Hardest PS4 Games Published By Bandai Namco

Bandai Namco has been a juggernaut within the video game industry for over a decade at this point, but while they may have had pretty humble beginnings, they experienced a true boom period during the era of the PlayStation 4. For a while, it was difficult to pick up a new game for the system without seeing the Bandai Namco logo somewhere on the box, but this never became an issue since they’ve been known to publish some incredible titles, and that most certainly relates to the majority of their PS4 games.

Still, with such a large array of games under their belt, it only makes sense that more than a few would end up being pretty difficult, or in some cases, downright unforgiving in their challenges. It’s time to break down the hardest Bandai Namco games that were ever released for the PlayStation 4 to see which one stands tall as the most difficult and demanding of them all.

6 Soulcalibur 6

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.05

Soulcalibur is one of Bandai Namco’s longest-running and most beloved series ever made, with these 3D fighting games placing a particular emphasis on weapon combat that helped set it apart from other popular games within the genre like Tekken and Street Fighter. After the disappointment that was the fifth game, the developers restored a lot of fans’ faith in the series with Soulcalibur 6, a fun, fluid, but admittedly, pretty difficult entry that seemed like it had ramped up the challenge quite considerably compared to its predecessors.

The pinpoint movement and large roster of moves can definitely take a little while to learn, and while the online mode is always going to depend on the enemy’s skill and experience, the offline modes can also be fairly brutal. The first story mode, which follows Killik on a mission to confront the Soul Edge, features some very intense fights from the halfway point onward, and the extra Libra of Soul story also features a few combatants who will punish the player anytime they make even the smallest of mistakes.

5 Scarlet Nexus

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.13

While Scarlet Nexus does feature an admittedly very brief tutorial near the beginning, it doesn’t do much hand-holding throughout much of the game. Instead, it encourages players to experiment with their telekinetic powers to try and see what sorts of combos they can come up with on their own, but considering just how dangerous most of the enemies can be, it means that players will need to get familiar with the mechanics as quickly as possible to make it out of the early game in one piece.

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Luckily, the protagonist will have allies by their side to help them out in combat, though some should definitely be prioritized as they are clearly stronger than others, such as Hanabi with her crowd-control flame powers and Kyoka who can provide some handy buffs in the middle of battle. As long as players are able to master the unique combat system, then Scarlet Nexus is a challenging and ultimately very fun experience, but it’s definitely not the most accessible game out there.

4 Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.17

On the surface, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Mega Battle can seem like little more than a casual and lighthearted 4 player co-op game set in the wacky and wonderful universe of Power Rangers, but it’s actually very challenging despite how short it is. A lot of fans have actually compared the game to classic old school beat ‘em ups like Final Fight and Streets of Rage, which were renowned for their challenge, especially because of how fast and aggressive the enemies are right from the get-go.

Additionally, each player is given only a single life to complete a mission with, and while this might seem like nothing out of the ordinary for old-school fans of the genre, it can definitely be a little brutal for newcomers. Each player is able to upgrade their health and defense as they progress through the game, but it’s also encouraged to level up the Energy Bar, too, since this will allow the Rangers to stay in their powerful Super Powers modes for much longer to help deal with tougher enemies.

3 Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.58

Ace Combat 7 is often touted by fans as being the best entry in the entire series thanks to just how much variation it offers the player in terms of aircraft and missions and also because of how well it executes the incredibly addictive arcade-like gameplay that just never seems to get old. There are a few key mechanics built into the game that are never actually mentioned to the player, such as being able to hold down triangle to directly follow an enemy, which is a big help considering that the number of enemies that can appear on-screen has been drastically increased this time around.

Some of the missions, either by design or unintentionally, also feel a little too difficult for their own good, becoming more of an annoyance than anything else. For example, the rescue mission will automatically fail if the player’s shots are even remotely close to the target, and the 444 mission pits a frankly ridiculous amount of enemies at the player’s aircraft, which is designed to be underpowered at that point. Ace Combat 7 provides a difficult challenge that can take a lot of effort and patience to overcome, but it’s all so worth it in the end.

2 Project CARS 2

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 3.76

The first Project CARS was somewhat of an experiment, with the game attempting to act as an immersive realistic driving simulation that differentiated itself from its competition thanks to its unique in-game mechanics and “sandbox” approach to the tracks. The game ended up being a smash hit, and in 2017, Project CARS 2 dropped with a plethora of new content, a new off-road driving system, and an extra layer of immersion that ended up also making the game much harder as a result.

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Because of how realistic the game is, it means that there are no gimmicks to help the player out. Instead, they can expect to have their tires get worn out after racing for too long, for the weather to impact their driving on the track, and for the drifting to be agonizingly difficult to pull off correctly. Luckily, players are given access to every car in the game right from the start, allowing them to experiment with different types to see what suits their style the most, but this is most definitely a game that’s designed for the most hardcore racers out there who welcome the challenge.

1 Dark Souls 3

GameFAQs Difficulty Rating: 4.17

While the first two Dark Souls games did eventually make their way to the PlayStation 4, they only came much later on as remastered versions, while the third game in the series was the first to be developed specifically with the PS4 in mind. Dark Souls 3 may often be considered to be just a little easier than the previous entries, but this isn’t to suggest that it doesn’t still retain that brutal and unforgiving difficulty that one can come to expect from a game in this beloved series. The first few bosses may seem a little easy, but once players get familiar with the movement and combat system, the game holds nothing back in terms of its challenge, with bonfires being far more rare, enemies attacking in large groups, and bosses becoming hyper-aggressive.

There are also a bunch of items and weapons that can be completely missed out on if the player doesn’t take the time to explore their surroundings, such as the Black Armor set, which is dropped by Yuria after defeating the Soul of Cinder. This is just one example of literally hundreds of secret pieces of equipment that can be acquired, but without a guide in hand, it’s easy to not even be aware that they exist. Pair this with extremely difficult DLC and a pretty clunky magic system, and it results in what is undoubtedly the hardest game ever published by Bandai Namco for the PlayStation 4.

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