Instead of making the harder difficulty unlockable, why not make the easier one unlockable?
That sounds much better. Keep dying, offer help, best by advice, eventually unlock easier difficulty.
Instead of blood stains the game could add victory stains after you keep dying. Touch them and see how someone else overcame a particular fight. Usually seeing it can be done is enough to be able to do it yourself.
I agree ng+ should be more difficult, maybe different enemy placements, different traps. ng+ was laughably easy after the first play through.
However the first play through needs better explanation of the game mechanics. Plus I'm for an optional retry system. After you die have a choice to go back to the bonfire or reset to the last safe spot you were before an enemy spotted you. Same for those damn swinging blades in Sen's fortress I just couldn't reliably judge my distance from. And allow retrying a boss fight with the same people.







