A game has to have something going for it… good story, engaging combat, relaxing atmosphere or music… (un)fortunately souls and soulslike games seem to have a good mix/balance of those things nowadays.
Any game I play nowadays I always start at the highest difficulty and drop it down if it becomes too tedious. Unfortunately modern games have simplified combat and more often end up cruising through a game with little friction.
You remember those silly Game & Watch deep diver games we used to play in the 90s. We got stuck on a level for weeks I miss those kinds of difficulty.
yeah I get it. I have my comfort games too that I always go back to after playing a long RPGS or a tough game: Granblue Fantasy Relink, Control, Guilty Gear Strive, Elden Ring, GRID 2019, and Borderlands.