Top 10 Hardest Video Games of the Century
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#10: “Super Meat Boy” (2010)
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A game that literally throws players into the meat grinder, “Super Meat Boy” is a throwback to NES-era platformers where a high difficulty was used to prolong an otherwise short campaign. The only difference is... “Super Meat Boy” has around 300 levels, pitch-perfect controls, and never feels cheap. Also, it is arguably harder than most NES games. Playing as a cube of meat trying to survive level after level riddled with blades, salt and various other obstacles, “Super Meat Boy” rarely gives you the chance to breathe of get comfortable; in fact, a split-second tends to be the difference between your character and an unidentifiable red stain.
#9: “Enter the Gungeon” (2016)
Roguelike and bullet hell are two genres known for pushing players past their limits, so a game that combines both is naturally destined to be controller-shatteringly difficult. “Enter the Gungeon’s” gameplay loop is simple: Enter room, survive all of the bullets, eventually fight boss, unlock a cool gun, then rinse and repeat. Loot and enemies are randomly generated, so the weapons at a player’s disposal are typically dependent on a roll of the dice. Well, you don’t always score a six. While certain items can be permanently bought, “Gungeon’s” roguelike element means failure comes at a hefty price.
#8: “God Hand” (2006)
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Clover Studio produced some truly unique masterpieces during its time, but the developer was not exactly known for its especially hard titles; “God Hand”, their final release, is a notable exception. It’s a goofy but irresistibly charming 3D beat ‘em up with more than a hundred moves waiting to be unlocked and chained together. The gameplay is near-perfect but also comes with a steep learning curve, especially early on when Gene – the protagonist – only has access to a limited pool of attacks. The bosses are universally unforgiving, despite some of them being downright silly, while the less-than-ideal camera angles make dealing with groups a constant pain.
#7: “Darkest Dungeon” (2016)
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Want to feel like the most incompetent leader of all time? Then, “Darkest Dungeon” is perfect for you! A turn-based RPG with leveling up, status effects, and team-building, “Darkest Dungeon’s” unique difficulty stems from the fact that permadeath is a thing. Rather than a fixed party, adventurers can be hired to explore maze-like maps filled with poisonous, fear-inducing, and just plain disturbing monsters. The characters are also susceptible to paranoia and sickness, so preserving the team’s morale becomes a crucial and often futile task. In later levels, enemies can feel downright unfair, especially when yet another character with dozens of hours of investment bites the dust.
#6: “Celeste” (2018)
Like “Super Meat Boy” earlier, Celeste is a game where the controls are polished to perfection, yet still requires precise skill from the player. Madeline must climb a mountain while avoiding spikes, timing mid-air dashes, evading horrifying enemies, and working against strong winds. And all of that is just in the easy base game. If the players choose to take on the more challenging B-Side stages; get ready for a world of hurt as you try, try … TRY again to get your jumps exactly right. Yet the game difficulty doesn’t end there; If you’re truly determined, there’s the absurd C-Side stages, and the ridiculously insane Golden Strawberry challenge. Hope that strawberry pie is worth it.
#5: “XCOM 2” (2016)
Building on the foundation established by 2012’s “Enemy Unknown,” “XCOM 2” is set after Earth has been invaded by aliens, with humanity’s last hope resting on the shoulders of a grossly outnumbered resistance force. As a tactical RPG, “XCOM 2” does a decent job of easing newcomers into the genre and franchise; however, even “Rookie” mode offers up a reasonable challenge. As the resistance force’s commander, it’s the player’s job to select the right soldiers for each mission, and this is one of those games where death is not reversible. The maps are also procedurally generated, so each playthrough provides new and exciting ways to mess up.
#4: “Ikaruga” (2001)
From the“Touhou Project” to parts of "NieR: Automata," shmups are basically mandated to be dishearteningly difficult. As one of the most highly regarded additions to the genre, “Ikaruga” has done a lot to cement shoot ‘em up’s reputation as being mainly for the hardcore crowd. Twitch reflexes are obviously crucial, but “Ikaruga” sets itself apart due to a mechanic that permits the main ship to switch polarity between black and white, providing immunity to the same colored enemies. So in addition to the sense of immediacy typical of shoot ‘em ups, “Ikaruga” throws in an element of strategy.
#3: “Ninja Gaiden” (2004)
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Nintendo’s early library is packed with notoriously rage-inducing games, but even so “Ninja Gaiden” remains a standout. In the 3D reboot, Team Ninja successfully captures the spirit of the original trilogy; so much so that 2004’s “Ninja Gaiden” may just be the hardest entry in the franchise. Right from the opening level enemies spawn from everywhere and show absolutely no mercy; “Ninja Gaiden” wastes little time in allowing players to become familiar with the mechanics. Ryu is by no means an under-powered protagonist, but “Ninja Gaiden” punishes every single mistake and even fodder opponents are not to be taken lightly.
#2: “Cuphead” (2017)
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Ignore the mesmerizing visuals harkening back to classic cartoons, the cutesy protagonist, and awesome soundtrack; “Cuphead” is a soul-crushing run and gun platformer that also happens to be one big boss rush. Even though some opponents are slightly more manageable than others, every boss goes through numerous phases, with each one being exponentially harder than the last. Failure is to be expected, as memorizing a boss’ often complicated attack patterns is vital to standing any hope of victory. “Cuphead” will have each and every player begging to make a deal with the devil to finally get past King Dice or Dr. Kahl’s Robot.
#1: “Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice” (2019)
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Considering that pretty much any challenging game is automatically compared to “Dark Souls,” the fact that a FromSoftware title takes the top spot should come as no surprise. While “Bloodborne” is also ruthless, “Sekiro” takes the cake by denying the players the possibility to grind endlessly or switch to a different playstyle. In “Sekiro,” you either learn how to parry or embrace defeat. Since you’re playing as a master shinobi, stealth is a viable option and does slightly trivialize certain encounters; however, bosses (and even mini-bosses) hit hard, fast, and relentlessly. The base game is so crushingly difficult, there is barely any point mentioning the “Demon Bell” that serves as a harder mode.
