Why Some RPGs Just Break You
Role-playing games should be difficult, but some have an insane level of difficulty you'll feel sorry for choosing that playthrough. From punishing game mechanics, gruesome monsters ready to rip you apart, or sneaky traps that'll leave you befuddled on your computer screen, these games won't coddle you. So if you're short-fused or prefer a more leisurely journey, maybe these games will send you into a rage quicker than expected.
1. Dark Souls
Dark Souls may just be the greatest game ever made for ending players’ hopes. You can spend 10 minutes studying enemy movements only to be met with the end screen moments later from the same foes. Soulslikes love to grind you down until you’re ready to rage quit the game.
2. Bloodborne
Bloodborne‘s bosses are nasty because they keep coming at you relentlessly until you’re stressed out and out of stamina. Enemies spawn behind you, hellspawn scream as you watch your health drain, and your game ends before you even understand what you’re doing wrong. Even if you started out calm, you likely won’t be after playing this.
3. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro completely flipped the traditional RPG formula by taking away the ability to grind levels and implementing a punishing parry system. Even one failed attempt can mean losing hours of progress. It’s intense, unforgiving, and annoys players who expect patience to be rewarded.
4. Nioh
If Soulslikes aren’t your cup of tea then Nioh will break your spirit real quick. Enemies move faster than you can react and their stamina punishes your every move. Get ready to be enraged by anime samurais while wondering why the game thinks hurting you is fun.
5. Divinity: Original Sin 2 (Classic Mode)
Divinity Original Sin 2 offers players a Classic Mode that will take your blood pressure through the roof. One mistake during a tactical battle can lose your entire team, making you restart from your previous save. It’s absolutely wonderful, but ruthless at the same time.
6. Demon’s Souls (PS5 Remake)
If you didn’t grow up playing the hell out of Demon’s Souls on PS3 then check out the remake on PS5. Players loved the rebooted difficulty. But don’t get too comfortable because one mistake will steal your joy.
7. Monster Hunter: World (High-Rank)
We love to take down big bad monsters in Monster Hunter: World. But once you reach High Rank, you better be ready for some crazy stuff. Hours of grinding can be wiped away by one mistake, then you’ll be sent back to face an even bigger threat than before.
8. Etrian Odyssey
Want to suffer through every RPG element squared? Etrian Odyssey‘s dungeon crawling will make you question your entire life. Mapping every corner, managing your fragile team, and one mistake means restarting from the last checkpoint. So many players find themselves frustrated after a few attempts.
9. Chrono Trigger (New Game + Mods)
Chrono Trigger is one of the easiest games to play on moderate difficulty, but throw on some mods and watch your dreams shatter. Mods can turn enemies from pushovers into laser cannons splattering your favorite characters to literal dust. While mods are required for this, it’s worth it if you’re looking for a challenge.
10. Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (Insane Mode)
Deadfire’s insane mode will try to break you with overpowered attacks and quit trips to the end screen. Make one wrong move and suddenly your entire party is gone. Even if you’re experienced, the slightest error feels like the end of the world.
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11. The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone + Death March
Death March difficulty exists for a single reason, and that is torture. Adding on Hearts of Stone means Geralt will be ended by powerful enemies without much notice. You may have beat the game 100 times but this expansion seeks to make you want to throw your controller.
12. Fire Emblem: Fates (Classic Mode)
Fire Emblem knows how to tilt you with each and every map. Classic Mode forces players to watch their favorite characters be ended over and over. The best way to approach an attempt at beating the classic mode is to not get attached to the characters.
13. Tales of Berseria (Hard Mode)
Enemies in Berseria love to swarm you and lower your chance to actually deal damage. There’s no room for error and if you’re a casual gamer, good luck. Even super experienced players struggle to beat this mode.
14. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne
Nocturne doesn’t mess around. While the entire Shin Megami Tensei series has some punishing game mechanics, the Law and Chaos routes incorporate extra punishment when you make the wrong choices during battle or story segments. Players stop playing after learning the game requires you to always be switched on.
15. Valkyria Chronicles (Hard Mode)
Valkyria Chronicles on hard mode requires you to position yourself wisely and plan your moves accordingly. Make one mistake and you can wipe out your entire team which forces you to start the chapter over. Strategy driven players will love this, everyone else finds it annoying.
16. Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (Hard Mode)
Enemies on Dark Arisen’s hardest difficulty feel like damage sponges and bosses hit way too hard. Regular mobs can end you if you’re not careful either. Dragon’s Dogma may look like a cute fantasy open world RPG, but it sure doesn’t play like it.
17. Fallout: New Vegas (Hardcore Mode)
Fallout: New Vegas on hardcore mode is survival turned up to 11. If you aren’t careful with your resources, eating, and sleeping, then you’re going to find healing very difficult. Additionally, there is ammo scarcity, and you can dehydrate or starve, all of which has made players quit because it’s just too much micromanagement.
18. Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come wants you to feel like you’re truly in a medieval world, and that includes its battles and aspects of surviving. You can be knocked unconscious by one hit, and it can take a very long time to heal as well. It’s so hyper realistic that it becomes challenging to play.
19. Octopath Traveler (Classic Mode)
Octopath Traveler is a blast with its colorful pixel art, but playing it in Classic Mode will teach you how unforgiving it can be. Because it’s turn-based, bosses will punish you and your party for every weakness. Even after grinding for hours, you find that your party still can’t beat that one boss.
20. Path of Exile (Hard League Events)
Leagues in Path of Exile are temporary content that force players to play as hardcore as possible. With some of the toughest bosses, game mechanics, and minimal room for error, players really feel the pressure and complexity of the game. It’s definitely not a relaxing experience.
