While this may be a very controversial statement, some games are best enjoyed on the hardest difficulty. This is not just something we are claiming, but a lot of seasoned gamers will agree with the statement.
It’s because a lot of people have played their favorite genre of games so many times that it’s more fun to take things up a notch. So let us take a look at some of the video games which we think are absolutely best enjoyed when played on the hardest difficulty.
Games Best Enjoyed On Hard Mode
Alien: Isolation
Alien is one of the greatest sci-fi horror media franchises originating from the mind of Ridley Scott. Years later, it struck gold once again in the world of video games with the release of Alien: Isolation. It became one of the best horror games of the decade.
Developed by Creative Assembly and published by Sega, Alien: Isolation is a first-person survival horror title. The events in the game take place after 15 years have passed since the events of the first movie. You, as the player, are stuck in the Sevastopol space station with the deadly stalker following you around.
The game’s Nightmare difficulty might sound horrifying for people who are faint of heart. But for people who crave the thrill of a difficult survival horror, it’s the perfect way to play the game. You get limited resources and much-improved enemy AI stalking your every move.
Ghost of Tsushima
Ghost of Tsushima is one of PlayStation’s best franchises released in the last decade. It is a game set during the period of the Mongol invasion of Japan. It tells the story of Jin Sakai, who falls from his position to become a ghost and fend off the invasion.
The gameplay boasts a sprawling open world around the whole island of Tsushima. Combat requires precise management and quick thinking when surrounded by enemies. Jin has a massive tool kit to explore and different ways to approach the combat.
The hardest difficulty in the game is called the ‘lethal difficulty’ and which may be too much for some couch console players. For people seeking the thrill of a hardcore sword fight, this is the perfect way to play it.
The Witcher 3
The third Witcher game continued the story of the popular Witcher character Geralt of Rivia. It was released in 2015 and became one of the best RPGs released that year, let alone the best game of the year.
Geralt has a wide array of toolkit as a witcher, which he uses to tackle various sorts of enemies in the game. From spells to a particular type of sword for a particular type of enemies, it is all that makes the lore behind the Witcher interesting.
The experience can be pushed further if we play the game on its hardest difficulty. The death march mode for The Witcher 3 might be referred to as the madman’s way of playing the game. But the newly added risk of completely losing the game if you make one mistake is what makes it more thrilling.
Doom 2016
Doom is one of the pioneering games of the first-person shooter genre. It invented game design tech that revolutionized 3D first-person games. It is also one of the only video games that has been ported to multiple types of hardware.
We are going to talk about the modern iteration of Doom, specifically the one that was released in 2016. It was published by Bethesda and went back to the roots of what made Doom the king of the boomer shooter genre of video games.
While the base game is pretty fun to play through on its own, the game’s hardest difficulty, which is Ultra Nightmare, is way too fun. Enemies in the game were already aggressive, but this dials it up even further.
Devil May Cry 5
When we talk about hack-and-slash games, Devil May Cry is one franchise that always pops up in everyone’s mind. While arguments can be made regarding which is the best game in the series, we are going to single out the latest entry in the series.
Devil May Cry 5 was created by Capcom’s Hideaki Itsuno and was a return to form for the franchise after it had been missing for years. To date, it is the most content-rich Devil May Cry game with multiple playable characters and insane visuals.
All of the games in this franchise have varied types of high-level difficulty modes. The most fun one is Dante Must Die mode, where enemies deal more damage and are more aggressive. This mode makes the game incredibly more fun to play over the already existing skill ceiling.
Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne
For those who don’t know, Shin Megami Tensei is one of the oldest and longest-running JRPG franchises. It is also known to have developed the monster-collecting genre of games way before Pokémon did.
The most popular franchise in the series has to be the Persona sub-series. But we will be talking about mainline Shin Megami Tensei instead, specifically the 3rd game. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is considered one of the most popular entries in the franchise. It is also one of the most difficult turn-based JRPGs in existence due to very unfair RNG situations.
But the difficulty is what makes this franchise so fun, and people continuously come back to play these games. Shin Megami Tensei III Nocturne is specifically considered as an extra fun game on its hardest difficulty mode. This is because it makes even the smallest random encounter feel like a boss fight.
Streets of Rage 4
This is going to be the oldest game on this list, but that’s a good thing. This is because retro games are where the difficulty in video games used to shine. Streets of Rage is one of SEGA hardware’s oldest side-scrolling beat ’em up games that is loved by its fans.
We will be taking a look at the game that revived the franchise and brought in new fans. Streets of Rage 4 was developed by Dotemu, who are well known for their 2D games. To date, this is the best entry in the franchise, which boasts an amazing art style as well as gameplay.
Streets of Rage games were always known for their hardest difficulties, which made the games more fun. Mainly, the Mania mode made the enemies more aggressive and harder to go through levels. Streets of Rage 4 further dials the fun up to eleven with a harder difficulty called Mania Plus.
Guitar Hero 3
Rhythm games are, hands down, the hardest genre of video games to get good at. They require an insane amount of dexterity and precise reaction time for button presses. Some people just avoid the genre, but for others, it’s the best kind of video game ever.
There are lots of different types of rhythm games out there, but the one we will be talking about is probably the most famous in the genre. Guitar Hero is known to have revolutionized the genre with the introduction of the guitar controller. This franchise turned a lot of gamers’ childhoods into actual rock concerts.
The third game in the series is considered one of the best in the franchise, with lots of people having found memories with the difficulty. Guitar Hero 3’s expert mode is not for the faint of heart. It is made for the most hardcore players who seek the highest challenge in this franchise.
Ninja Gaiden II Black
Ninja Gaiden is another long-running retro franchise that has tortured gamers for years on the Nintendo systems. But the Ninja Gaiden we are going to talk about is from the 3D era, released for Xbox, and created by the legendary Tomonobu Itagaki.
It is considered one of the best hack-and-slash game series, standing tall alongside the likes of Devil May Cry. But unfortunately, the series went dark for a decade without new entries. It is only recently that the franchise was revived with a fourth entry and the re-release of Ninja Gaiden II as Black.
Ninja Gaiden games are already known for the breakneck speed and ruthless enemies that spare no breathing room for players. But that’s where the thrill of a good hack-and-slash video game lies. This franchise dials it up further with the master ninja difficulty mode. But to unlock this mode, players have to complete the game first.
Bayonetta
Continuing the discussion about hack-and-slash games with another really popular franchise, Bayonetta. Created by Hideki Kamiya, who is also the mind behind the original Devil May Cry. It was very certain what fans of the genre were in for when the game originally dropped.
Bayonetta is pretty much Platinum Games’ magnum opus, and it is expressed rightfully through the game’s incredible gameplay design. You step into the shoes of the titular character, who is an umbra witch. Hacking and slashing through enemies with all sorts of incredible abilities.
But that’s not where it all ends, because after you complete the game, you get access to Infinity Climax mode. This is the hardest and most fun difficulty the game can offer, with remixed enemy placements and more aggression.
