Dark Souls is a classic at this point, and it has basically spawned a genre of imitators. There is good reason for this–the game balances difficulty with fairness and ties it all together in a brooding, beautiful package. Still, it’s a game that requires mastery, and skill can take on different meanings. Familiarity with the controls and excelling with your character means you’ll fair better the first time you encounter a hazard. But mastering the game itself means trial and error. Eventually, you’ll learn optimal routes, builds, boss patterns, and item locations so you don’t have to gather your lost souls over and over.

Also, other players can invade your world and impede your progress. That, itself, can certainly be frustrating.