EverQuest players want 'a hard game' because 'the challenge leads to a sense of accomplishment,' says designer

.

Shadow of the Erdtree is upon us, and with it the latest round of discussion about difficulty in videogames. But as much as I'm looking forward to traversing the Land of Shadow, I've instead spent the last couple weeks exploring the history of another difficult game, EverQuest.

Last week, developer Daybreak Games flew me out to San Diego to observe Fippy Fest, a celebration of EverQuest's 25th anniversary and the 20th anniversary of its sequel, EverQuest 2. That both games are still going strong is a testament to the ongoing legacy of a genre-defining game and the tenacity of its players and developers. One of the main reasons design manager Adam Bell thinks EverQuest has such a hold on players' hearts, a reason I heartily agree with, is that the game is tough as hell.