Hardest PS5 Games Published By Sony
The PlayStation 5’s release came with its fair share of successful games, having some unique narratives, worlds, and gameplay mechanics. Not only that, but the console also came with remastered adaptations that were made even better by its unique attributes like the immersive adaptive triggers and detailed haptic feedback, which can make any adventure more intense.
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Although there have not been a lot of PlayStation 5 exclusives at the time of this writing, the quality of the games is undeniable, as Sony has published some amazing adventures for players to immerse themselves in. While some of them are family-friendly adventures, like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, the console has some more difficult iterations as well. With some literal and figurative uphill battles, PS5 gamers have quite the task in their hands with some challenging Sony games on the console that will definitely have players wanting to throw their controller.
As implied by the title, only PS5-native games published by Sony will be included. So, not console exclusives.
8
God Of War: Ragnarök
Epic Mythological Battles With God-Like Difficulty Mode
Kratos and Artreus’ adventure through a mythological Norse world is not an easy one. Considered by many to be one of the best single-player games on PS5, this sequel offers so much in the span of one game. Wrathful gods, unique myths, a breathtaking world, and, of course, epic battles are all a part of what makes God of War: Ragnarok so beloved.
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The game’s accessible yet intense combat allows fans to dive deep into a story that can be played on different difficulty settings. The ‘Give Me God of War’ setting, however, proves how hard this game can actually be. This is a game mode made for God of War experts with fast reflexes. Once players select this difficulty, they will not be able to switch it throughout their playthrough, making it one of the hardest experiences on the PS5.
7
The Last Of Us Part II Remastered
A Post-Apocalyptic World Where Survival Is The Only Choice
Back when the first Last of Us game was released, it brought a level of horror and difficulty that, alongside its narrative, helped establish its pristine status in the gaming community. Yet the second game doubled down on everything that made the first game such a frantic third-person experience.
Despite its more controversial story beats, the second game in the franchise is even more unforgiving than the first, with more terrifying types of zombies. Already considered one of the hardest PlayStation 4 games, the remastered version of The Last of Us Part II makes for an even tougher experience, with haptic feedback and a new roguelike mode that make this a scary, hard post-apocalyptic adventure.
6
Rise of the Ronin
One Of Team Ninja’s Easier Games Is Still Pretty Difficult
Team Ninja is synonymous with difficult games, and the developer has formed something of a relationship with Sony in recent years. At the moment, Rise of the Ronin is still a console exclusive, and the PS5 version debuted almost a year before the PC version. While incorporating some elements from the team’s recent Soulslikes, Rise of the Ronin is a historical action RPG that is slightly more grounded, and it does not quite feature as many insane boss fights as something like Nioh or Wo Long.
Compared to other Team Ninja RPGs, Rise of the Ronin is fairly easy, with a combat system that is among the studio’s most accessible efforts. However, the campaign is still pretty darn challenging, and you also have fewer overpowered tools at your disposal than in most of Team Ninja’s other recent offerings.
5
Gran Turismo 7
Realism And Speed In A Challenging Racing Simulator
It is not hard to see why Gran Turismo 7 is regarded as the best PlayStation 5 racing game, as it brings utterly realistic visuals and amazing gameplay, with a world-class car selection, and circuits that offer a simulated racing game that brings the challenge to life.
Realistic and beautiful, the game offers players hard missions and tests that push racers to perfect their in-game driving to a staggering level. Despite its not-so-great launch, this racer offers a bumpy ride for players with realistically challenging circuits and races.
4
Demon’s Souls
Unforgiving And Unrelenting Classic Souls Game
Not only one of the hardest games published by Sony, Demon’s Souls is also one of the hardest PlayStation 5 RPGs out there. The 4k visuals and smooth 60 fps might ease the original game’s combat to a degree, yet it still presents the same challenges and unforgiving nature of Souls games.
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Demon’s Souls has some hard-as-nails enemies, labyrinthine level designs, and a World Tendency system that adapts to the player’s interactions to increase the difficulty, making it an extremely punishing journey. This can even result in an experience where players get less health, enemies get more health, and less loot to help in this unforgiving experience.
Now, to be fair, Demon’s Souls has fairly easy bosses by the standards of Soulslikes, and especially compared to FromSoftware’s other releases. However, the paths to get to these fights are gruelling.
3
Nioh 2
Fast Combat With Soulslike Gameplay
The first Nioh game was already highly regarded for its difficult nature and brutal combat, yet the second game aimed even higher when it came to difficulty. The game uses a Soulslike formula, but joins it with a fast-paced combat system that relies on lighting-quick reflexes. Not only that, enemies deal huge chunks of damage with every attack, raising the stakes in every fight.
The powerful bosses and the variety of enemies with unique fighting patterns makes this an unforgiving journey with highly frustrating combat. Overall, Nioh 2 gives players very little room for error as they are launched on a long yet fulfilling campaign through a dangerous world.
2
Returnal
An Overwhelming Horror Roguelike With No Room To Breathe
Being stuck in a time loop on a scary planet filled with terrorizing aliens is definitely not for the faint of heart, especially when navigating difficult, horror-like memories in the process. Returnal features a distinctive environment that is filled with unyielding enemies and interconnected areas that change with each playthrough, which ranks it as one of the hardest Sony-published games ever made.
Every encounter is a desperate and overwhelming fight for survival that intensifies as the protagonist struggles to free herself from this horrific planet that seems to taunt her at every turn. With multiple projectiles flying from every direction, players will continuously struggle to stay alive thanks to the inhospitable forces that seem to drive the player to frustrating depths and deaths on every run.
1
Helldivers 2
Welcome To The Neverending War, You Expendable Soldier
Multiplayer games feel like a cheat for these topics, as the difficulty will vary greatly depending on your team. However, Helldivers 2 is a bit of an exception. Even in the best of circumstances, you will feel like you are fighting an uphill battle against an army that does not know when to quit. New players starting on the lowest difficulty will be put through the wringer, as they will need to overcome a steep learning curve that is occasionally reshaped by Arrowhead. Once they grow comfortable with the grind, they can jump to greater difficulties, only to quickly learn that the game more than delivers on its promise of a harder challenge.
Yes, after a certain point, you will become strong and experienced enough to make some encounters feel trivial, but that can be said for nearly every game. Reaching that point in Helldivers 2 takes a longer time than usual, although the journey is generally a lot of fun. Also, I’m talking strictly about squad runs, as that is how most people will play. If you opt to go solo, then good luck because you chose a road to hell.
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