Bloodborne - much like the rest of the so-called Soulsborne games - is often touted as one of the hardest mainstream games of all time, as it's had players all over the world hitting brick walls since it was released in March 2015. However, the game's developer, FromSoftware, has done a wonderful job of showing the value in punishingly difficult games and how rewarding they can be, leaving some players itching for more. Thankfully, there's no shortage of great games that will push players' skills to their limits.

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Updated on May 6th, 2024, by Jack Pursey: The continued success of the Soulsborne series and the birth of the Souls-like genre has continued to prove that millions of gamers are happy to take on brutally difficult challenges if the game is well-made and fairly balanced. To give players some more ideas of tough games to try, this list has been updated to include some more games and more information. To add some methodology to the list, each game featured will now include its GameFaq difficult score. Bloodborne has a difficulty score of 4.13.

5 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.42

After over 20 years, Crash Bandicoot fans were finally treated to a sequel to the classic Crash Bandicoot: Warped. This grand return came after the success of Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy, a remake of the bandicoot's iconic PlayStation 1 platform games. The game has given hope to fans of forgotten gaming franchises of the past and has shown just how successful a well-designed remake can be.

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Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time returns the series to its platforming roots and doesn't lower its difficulty to appeal to younger audiences; in fact, it ramps it up significantly. Completing the main story of Crash Bandicoot is tough but not too taxing, thanks to the new unlimited lives system. However, completing the game 100% offers one of the toughest platforming challenges of the last decade. Platinum relics, flashback tapes, hidden gems, and much, much more need to be obtained to complete the entire game, pushing the player's platforming skills to their limit.

4 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.50

Sekiro: Shadow Die Twice is made by the same developer as Bloodborne, FromSoftware, and features many of the same trademark level design and gameplay features as the other Soulsborne games. However, Sekiro differentiates itself from the other Soulsborne titles by ditching the action-RPG genre in favor of action-adventure, with character-creation and build choices being absent. Moreover, the stamina bar is removed, and the combat relies more on deflection timing than dodging, which has resulted in some people comparing the combat to rhythm gameplay.

Players can't summon friends or farm experience points; they must just tackle enemies and bosses head-on, which can lead to some brutal brick walls.

3 Super Meat Boy

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.59

Super Meat Boy was one of the most influential games of the 2010s. The game proved that indie games and - like Dark Souls - difficult games could be major commercial successes, and it was also a pioneer in unlimited lives systems in platforming games.

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The fact that the game gives players unlimited lives may make it seem like a cakewalk; however, the sheer challenge of each level means that players will be raking up tens or even hundreds of deaths before they can progress. Despite the challenge, the game features superbly well-designed levels that make completing it an addictive task.

2 Silver Surfer

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.68

• Release Date: November 23, 1990
• Available Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System
• Developer(s): Software Creations

One might expect a video game based on a Marvel comic book character to have a reduced difficulty level, but that certainly isn't the case with 1990's Silver Surfer. The game's difficulty predominantly derives from how the screen is constantly scrolling forward (despite the player's actions), and the player is relentlessly attacked by countless different enemies. The game's difficulty may have been an intentional way of masking its length, as skilled players can beat Silver Surfer in under an hour.

1 Ghosts 'N Goblins

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.70

Ghost 'N Goblins is an action-platforming game that puts players in the shoes of a knight who must do battle with many supernatural creatures.

It is infamous for being one of the most difficult mainstream games of all time, particularly because it only takes two hits to for the player to lose a life. Moreover, if the player dies, they are forced all the way back to the beginning of the level. If that wasn't bad enough, players who want to reach the true final boss and ending can't claim victory after beating the game once, as they have to beat the game all over again on a harder difficulty level.

Despite how intimidating that all sounds, Ghost 'N Goblins is still an acclaimed game that is well worth playing for anyone in search of a retro challenge.

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