Why difficulty and narrative go hand in hand

A counter-argument to Braid developer Jonathan Blow’s opinion that video-game narratives are impeded by their inherent need to challenge the player.

[THR1LLHOUSE]

I *loved* Braid, and I know Blow can rub people the wrong way, but I'm glad that he's kind of outspoken about his views. Keeps things interesting.

Anyway, on topic, I think Blow is totally wrong in this case. Reminds me of something like Red Dead Redemption, though that wasn't necessarily about difficulty. The middle part of that game was a chore, but it added to the emotional weight of the ending because you had suffered through a lot of boring missions earlier on.

[gillri]

nest indie game ever, simply amazing