Hardest dificulties that are ACTUALLY BLOODY HARD!

carpathic

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Oct 5, 2009
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I found Fallout New Vegas to be very difficult on hard...Especially with the hardcore mode enabled.

It was damn hard. I am still not great with the 360 controller was a part of it I think.
 

ShotgunZombie

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Dec 20, 2009
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Killzone 2 on the hardest difficulty... If you attempt it I hope you like the game over screen because you're going to be well acquainted with it.

On an unrelated note the online trophies for Killzone 2 are also a test of patience and skill. Look them up.
 

Isaac Minarik

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Aug 7, 2011
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Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne on Hard with the True Demon Ending. Even with your entire party at the level cap with all the best skills it's still murder trying to take Lucifer down.
 

Estarc

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Sep 23, 2008
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I tend to classify any difficulty where I wouldn't willingly play it again as truly hard. A lot of the time beating harder difficulties is just moving up as a matter of course, and I wouldn't dream of playing on the lower difficulties again. There are some exceptions though.

Due to bad design, Resident Evil 5's Professional difficulty is one. One hit from any enemy will knock you into the "dying" state where your partner has a set time to save you from death. That in itself is acceptable. What is not acceptable is that in Professional your partner has literally a second to save you. It is bullshit. It forces you to be constantly glued to each others' sides, and if playing alone, the AI is retarded and often fails to save you even if standing right next to you.

Mass Effect 2's Insanity difficulty goes into this category for me. A number of overpowered enemies pretty much step into broken on this difficulty (I'm looking at you, Scions...) and the game just becomes one massive experience of hiding behind cover. Making the slightest tactical mistake, bobbing out of cover at the wrong instant... these things get you killed instantly. Enemies that can attack through cover or force you out of cover with abilities are a nightmare. I feel Hardcore, one step down, is the most entertaining difficulty.

StarCraft 2 on Brutal is fucking BRUTAL! I had to resort to the internet and seeing mission guides a few times. Often missions can only really be solved in one specific manner. It becomes frustrating as a result, since the thing I enjoy about StarCraft 2's campaign is that you can play it your own way. Not the sort of experience I'll willingly repeat.

Lastly, Bayonetta on Non-Stop Infinite Climax. Aside from the standard things such as increased enemy damage, one of the most important game mechanics, Witch Time, is disabled. Witch Time temporarily slows down time if you dodge an attack at the last moment. It is often one of the best ways to defeat a lot of enemies. Fighting through without it is damn challenging. Additionally, quick times are reduced to a fraction of a second, and some mini-games you need to play through in the game become obscenely hard. Harder than the combat itself, really.
 

TonyVonTonyus

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Dec 4, 2010
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The Witcher 2, it's damn hard. I never played on Insane but I heard that you only have 1 life for the whole game...hard is also annoyingly hard.
 

Volafortis

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Dragon Age: Origins on Nightmare, on PC. Literally need to micromanage every split second of every character.
 

violent_quiche

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Insanity challenges that demand the game be played to it's fullest extent are better than ones that simply power up every enemy and add arbitrarily stupid additional rules, like full game resets if you die- wtf??!?? I'd have to seriously LOVE a game to put myself through that.

ME2 was a great example of difficult-but-fair (unlike ME1, whose combat system was sloppy and AI non existent). Basically if you:


-select the right team members for the right missions (disruptor/overload for tech heavy missions, incinerate/incendiary/shredder for organics & husks, warp/armor piercing/incendiary for biotics & mercs)
-use your squad powers
-do the side missions to build up XP (assuming you aren't carrying over a character*)
-use basic battle tactics (command your squad to take cover for starters),
-plan your squad XP carefully. Specialize certain abilities for the level 4 power-ups rather than spread XP across all bases
-right weapon for the right situation eg:
Scions: sniper rifle + warp/armor-piercing + deep cover = job done
Harbinger: Similar to Scions, or Shotgun + inferno ammo + deep cover + adrenalin rush for those close in encounters.
-a little patience


...it's challenging but doable. (probably didn't need to be spoilified, but just in case)

*You get a bit of an advantage if you start with a new character rather than a carry over as well, courtesy of the difficulty scaling as you level up.

RE4 was good for that as well, although it subsequently unlocked weapons so powerful that it rendered further replays a mockery. (Chicago Typewriter? The Amazing Unlimited Rocket Launcher? The Absolutely Kill Every Last God Damn Thing In The Room Laser?)
 

SideburnsPuppy

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May 23, 2009
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I think that, in Iji, there's a difficulty that leaves you with 1 HP, no health or armour restoration, a time limit, and you can't level up. You can also, optionally, put the final boss on "Maximum Charge Mode", which is unbelievably difficult even on the easiest difficulty.
 

chrono16

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May 9, 2010
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try playing Gradius 3 on hardest difficulty. OMG. first fucking level. So many projectiles....
Also FEAR 1 was mind numbing difficult on hardest setting.
 

crudus

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Oct 20, 2008
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Stalydan said:
crudus said:
I am going to go with Devil May Cry 3 (the original English version). I never got passed normal. I can't imagine Dante Must Die mode.
Actually Dante Must Die mode was the same in all versions of DMC3... but still pretty damn soul crushingly difficult... my inner child cries as he feels controller vibrate a third time, telling him he just died.
English Hard was Japanese Dante Must Die mode. Wasn't English DMD mode harder than Hard mode?
 

Sansha

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Nov 16, 2008
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Two examples come to mind.

The first being CoD World at War's Veteran mode. Holy shit that took ages to get through.

Secondly, Blood - Extra Crispy mode. A difficulty mode designed with co-operative play in mind put right into a single-player game, hooah.
 

StellarViking

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Apr 10, 2011
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fatal2704 said:
Diablo 2's hell mode. Gook luck playing past the first dungeon. you'll be swarmed so badly that every potion in the world couldn't reverse the damage.
Pretty much this, except the boss at the end of Act II. Christ, that thing was an absolute beast.

Also, Lu Bu at Hu Lao Gate on Insane difficult in any of the Dynasty Warriors games was just unfair.
 

Legion IV

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Mar 30, 2010
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xitel said:
Devil May Cry 4's Hell or Hell mode. As far as I'm aware, only three people have ever beaten it. You die in one hit, the enemies are as difficult as the highest difficulty level, Dante Must Die.
Many Vets of the series have beaten, I've beaten it. Your right its tough but doable if your a dedicated player of the series. I have 200+ hours on DMC4 360 version alone (dont know my ps3 version but a lot as well, then theres the rest of the series.....) Just practice practice and practice.
 

ArkhamJester

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Sep 30, 2010
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I'm gonna say ninja gaiden dragon sword, you think beating the prior difficulty would prepare you, it doesn't. Otherwise does a 1% run of metroid Fusion count?
 

Jaffinnegan

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Mar 30, 2011
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dogstile said:
If you're not careful on stalker on normal, you can die quickly.

On master? Christ, the game wants to kill you for existing.
And we have a Winner! I dont see anything else comming close to Stalker, seriously, I tryed the 2nd hardest difficulty first, then within 30 mins put it down to normal, and I am Still getting fucked everytime I leave Camp!!!