"Today gamers are a bit spoiled on video game difficulty for the most part. Players get multiple checkpoints and auto saves which greatly reduces how tough the game is overall. In our opinion,a good challenge is core to any good game and it’s what gives players that great feeling of accomplishment upon beating a boss or grueling level. Join BootHammer as we take a look at our picks for the Top 5 Hardest Video Games."
Soulsborne games are infamously difficult. But why has that difficulty been the secret sauce to success for many of these titles in the genre?
Rewarded effort feels good.
Starting out bad at something and getting better with practice makes accomplishments meaningful.
Getting through these games feels like a journey of self improvement, lol.
You only have yourself to blame if things go poorly, but in a similar way overcoming challenge is similarly a function of your own growth.
I think because the games are fair. Gamers can tell that it’s due to their own abilities and not some BS.
I've always loved the sense of adventure and wonder in these games. There's no hand holding, there are surprises and traps everywhere and you have to figure out what some items do. Beating a heide knight was like an accomplishment for me the first time and it felt good to earn that sword he dropped. I've spent hundreds of hours in souls games ever since Kings Field on PS1. The lore is incredible and it makes you think about the history of the world you're in. I can't wait for Shadow of the Erdtree.
It's the recipe of fair difficulty, presentation, boss battles and lore that attract me to these games. The From Souls games have always had a nebulous quality to them that I find fascinating. Demystifying them is a big part of the fun.
I think its the atmosphere and gameplay. Each of these games unique ways to play and unique settings/atmospheres that are in a league of its own.
It's killing time all night long. Slay and beat through this list featuring hack and slash games on the original Xbox.
If you’re a gamer “of a certain age”, you may vaguely remember the moment when games went from a grueling gauntlet requiring all your skill and concentration to tackle to a casual, checkpoint-containing, cruise control-encouraging walk in the park.
I beat Jurassic Park multiple times!
Jurassic Park had no save system, so I would leave the console running while I went to school, took breaks. It's not that it's hard, it's just tedious. But I was a Jurassic Park obsessed kid (around 13 when this hit), so I would obsessively scower ever inch of the maps (both 2D and 3D) until I had them memorized.
The Star Wars trilogy, I only beat w the cheat codes.
Sounds just like me. I mapped out the indoor areas on paper, leaving the SNES on for days at a time. But I never finished the game. I collected all the raptor eggs except one. So close !
oh god, I remember beating JP on SNES and like you said, it was all in one shot.
I dunno about this list though, I beat all the Star Wars games and while some levels were tough, it was easy to get powerups and extra lives and stuff. Maybe set to the hardest settings it was tough. I also beat Contra 3, loved that game to death.
with the exception of Jurassic Park and Prince of Persia, I've beaten every other one of those. It just takes practice and time. Something I had way more of when I was younger.
Battle toads isn't that hard, I remember my granny beating contra and mega man long ago... ghost and goblins is definitely my #1 hardest game
Great article :)
ohh yeah super ghouls & ghosts what a b*tch!
Oh hey, artificial difficulty made the list.
Why not put side-scrolling shoot em ups too.
Those have much higher amounts of artificial difficulty.
I've been having a few retro gaming sessions lately, playing some old 8 and 16bit games (ask your parents kids :)) and my god, how I ever got past the first level back then is beyond me.