I already knew I didn't like soulslike combat because it's slow and nearly all attacks are annoyingly high commitment so it relies more on pattern recognition, strategy, and patience than quick reflexes and high-speed improvisation.

Playing Stranger of Paradise this week made me realize why even Nioh was a bridge too far for me: stamina bar.

I just can't help but see it as a made up problem: I'll give you an arbitrary limitation that sucks the fun out of combat… and a bunch of advanced mechanics to overcome it and give you your fun back.

I just play these games and I wonder why these combat designers hate me, and why am I not playing action games that actually let me have fun without passing some arbitrary rhythm test.

I know the answer is curiosity, but I often wonder if it's worth it.

It's not even a question of difficulty: no permutation of factors will make Nioh or Stranger of Paradise as difficult as fighting Gracious and Glorious on Infinite Climax in Bayonetta. It's gating fun behind arbitrary busy work… for reasons.