Duration: 6:26

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Fans of the Souls/Soulsborne series love to say that these games are difficult, but also fair. Whether it’s Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, Bloodborne, Sekiro, or Elden Ring: it's a phrase we've been hearing for years. But what does it actually mean, and is it true? Those are the questions that I answer in this video.

I agree with and defend the idea that the Souls games are, ultimately, fair; but I also want to show that the issue is not cut and dry. Boss encounters and dungeons are, after all, designed to trick you (think Sen’s Fortress, the Tower of Latria, or the teleportation traps of Elden Ring); and most meaningful encounters are designed in such a way that you don't stand a chance your first time around, or perhaps even your second and third. And it's reasonable to conclude that this makes them unfair. What's more, the apparent 'unfairness' of the series has only got more pronounced over time. This trend really kicked into gear with Dark Souls 2, and lives on in Bloodborne, Sekiro, and Elden Ring.

My video tries to do justice to the way in which these games all feel unfair, while at the same time showing that this is part of a journey in which you learn to 'make the game fair,' as it were.

I also spend a lot of time talking about Margit, the Fell Omen, because I think that he's kind of a posterboy for how great yet 'unfair' boss design works in a Souls game.

00:00 "A Souls Game is Difficult but Fair"
00:47 The Idea of Fairness
01:21 "The Souls Games are Unfair"
02:45 Getting Good and Slowing Time
04:19 Fairness and Skill
05:06 The Satisfaction of Control
05:57 Outtro: What Do You Think?