Summary
- Ubisoft's PS1 games were challenging, with Rayman 2 and the original Rayman offering tough platforming segments that required precision and patience.
- Surf Riders, an emulation of the challenging sport of surfing, had a steep difficulty curve but ultimately rewarded players for mastering its gameplay loop.
- F1 Racing Championship captured the spirit of Formula 1 racing with its realism and authenticity, making it a challenging sim that required players to invest time in learning its mechanics.
Ubisoft may not have the greatest reputation in the gaming industry right now, but that shouldn't take away from the impact this company has had on gaming as a whole. They've been an active participant in video game development and publishing for a long time, contributing to the rich history of the gaming medium in many ways. The games they released on the PS1 are a great example of this, with the console having its fair share of memorable titles developed by this reputed studio.
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While Ubisoft is a company most people point fingers at when talking about how aggressive modern titles are when it comes to holding a player's hand, there was a time when these developers didn't shy away from making tough games. Some of Ubisoft's PS1 titles are especially challenging and will cause many players to tear their hair out because of how ridiculous the difficulty curves in some of these games are.
5 Rayman 2: The Great Escape
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.01
Rayman 2: The Great Escape
- Released
- October 31, 1999
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Platform(s)
- Sega Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, PC, PS1
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Rayman was one of Ubisoft's most popular characters who was featured in a fair share of platforming titles that were pretty engaging in their own right. The first game was devilishly hard, and Ubisoft decided to tone things down a bit in a sequel that decided to go full 3D, just like most other titles in the platforming genre. However, this doesn't mean that Rayman 2 wasn't challenging in its own right.
While the game was certainly more accessible, there were times when Rayman 2 wasn't afraid to ramp up the challenge. Thankfully, the intuitive controls and varied gameplay meant that players would never be bored as they surpassed the game's tougher sections with flying colors after struggling for a while. It's an excellent video game that shows just how spoilt platforming fans were during the era when most games were shifting to 3D.
4 Surf Riders
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.71
- Platform(s): PlayStation
- Released: November 18, 1999
- Developer: ACOT
- Genre: Sports
Surfing is a fun activity that is pretty tough to get into, but people who try and get into this sport will be more than happy with just how fun it is to ride a wave successfully without wiping out. It seems that the people behind Surf Riders were more than aware of just how challenging it was to surf in real life, and they decided to emulate this experience in-game, which led to mixed results.
While reviews for Surf Riders were pretty mixed, most people agreed that, behind an insane difficulty curve, was a satisfying gameplay experience that rewarded players for hitting a wave properly and carrying out some cool tricks along the way. The novelty of this game wears off after players master the gameplay loop, but this mastery itself takes so much time that players can't help but be elated once they become experts in the game, especially if it was giving them a ridiculously tough time.
3 Monaco Grand Prix: Racing Simulation 2
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.76
- Platform(s): PC, PlayStation, Nintendo 64, Dreamcast
- Released: June 30, 1999
- Developer: Ubi Soft Paris
- Genre: Sim Racing
It's a testament to how iconic the Monaco Grand Prix is that Ubisoft developed an F1 game using nothing more than the license of this track and a few F1 sponsors. Monaco Grand Prix: Racing Simulation 2 is a fantastic game that fans of motorsports will adore for its realism, authenticity, and compelling gameplay loop, and it is unlike most other casual racing games.
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Fans of run-of-the-mill racing games will find Monaco Grand Prix: Racing Simulation 2 to be a challenging title to get into. The racing in this game demands the utmost precision from players, with a single misstep causing them to miss valuable seconds that can mean the difference between victory and defeat.
2 Rayman
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.03
- Platform(s): Atari Jaguar, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DSi, Mobile
- Released: September 1, 1995
- Developer: Ubi Pictures
- Genre: Platformer
The first Rayman game is a great platforming title with colorful visuals, a memorable protagonist, and great level design. It's a classic game that any fan of the genre should check out, but not all is sunshine and roses here. For starters, Rayman is an incredibly challenging game with some hard-as-nails platforming segments that can frustrate the most patient players.
Sometimes, it'll feel like these mistakes aren't the player's fault, which is understandable. Some of the challenges in this game require precise jumps and a ton of patience, and the frequency of the same can become rather irritating after a point. However, players who appreciate the brilliance of Rayman will look forward to overcoming these challenges, with the sense of satisfaction attained from nailing a platforming segment being truly sublime.
1 F1 Racing Championship
GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.23
- Platform(s): Ubi Soft Shanghai, Ubi Soft Milan
- Released: September 15, 2000
- Developer: Dreamcast, Game Boy Color, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PC
- Genre: Sim Racing
F1 is the pinnacle of motorsports, and the sheer amount of money and innovation that goes into this sport is incredible. Some people feel like this investment is a waste of money, but the technological innovations that take place in this motorsport are truly impressive in every way. So, it's easy to see why a game that emulates the racing in Formula 1 would be such a tantalizing prospect.
F1 Racing Championship is a great racing game that captures the spirit of this motorsport, which was a huge achievement at the time. Suffice it to say, this hardcore racing sim is extremely challenging and has a high barrier to entry. Players need to spend a lot of time learning the ins and outs of this title before even thinking about finishing a race, let alone winning it.