The Most Difficult Games From The PS4 Generation, Ranked

The PlayStation 4 had a great run. It gave this generation some of its best games, introduced unforgettable characters, and pushed the limits of video game storytelling. But alas, nothing can last forever, and with all eyes on the release of the PS5, the PlayStation 4's chapter is slated to end.

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So, in honor of our soon-to-be-vanquished comrade, let's look back at the PS4 games that put up the biggest fights. Titles that took the most time, skill, and sheer determination to beat. Not only were they frustrating, but they were also difficult to get through, and they left both sweat and tears in their wake. Goodbyes can be hard, but these games were harder.

Updated on February 3, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The PlayStation has long been hailed as a platform that promotes mature and challenging games. The PS4 is no exception, even in an era where games strive to be as accessible as possible. A fair share of quality titles rely on their difficulty to uplift the emotions players can enjoy in these games, which can make for a brilliant payoff if done correctly. Players who want to test their skills across numerous genres will find these hardest PS4 games to be right up their alley.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy

A Remake Of Three Highly Challenging Platformers

With Naughty Dog shifting their attention to mature genre-defining experiences, most people assumed that the marsupial they used to make games about during the PS1 era would be nothing more than a forgotten period in history. So, fans were delighted when Sony announced that the first three Crash Bandicoot games would be remade for a new generation.

The work put in this remake was exemplary, and it helped that the game itself was quite challenging. Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy features some truly challenging platforming sequences, with the rounded edges of the remake causing players to slip off a platform at times, which makes the game arguably more challenging than the original.

Devil May Cry 5

A Complex Combat System That Takes A While To Wrap One's Head Around

After a rather disappointing attempt at rebooting the Devil May Cry series, Capcom went back to the drawing board. The next entry needed to be something spectacular that could finally bring the hack-and-slash series back to its glory days.

Devil May Cry 5 didn't disappoint in this regard. The title served as a return to form for the series. Its incredible combat system takes a while to master but felt incredibly satisfying once players managed to pull off complicated combos. Of course, the initial moments of this game will be somewhat hard for beginners to handle, but it'll get easier the more familiar they get with the game's mechanics.

Monster Hunter: World

Preparing For A Tough Fight Is Important, And Battling Monsters Solo Is Extremely Challenging

For the longest time, the Monster Hunter series was a fairly niche title that not many mainstream gamers would've taken note of. All that changed with Monster Hunter: World, one of the biggest and most popular titles in the series.

All of a sudden, a new batch of gamers could finally ingratiate themselves with a series that was just out of their reach. This improved accessibility, coupled with an excellent community, turned Monster Hunter: World into one of the hardest games on PS4 and other platforms. It was important to prepare beforehand and deck out the player character with the best gear around to even the field against some powerful monsters who could incapacitate most hunters in no time flat if they weren't equipped to deal with this threat.

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus

A Single Misstep Can Shave Off A Lot Of Health, Which Is A Death Sentence When BJ's Health Is Capped At 50 Early On

The Wolfenstein series has been going through a resurgence in recent times, courtesy of MachineGames' excellent work on the series. While Wolfenstein: Youngblood might've besmirched this work, there's no denying that the other games in the reboot have been phenomenal.

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By  GR Staff

The second game in the rebooted series is notable for being quite a challenging experience as well, especially due to the handicap placed on the player's health near the start of the game. Players will hone the skills required to blast through their enemies and complete this brilliant shooter. Using cover, prioritizing stealth, and taking out commanders as soon as possible is downright necessary to ensure that players aren't overwhelmed by a wave of challenging enemies.

XCOM 2

Turn-Based Tactics With A Permadeath Twist Made All The More Challenging By The Game's Unforgiving Difficulty

Strategy titles always end up providing a ton of difficulty options to ease players into the game. However, XCOM 2 is an exception to this rule.

Not only is the game extremely hard, but players who mess up will be rewarded with permanently dead party members that will ultimately make their game even harder. XCOM 2 is not for the faint of heart; however, players who are patient enough to learn the game's mechanics will be satisfied with one of the hardest video games ever made.

Alien: Isolation

The Xenomorph Has Advanced AI And Can End A Player's Run In No Time

Released in 2014, Alien: Isolation paid homage to Ridley Scott's classic film with one of the PS4's most genuinely unsettling survival horror games. The stealth title took influence from games like Amnesia: The Dark Descent and Outlast. Much like those games, players receive minimal weaponry throughout the story and must rely on their survival instincts and thrifty crafting instead.

The best part of the game is the Xenomorph itself, which boasts advanced AI and can hunt down the player in moments if they're not careful enough. The AI is designed in a way to always have the Xenomorph within the player's vicinity, creating a constant feeling of being viciously hunted, with no reprieve for looting or completing quest tasks.

The title also comes with a Nightmare difficulty, which makes the Xenomorph increasingly aggressive. With no way to deter or kill the alien at least until players are able to craft Molotovs and use the flamethrower, Alien: Isolation is a bumpy ride from the beginning. It's also an incredibly lengthy survival horror title, which tests the patience of even the most veteran survivalists.

Darkest Dungeon

It Takes A Long While For Players To Approach Dungeons Smartly And Accumulate The Best Party To Tackle Bosses

A dungeon-crawl RPG released in 2016, the indie title Darkest Dungeon was one of the year's surprise success stories. Red Hook Studios didn't pull any punches when it came to Darkest Dungeon's difficulty.

Along with the punishing turn-based combat, players have to keep a constant eye on their stress level, which punishes players who don't bring food or light sources. Playing it slow is the name of the game, and impatient gamers will find it hard to make any progress in this tough game.

Remnant: From The Ashes

Combines Soulslike Combat With Third-Person Shooting For A Challenging And Intriguing Spectacle

Developed by Gunfire Games, Remnant: From The Ashes was released in 2019 and was instantly branded by the tagline "Dark Souls with guns." As the phrase suggests, the game is brutally difficult.

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Remnant: From The Ashes' difficulty , like Dark Souls, comes from its bosses; unlike FromSoftware's game, though, Remnant features a randomly generated world, giving players less time to prepare for tough encounters. The game certainly wasn't up there with some of 2019's best releases, but it did provide an enjoyable alternative that will appeal to fans of the Soulsborne franchise.

Grim Fandango Remastered

A Bit Of Moon Logic Coupled With Tough Puzzles Make It Hard To Finish This Game Without A Guide

Originally released in 1998, Grim Fandango was a fitting end to the point-and-click genre's time of popularity. It provided one of the best graphic adventures in gaming history, exemplified by its eye-watering 94 Metascore.

The game wasn't just a fitting end for its quality. It also perfectly encapsulated the genre's infuriating difficulty. With the internet still making its way into the mainstream, players couldn't simply hop onto an online walkthrough when getting stuck. To take advantage of this, LucasArts, Sierra, and other point-and-click developers often ramped up the difficulty in their games and advertised tie-in guidebooks or helplines for players to seek help from if they became stuck.

Cuphead

Ridiculously Challenging Side-Scroller Where Players Only Have Three Lives To Get Past Numerous Tough Bosses

Cuphead was originally released on Xbox One and PC in 2017 before coming to the PlayStation 4 in July 2020. Studio MDHR's indie game was an instant hit with fans and critics, with praise being directed towards its smooth platforming action and stunning hand-drawn 30s-inspired animations.

The game's story predominantly centers around simply defeating boss after boss. This is far easier said than done, though. The side-scrolling boss fights will take players back to the brutal difficulty of classic arcade titles.