Difficulty vs Accessibility: A responsibility for the developers, not for the players.

[LMU Uncle Alfred]

I think another side to this is something along the lines of Necessity vs Playability. Difficulty keeps necessity in line, but without a decent amount of playability a game can feel too restrictive. Too many game mechanics can make some parts to a game feel inconsequential or like you're overpowered perhaps, but personally I'd op for that vs a game that practically wants you to play the game their way. A balance of both is nice.