When 100 hours is only the beginning.
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00:00 Now, in a sense, every single video game can be considered a roleplay game.
00:04 Whether you're shooting your way through battalions, platform puzzle solving, or slogging it out
00:08 in the ring, you're always playing a character.
00:11 These steps in another person's shoes, however, pale in comparison to the true RPGs of the
00:16 video game landscape, sprawling adventures where you take a lowly scrub across a grand
00:20 adventure making friends, hoarding loot, and gaining XP to become the greatest hero the
00:25 world has ever known.
00:27 Whilst many players are perfectly content to drop into these worlds, grind clearly marked
00:31 side quests, and scour for collectibles, some are desperate for a real challenge worthy
00:36 of only the greatest of gamers.
00:38 I'm Jess from WhatCulture, and here are the 10 toughest RPGs that are incredibly rewarding.
00:44 10.
00:45 Pathologic
00:46 For many people, gaming is a way to kick back and relax in a stressful and often terrifying
00:52 world.
00:53 Not all gamers are made equal, however, and some enter these virtual realms to push their
00:57 limits amongst the impossible worlds both strange and macabre.
01:01 Scratching this itch in the most terrifying way is survival horror RPG Pathologic, a little-known
01:06 title often described as one of the most stressful gaming experiences out there.
01:11 Starting the game as one of three characters, the player must investigate a mysterious sand
01:15 plague infecting a small, isolated town, completing main quests to save the inhabitants, and side
01:21 quests from passing NPCs to gain money and equipment.
01:25 So far so RPG, you might think, but Pathologic imposes a non-negotiable 12-day time limit,
01:31 whether or not you complete the quests.
01:34 Characters can die, side quests can be missed, and entire plots can be completely overlooked
01:38 as the player attempts to balance the story alongside a harsh in-game economy representing
01:43 the isolation and needs of the town.
01:46 Taking several playthroughs to wrap your head around, dedicated players will find themselves
01:50 constantly drawn back in attempting to unlock the mysteries of the peculiar town.
01:55 Whether they want to or not.
01:56 Not for everyone, but an unforgettable experience for a certain masochistic fear.
02:01 9.
02:02 Nioh
02:03 Following the rampant success of Dark Souls and Bloodborne across the 2010s, the term
02:07 "Soulsborne" was created to house a new sub-genre of RPGs.
02:12 Punishingly difficult in a tough-but-fair way, games of this ilk are designed to challenge
02:16 your player into improving their performance not through grind and levelling up, but through
02:20 practice and skill.
02:21 One such game to throw down this gauntlet is Nioh, an action RPG combining Soulsborne
02:27 combat mechanics with hack-and-slash elements in a lush world absolutely teeming with Japanese
02:32 folklore.
02:33 Players control William, an Irishman arriving in Japan in the midst of an invasion by supernatural
02:38 yokai.
02:39 He's trained in the way of the samurai to combat the threat and the English alchemists
02:43 responsible.
02:44 Whilst the game takes its cues from FromSoftware's genre-defining trilogy in a combat sense,
02:50 the inclusion of hack-and-slash mechanics, particularly from the enemies, creates a much
02:54 more kinetic environment compared to the more deliberate and tactical battles of its predecessor.
03:00 Add to this the Japanese aesthetics woven into the yokai and level design, including
03:04 options to alter the framerate for a more cinematic experience, and you end up with
03:09 a visually stunning world that could kill you at a moment's notice.
03:12 8.
03:13 Vagrant Story
03:14 Overshadowed in its time by the likes of Final Fantasy IX and Chrono Cross, Squaresoft's
03:19 Vagrant Story is widely regarded as one of the original PlayStation's true hidden gems.
03:25 Playing as the frankly ridiculously named Ashley Riot, the player must investigate the
03:30 town of Leomond and its catacombs, uncovering a link between a dangerous cult and Duke Barborda
03:36 of the Volendian Parliament.
03:38 All this sounds pretty standard Square so far, but what sets the game apart from its
03:42 label-mates is its crafting and battles.
03:45 With no NPCs or shops, weapons and armor are crafted and modified to exploit specific enemy
03:50 weaknesses, and the limited inventory space forces players to think well ahead when preparing
03:55 for an oncoming fight.
03:57 In battle, attacks are strung together through a rhythm-like chain system, utilizing Ashley's
04:01 individual body parts, and Ashley suffers from risk as battles go on, reducing his stats
04:07 to turn even the simplest of encounters into a perilous game of attrition.
04:11 All this adds up to one of the most challenging battle systems in gaming, but one which reaps
04:15 colossal rewards for those with the time to master it.
04:19 Add to this an overworld filled with puzzle platforming and gorgeous presentation of a
04:23 thrilling story, and we're left with one of the most diverse and deep games of a generation.
04:29 7.
04:30 The Banner Saga
04:31 In the real world, there are a huge amount of consequences, from sleeping in late to
04:35 skydiving without a parachute.
04:37 Any one of your actions could spell trouble down the road as we try to navigate this life
04:41 we have.
04:42 Video games are usually a nice little escape from this.
04:44 Usually.
04:45 Inspired by Norse mythology, The Banner Saga follows two main characters with intertwining
04:50 storylines as they attempt to save the world from the Dredge, a resurrected force of evil
04:55 monsters.
04:56 Players control a caravan of heroes and must build a party of fighters in between turn-based
05:01 Final Fantasy-tactic style battles.
05:04 Eschewing the Phoenix Downing of the Square Enix behemoth, The Banner Saga's battles all
05:08 come with weighty consequences, as downed characters suffer stat reductions due to injury,
05:14 and certain losses can set off intensely negative effects further down the line.
05:18 Rightly well-regarded upon release, The Banner Saga received as much praise for its gorgeous
05:23 visuals and story as it did for this unique approach to combat and consequence.
05:28 Players try desperately to keep their party alive and well-managed both on and off the
05:32 battlefield, as one wrong move could spell the end not just for their favorite fighter,
05:37 but for the world as a whole.
05:39 6.
05:40 Disco Elysium Reading the title of this game, you wouldn't
05:43 exactly think "detective RPG", would you?
05:45 But that's exactly what it is.
05:47 One of my favorite games of all time, Disco Elysium stars an alcoholic, drug-dependent
05:52 detective tasked with solving a murder in the midst of a full-blown amnesiac hangover.
05:58 Presented in an evocative oil painting-like art style, the game eschews traditional turn-based
06:03 combat in favor of intricate dialogue trees and skill checks.
06:07 Similar to that of a tabletop game.
06:09 As Harry attempts to solve the crime, he's joined by NPCs to discuss ideas and theories,
06:14 but also has the option to contend with the fractious elements of his own personality,
06:19 represented by the "thought cabinet" of ideas that can be unlocked as the game goes on.
06:23 Whilst thinking through a conversation may sound less challenging than, say, contending
06:27 with Ornstein and Smough in Dark Souls, the sheer dearth of options available enshrouds
06:32 the bright path in obscurity, whilst opening up red herring-filled rabbit holes all over.
06:37 Add to this a storyline once described by the Washington Post as "conspicuously well-written",
06:43 striking visuals and a vibrant alt-rock soundtrack, and you'll have an arresting and challenging
06:47 thriller which rewards every sense with each playthrough.
06:50 5.
06:51 Bloodborne
06:52 If we're being completely honest, you could probably fill this entire list with FromSoftware
06:56 games and call it a day.
06:58 In 2015, the infamous studio flipped the script and unleashed Bloodborne onto the world.
07:03 Following the ludicrous success of the Dark Souls franchise, and heavily inspired by Bram
07:08 Stoker and H.P.
07:09 Lovecraft, the player takes on the role of "The Hunter", an anonymous fighter tasked
07:13 with finding the source of a mysterious contagion and releasing the terrifying gothic city of
07:18 Yharnam from its grasp.
07:20 Full of tough-as-nails, disease-ridden enemies and a fair share of eldritch horror shows
07:24 as bosses, Bloodborne was rightly hailed as a classic upon release, owing to its rich
07:29 world-building and punishing difficulty.
07:32 Whilst this game largely follows the difficulty model of its Souls-based predecessors, it
07:36 reworks the parry-and-dodge-based combat mechanics of the former into a much more aggressive
07:41 do-or-die approach, with forceful combat and quick counters recovering health and wrong-footing
07:47 the nightmares who would do you harm.
07:49 Tough but fair, getting to grips with this new gaming paradigm reaped fantastic rewards
07:53 for those wanting to prove their worth.
07:56 4.
07:57 Etrian Odyssey 5 Unlike most dungeon crawlers, Etrian Odyssey
08:00 5 tasks the player with drawing their own dungeon map as they progress, using the Nintendo
08:05 DS's second screen and stylus.
08:08 Whilst the mechanic and chibi-like cover art would make most people think of this as a
08:12 soft and slightly childish RPG, the real experience is anything but.
08:17 Combat in Etrian Odyssey is more akin to a puzzle than your conventional RPGs, with fully
08:22 customisable characters encouraging you to form a balanced party with specific skills
08:26 so you can contend with oncoming threats, instead of the pot-lumbered heroes an RPG
08:32 would normally put in your command.
08:34 Encounters are not random, but are signposted in a way to give the player agency over their
08:38 tactics when the enemy strikes.
08:41 Character classes can change, and party formation is just as important as character skills,
08:45 making this one of the most customisable RPGs around.
08:49 Etrian Odyssey 5 can be a tough map to draw, but a unique and personal one all the same.
08:54 3.
08:55 Kingdom Come Deliverance One criticism that has often plagued gaming
08:59 is just how overpowered your chosen one protagonist can be against the foes in your path.
09:04 With access to skills and accessories that these minor grunts could only dream of, it's
09:08 no wonder that you're the hero of every story.
09:11 Kingdom Come Deliverance has no time for such hand-holding, and throws you into the world
09:15 of 15th century Bohemia with about as much power as a lowly peasant would have in this
09:20 historically accurate setting.
09:22 Coming up against brigands in the early game?
09:24 You're dead.
09:25 Try and take a swing from a sword with no armour?
09:27 Dead.
09:28 Stumble off a cliff face and fall any further than your own height, bleeding, broken bones,
09:32 and you got it, dead.
09:34 Add to this a needs system requiring food and sleep, as well as degrading equipment
09:38 and spoiling resources, and you have possibly the most realistic role-playing game ever
09:43 devised.
09:44 While the dense and intricate mechanics of the game can be difficult to get to grips
09:48 with, mastery affords the player a chance to experience a rich storyline and a dynamic
09:53 battle system.
09:54 2.
09:55 Elden Ring
09:56 From Software's latest assault on the gaming landscape, 2022's Elden Ring boasts the writing
10:01 skills of fantasy heavyweight George R.R. Martin (yes, the Game of Thrones guy) in a
10:07 world teeming with myth, magic, and absolute mayhem.
10:11 Taking on the role of the Tarnished, players explore the lands between, a world corrupted
10:15 by the shards of the titular Elden Ring.
10:18 Each shard is in the possession of a ruthless and terrifying demigod, whose underlings impede
10:23 the player with all the challenge you'd expect from such a developer.
10:26 Unlike the usual solitary journey that this genre has made a name with, the Tarnished
10:31 can enhance their combat options with a noble steed, and players the world over have been
10:35 rejoicing at the inclusion of horseback combat, adding another avenue for arduous battle scenarios.
10:41 As well as the horses, which are kind of a big deal, Elden Ring's extensive open world
10:46 has also garnered its fair share of critical praise, with the sense of exploration being
10:51 one of its highlights.
10:52 Contrary to obvious signposting of some contemporaries, many players find the most rewarding aspect
10:57 of the game to be the moments when they stumble upon side quests or new areas, whilst looking
11:02 for something completely different.
11:04 It's an adventure in the truest sense of the word.
11:07 1.
11:08 Darkest Dungeon
11:09 The party-based dungeon crawler is a game which has fallen out of favour in recent decades,
11:13 largely replaced by the single-player open worlds of Assassin's Creed or Horizon Zero
11:17 Dawn.
11:18 As with any niche gaming interest, though, there's always an indie developer ready to
11:22 jump into the fold.
11:24 This studio would be Red Hook, and with Darkest Dungeon, they were not playing around.
11:28 After inheriting an ancestor's manor, the player must recruit a band of adventurers
11:32 to explore the catacombs underneath, full of horrors accidentally released by the previous
11:37 owner which threaten the safety of the entire world.
11:40 The roster of heroes must explore a procedurally generated dungeon whilst fighting off these
11:45 threats in turn-based combat, using all their skills and equipment against some truly challenging
11:50 horrors.
11:51 What sets the game apart from its more conventional turn-based brethren is the Affliction system,
11:56 where long-term isolation from light and resources increases characters' stress levels, inhibiting
12:02 their performance in battle and striking them down with negative statuses.
12:06 Add to this a dreaded permadeath feature, and the game becomes a relentless balancing
12:11 act of management, with a genuine emotional bond to the characters that only the most
12:15 skilled of heroes can overcome.
12:17 That's the end of our list, but do let me know down in the comments if you can think
12:21 of any other extraordinarily tough RPGs that are incredibly rewarding.
12:26 As always, I've been Jess from WhatCulture, thank you so much for hanging out with me.
12:29 If you like it, you can come say hi to me on my Twitter account, where I'm @JessMcDonald,
12:34 Make sure you stay tuned to us here for plenty more gaming goodness.