RPGs are known for their commitment and difficulty. Some of the best RPGs out there require players to remain patient and learn the mechanics and leveling system as they progress. However, the PS3 era of RPGs provided gamers with some of the hardest RPGs in the market, including some that players had to either change the difficulty or abandon completely.
The PS3 era of gaming has been gone for quite some time now. Players have since gone on to enjoy the SSD way of the future with the PS5. Now that it has been 17 years since the release of the PS3, it’s time to look at some of the hardest RPGs that graced the console.
8 Fallout: New Vegas
Players are unfamiliar with the hardships that lurk in the Mojave Wasteland in Fallout: New Vegas, the game can be vastly difficult. Many enemies are far stronger than the player upon the start of their adventure, and Death Claws that run amok have the power to instantly kill new players, causing Fallout: New Vegas to be a hard RPG to those unaware.
However, what makes Fallout: New Vegas truly difficult, is Hardcore mode. This version of Fallout: New Vegas is not only essential for 100% achievements, but the mode itself brings new survival aspects for a new and difficult experience, like healing over time, and the need to eat, sleep, and drink.
7 Dragon Age: Origins
As a Grey Warden, the player in Dragon Age: Origins has the burden of responsibility weighed on their shoulders. Being chosen by fate to help the battle against dragons. Dragon Age: Origins has a roar of violence and combat against many different enemies.
The difficulty of Dragon Age: Origins comes from the importance of the AI party, and players will need to use strategy if they are to complete the game with success. The game will not hold the hand of the player, and some may find themselves stuck and locked in certain situations, if they bring the wrong builds to the party.
6 Skyrim
Tamriel expands with The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim, bringing players into the fictional and fantastical land of Skyrim, where they will face off against humans, monsters, and dragons back from the dead. Skyrim can be a difficult RPG for players to embark on. Not only due to the vast open world brimming with enemies but due to the difficulty levels, with the hardest being that of Legendary.
At a low level, players can find themselves the target of many enemies, big or small. The difficulty scaling in Skyrim can lead to some pretty funny moments, especially with Giants, as getting hit by one will cause players to shoot into the sky like a rocket.
5 Darkest Dungeon
Despite the fun that players can find in Darkest Dungeon, the main takeaway may very well be the difficulty within. Darkest Dungeon has some great mechanics, and a level of joy thanks to its dungeon-crawling setting. As a slower title than other games in the genre, Darkest Dungeon offers rewards to the patient and skilled players.
Darkest Dungeon is a fairly punishing game thanks to its difficulty. The turn-based combat means that players have to rely somewhat on RNG for their success rather than blatant skill. The fact that Sanity is a core mechanic, means that failure will cost them their characters if they are not careful.
4 Dark Souls 2: Scholar Of The First Sin Edition
Many fans of the Dark Souls series found themselves disappointed with the release of Dark Souls 2. Not only was the story different, and the iconic series director, Hidetaka Miyazaki working on other projects in FromSoftware, but the gameplay was a far cry from Dark Souls, and even Demon’s Souls.
Dark Souls 2 seemed to feature random and bizarre enemy placements that didn’t make too much sense. Most of these enemies had a vast amount of health and could deal far too much damage. What made Dark Souls 2 harder than the previous, one was the fact that gameplay was different, and the iconic rolling mechanic seemed delayed and easily beatable for enemies.
3 Resonance Of Fate
Changing the fate of the world was never going to be easy, and Resonance of Fate proves just that. This RPG game features plenty of guns, bullets, and emotional ties to characters. The gameplay is varied and a frenzy of leaping, shooting, and all other sorts of fighting in Resonance of Fate.
There’s a rough gem within Resonance of Fate. The combat can be fun and eccentric, with plenty of explosions for them to bask in. However, the battle system presented in Resonance of Fate may face unfamiliar players with some difficulty.
2 Cross Edge
Cross Edge is a fairly difficult RPG for the PS3. Cross Edge features turn-based combat, a wide variety of companions and costumes, as well as a story about rescuing souls. However, despite all Cross Edge offers, many players took away the fact that it was a very difficult RPG to master.
The game suffers from imbalances, and many enemies that the player will fight, and the weapons they use, will either seem too strong or too weak. The lack of balance is Cross Edge’s largest fault.
1 Demon’s Souls
For many PS3 RPG players, Demon’s Souls is like no other. Thanks to Demon’s Souls, players got their first taste of the “Soulslike” genre that has provided gamers with exhilarating and tense gameplay for years. However, as the original, Demon’s Soulsharbors a difficulty above all else.
What makes Demon’s Souls so hard is its newness to the genre. The gameplay and combat are less refined and balanced, meaning players might have a harder time with Demon’s Souls than they would with future Dark Souls games.