You play video games to unwind after a long, hard day, but some games seem eager to make those days just a little bit longer, and a little bit harder. These top-rated games start casually enough, but can suddenly stun you with incrediblydifficult final bossesthat can take weeks, months, or even years to overcome. I mean, probably not years, right?
While some games can get more interesting when the later levels get challenging, others just sap you of your desire to finish at all. Once you’re nearing the end, you’ll most likely get the urge to rage quit and smash your controller in frustration.
10Doom Eternal
An Eternal Wave Of Difficulty
The sequel to the 2016Doomreboot,Doom Eternal, sees you take on a single-player quest to rid the Earth of demons. Although the game regularly doles out new mechanics such as dash moves and wall climbing, these might not come fast enough as the game’s difficulty level starts to rise. Fortunately, you’ve also got an ever-expanding arsenal to depend on.
As you rip and tear through the game, you’ll find enemies stand their ground far longer. Among the boss fights in the game’s late stages, the Khan Maykr ranks among themost punishing encountersyou’ll ever face in not just Doom, but any FPS game. You’ll have to be strategic and time your movements to take down the Khan and its multiple minions to reach end credits.
9The Evil Within
Resource Management Gets Harder The Further You Progress
If you’re a fan of thesurvival horror genre, thenThe Evil Withinis perfect for you. But be warned, this game has a notoriously tricky run of levels when you’re getting close to the end. At first, the enemies you encounter are typically slow and can easily be finished off. Like any good horror though, The Evil Within won’t let you stay comfortable for long.
The game takes things up a notch the further you progress. During fights with Ruvik clones and the late-episode bosses, you’ll reach the point of giving up, as they’re incredibly overpowered. Instead of charging head-on, you’ll need to be more cautious and attack only when there’s an opening - even then expect to die a few times in the name of glory.
8Metaphor: ReFantazio
Turn-Based Perfection In A Fantasy World
Like most games on the list,Metaphor: ReFantazioreels you in with a difficulty level most players will cope with at first. However, things get complicated as you progress through the storyline. Part of that comes from the variety of the game’s boss fights. Sometimes, a boss needs strategic thinking to defeat them. Other times, its raw power required to overcome them, and in some cases, they’re not as tough as they look.
Towards the end of Metaphor: ReFantazio, it’s almost like the developers turned on an invisible switch to crank up the difficulty even further, with no quarter given. On many occasions, you’ll be pushed to put the controller down and consider never playing it again. Fortunately, unlike some games here, there is a difficulty toggle that can be used if you just need to knock down a hurdle.
7Lords Of The Fallen (2014)
A Fun Hack-And-Slash Title
Lords Of The Fallenhas you play as a criminal tasked with defeating a slew of demons. Similar to many Soulslike games, you’re expected to time your attacks and dodges to avoid taking damage with quick thinking and quicker timing.
As you complete levels and move to new areas in the game’s moody world, your enemies gain unique, harder to predict attack patterns. Boss fights get more complicated the further you progress, with their attacks becoming more calculated and deadly. The fact that the game’s level design sees you playing in a dark dungeon or corridor with no means of viewing the outside world only prolongs the suffering of your failure.
6Control
Cryptic Horror With Flying Bullets
AlthoughControlis considered to be one ofRemedy Entertainment’s best games, it’s not always an easy ride. True, Control sees you take on foes in some of the best fast-paced combat moments that you’ll find in modern gaming. But that’s where things get tricky.
As you advance, enemies gain heavy armor, better guns, and greater numbers. As you get closer to finishing the story, the game throws you many overpowered enemies all at once, forcing you to be even more strategic in your offense. If you’re not a patient gamer, you can easily feel overwhelmed.
5Returnal
A Visually Stunning Game With Complex Foes
Returnalis a standout entry in the roguelike genre as it combines an engaging story with amazing combat mechanics. You play as an ASTRA scout called Selene who tries to stay alive on the mysterious planet Astros, which hosts multiple dangerous foes, as well as her own dead body and mysterious fragments from her own life.
As is typical for a roguelike, the game gets significiantly harder the further you advance, but it also rewards you by improving your skills. The better you get at holding your own against menacing bosses and a ton of environmental hazards, the more proficient you become in terms of reflexes and weapon handling.Returnal is one of the best stories in modern gaming, but it forces you to earn it.
4Lies Of P
An Unforgiving Soulslike Game
FromSoftware’sDark Souls series has spawned a lot of great copycats, andLies Of Pis right up there. While it is a Soulslike at heart, it encorporates more RPG elements and gives a little more choice than many of its peers. You’ll need to make those choices wisely, becaus in Lies Of P even the most common foes can prove a major challenge - especially if you have no prior experience with the genre’s reliance on timing.
As you journey through the game, the enemies become unpredictable and will require more effort to take down. The further you explore, the more likely an enemy can carve your health down in a single blow. You also need to be cautious, as ambushes occur more frequently as you are closing in on the final boss and can push your patience to the limit.
3Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
A Barrage Of Intense Boss Fights
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twiceis one of thebest Soulslike gamesto play, but is also one of the most frustrating titles to take on. Although the early bosses can be defeated with a fairly minimal effort, the difficulty level soon reaches a sky-high level.
You’ll likely die multiple times (we’re talking way more than twice here, folks) while fighting tough bosses such as Lady Butterfly and the Guardian Ape. However, forging ahead despite the overwhelming odds has its perks as you get closer to the game’s end. There’s little room for mistakes in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, so you’d best time your moves and heal yourself only when it’s absolutely necessary.
2Deus Ex: Human Revolution
A Triple-A Experience With A Cyberpunk Vibe
With a narrative that gets you thinking about the ethics of artificial limbs and other cybernetic implants in a dystopian world, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is builds on the stellar universe of the first Deus Ex with even greater intrigue. You play as Adam Jensen, and your choices vastly determine which direction he heads in.
Beyond the impact of player choices,Deus Ex: Human Revolutioncan be quite difficult even for avid shooter fans. As you complete missions, enemies become harder to kill thanks to stronger armor, plus turrets get introduced too. The game’s boss fights can quickly overwhelm you, but by spreading upgrades across combat, hacking, and defence, you stand a better chance of survival.
1Elden Ring
The Hallmark Of Challenging Boss Fights
Elden Ringis the apex of FromSoftware’s legacy, taking the bone-crunching difficulty of the Dark Souls series out into the open world. On the one hand, this gives you a chance to roam. On the other, all roads eventually lead to Rome. Roam/Rome, see? Clever. Anyway, however you play, Elden Ring won’t let you off without a fight.
Thanks to its vast open world that you can explore, there are plenty of opportunities to complete side tasks. While they tend to draw you away from the main storyline, they provide useful rewards that can help you build the perfect character. As expected, you’ll die a lot throughout your playthrough and will consider retreating to the comfort ofcasual titleslikeDave the Diver. However, holding on till the end will earn you the satisfaction of completing a masterpiece like Elden Ring.
