We can all agree that the thrill of completing a game in Hard Mode is unmatched. Sure, it takes hours of practice and countless deaths,but seeing those credits roll after completing a hellish game mode for those sweet bragging rights is worth it.
Although these games are easy to complete and fun too on normal difficulties, their hardcore modes are the opposite, designed to deliver an unforgiving experience that will break you again and again. You might even start hating the game and never boot it again.
Games likeDoom Eternaland Wolfenstein take hours of practice, skill, and flawless gameplay to make it to the end. It takes months or even years to achieve this kind of playstyle, and mastery like this is reserved for the truly obsessed.
10Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Hardcore Mode Update
Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
Fextralife Wiki
You won’t believe it, but the recently released Hardcore Mode forKingdom Come: Deliverance 2is even harsher than the one for the first game.
From the get-go, you’ll have to pick 3 negative perks, like: frequent hunger, sleepwalking, or more stamina drain, which stay with you for the rest of the playthrough, along with zero HUD Assist, enemies that will flank you, and zero on-screen markers when fighting.
It also removes hints and fast travel in the name of realism and immersion, which is fun once you memorize all the signs and landmarks on the map.
9Minecraft
Hardcore Survival Variant
I findMinecraftto be a very cozy game. Building homes in Creative is fun and relaxing, but even when playing survival, it’s approachable, since you can respawn and don’t have to do a whole lot of planning.
But Survival’s Hardcore mode is a different deal, and I suggest planning your every move. A careless fall, an exploding creeper, or even a baby zombie can ruin 100 hours of progression because the mode has permadeath, meaning you can’t just respawn and take your stuff back, and the difficulty is locked to “HARD”.
The mode requires constant awareness of your surroundings, planning, and preparation if you plan on making it past the first couple of nights.
8God of War 2018
“Give Me God of War”
God of War
On normal,God of War 2018is a cinematic masterpiece. It’s simple, digestible, and pretty forgiving, but the “Give Me God of War” setting is truly unforgiving,best left to those who have the endurance of a Greek god.
Along with the traditional buffed-up enemies and limited resources, the mode features a very cool but brutal mechanic, where enemies can level up mid-fight and regenerate health.
This wouldn’t be much of a problem if the enemies weren’t as aggressive and had more health than normal, but that’s exactly what makes every encounter a true test of your skills.
Bosses that give you a hard time in normal modeare nightmares in this, but the satisfaction of completing the mode is worth it.
Insane Difficulty
Outlastis one of those games I just can’t bring myself to replay. It’sjust that scary, even on its normal difficulty, but the devs decided to crank the madness in their Insane Mode.
So to start, there are no checkpoints in the mode. One wrong move can ruin your progression, and you’ll have to start from the beginning. To make it worse, the batteries are scarce, and the enemies hit harder, meaningyou’ll keep coming back to the asylum until you leave no room for errors.
As you progress further in each run, the fear of chases becomes 10 times more terrifying, making this mode a perfect fit for such a game.
6Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Mein Leben Mode
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus
Normally, you’re a one-man army inWolfenstein, forcing your way to the end with dual-wielding weapons, but the Mein Leben Mode can humble you pretty quickly,which is why the game is best played on easy.
It’s a buffed-up version of I am Death Incarnate, the second-highest difficulty of the game, with one brutal twist: its Permadeath, meaning no saves, no reloads, just hours of flawless gameplay if you plan on finishing the mode.
One unlucky encounter, or a nade from the enemy, can ruin hours of progression,which is highly likely given that the enemies are tougher with greater numbers.
It takes time, patience, and hundreds of retries to learn everything and be able to end this suffering.
5Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Brutal Difficulty
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection
Although the combat is fun inUncharted, it’s not one of those games that doesn’t require much effort or skill to complete, but the Brutal Mode is the complete opposite.
To unlock, you must complete the “Crushing” difficulty, which is already pretty intense, but Brutal takes everything to a whole new level.Enemies can kill you with a few bullets, sometimes even one, and they’re not only aggressive, but have bullseye accuracy as well,combined with very limited ammo.
Corners and 100% headshots will be your best friend are your only hope of winning. A fitting name for the experience you’ll have.
Hard Core Mode
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 2is tense, but a fair andfun game on normal difficulties. You don’t have to worry about resources or saves, but its Hard Core mode is not that forgiving.
It has all the usual stuff: Buffed enemies, scarce resources, and no checkpoints, but it does have one unique thing: it gives the players only three manual saves throughout the run.
You can’t save after every chapter, or else there won’t be any left in the end, and at the same time, even if you save wisely, one wrong move can cause death, sending you back to that save, which might have been several chapters ago.
It’s the ultimate challenge of skill, requiring multiple attempts to find the perfect spot for a save.
3Final Fantasy VII Remake
NG+ Hard Mode
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Final Fantasy VII Remake’shard mode unlocks after completing the game once, andit’s merciful enough to let you keep all your equipment through the new game+, but even that doesn’t make it any easier.
Hard Mode completely strips away the ability to use items, meaning no potions, no Phoenix Down or Turbo Ether, no nothing, and if this wasn’t enough, the MP doesn’t regenerate after battles, forcing you to manage between chapters.
All of that with the harder enemies with more health, which makes your New Game+ absolutely essential to have.
In contrast, the normal difficulty is much easier and more forgiving, leaving Hard Mode for the strong-willed gamers.
2Doom Eternal
Ultra Nightmare Mode
DOOM Eternal
Definitely one of the hardest modes to complete,Doom’s Ultra Nightmare Mode is the true test of skill.
The mode features permadeath and buffed-up enemies, which make you constantly sweat for chainsaw kills, while also maintaining distance, or else one or two hits will end hours of your progress.
It takes insane skill to even make it past the first few chapters, because of how aggressive enemies are and how often they hit you like a train.
It’s a perfect mode to play if you want a real challenge, which will take your insanity and hundreds of hours to master.
1The Evil Within
The Evil Within
If you truly want to put yourself through an unforgivable experience, which I am sure most will quit after the first few minutes, then try theEvil Within’s“Akumu” difficulty.
The easier difficulties are not a breeze, that’s for sure, but you may still get by even if you are not a veteran gamer,but Akumu is in its own league.
Faster, more damage-dealing enemies, along with more traps and scarce resources, make the mode already pretty difficult,but the devs decided to add the one-hit death rule, which means if your character gets hit by anything, even if it’s a trap, he will die, and you’ll have to end up back at one of the long distance checkpoints.
It gets so annoying, most gamers quit after the second mission. It requires serious skill and practice to be able to end the mode.
