Cliffy B: 'Games have become more linear and easier'

Expanding the gaming audience has come at the cost of making games simpler and easier, Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski has said. And it just so happens that a game of his, the prequel Gears of War: Judgement, is hoping to present a challenge for players.

"It feels like in this current console generation that we've taken a lot of steps to grow the audience and what I think's happened is that the games have become more linear and easier, so it feels like a lot of quick-time-events," Bleszinski told Xbox360Achievements.

"The more I play games like that the more I turned off to them and just want to get back to systems interacting with systems, and get back to a game that, you know, when was the last time a game really challenged you and asked something of you, right? There's a reason why Demon's Souls and Dark Souls have taken off lately. It's because they really require you actually try."

Gears of War: Judgement, he says, will be difficult enough to allow those memorable moments of glorious deaths and miraculous recoveries, which we do all so enjoy.

"Casual mode will still be casual, whatever, if you just want to see graphics and you don't want to die," Bleszinski said. "But every other mode will be hard in this game and you will die."