The 10 HARDEST RPGs of the 2000's

“Kingdom Hearts” (2002)

Some may roll their eyes at “Kingdom Hearts” being on this list. However, few remember the early days of OG KH back when it first released on PS2. It definitely was not an easy game to play, and it wasn’t because of the combat. The controls were pretty awful when it came to moving around the environment and trying to jump between platforms. Many stuck with it and suffered, of course, but for those who wanted their games to feel good to play, they bounced. It didn’t help that fun skills like gliding came way later in the game.

“Vagrant Story” (2000)

“Vagrant Story” is difficult in the same way as the original “Dragon Quest” in that you only get to control one character as opposed to a party of three or four. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Even hardcore RPG fans will find trouble in keeping pace with “Vagrant Story’s” ever-increasing difficulty. As you progress, enemies get a hell of a lot tougher than they were minutes before, meaning you have to spend an egregious amount of time farming just to make the next section of the game tolerable. If you know how to handle classic RPGs, then trust us, “Vagrant Story” is great. For newbies, though, proceed at your own risk.

“The Witcher” (2007)

The very first “Witcher” game can be a ton of fun to play on PC between the story and exploration portions of the game. But when it comes to combat, it’s going to be hit or miss for most people. The reason? Well, the combat and controls aren’t exactly the greatest even with the two distinct control schemes. It just feels super clunky to move around and attack. Don’t get us wrong - “The Witcher” is a great RPG. It’s just that you really have to get used to the awkward movement in order to truly appreciate everything else.

“Etrian Odyssey” (2007)

Most RPGs are more than happy to provide information about your enemy between their level, their resistances, their weaknesses, etc. Sometimes, it requires a bit more effort on your end, but “Etrian Odyssey” is notorious for refusing to provide that info. You will never know if you’re overleveled, underleveled, or right where you need to be until you engage in combat. And most of the time, this will wind up getting one of your party members killed, if not the entire party. This is definitely the kind of game where you want to save and save often.

“Persona 3” (2006)

Speaking of Atlus games, we can’t go through this whole list without mentioning “Persona 3”. This game is known to be the last of “Persona’s” early and oppressive years, and it is definitely the hardest game in the entire series. Enemies hit like a truck, forcing you to make the most out of your very first turn. Your social life isn’t super easy to manage either as you will need a guide if you are that determined to max out all of your links. Do it perfectly, and you’ll have three days to spare. Do it on your own, and you’re likely going to wind up with a couple of links shy of being maxed out.

“.hack//INFECTION” (2002)

On the surface, “.hack//INFECTION” seems like your typical RPG with a heavy emphasis on using different weapons rather than a sizable group of party members. No different than “Vagrant Story”, right? But here’s the thing about “.hack”; this game will kick your teeth in very early on. “INFECTION” specifically is infamous for making the early game insanely hard. Kite is prone to miss attacks far more frequently than most games would allow while enemies seem to always be heavily coordinated. On one hand, its cool feeling like the AI can match a player’s skill, but “.hack//INFECTION” as well as its sequels are unforgiving to absurd degrees.

“The Last Remnant” (2008)

Whereas most RPGs stick to the tried and true formula of keeping enemy levels the same and encourage players to always fight, “The Last Remnant” is a completely different beast. In this game, enemies don’t level up as the game progress. Instead, enemies will grow stronger the more you fight. It does not matter if you’re fighting lower-level fodder or slightly bigger baddies - all enemies will get buffed the more often you engage in battle. This is such an antithesis to farming XP that you’re really going to have to pick and choose your battles wisely. An interesting approach indeed, but one that might test your patience.

“Fire Emblem” (2003)

“Fire Emblem” is known to be one of Nintendo’s harder franchises. You do need some level of wit to maintain the upper hand in battle. However, the GBA game, “Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade” is one tactical RPG that’s going to filter out even the most die-hard fans. The difficulty spike rears its ugly head pretty early into the game, and with no tutorial to explain anything, you might be in serious trouble if you aren’t already familiar with “Fire Emblem’s” core mechanics. That said, you might want to save this one after you’ve played a few entries in the series.

“Demon’s Souls” (2009)

It should come as no surprise that “Demon’s Souls” was going to pop up on this list sooner or later. We all know what to expect from FromSoftware games, and “Demon’s Souls” was the kickstart to their action RPG formula. Big bosses with vicious attacks, enemies placed right around corners that are perfect for ambushes, wandering around environments with absolutely nothing explained to you until it’s too late… “Demon’s Souls” showed us that we were about to enter an era where players were either into the nonsense or totally unamused, and for the most part, everyone loved the nonsense. And yet, this isn’t even the hardest RPG ever released in the 2000s.

“Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne” (2003)

The sheer name of this game sends a shudder down people’s spines, even SMT fans who know the game in and out. Some even go so far as to say it's the most difficult game they have ever played! One of the biggest reasons for this is the game’s “Press Turn” system which can be both super rewarding and extremely punishing. Land a hit that exploits the enemy’s weakness grants you an additional turn. However, missing an attack will instead allow the enemy to act twice, which can give them more than enough time to inflict devastating damage. You have to play this game very, VERY carefully as one whiffed, repelled, or nullified attack can severely compromise your position. This game is not for the short-fused.

What's the hardest RPG you played in the 2000s? Did it make our list? Let us know down in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to MojoPlays.