WPO Forums

Pretty straightforward. I wanted to get a good idea of different definitively difficult titles that you've played that you personally enjoyed. Sure, we've all played lots of games that were hard for the sake of being hard and weren't terribly fun as a result, but what have you played that offered a great challenge, but was damn fun and you absolutely couldn't put it down for a while?

I'll start and this is an easy one for me: Dark Souls. Sure, I know getting hit only a couple of times for death may seem to be a bit much, but when it comes down to it, you're supposed to be tactful in combat and not so aggressive as you would in a standard hack n slash. It is a damn fun, addictive game, but it'll kick your ass 10 ways to Tuesday if you take it lightly.

_________________
"I shall show you the power of SARDINES!!" - Disgaea 4

This is an easy one for me and it is one your encouraged me to finish if I recall right. Shadow Complex was a game I started out hating and came close to giving up on a couple times back in 2010. Mostly due to the platforming. This may sound weird but the fun became in actually finishing the game. It may be an odd sense of fun, but almost four years later I still recall it with fondness.

Shadow Complex was a fun game that was challenging at times for sure. Chair has expressed great interest in a sequel, but of course, there is that little money making IP on iOS called Infinity Blade that they are making. So, unfortunately, I wont hold my breath for SC 2.

For me, the original NES version of Ninja Gaiden was one of the most challenging games I ever played yet still ended up finishing. The cinematic style cut-scenes were one of the first of its kind, and they really helped motivate me to reach the next level to watch them.

Challenging games, when done right anyway, are fun simply because of the sense of accomplishment one gets from either beating the challenge or doing well at it. Scientists have shown time and time again that certain video games create a dopamine rush in people, increasing mood. A game doesn't have to be challenging to achieve this, but when they are, they tend to be the most potent of effects. So it's not surprising. This is why World of Warcraft is so successful.

I could list several challenging games, but I am going to go with a recent one I have been playing, since it came out on PS Plus for free, a little title called Don't Starve. It's a survival game where you're stranded in the wilderness of a strange world and need to gather resources to create tools and other structures to maximize your efficiency at surviving the harshness of the environment. Aside from the fact that the game is very exploration driven, you literally learn new things every time you play, but there is so much detail in the mechanics, so many little nuances, that it keeps you on your toes. You always come across something new and you don't know whether it's useful or if it intends to kill you. It's one of those games were every situation has several potential creative solutions if you think them out. I am several hours in and I feel I haven't even scratched the surface.

There is much more to be said about the game, but it would drag out this post entirely too long.

So here's another interesting one. While some may argue that Persona 4 isn't really "hard" because you can adjust the difficulty at the beginning of the game AND that it's considerably easier than Persona 3, it's all the little stuff they add to make the game that much more interesting that really seals the deal.

And sure, some will claim P3 is the better of the two because of its darker story, but I feel the better of the two will always be P4 because of smart, evolving design decisions. What makes this one challenging is exactly what makes the last one challenging. You have to balance a social life, go to school, participate in extra-curriculars, even do part-time jobs if you so desire...all the whilst having to enter the mysterious TV world derived from peoples' inner most thoughts and feelings, fighting demons, saving people from near death, and so on.

There are many optional challenges, lots of time constraints, and incredibly motherfucking difficult boss fights. You have to learn VERY quickly what works and what doesn't, all about buffs and debuffs, and all kinds of stuff in order to survive and win. Definitely not a good FIRST RPG for people, but an excellent RPG if you're looking for a challenge, especially if you like oldschool turn-based stuff.

_________________
"I shall show you the power of SARDINES!!" - Disgaea 4