i define myself by beating challenges that were inherently designed to be beaten.

I have played through Hollow Knight twice so I am pretty familiar with this gameplay style and I did just recently played through Hollow knight again before this game came out. I agree this game is difficult, but it’s not that difficult. Every boss has a pattern that can be learned after three or four tries.

The point is I get frustrated, then I get better. There's stakes, and every time I get a little better. I see the next phase of the boss, then it takes me multiple tries to get to that stage again. Then suddenly, nearly every time I'm getting to that phase in seconds This game isn't hard for the sake of being hard, it's hard because it repeatedly gives you a new challenge that seems impossible, and if you have the will to keep pushing you can overcome it. Not through luck, you just learn the patterns, and you adapt your combat style And once you surpass a challenge, it feels like an accomplishment. The world opens up, you're rewarded with new exploration and abilities

What's the point of anything you aren't immediately good at?

There is something to that for sure. I derive more meaning or pleasure struggling through guitar these days and I want to just turn my brain off when I play games. Hasn't always been that way and I hope I doesn't stay.

yeah, screw that, I only get frustrated and/or angry. And even if I have the patience to eventually I beat it, it's just not worth it.

Except Trobbio. Fuck his balls

TROBBIO!!!!

Some people enjoy studying, learning, practicing and grinding for days on end in their games. Other people have a job where they can do all that.

For others their job is unfulfilling torture they are forced to do to survive, so it's nice to have an hobby you can put effort in and be rewarded, be it gaming, art or anything else.

With a rusty carving knife!

You say that but then Team Cherry makes bosses ::: spoiler Spoiler like Savage Beastfly (and a rematch) ::: with RNG minion spawns. And yes, I know you're "supposed" to use tools to quickly kill the minions, but every try uses up so many shards that you need to farm them in between tries, feeding into the broken economy. Why are there even shards as a currency in the first place if tool usage is limited and refilled every run.

I hardly ever use the tools. They are full for me most of the time.

I just defeated him. He was a bit difficult. I don’t know I could have upgraded the needle already, so I defeated him with the base needle. Then I looked up where to use the oil and found out I could have fought him with 3 needle upgrades

To have fun, some people prefer challenges, other prefer relaxation. It is good there are choices for everyone.