Get ready to snap some discs and throw some cases as we dive into the "Top 20 Hardest PS1 Games." From brutally challenging platformers like "Rayman" to unforgiving RPGs such as "King’s Field," this list highlights the most grueling games that tested our patience and skills on Sony's iconic console. Whether it's navigating the perilous traps in "Tomb Raider III" or mastering the relentless combat of "Vagrant Story," these titles are sure to bring back memories of broken controllers and sleepless nights.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo and today we're snapping discs and throwing cases. These are the 20
00:12hardest PS1 games.
00:14Rayman
00:15If Rayman's hands were still attached to his body, I'd rip them the fuck off. Despite
00:29the franchise's evolution over the years, the original Rayman remains one of the toughest
00:33games of the 90s and arguably one of the hardest platformers ever created. Unlike other platformers
00:39that offer rewarding gameplay through precise movements like Crash Bandicoot, Rayman's challenges
00:43often feel extremely unfair, like Crash Bandicoot if you didn't have any arms or legs.
00:54Kingsfield
00:55Even seasoned Dark Souls players will be taken aback by the sheer difficulty of Kingsfield.
01:09It's so hard that it's been retroactively added to the Souls-like genre. Kingsfield was
01:13quite innovative for its time, which meant many players were unsure of how to approach
01:16it when they first played. We recommend carefully. The game's ambitious 3D visuals and resulting
01:23glitches only added to the difficulty, while its brutal combat, numerous traps, confusing
01:27controls and complete lack of guidance made even hardcore RPG fans question their life
01:32choices.
01:39Harappa the Rapper
01:52Many people recognize the catchy music of Harappa the Rapper, and its distinctive cut-out
01:56art style has aged remarkably well as it is somewhat timeless. However, those who play
02:01the game for themselves will be surprised by how challenging it still is. While rhythm
02:06games typically focus on timed button presses, Harappa the Rapper elevates this difficulty
02:11to an extreme. Later levels become nearly impossible to conquer, requiring players to
02:16refine their reflexes to perfection to progress. Try combining Guitar Hero with someone throwing
02:22molten hot darts at the back of your head.
02:30Blasto
02:37To be fair to Blasto, this PS1 action game was likely released before the technology
02:42of the time could fully support its ambitions. I feel similarly about myself, I feel like
02:47I was born before my dry sh**ty sense of humour could be appreciated appropriately. Blasto
02:52is known as one of the PS1's most notorious games for causing broken controllers. The
02:57game's sluggish movement and unreliable camera make even basic tasks difficult, and the lack
03:01of barriers in many levels means players often find themselves falling to their deaths while
03:06trying to navigate simple jumps. Which feels realistic, because jumping sucks.
03:18Einhander
03:26Much like the hardest games on the NES and SNES, Einhander was a throwback to the classic
03:302D shoot em ups, and though not the most challenging 2D shoot em up ever created, Einhander managed
03:35to trick PS1 users who were unprepared for this classic gaming style level of difficulty.
03:40Instead of simply overwhelming players with a high volume of enemies, Einhander boosts
03:45the health of each enemy and requires navigating some extremely perilous areas. This design
03:50choice is particularly evident in the boss fights, which feel almost like a 2D Star Fox
03:56on crack.
04:10Twisted Metal 2
04:23Although the first Twisted Metal game is considered notoriously difficult, fans of the series
04:27seem to agree unanimously that the second entry is without a doubt the hardest. The
04:32second game in the series received praise for its larger levels and additional characters.
04:37The actual gameplay can be quite challenging, and it's worth noting that Twisted Metal
04:412 features a misleading easy mode. Playing in this setting will stop you early in the
04:45game and prevent you from progressing to the end. Which feels like a slap in the face.
04:50Which is what you deserve for playing on easy difficulty.
05:10Alandra
05:18In Alandra, the top-down camera view often made navigating the varying elevations a challenging
05:23exercise in trial and error. Imagine living your life in top-down. Way harder, right?
05:29While this was a design flaw, it's not the only thing that contributes to the game's
05:33difficulty. Alandra is notorious for its demanding backtracking. Attention to detail is crucial,
05:39and even the most meticulous players may find themselves frustrated by its complexities.
05:44I for one had a pen and paper when I was a kid and made a map that made no sense and
05:48ended up being torn up through tears.
05:50Irritating Stick
05:56Irritating Stick sits pretty comfortably on this list, as although it's not the hardest,
06:01it often comes into players' minds when remembering grueling PS1 experiences. Players must navigate
06:06a small ball through intricate themed mazes with very little room for error. To increase
06:12the challenge, you're also racing against a relentlessly ticking clock, which feels
06:16like added pressure we didn't really need. True mastery of this game requires hundreds
06:21upon hundreds upon hundreds of hours of dedicated playtime, often beating the stamina of even
06:26the heartiest gamers.
06:36Incredible Crisis
06:46Remember that scene in Metal Gear Solid where you had to repeatedly mash the circle button
06:50to survive the torture device? Remember how the pain from the constant tapping would run
06:54right up your arm? Remember thinking, how on earth can tapping one button cause this
06:58much pain? Now imagine that experience stretched across that entire game. That's Incredible
07:04Crisis. But don't think for a second that you'll get reprieve when you aren't tapping,
07:08because the game offers plenty of other ways to break your brain while giving your arm
07:11a run.
07:21Oddworld Abe's Odyssey
07:28As a down to its core puzzle game, Oddworld requires a significant amount of thinking
07:32outside the box, as with any puzzle platformer. However, the game raises the difficulty even
07:37further with some of the most ruthless level designs in PlayStation history. Your margin
07:42for error is extremely minimal, as constant gunfire and traps pose a continuous threat,
07:47and throughout the campaign you'll more than often find yourself repeating every single
07:51encounter, and a first time win for any encounter is almost always dumb luck.
08:03Fear Effect
08:17The original Fear Effect games are challenging to play today for various reasons, including
08:21casual racism, and odd softcore cutscenes that we always got nervous watching as kids.
08:27If my old man walked in while I was playing Fear Effect, he'd have a lot of questions.
08:32Fear Effect was also notoriously difficult, which is what we should really be focusing
08:39on. Combining Resident Evil style controls with point and click adventure puzzles and
08:43clumsy stealth segments, Fear Effect represents a collection of some of the most frustrating
08:48and demanding gameplay concepts of its time. It's Hugo's house of horrors meets silent
08:53hill hard mode meets clock tower with one hand meets alone in the dark with your eyes
08:59shut.
09:04Driver
09:14In Driver, you are introduced to the game's concepts with one of the most arduous and
09:18frustrating tutorial levels ever created, performing manoeuvres with endgame levels
09:24of skill and precision, in one of the tightest, tiniest and most rage inducing maps. To make
09:29things even more frustrating, the game often fails to recognise when you've successfully
09:33completed a manoeuvre, meaning you might not pass the level even if you've mastered the
09:37game's toughest moves from the start. If you've never managed to beat Driver's opening level,
09:43you might be surprised to discover that later levels can present even tougher difficulty
09:47spikes. I never found out.
09:59Blood Omen Legacy of Kain
10:09Blood Omen Legacy of Kain, the first game in the classic Legacy of Kain series, offers
10:13a unique gameplay experience that is nothing like later entries. This top down hack and
10:19slash adventure mixes intense Diablo style action with puzzle solving that feels borderline
10:24abusive. The game remains highly challenging to this day due to the constant onslaught
10:28of enemies as well as various traps that deplete Kain's health almost instantly. Even with
10:33his extensive arsenal of weapons items and vampiric abilities, Kain's quest will end
10:38in screaming again and again and again, which feels almost like justice considering how
10:43he treats us in Soul Reaver.
10:52Vagrant Story
11:06For years, fans have considered Vagrant Story one of the most underrated PlayStation games
11:11and one of the most overlooked RPGs ever made, and although it's finally getting the
11:15appreciation it deserves with its re-release and a whole new generation of gamers enjoying
11:20it, it's also beating the ever-loving crap out of a whole new generation of gamers with
11:24its brutal difficulty. The challenge stems from mastering its unique combat system, which
11:29can often make you feel helpless. Even after grasping the basics, the game's relentless
11:33bosses, clever traps and even the so-called basic enemies will keep you questioning whether
11:38you can ever truly master it.
11:42Ninja Shadow of Darkness
12:01This is one of those games that's difficult due to notoriously cheap and unfair game mechanics,
12:06making progress feel almost impossible. Although a save feature is available, it only saves
12:11your exact position, which means if you're out of lives or continues, you must attempt
12:15to complete the game with no further chances. Coupled with the game's brutal controls, poor
12:20camera angles, hard-to-see graphics, platforming hazards and persistent enemies, the majority
12:24of the deaths you'll experience are because of unintentional bad game design, rather than
12:28an intentional challenge.
12:42Mortal Kombat Mythologies Sub-Zero
12:52In Mythologies, Sub-Zero battles enemies in a style reminiscent of classic Mortal Kombat
12:57games. However, the game is infamous for its abundance of instant death traps, which deplete
13:02Sub-Zero's life faster than Goro ever could. From collapsing columns to rotating platforms
13:07in the Wind Temple, Mythologies is notorious for consuming lives at an alarming rate. But
13:12don't think for a second that the fighting is easy, because the boss battles throughout
13:16this game offer some of the hardest Mortal Kombat challenges an MK fan can experience
13:20to date.
13:28Crash Bandicoot
13:37You know, this is somewhat embarrassing to admit, but when I was only about seven years
13:46old, almost all of my PS1 controllers had little dents in them. When asked what they
13:51were, I had to admit that they were bite marks, as Crash Bandicoot was so unbelievably difficult
13:56that I found biting the controller to be my only outlet for rage. Despite their linear
14:01design, the Crash Bandicoot games require a level of platforming precision that was
14:06exceptionally challenging at the time, but the first game with its less refined controls
14:10was undoubtedly the most difficult of the PS1 trilogy.
14:20Heart of Darkness
14:22The relatively unknown Heart of Darkness could easily compete with Driver for the title of
14:36most notoriously difficult opening levels. The initial section bombards you with enemies
14:41like a bullet hell shooter, but the controls feel like a cumbersome puzzler. Even if you're
14:46familiar with the game, responding to the fast paced action on screen is exceptionally
14:51difficult. The game doesn't get much easier after this either, but you'll never find out
14:55because you'll sell your PS1 for anxiety medication well before you've found a modicum of success
15:00in this opening section.
15:06Tomb Raider 3
15:08With a boxy design and the rage-inducing tank controls, Tomb Raider felt like a game that
15:24didn't belong in its parameters, yet it somehow worked. And although Tomb Raider 1 and 2 were
15:29hard, Tomb Raider 3 takes difficulty to a whole new level with its abundance of spikes, boulders,
15:35pits and traps designed to end your run before you're prepared. The game's perplexing level
15:40design aims to simulate the disorientation of navigating a dark tomb, and boy does it,
15:45because I am lost all the damn time.
16:06Tenchu Stealth Assassins
16:15While difficulty is expected in many stealth titles, or stealth sections of titles, we're
16:19looking at you Spider-Man, Tenchu Stealth Assassins sometimes oversteps by constantly
16:24reminding you of your vulnerability. Perhaps it's because many of us were excited to play as a
16:29badass ninja assassin, but Tenchu's insistence on cautious trial and error gameplay left many
16:34players frustrated and questioning their strategies. Tenchu Stealth Assassins is by all
16:40accounts a decent game with great reviews, yet somehow it remained at the bottom of my game
16:45collection, because it released a toxic side of myself I never want to see again.
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