10 Toughest RPGs That Are Incredibly Rewarding

When 100 hours is only the beginning.

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[hardupactor]

So great to see Vagrant Story, thoroughly enjoyed that one as a teen. I'd love to see a sequel or ground up remake.

[roysicko]

Divinity 2 Original Sins shouldve defenitely made this list, just winning a single battle feels like a huge accomplishment. Not to mention Baulders Gate 2 Shadows of Amn.

[danielschmaderer]

Ahh Bloodborne. One of my favorite games of all time. Absolutely a game that’s rewarding to master and complete. Never have I felt so rewarded to complete a game as I felt with Bloodborne.

[GilesEternick]

Vagrant Story is *still* one of my *all-time* favorite games!!

[MichaelCouch]

"We can probably fill the whole list with From software games" still makes 20% of the list From software and that's pretty much every list on the channel. Time to think of some more creative lists.

[PandaTheGreen]

Kingdom Come was pretty rough around the edges, but damn was the combat good. I can still remember the difference in fighting after dozens of hours compared to the beginning of the game.

[BuckFastNinja]

The Vagrant Story combat system was so good and the boss intro sequences were so atmospheric...what a game. Would love a remake.

[georgythegenesis]

XCOM, Dragon Quest 5/8, Persona 3/4 would feel right at home in this list

[matthewtamez]

It’s amazing to see Pathologic get more recognition. It’s a shame she didn’t mention the infinitely more refined Pathologic 2. If anyone catches themselves with an interest, Pathologic 2 is a remake instead of a full sequel. It’s almost perfect and still just as stressful. Pathologic 2 was one of the most visceral emotional experiences I’ve ever managed to have while gaming.

[ltmxgames]

Great list! Don't forget Kenshi. You can literally go from a really puny peasant to a ruler of a town if you learn the mechanics. and vise versa, you can go from a ruler in one town, and get beaten up and sold into slavery if you aren't prepared. damn near every monster wants to kill you, bandits everywhere, and and much more you can hope from an RPG. it's artstyle might be dated, but it's still one of the hardest RPG's out there. new players can literally starve to death and bleed out from minor wounds from not knowing what to do.

[Mattastrophik]

Any time I see Vagrant Story, I'm there for it. LOVE that game. Still have my PS1 & the game just so I can play it whenever... also made a custom Ashley Riot action figure. Yeah, it's a good game. 😅

[KylarRaynor]

Vagrant Story, hell yeah Jess. Also, Planescape: Torment if Disco Elysium is your jam

[Nadinetherescuehound]

I'm showing my age here, but Phantasy Star 1 was freaking hard.

[unavezms]

The banner trilogy is so good. Especially the plot. And the lore is so deep.

[Synthetic-Rabbit]

I played through Disco Elysium as a "sensitive" and I believe I got as close to the truth on a lot of things as I could. That being said, the end of the game kind of snuck up on me and I went into the "gun fight" on day 4 and there were more than a few quest lines I didn't get to the end of. I started another character with high intelligence but I get frustrated because the conclusions I'm drawing from that build I know are not the entire truth or "more of the truth" if that makes sense lol.

Great game, I recommend to all. Going to take a break and probably do another Sensitive build but this time really try to get to the end of all the quests.

The ending I got I was basically invited back to the Dept, I got the picture of the Insect, Kim was alive and I convinced him to join my district, I tied the gun to the old Commie and I got him to confess. This may not be the entire truth but it seems close to me.

[dermetzger]

Star Ocean 2 never gets the love it rightly deserves... Two playable characters give vastly different points of view on an EXTREMELY engaging story, as well as having different recruitable allies, and with each having many different narrative choices to make (or miss) you end up with myriad possible endings. So many so that it is legitimately difficult for two people to end up with exactly the same one. It's honestly difficult for me to name another ARPG with combat that is as well executed or as fun. Don't even get me started on just how much stuff is even available in the game for one to do... Even attempting to touch all the bases will (not "can", it WILL) lead to your game topping out the play timer. Possibly multiple times worth... Best part about that is that the game is so fun, you won't even mind.

[TheDoctor.]

Dragon's Dogma was it for me... that game was rough my first and second play through. Too bad Netflix gave it bad rep...

[redneckgaming]

I don't know about anyone else but kingdom come deliverance is the only game i've ever played that required me to teach the main character how to read

[animewatcha]

Now do 10 Toughest RPGs That Are NOT Incredibly Rewarding. Like RPGs that have enemies that scale with you as you level up. Killing the point of getting stronger.

[MrTruedragonknight]

just finished disco elysium. one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.