A great thing about RPG games is that they can be played and enjoyed not only by complete novices but also by experienced players who are used to a challenge. Many RPGs are more difficult, and some players can even find them frustrating. In many ways, these games resemble games of luck, such as Bitcoin crash gambling games. Players can win or lose BTC based on luck alone, as the result depends on a random number generator. Therefore, some of the RGPs on our list tend to get so difficult at the higher stages that the players lose crypto regardless of their actions. Today, we take a look at 11 of the hardest RPGs ever made. Do you have further additions?
Demon’s Souls
Demon’s Souls is very similar to Dark Souls in its concept and execution, which isn’t surprising since Miyazaki and From Software are behind both projects. The game was initially made for PS3, and the remake was for PS5. It gave it a nice polish and a modern look. Many players find the game mechanics too tricky and have given up on it because of this. However, pushing through is one of the most rewarding RGPs of the era and beyond.
Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter is another game in which players engage in hack-and-slash against much larger and more powerful opponents. In most other games with similar mechanics, such battles are known as boss fights, which the players build up. With the Monster Hunter, each fight is a boss fight.
Players who have spent hundreds of hours claim that it’s not uncommon to go on long fights against a monster only to be knocked out towards the end of its lifespan. This can be frustrating as players can do nothing to affect their fate.
Nioh
Nioh is a 2017 game created by the Japanese developer Team Ninja, best known for its work on the Dead or Alive and Ninja Gaiden franchises. Nioh’s gameplay, however, isn’t similar to Ninja Garden; it’s more like Dark Souls in many regards. The team is known for its challenging games, but Nioh is difficult even by those standards.
The gameplay mechanic depends on sneaking attacks and a complex mechanism made for defense. It’s difficult even for the players at the lowest levels just starting the game, and many drop out then. Nioh 2 came out recently and is equally as challenging.
The Last Remnant
The Last Remnant was a 2008 game first released for Xbox. Over the years, it has been released for PS and PC, mobile devices, and the Nintendo Switch. The game was developed by Square Enix, which became famous for the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series.
The battle mechanic is far more difficult than the ones in these games. Many claim that the Last Remnant was among the most challenging RPGs ever. Notably, it was one of the first games to use the Unreal Engine, which developers later used widely.
Bloodborne
Bloodborne is similar to many of the games on our list and many games of the genre. These games are usually Lot Souls clones, but their theme and aesthetic make them stand out. That’s the case with Bloodborne, which is also based on a Victorian aesthetic with a lot of horror aesthetic. The gameplay is also different since the focus is on patience and waiting for the right time to shoot or swing the sword. Patience also helps when restoring the health bar between shots.
Legend of Grimrock 2
Legend of Grimrock 2 is a dragon-crawler game. Most dragon-crawler games are clones of the much more popular Diablo series. Legend of Grimrock 2 isn’t such a clone; it has its own gameplay and aesthetics. Unlike most other games, it’s based on an open-world concept, and players can fully explore it.
The players mostly describe the combat as challenging. It came about as a product of the larger scope and scale of the game, as the developers wanted to fill the world with many new creatures and opponents. The game is available for PCs only.
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics isn’t the same as other installments in the series. It’s much more difficult in terms of gameplay and much more turn-based. This means that the game focuses not on individual battles but on strategy and long-term planning.
The barrier of entry is very high, so it isn’t a game made for novice players in the series or the general genre. It’s a game from 1997, which shows in its graphics, even though there have been a few remastered versions by now. It’s available for all major consoles and PCs.
Fire Emblem Fates
Fire Emblem Fates is a series of three different installments, but they are all equally difficult to play and deserve a spot on our list. Each game in the series, however, has its own gameplay style. Some players have their favorites, and others find enjoyment in trying to master all three because they are so different.
Many players started their experience with the Fire Emblem: Awakening series and moved on to Fates. It’s a much more difficult game, and the transition was unpleasant for most. Once the players adapt to the new gameplay style and the new level of difficulty, Fates isn’t that difficult compared to others on our list.
Shin Megami Tensei Series
Shin Megami Tensei Series is a Japanese series of games and media known for its many subdivisions and subseries. It didn’t become as popular in the West as in Japan, but there are fan groups worldwide. The series has dozens of titles, including Persona, which is popular in the West.
The main selling point for the series is its narrative. It’s more than worth the difficult gameplay if you want to follow along with the story and learn about the world and its characters. All the games occur in a packed urban environment and post-apocalyptic settings.
Gothic
Magic settings are common in RPGs, but very few games have managed to incorporate magic in their gameplay as much as Gothic. The game setting is very dark, as the humans under the player’s control are forced to mine for magical ore that might help humanity win a losing war against the Orcs.
This goes wrong, and the miners organize a mutiny. The players are caught in the middle of these complex forces, where the game begins. The gameplay is dark and challenging, as there are very few good guys.
Darkest Dungeon
Darkest Dungeon is a dungeon or dragon-crawling game usually associated with Diablo and its clones. However, it is much slower, more methodical in its gameplay, and much more difficult than any of the other games in the genre. Sanity is a core mechanic that players must manage or risk losing their hard-earned characters to the twisted creatures in the darkness. As is the case with most such RPGs, it’s mostly about monitoring percentages and acting accordingly and on time.
Conclusion
All the games on our list are there because they are hard and sometimes unpredictable, but none are too difficult to enjoy and go through.
