Where has the misconception come from that Survival Horror games should be punishingly difficult?
It's become a bit of a gatekeeping thing with 'elite' Survival Horror fans that seem to think that the genre is known for it's high difficulty. It's come about since the resurgence of modern 'classic' horror games.
For me, difficulty never, ever defined the genre. It was the exploration, the 'horror', the atmosphere, the inventory management, the puzzle-box design etc. Not difficulty, and having to literally scrape by with no resources or having to repeat sections until you do it perfectly.
On normal these games shouldn't punish players that much. Players definitely should struggle if they do not explore enough, as this is a key feature of the genre.
I DO agree that these games should have more difficulty modes, because part of the fun is planning out paths on higher, punishing difficulties, once you know the layout of the area and can plan out how to avoid enemies etc - that's fun. Becomes a big puzzle.
Also, the combat, jank, clunk, and camera angles, combined with limited saves is not a good combination, and we're all getting old now. I played Tormented Souls 2 on easy just for the convenience of the auto-saves.
Fatal frame, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Haunting Ground - None were punishing, but did have general challenge.
Just some waffle that's been on my mind the past few years. Still continue to love the genre.