When I was 15 years old, I survived sexual violence. Unfortunately, there was no person nearby who could support me at that moment. Mother divorced her father, why suffered greatly. And with my sister I could not find a common language. Once my friend offered to go to him and play Dark Souls. Not knowing what it is, I agreed. And only this gloomy fantasy could help me.
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You also know the situation when, after the next loss in Dark Souls, Sekiro or Elden Ring, I want to quit everything, erase the game, or even break the prefix? Personally, I have this constantly. I remember when BloodBorne passed, every few deaths promised to himself that “here is another return to the bell and I definitely finish playing”. But the attempt replaced the attempt, and I continued to move to the finale of the story with slow steps.
In this material we will analyze two fairly global topics. First, we find out what makes us return to the games from Fromsoftware even after numerous defeats. Secondly, let’s figure out why the games of the Japanese studio help to cope with mental disorders and are even able to protect from suicide.
History from Fromsoftware
To understand how the Fromsoftware game is arranged, you need to start from the very beginning. The company was founded in 1986 in Tokyo, and for the first few years has been developing software for offices. However, by 1994, the leadership considered that it was time for serious changes. CDs has practically displaced cartridges, and gamers around the world longed to purchase the original PlayStation. RPG was not enough in the starting line of the console, so Fromsoftware decided to abandon the software and start developing her first project. King’s Field I went on sale only a few weeks from the date of the console. The players were offered a first -person quest on catacombs and damned lands, where they had to fight local monsters. However, the project was not remembered by no means an interesting plot or a variety of mechanics, but with a fairly high complexity.
The original studio logo
The game never reached the American market, but home sales were enough for the studio to start continuing. In 1995, the light saw a sequel called King’s Field 2, And then the Troundwell – King’s Field 3. These games all appeared in the western market, albeit with altered numbering. Despite the expansion of the number of a mechanic, globally the concept of the trilogy remained unchanged. Players with a first -person view wandered around the lands and dungeons, destroying evil spirits. Users liked overstated complexity, but it was no longer possible to tolerate the uniformity of locations. That is why many preferred another no less famous Japanese Final Fantasy Franchise.
Realizing that the concept has exhausted itself, from Software moved away from King’s Field after the third part. But already in 1998 she released a project called Echo Night, where users have to hunt for ghosts. The company also reduced the number of battles, replacing them with interaction with other heroes and puzzles. In the same year, the light saw the Shadow Tower, which is essentially not much different from King’s Field. For which I actually received a lot of negative reviews. In general, it may seem that the release of the same type of games in which only models of heroes and (sometimes) entourage are changing, some kind of Credo Fromov became some kind of credo. But this is a completely different story.
At the beginning of the life path, PlayStation 2 from Software released two games for the new prefix. The first – Eternal Ring. In it, fans of the Japanese studio were waiting for the story of a young magician who travels along the damned island. The second – Evergrace. In it, the studio decided to explore the new territory for itself. The team released the action with a third -person view, close to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Alundra 2 or Threads of Fate. Also for the console throughout the life cycle came out Evergrace 2, King’s Field 4 and others.
The influence of Hidestaki Miyazaki
The story of Fromsoftware turned out to be much more saturated than I initially suggested. If you are interested in this topic, write in the comments, I will try to make a complete analysis. Perhaps it will even be possible to contact one of the company employees. In the meantime, from the remaining story, I will choose only the most important points. In 2004, the notorious Hidetak Miyazaki, who was 30 years old at that time, came to the studio. It is interesting that he had not participated in the development of games before, but he had a clear idea that he wants to see. Thanks to him in the Armored Core 4 and Armored Core: For Asswer, different endings appeared, and the games themselves became much more saturated.
In parallel with the popular series, Fromsoftware prepared a new project – Demon’s Souls. True, the development was not successful, since none of the game designers had an idea of what the game should turn out. Having come to terms with the fact that it would not be possible to earn money on it the project was handed over to Miyazaki. Not even believing in hypothetical success, Sony bosses did not even make adjustments to the final build.
Demon’s Souls Remake (for comparison)
The game hit the shelves the way the gamemeranean saw it: gloomy and incredibly complex. As expected, in the Japanese market Demon’s Souls was not successful. But everything changed when the project reached Western gamers. After a couple of years, Fromsoftware released the first part of Dark Souls. Thus began the path of turning from an unknown Japanese team of developers into one of the most popular studios in the world, whose games are hundreds of gamed -producers from different countries.
Why can’t we quit Souls game?
So, we figured out the history of the studio, now let’s talk why we cannot quit Souls games. Friends, when preparing the material, I had to read several scientific papers. Despite the fact that they are written in a complex language, I will try to explain everything as simple as possible and with specific examples.
How souls games satisfy the psychological needs of players
People often experience an internal need for an awareness of skill in what they do. Numerous studies conducted by the Immersyve team showed that this need is manifested in everything from work to hobbies. Bold letters at school or the largest number of killed frags in the online game, put up for public display at the end of the round, is just from here.
For the user to feel comfortable, https://hustlescasino.uk/ gamemeracies need to perfectly work out game tasks, make a convenient and understandable gameplay, and also praise players for their achievements. When the gameplay fully corresponds to the user skills, only then does he experience a sense of satisfaction.
Many gamed -producers when preparing a game for the Pens (Player Experience of Need Satisoff, “Satisfaction of needs”) often focus on the book of American psychologist Mikhai Chixentmihaii (fucked surname) under the name “Stream”. Here is one of her main thoughts.
The state of the flow is a positive mental state in which a person who performs any activity is completely immersed in a sense of energetic concentration, complete involvement and enjoying the process of activity. In order for a person (or in our case the player) to feel as comfortable as possible, it is necessary to balance the complexity of the task with the player’s ability to overcome it. If difficulties exceed the possibilities, the user will experience a feeling of anxiety. Difficulties are smaller than abilities, make the gamer get bored and throw the game halfway.
Souls series, at first glance, completely contradict this theory. Even the very first boss will send you to a checkpoint ten times before it is possible to win it. It turns out because of the transcendental complexity players cannot enter the state of “stream” and as a result of enjoy the game. Right? And yes, and no.
Researchers divide fans of the Souls-ginge into several categories. The needs of burned gamers who always play on Hard are somewhat different from the needs of beginners, who really cannot hold the gamepad in their hands. Therefore, the usual or low level of complexity will cause them only boredom. It turns out that FromSoftware games are suitable only. It sounds logical if not for one huge "but". Sales of only one Dark Souls series overcame a mark of several tens of millions of copies. We can conclude that gloomy action from the Japanese studio love all types of gamers.
There is such a Chinese game designer named Jenov Chen. You can know him as the creator of Journey . So this is the uncle wrote a book called Flow in Games (“Stream in Games”), in which he explained how to please all the types of players at once. Here are the two main rules:
Introduce the options for choosing in the main actions to guarantee that the flow is never interrupted.
Summarizing a little, you can rephrase these rules as follows: developers need to provide several options for the complexity built into the main gameplay so that as many players can feel comfortable as possible. Moreover, the complexity of the game should not adapt using the DDA system (Dynamic Difficulty Adjustment or dynamic complexity adjustment), as it was in Max Payne .
This approach gives the results. For example, Dark Souls, despite the prohibitive complexity, offers players several gameplay solutions to pass the plot the largest number of players. Moreover, a wide stream zone allows beginners to become hardcore. This explains why many, after the end of the story, decide to re -question it again.
I remember that I promised a specific example, let’s move on to it. Roughly speaking, users have three options to defeat the boss.
1. Players who have breakfast uranium in a fight with the enemy use only a counterattack. The same people usually take place on dance rugs, bananas and other "special" controllers.
2. Players who are not used to give up, try to equip their hero with strong armor and weapons. They study the manner of boss’s behavior, hone their skills on weaker enemy.
3. Players who do not really like to bother themselves are watching various guides on the Internet. They also often call for the aid of NPC or other users.
Therefore, in order to enter the stream in Souls games sometimes just choose your own style of passage.
The latter in this section, but no less important is the honesty of the gameplay. This parameter is especially important for the games from Fromsoftware, where you are cruelly punished for the slightest miscalculation. And with this, the Japanese studio has a complete order. For example, the camera always hangs so as not to complicate the review. All enemies visually contrast with the environment so that the player sees the advancing opponents. The protagonist himself is slightly highlighted in the dark, so that you can see where to go. NPC movements are always clearly traced. Here the enemy stands peacefully, so he noticed the player and moved on him, so he makes an attack, so he ends the attack. Everything is honest, if you want to inflict damage, just get into timing. The sound is clearly connected with movements (and the gamepad is also on the PlayStation 5). The ringing with which the sword bounces from the shield makes the players understand that it’s time to counterattack.
Thanks to the honesty of battles, Dark Souls allows players to clearly observe all the mistakes from respond to death, and then analyze their result and improve it.
To confirm or refute this theory, I turned to my former colleague and part -time psychologist Alexei Panichidin. For the material, I took a small fragment, you can get acquainted with the full version of the interview in the Telegram channel "Breathe deeper".
“To get satisfaction, you need to achieve some goal. And in Souls games, such goals are unconsciously set at almost every step. It is important to note that when they achieve and receive satisfaction, hormone endorphin is produced. And this, as we know, is his own drug for the brain, upon receipt of which a person begins to think about how to get it again, performing such actions. Hence, by the way, the desire to pass the most difficult games several times, increasing the complexity. Because, as with real drugs, the one dose is added to one dose and it takes more. That is, after some time, the victory over one boss no longer causes the pleasure that was at the beginning. Therefore, you need to win 10, 20 and so on. And then start again, but with an increased level of complexity. After some time, try to pass the game with one hand or with blindfolded eyes, as some streamers do ”.
Psychologist Alexei Panihidin
Souls games can save your life
Speaking about the psychological aspect, which often makes us return to the Souls-Janra, one cannot fail to note another amazing pattern. A couple of months ago, the publication Looper released the material that players experiencing depression were able to get rid of it after meeting FromSoftware projects. Although, it would seem, the oppressive atmosphere and the transcendental complexity should have a completely opposite result. How is it possible at all, now we will figure it out.
All patients in question in the article were diagnosed with similar symptoms: a sense of mental emptiness, a sharp drop in self -esteem, hopelessness, loss of energy and indifference to once favorite classes. Doctors emphasize that a long stay in such a state negatively affects everyday life, and in the worst case leads to a desire to commit suicide.
In Souls Graits, the death of a protagonist is one of the key mechanics. And in some way, death and constant return to the fire are similar to the entrance to the depressive period. Players feel like losers, feel helplessness, disappointment. A little later, sadness and disgust for yourself are added to these feelings. Dying every few minutes, you will begin to ask yourself by the willy: “Does it make sense to continue attempts?". And the game always has a definite answer to this: "Yes".
By the word "failure" we mean that a person did not succeed either because of his mistake or because of the intervention of external factors. Many people are afraid of this at a subconscious level and often try to walk through life, avoiding failures at all costs. But is it bad that a person strives for the ideal? Rather, yes than not. According to research from scientists from the University of Texas, such people voluntarily deprive themselves of many opportunities for self -realization, since they are afraid to make a mistake and become a common laughinghouse. Surely such a feeling of total uncertainty is familiar to people with psychological disorders. Depression or other similar disease becomes part of their personality. They turn into hostages of their own fears, fearing failure as a fire.
Despite the fact that in the games of the Souls series, one way or another, everything is tied to this very “failure”, the developers are approaching it from a slightly different side. They encourage the player for failures. But do it unobtrusive way. No one will offer you to miss the boss after ten unsuccessful attempts. FromSoftware, as it were, tells you: “You are stronger than that! You do not need a anyone’s help to cope with all the difficulties. Just take a sword and destroy the enemy ".
These are one of the few games that convince that it is normal to make mistakes. You can try as many times as you want. That is why every boss (and even an ordinary opponent) requires a new approach. Players get the opportunity to change their battle style, test new methods and do not remain in the trap of their former thinking.
Many players depressed, noted that after passing the same Dark Souls, they had “tools” to overcome difficulties in real life. Again, it would seem, a dying world, a weak hero, giant bosses. Everything that is possible plays against the protagonist. And faced with these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, many gamers begin to experience a sense of helplessness. But the more you try, the more you improve, allowing your subconscious to understand that any problem is on your shoulder. You just have to find an approach.
I found one very indicative story on Reddit, which describes in detail everything that I am talking about now. You could hear her at the beginning of the video. If you want to read it yourself, the link will be in the comments, and I will retell it in my own words.
A young man named Tom writes that at the age of 15, he began depression. Father Tiran left the family, the mother was suppressed because of this event, the hero of the story himself came to his senses after sexual violence. The psychotherapist could not help solve the problem. Once his acquaintance suggested playing Dark Souls after school. Knowing nothing about this game, the guy agreed. Then he writes that the game was able to hook him with his mechanics. He constantly fought with local creatures, constantly lost, but constantly tried again and again. It was especially pleasant to kill the boss, which Tom considered it impossible to win. According to him, the game actually helped him be distracted from post -traumatic disorder.
If you think this is an isolated case, here are a few more stories from players taken from Reddit:
“Bloodborne was a saving game for me. She appeared at a time when I experienced strong emotional burnout, depression and frequent bouts of panic. The game was a way out for my worries. Overcoming all the difficulties that these games throw you is an excellent reminder that things that seem to be impossible at first become easily, when you make efforts and do not expect it to become better at the same time ”.
“I can say with confidence that at a time when I had neither a goal, nor motivation, and nothing challenged me, I found Dark Souls. She helped me get out of this rut. The first two years of college studies have become for me not the best time. And the only thing that made me feel productive is what I won in this game. ".
“Dark Souls was really able to help me. Thanks to her, I coped with depression. And I can’t stop thanking from Fromsoftware for creating such an amazing game that is not only my favorite, but also helped me survive difficult times ”.
And here you need to make a few remarks. Firstly, Souls games should in no case become a replacement for psychiatric care. Despite the fact that many studies prove that such games can relieve symptoms, treatment of depression and related problems requires the help of qualified specialists. Secondly, there is a difference between a momentary feeling of sadness and clinical depression. So that the doctor can diagnose a mental disorder, its symptoms should be stored for at least two weeks. Thirdly, it all depends on the specific case. Some players in depression complained that the game worsened their fortune even more.
Alexey commented on this feature of Souls-IGR.
“If a person has a psychiatric diagnosis-depression, then he will not be interested in playing Souls games, and indeed in any other. All thoughts will be engaged in pondering the hopelessness of their existence. But, if this is the temporary state of the decadent mood, which is not a diagnosis and, accordingly, does not require medical intervention, then they may well raise the mood, self -esteem and return the desire for a full life. Now, specifically about the Souls-Jun. Such projects will be an excellent solution if a person loves complex games. In this case, the fact that you have to die a lot, remember the tactics of the battle, overcome difficulties, focus, can positively affect a person, and he will blossom right before his eyes ”.
Psychologist Alexei Panihidin
What do you think about all this?
Friends, all information in this material is presented exclusively for introductory purposes. The author does not call for anything and does not promote anything, only introduces interesting theories met on the Internet. All jokes from this material should be perceived exclusively as jokes.
