Action RPGs tend to be much harder than their turn-based counterparts, and the hardest action RPGs are a true test of skills. Developers like FromSoftware are known for their challenging games, and other titles in the genre, like Diablo IV, find other ways to push players to their limits.
Some action RPGs are consistently difficult, while others have nightmarish hard modes for players who want to make the game even more challenging. These games are filled with tough boss fights and challenging puzzles, but they also have deep gameplay mechanics, allowing players to approach their toughest moments in different ways.
Shadow Tower Abyss Is an Early FromSoftware Game
Shadow Tower Abyss is a Japan-exclusive JRPG produced by FromSoftware. The game sees the return of the titular Shadow Tower, with the main player character having to navigate through its catacombs and fight against all sorts of creepy creatures that lurk within its confines.
While the original Shadow Tower was a smooth yet intense experience, Shadow Tower Abyss makes itself clear as to why it wasn’t released outside Japan. The good news is that, once enemies are defeated, they won’t ever come back. The bad news is players can’t reacquire any items necessary to take on even harder bosses.
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Elden Ring Is Easier Than the Souls Games
Elden Ring is set in the Lands Between, which is ruled by a myriad of demigods. Their mother, Queen Marika, had shattered the titular ring a long time ago, causing her disappearance and resulting in her children fighting for each and every piece of the ring. To solve this dispute, the main player character, the Tarnished, has been sent out to retrieve these pieces.
FromSoftware, who developed Elden Ring, designed the game to be as beginner-friendly and accessible as possible. However, that accessibility only goes so far; enemies can change tactics unexpectedly, making fights against them harder than necessary. There is also the fact that, if players die, they will lose just about everything in their possession, including the crucial runes.
Ys: The Oath in Felghana Is a Hard Action RPG From Falcom
Ys: The Oath in Felghana is a remake of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, which saw the main protagonist, Adol Christin, en route to Felghana with his old friend Dogi. However, the two are redirected to Redmont at the behest of a mysterious fortune-teller. It turns out the area is more hostile than they could imagine.
Accounting for the fact that the game is a remake, and even compared to later titles like Ys VIII, Ys: The Oath of Felghana isn’t the most forgiving action RPG out there. A particularly devious part about the game is the inability to heal while in combat, which makes battles a true live-or-death situation.
Vagrant Story Takes Big Risks
Vagrant Story takes place in Leá Monde in the kingdom of Valendia, which is presently under a civil war. The main protagonist, Ashley Riot, is in Leá Monde to investigate a connection between a dangerous cult and the local government. It turns out the link between the two is deeper than Ashley expects.
Not only did Vagrant Story push the PS1 to its limits, it also pushed players to their breaking point. The main culprit is the Risk system; attacking enemies within a certain range will cause the Risk bar to rise. If it gets too high, then players will have to deal with low accuracy in attacks and the possibility of getting killed in one strike.
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite Brings Players Together in Misery
Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is a handheld installment in the Monster Hunter series, as well as an expanded version of Monster Hunter Freedom 2. As with the latter, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite sees players and their parties taking on some of the most intimidating monsters out there.
The game may not seem much different from Monster Hunter Freedom 2 at first glance. However, Monster Hunter Freedom Unite adds some tricks that will throw players off guard. This is mainly the case with how precise everything needs to be, as players have to account for small hitboxes and execute extremely precise, calculated attacks.
Path of Exile Is One of the Hardest Free-to-Play Games
Path of Exile takes place in a particularly dark fantasy world inhabited by mortals with supernatural abilities. The main protagonist, dubbed the Exile, is one of these mortals. They have to take on the corrupt Templars, of whom High Templars Dominus and Avarius have abused their powers for too long.
For a free-to-play action RPG like Path of Exile, the mental cost to get in is astronomical. If players don’t choose the right class and the right skills, they can expect a very long climb up the skill tree. Even worse, the in-game economy is reliant on barter rather than currency, which makes it a pain to buy necessary items.
Nioh 2’s Stamina System Will Test Players’ Skills
Nioh 2 is set in a fantastical version of Japan’s Sengoku period. Hidechiyo, the main protagonist, is half-human and half-yōkai. The latter quality allows him to shapeshift into anything he desires. This will prove to come in handy as he protects his village from the warring factions of the Sengoku era.
Nioh 2 is a soulslike game, which effectively means players will have a hard time grasping how exactly to go about attacking enemies. However, that fact will end up being the least of players’ concerns, as they find out that their stamina, which is crucial in battle, can be limited at a whim, causing changes to how it regenerates.
Bloodborne Is a Brutally Hard Game Trapped On the PS4
Bloodborne is set in the city of Yharnam, which has largely been abandoned by the start of the game. The main protagonist is a Hunter who sets out to scavenge the derelict city, where it turns out the remaining citizens have been turned into monsters. The Hunter goes to great lengths to dispel the titular bloodborne disease that caused this in the first place.
It’s true that Bloodborne is FromSoftware’s magnum opus, and it is also true that the game couldn’t be harder if it tried. The biggest hurdle players will face over the standard course of gameplay is the lack of any defenses. This forces them to execute precise dodges and attacks against enemies, which may still backfire on them.
Lies of P Is Deceptively Hard
Lies of P is loosely based on the classic novel The Adventures of Pinocchio, albeit with the title character being a human-like robot rather than a human-like marionette. As with the novel, P desires to become a real boy, and he’ll fight tooth and nail for Geppetto, who doesn’t seem thrilled at the prospect.
For such a whimsical, if suddenly dark, game like Lies of P, it is much harder than it seems. Part of this has to do with the robotic nature of the enemies, which act erratically and unpredictably. This means attacks on the robots will never 100% land, and the fact that some enemy attacks cannot be dodged will make for a dreadful experience for novices.
Demon’s Souls Is the Hardest Action RPG of All Time
Demon’s Souls, in both its original 2009 release and 2020 remake, sees the player character arriving in the darkened kingdom of Boletaria. Their task is to bring down the nefarious supernatural forces keeping the kingdom in its sordid state. They specifically need to try and neutralize the Old One, who is responsible for Boletaria’s disposition.
There’s plenty to loathe about Demon’s Souls when it comes to its difficulty. There is an utter lack of checkpoints, which means players have to save as often as possible to avoid going all the way back. There is also the fact that the game gets harder the more players fail, which elevates Demon’s Souls to being outright impossible to play.
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