Unique Hardest Difficulties
Ultimate difficulty options that do something more interesting than just raising enemy stats and lowering yours, or one hit runs. Taking suggestions! (Also please provide the difficulty's official name, bonus points if it's a unique one)
36 Games
Critical Mode
Your maximum health is decreased by half and making enemies deal more damage, but also makes it so that you deal more damage and have more abilities and AP available from the start.
(Also in Kingdom Hearts III, with some alterations)
Your maximum health is decreased by half and making enemies deal more damage, but also makes it so that you deal more damage and have more abilities and AP available from the start.
(Also in Kingdom Hearts III, with some alterations)
New York Minute
Puts a 60 second time limit on each level
Puts a 60 second time limit on each level
Must Style
You can't damage enemies unless your style rank is S or higher.
You can't damage enemies unless your style rank is S or higher.
Non-Stop Infinite Climax
You no longer have access to Witch Time.
You no longer have access to Witch Time.
Invisible Mode
You can't see any enemies outside of reflections or environmental effects.
You can't see any enemies outside of reflections or environmental effects.
Merciless
Weaknesses/critical hits deal 3x damage, but it goes both ways.
Weaknesses/critical hits deal 3x damage, but it goes both ways.
European Extreme
If you get caught once it's game over. (Willing to include this over other one-hit death runs due to the extreme of how much you focus on stealth in it) (Also in MGS1-4)
If you get caught once it's game over. (Willing to include this over other one-hit death runs due to the extreme of how much you focus on stealth in it) (Also in MGS1-4)
Heaven or Hell
Everything dies in one hit, including you. (Also in DMC4 and DMC5, with DMC4 introducing the "Hell and Hell" iteration)
Everything dies in one hit, including you. (Also in DMC4 and DMC5, with DMC4 introducing the "Hell and Hell" iteration)
Pain Mode
Exclusive enemies and bosses, and you can only save once per checkpoint.
Exclusive enemies and bosses, and you can only save once per checkpoint.
Hunter
You have to kill predators to eat and the hunter is hungrier
You have to kill predators to eat and the hunter is hungrier
Hard Mode
Actually changes the narrative of the game, introducing darker and more complex themes.
Actually changes the narrative of the game, introducing darker and more complex themes.
Professional
The game's dynamic difficulty is locked at its highest setting.
The game's dynamic difficulty is locked at its highest setting.
Superhard
Removing the option to change your loadout after you die, and making running stages harder by removing platforms and adding obstacles.
Removing the option to change your loadout after you die, and making running stages harder by removing platforms and adding obstacles.
Hard mode
You get more objectives in levels
You get more objectives in levels
101% Hard
Removes slowdown from using the Wonder-Liner
Removes slowdown from using the Wonder-Liner
Expert Mode
Newer and stricter objectives, killing someone is an instant game over, amongst other changes.
Newer and stricter objectives, killing someone is an instant game over, amongst other changes.
Ultra V-Rated
Removes enemy attack indicators.
Removes enemy attack indicators.
Dream of the Nioh
Gives enemies and bosses new attacks, alters counter properties of attacks, changes rewards for every mission, adds DLC enemies to base game missions, adds new armor set bonuses, and gives bosses healing when they hit you.
Gives enemies and bosses new attacks, alters counter properties of attacks, changes rewards for every mission, adds DLC enemies to base game missions, adds new armor set bonuses, and gives bosses healing when they hit you.
Lunatic Reverse
All enemies attack first in combat, no matter whose turn it is.
All enemies attack first in combat, no matter whose turn it is.
Impossible
Cyber modules and buyable items are far more expensive, and item spawn rates from enemies are diminished.
Cyber modules and buyable items are far more expensive, and item spawn rates from enemies are diminished.
Hard Mode
Removes the missile launcher as well as all but one health upgrade.
Removes the missile launcher as well as all but one health upgrade.
Delta
Enemies speak Korean rather than English are made more difficult to locate.
Enemies speak Korean rather than English are made more difficult to locate.
Hard Mode
Level ups and equipment crafting are disabled, the damage you give and take is doubled, and your outfit changes from blue to black.
Level ups and equipment crafting are disabled, the damage you give and take is doubled, and your outfit changes from blue to black.
Ultimate
This and NEO deserve a mention for how they both impact the enemies you fight and the multipliers for pins and other rewards as you chain them.
This and NEO deserve a mention for how they both impact the enemies you fight and the multipliers for pins and other rewards as you chain them.
Nightmare
Doubles your ammo and makes enemies far more aggressive through movement speed, attack speed, and respawn rates.
Doubles your ammo and makes enemies far more aggressive through movement speed, attack speed, and respawn rates.
Hard Mode
Cyber-elfs cannot be used, Zero's triple slash and fully charged shot are gone, and you can't use EX moves.
Cyber-elfs cannot be used, Zero's triple slash and fully charged shot are gone, and you can't use EX moves.
Super Hard
You can't change direction when grabbing the device to launch yourself.
You can't change direction when grabbing the device to launch yourself.
Maniac
The weapon triangle is disabled and enemy attack ranges can't be highlighted
The weapon triangle is disabled and enemy attack ranges can't be highlighted
KURAYAMI
The entire environment is pitch black, you can only see with your flashlight/chemical lights.
The entire environment is pitch black, you can only see with your flashlight/chemical lights.
Hard Mode
The Vampire Killer will downgrade on contact with some enemies. New enemies appear.
The Vampire Killer will downgrade on contact with some enemies. New enemies appear.
Grounded
You can't see through walls, the HUD is turned off, items you can pick up no longer flash, among other inclusions.
(Also in The Last of Us: Part II)
You can't see through walls, the HUD is turned off, items you can pick up no longer flash, among other inclusions.
(Also in The Last of Us: Part II)
Hard Mode
No free healing, level ups are disabled, includes a lives system, and your entire score is lost upon getting hit.
No free healing, level ups are disabled, includes a lives system, and your entire score is lost upon getting hit.
Hard Mode
Adds harder puzzle-focused dungeons while removing easier ones, and all party members recruited are level 1.
Adds harder puzzle-focused dungeons while removing easier ones, and all party members recruited are level 1.
Hard Mode
All of the goombas are replaced with Buzzy Beetles
All of the goombas are replaced with Buzzy Beetles
Hero Mode
The entire game is mirrored.
The entire game is mirrored.
Lunatic Plus
Gives enemies overpowered exclusive skills as early as chapter 1
Gives enemies overpowered exclusive skills as early as chapter 1
18 Comments
OH YEAH, Bayonetta 1 removing Witch Time is like, my favorite hard mode ever haha
Off the top of my head:
- The Wonderful 101's 101% Hard removes slow-down whenever you use the Wonder Liner.
- Viewtiful Joe's Ultra V-Rated removes enemy attack indicators, forcing you to rely on their telegraphs & sound cues to work out what they're gonna hit you with. It also retains all the extra obstacles that V-Rated adds to each stage.
- Nioh 2's Dream of the Nioh gives enemies & bosses new attacks, changes which of their attacks can or can't be countered, alters rewards for every mission in the game, adds DLC enemies to base game missions, adds new armour set bonuses to existing equipment, and gives bosses a unique status effect which slightly heals them if they hit you. The first game's equivalent (Way of the Nioh) does most of this too.
- Dragon's Dogma's Hard Mode causes enemies to drop tons more gold. It also makes them three times as hard to knock over/stagger and causes them to give you much more xp/discipline points/rift crystals, but that probably falls under number tweaking.
- System Shock 2's Impossible difficulty makes cyber modules and buyable items much more expensive, as well as causing enemies to spawn more frequently and drop fewer items.
- Crysis' Delta difficulty causes enemies to speak Korean rather than English, among other things.
NEO TWEWY also probably deserves a mention for giving you better pins the more you bump up the difficulty.
- The Wonderful 101's 101% Hard removes slow-down whenever you use the Wonder Liner.
- Viewtiful Joe's Ultra V-Rated removes enemy attack indicators, forcing you to rely on their telegraphs & sound cues to work out what they're gonna hit you with. It also retains all the extra obstacles that V-Rated adds to each stage.
- Nioh 2's Dream of the Nioh gives enemies & bosses new attacks, changes which of their attacks can or can't be countered, alters rewards for every mission in the game, adds DLC enemies to base game missions, adds new armour set bonuses to existing equipment, and gives bosses a unique status effect which slightly heals them if they hit you. The first game's equivalent (Way of the Nioh) does most of this too.
- Dragon's Dogma's Hard Mode causes enemies to drop tons more gold. It also makes them three times as hard to knock over/stagger and causes them to give you much more xp/discipline points/rift crystals, but that probably falls under number tweaking.
- System Shock 2's Impossible difficulty makes cyber modules and buyable items much more expensive, as well as causing enemies to spawn more frequently and drop fewer items.
- Crysis' Delta difficulty causes enemies to speak Korean rather than English, among other things.
NEO TWEWY also probably deserves a mention for giving you better pins the more you bump up the difficulty.
Another Resident Evil one, the 2002 remake has Invisible Mode where you can't see any enemies outside of reflections and environmental effects.
And also New York Minute in Max Payne which gives you just 60 seconds to complete a level. Fail or die and you have to start again from the very beginning
And also New York Minute in Max Payne which gives you just 60 seconds to complete a level. Fail or die and you have to start again from the very beginning
Hard mode (Crazy hard in japan/europe) in Rocket Knight Adventures not only starts you out with 1 life and no continues (You can't get any more of the ladder) but you'll also die in one hit
The realistic mode in Deus Ex is a bit misleading, since it just makes you take more damage actually.
Doom (1993) definitely fits imo. Nightmare mode gives you double the ammo, but enemies are buffed to be more aggressive in a variety of ways. Some move faster, most attack faster, and projectiles move much faster. Enemy corpses also respawn after a random amount of time. I think Doom is commendable compared to other shooters for both Nightmare and Ultra-Violence (the much more played difficulty one below) not making enemies into bullet sponges but just changing the number of enemies in the level and health/ammo placements.
Megaman 10 (not X: 10) - The Robot Masters increase their moveset (and strength). Choosing a character like Proto Man makes it more difficult, but he has the ability yo reflect a lot of projectiles with his shield if you jump to intercede them. Risky but feels rewarding.
Castlevania 3: Hard difficulty is only implemented after a normal run and it can go four ways, starting all the way back but with a companion, or you alone again. There are new enemies, some are faster, and thanks to the companion, the level architecture can be molded by their abilities (Alucard files, Sypha freezes water/enemies...).
Ristar - When you Grab the device to launch yourself into the air, you can't change your direction. You look really like a shooting star I supose.
Undertale - The Genocide Run changes the story and is determined by your actions if you decide to kill every enemy. The bosses will be different and more difficult.
Metal Storm - The hard mode is one that makes you think every movement you make and it just changes your approach. Normal is too straightforward.
Castlevania 3: Hard difficulty is only implemented after a normal run and it can go four ways, starting all the way back but with a companion, or you alone again. There are new enemies, some are faster, and thanks to the companion, the level architecture can be molded by their abilities (Alucard files, Sypha freezes water/enemies...).
Ristar - When you Grab the device to launch yourself into the air, you can't change your direction. You look really like a shooting star I supose.
Undertale - The Genocide Run changes the story and is determined by your actions if you decide to kill every enemy. The bosses will be different and more difficult.
Metal Storm - The hard mode is one that makes you think every movement you make and it just changes your approach. Normal is too straightforward.
Megaman Zero 3- Hard Mode
you lose access to your three saber slash combo, instead you only swipe once
you lose access to your three saber slash combo, instead you only swipe once
This comment was deleted
In Gunvolt 1, Hard mode disables leveling up (no increased max HP or new skills) and equipment crafting, doubles all damage you give and take, and increases kudos (score) gained. It also changes your outfit from blue to black.
In Luminous Avenger iX2, Hard mode disables your free healing, leveling up (no increased max HP), and upgrades, gives bosses harder patterns, makes you lose all kudos upon getting hit, and adds a lives system (you get booted out of the level when you run out).
In Valkyrie Profile, Hard mode excludes certain easy mode dungeons, and adds a couple harder, puzzle-focused dungeons, which better loot. All party members are also recruited at level 1.
In Luminous Avenger iX2, Hard mode disables your free healing, leveling up (no increased max HP), and upgrades, gives bosses harder patterns, makes you lose all kudos upon getting hit, and adds a lives system (you get booted out of the level when you run out).
In Valkyrie Profile, Hard mode excludes certain easy mode dungeons, and adds a couple harder, puzzle-focused dungeons, which better loot. All party members are also recruited at level 1.
Got some for ya
The Evil Within 1 and 2's AKUMU mode makes you die in one hit to everything; the DLC "The Assignment" and "The Consequence" for the first game have a KURAYAMI difficulty mode that has all enemies stay the same strength, but the entire environment is pitch black so you can only see via your flashlight/chemical lights.
Outlast 1 and 2 (and 1's Whistleblower DLC) have an Insane difficulty where dying at any point returns you to the start of the game.
The Last of Us 1 and 2 have Grounded difficulty where your magic seeing through walls listening mode ability is disabled. The HUD is turned off, there's very few supplies, enemy AI is improved, items you can pick up no longer flash. In the first game your revolver will now kill unarmoured uninfected in one hit though, which is unique to this difficulty.
After you beat the original Super Mario Bros you can play through it again in hard mode, where all goombas are turned into buzzy beetles, all floating platforms are made shorter, and some levels are changed to their harder variants.
And Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, and Skyward Sword have Hero Mode, where enemies deal double damage, hearts don't spawn and health can only be regained from sources like potions and stuff.
The Evil Within 1 and 2's AKUMU mode makes you die in one hit to everything; the DLC "The Assignment" and "The Consequence" for the first game have a KURAYAMI difficulty mode that has all enemies stay the same strength, but the entire environment is pitch black so you can only see via your flashlight/chemical lights.
Outlast 1 and 2 (and 1's Whistleblower DLC) have an Insane difficulty where dying at any point returns you to the start of the game.
The Last of Us 1 and 2 have Grounded difficulty where your magic seeing through walls listening mode ability is disabled. The HUD is turned off, there's very few supplies, enemy AI is improved, items you can pick up no longer flash. In the first game your revolver will now kill unarmoured uninfected in one hit though, which is unique to this difficulty.
After you beat the original Super Mario Bros you can play through it again in hard mode, where all goombas are turned into buzzy beetles, all floating platforms are made shorter, and some levels are changed to their harder variants.
And Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, and Skyward Sword have Hero Mode, where enemies deal double damage, hearts don't spawn and health can only be regained from sources like potions and stuff.
@MisterAtlas_
I don't know if I'd include all of the Hero modes, but you bringing that up did remind me of how Twilight Princess HD handled it
I don't know if I'd include all of the Hero modes, but you bringing that up did remind me of how Twilight Princess HD handled it
Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem
Reverse Lunatic
No matter what the enemy always attacks first. This is in contrast to where it depends on if it's player phase or enemy phase. It's a simple change but I think nearly everyone considers it to change the entire way you approach the game.
Fire Emblem Awakening's Lunatic Plus mode is a candidate, it's the same as the regular Lunatic mode except it randomly adds a bunch of bullshit skills to enemies all over of the maps. Idk if it pushes the criteria or not. It doesn't raise/lower stats it's more to do with enemies gaining qualitiative unique skills, though alike the typical raise/lower stat difficulty it's still basically a big "fuck you" slot machine to the player (though some hardcore fans of the difficulty might disagree)
Reverse Lunatic
No matter what the enemy always attacks first. This is in contrast to where it depends on if it's player phase or enemy phase. It's a simple change but I think nearly everyone considers it to change the entire way you approach the game.
Fire Emblem Awakening's Lunatic Plus mode is a candidate, it's the same as the regular Lunatic mode except it randomly adds a bunch of bullshit skills to enemies all over of the maps. Idk if it pushes the criteria or not. It doesn't raise/lower stats it's more to do with enemies gaining qualitiative unique skills, though alike the typical raise/lower stat difficulty it's still basically a big "fuck you" slot machine to the player (though some hardcore fans of the difficulty might disagree)
I think Lunatic+ does slightly push the criteria, but I think it'll still work for this
Lunatic Reverse sounds really interesting though, I never thought of an FE difficulty doing something like that
Lunatic Reverse sounds really interesting though, I never thought of an FE difficulty doing something like that
Not to say that stat increases can't be present, but it has to do something different to stand out
Vanquish speeds up your meter use by a bit over 2x speed, and enemies prioritize the AI teammates less alongside doing way more damage: you'll get decked extremely quickly if you don't play smart.
Oops forgot the name, but Vanquish's highest difficulty is "God Hard"
LukeGirard
2 years ago