There’s an old metaphor for management that speaks to the contrast of incentivizing workers either with the carrot or the stick. I’ve found that this can often apply in video games as well, and it isn’t hard to see where the cozy gaming sphere would be a big advocate for the carrot-based approach, though if there’s never any taste of a challenge (the stick), perhaps the game could just have no meaning. You could then assume that on the other end of the spectrum roguelikes or games like precision platformers would lean more heavily on the stick, relentlessly pushing players with non-stop challenges. You’d be right, but in truth even tough games have to have some sense of reward, even if that’s knowing how to carefully balance the challenge with some other incentives, to make every win the player has feel incredibly good, pushing them to keep going and looking for that high again. 

Unfortunately, I then also see games like Morkull Ascend to the Gods, which don’t seem to really have that concept locked down very well. Right out of the gate, before the player even has any reason to be invested, it feels like they throw you in the deep end. I’m not saying this approach can’t work, but the really tough games that I’ve played and loved have known enough to give gamers a little warming up. The ass-kicking will come soon enough, where’s nothing wrong with giving the player a win or two, getting them on board and understanding the reward for their perseverance. 

Instead, Morkull seems to think that its odd fourth-wall-breaking humor will somehow suffice, and I’m sad to say it really doesn’t. Even getting through what I suppose was its tutorial was a chore, in part because at first I wasn’t really even sure what was happening. Are we really having what feels like a weird boss fight just to get you started? I haven’t played many games that are really only a boss rush mode, but the few I have played at least had a lot more going on to arm you with to succeed. Here it feels more like it’s all roughly Hollow Knight wannabe boss fights without getting the feel for the limited mechanics on basic minions in advance. It’s really odd, there are all sorts of things you can unlock to improve your abilities and become more formidable, but first you’ll need to be an almost no-skill punching bag. I have no doubt there are people out there who will dig the challenge somehow, but when it doesn’t feel like I’m having any fun, and there’s a fair question of whether it will ever get there, it’s hard to want to stick with when there are plenty of tough games out there made to be enjoyed.