Summary
Gone are the days when the hardest games were niche and restricted to select franchises. As increasingly powerful tech allows for more creative playstyles and sophisticated combat systems, players have naturally started craving more challenges that rely on deft skills and strategic decision-making on thePlayStation 5.
One such genre that continues to push the boundaries of difficult challenges and offers a true test of gamers’ abilities is the role-playing game (RPG) genre. ThePS5is the home to a plethora of such demanding titles that emphasize the players’ wits and prowess in place of random button mashing. How do these fare when ranked altogether?
The titular character, Kratos returns with Atreus to offer new ways of navigating Midgard as Fimbulwinter closes in. Although there are new tools to play around with, the revamped arenas and movement options, coupled with a tough variety of enemies and ailments almost giveGod of War: RagnarökaDoom-like challenge.
The “Give Me God of War” difficulty will keep players on their toes with little to no room for error as most enemies can two-shot Kratos, even when wielding thebest Draupnir Spear handles. This is especially tricky when a combination of heavy-hitting tank enemies and fast-moving homing projectiles gives the players no room to breathe.
The action RPG series has been known for its daunting leveling system and character-build optimization.Diablo 4only takes it up a notch with its dynamic level scaling of mob enemies based on the number of party members of the player.
Unlike its counterpart,Path of Exile, enemy attacks inDiablo 4can hardly be evaded, and are almost always guaranteed to hit. This puts a lot of emphasis on loot grinding by crawling the same dungeon multiple times for the most optimized gear and armor for reduced damage among other buffs. After level 50, players can expect a huge difficulty spike in the end-game as they push to max their level by clearing Nightmare Dungeons and Nightmare Sigils across World Tiers 3 and 4.
The first inclusion of a turn-based RPG in this list,Yakuza: Like a Dragon, is forgiving in its early hours thanks to a multitude of hints and tutorials. Players will continue to breeze through the first 10 chapters of the game. However, when a certain character makes his return inLike a Dragon,it is the definition of a rug being pulled out from under.
The crazy difficulty spike puts the focus on considering each turn more carefully in combat. This only reaches mega-crazy levels when dealing with the True Final Millennium Tower partly because the grind to even access the endgame content is insane, with all characters of the party needing to be at max level with at least 1 job (class) being maxed for all party members. Only true horrors await when players step into the ring againstShin Amon in the final fight!
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Integradeis a contender for one of the finest remakes. In addition to taking huge strides in technical achievement, the remake also adds an innovative hybrid of dynamic and role-playing combat which isn’t like anything done before. This makes for tactical decision-making as players switch control to other party members and exploit enemies’ elemental weaknesses.
Such a combat system tests multiple qualities of the player including quick reflexes, timing attacks, and item management. Then, about the boss fights, ah, the formidable late-game boss fights are excruciatingly difficult. This holds true for both the base game andYuffie’s DLC episode, with the latter having some of the toughest boss fights of the series: Nero and Weiss. What’s more is, for platinum-hunters, taking these fights on in Hard Mode will mean health-regeneration points will be few and far between which is massively challenging given the increased health pools and resistances of the boss enemies.
A list of hard RPGs is incomplete without aFromSoftwaregame, soDemon’s Soulsfills the void. Remade in all its 4k glory and buttery-smooth 60 fps, relive the classic but this time with an overhaul to the combat and movement that makes it a tad more bearable.
All the challenges of a traditional souls-like game are present here from the labyrinthine level designs to unforgiving enemies to limited clues and directions for navigation. However,Demon Souls’ main challengecomes from the Tendency System. Depending on certain actions and interactions of your characters with the bosses and NPCs, the elements of the game world will shift to become more punishing (Pure Black Tendency) including less player health, higher enemy health, and fewer consumable drops, making it an uphill battle to say the least.
Although the more recent installment,Monster Hunter: Rise, introduces the wirebug mechanic to quickly close in and adjust footing making for a more accessible experience, it comes at the cost of reduced difficulty.Monster Hunter: Worldholds nothing back. It is a grandeur and visceral experience, glacially paced, and requiring careful collaboration with party members, and a deep understanding of the many complex systems of the game.
The intricacy of the combat motions including precision in timing and positioning, is vital for progress as much as it is to research the complex patterns of monsters’ attacks and their elemental weaknesses. The deep crafting and progression system are designed such that well-optimized gear is greatly rewarded in end-game activities, especially in theIceborneexpansion pack. The huge time investment, tactful decision-making, and precise combat maneuvers makeMonster Hunter: Worlda truly formidable challenge.
FromSoftwarenot only changed theDark Soulsformula by introducing an open world withElden Ringbut changed the landscape of difficult RPGs for good. Cave and open fields alike, nothing in The Lands Between gives a sense of security as environmental hazards (damn the Lake of Rot) and daunting enemies, invaders, and online players present a constant threat. Grinding and leveling up helps to an extent, but takes nothing away from the boss enemies who constantly compel players to reassess their strategies.
Radahn, Malenia, and Lord Placidusax are just some of the most challenging enemies not just in aFromSoftwaregame, but arguably in any RPG game. The open-world perspective may give the player more ways to tackle an enemy, but it goes both ways. There is also an outrageously difficult platforming section towards the end to attain thesecret “Lord of Frenzied Flame” ending. The endless challenges ofElden Ringjust reaffirm that players can always rely onFromSoftwareto innovate on their brand of difficult games with each outing.
