one is that people select tough games because they take so long to complete. Since so many people are strapped for cash these days, they like to feel like they’re getting their money’s worth. With video games, one of the most common ways to judge value is by how long you play it before getting tired of it for good. When you can drop up to $60 and confidently say they you’ll spend at least 40 hours with the product, it sounds like a really good deal, and it is.
Once you’ve bought in, there are several reasons to enjoy these devilish games. On top of the solid gameplay mechanics, these games usually have built-in social features, often involving leaving messages for other players and some form of player versus player (PVP). The idea that other people can help you out, or damn you, can give you the confidence to keep going for a little bit longer. Plus, PVP gives you a reason to go back to areas you’ve already been through, looking for new opponents. At least, until someone else gets the same idea and invades and kills you, then you get to rage quit.
When you finally do stop playing that doesn’t mean that the game leaves your mind. You spend idle time strategizing, and you get to boast to your friends about how you finally got through Stonefang Tunnel, making it feel more real than when it’s just you sitting in front of the TV. Recounting tales of your harrowing journey through hardship is great fun both online and off, plus the trophies and achievements serve as proof of your noble deeds, reinforcing your greatness and giving you a little reminder of them every now and then.
As for why people keep coming back, when there are plenty of other lengthy, socially-oriented games out there, I believe it’s the nature of addiction itself. That is, it’s the investment that comes with putting hours and hours into a single thing, similar to the way that a gambler will keep playing until they win (although Dark Souls has a much better success rate than gambling). The more time you put into trying to beat a boss or area, the bigger the mental payoff when you finally best it. After a point, you’re playing less for the challenge and more for the relief that comes from being done with a thing. Every time you do win, you get that endorphin hit that says it was all worth it and you should do it again.
Right, now that I’ve managed to make a video game sound like a dangerous chemical addiction, I think it’s about time to end this piece. Before I make it worse.
Many games have copied the successful formula Dark Souls created, most of them with their own little twist. Dragon’s Dogma adds customizable companions which make an otherwise lonely journey much less so, and Lords of the Fallen makes general gameplay considerably easier but dares the player not to save or refill health items in exchange for increased rewards. But even the easiest of these games is still much more difficult than the average video game.
In the end, it all comes down to how much you enjoy a risk/reward system and how well you think you can game that system. If you come home exhausted and just wanna relax, then a game like Dark Souls is just gonna leave feeling unhappy before bed. But! if you live for a thrill and like to feel like the smartest person in the room (even if you’re alone), banging your head against a digital wall can be just the right thing to unwind with and the end of a hard day.
Praise the Sun!
