9 Lessons All Video Game Developers Can Learn From Dark Souls

2. Player Progression Through Skill, Not Increased Stats

Progression in a game is almost always measured in a numerical value of some sorts. You have extra health because you levelled up, or your gun does more damage, or the magical stat on your halberd is increased by three. That is a system that is engineered into gaming and frankly it works perfectly. For a game, it works and enforces the mechanics perfectly allowing for a system of progression that directly affects the game.

But one of the more important layers of progression that is often over looked by most developers is player progression. The skills and abilities that the player intrinsically learns via playing through the game. No other game has better showcased player progression that Dark Souls as the only way to play is the progress as a player. By crafting a game that revolves around player skill and their ability to learn from their mistakes, Dark Souls perfectly outlines the idea of player progression.

When you look at games like Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect, the idea of player skill is lessened, with the focus on equipment and stats taking prevalence. And while this serves to create a fun and engaging game, progressing as a player can add a layer of depth and achievement to playing through a game. Getting decimated by a boss and then absolutely decimating the boss in turn without getting hit - simply through learning - can beat increased numbers any day.

The sense of achievement bolstered by a system catering to player progression is unrivalled.

Game developers need to at least learn from that and understand that doing something purely through your own skill is infinitely more rewarding than throwing higher numbers at it.