Sony certainly knew how to challenge gamers,
if the line-up for the original PS1 is any indication
welcome to WatchMojo.com
and today we'll be counting down our picks for The Top 10 Hardest PlayStation 1 Games
for this list we're taking a look at the many titles that graced the Sony Playstation Console
highlighting those that are truly the most challenging and difficult by design
unfair or unbalanced difficulty is out of the question
our focus is strictly on games that were built to be tough
without being impossible to beat
Number ten "Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee"
Abe's Oddysee focuses on the titular Abe
a slave at a meat processing plant who sets out to rescue his fellow Mudokons from a grim corporate plot
the game's delicately balance mixing side-scrolling platforms,
puzzles and slight strategy elements would be plenty for players to contend with
but it does take steps to further ensure careful play
from Abes' one-hit deaths
to a set number of Mudokons that need to be saved for a good ending
to even a checkpoint-centric save system
everything is built for challenge and conscience
Number nine "Grand Theft Auto"
for a game about stealing cars and causing mayhem
It's surprisingly keen on testing one's limits
ported to Playstation one in 1998
"Grand Theft Auto" puts players in a top-down open-world setting
where the goal is to obtain points by engaging in all sorts of criminal activities
However
stealing cars and killing indiscriminately is not as easy as it seems
the game places a limit on your lives
and your character dies after one hit
topped off by a rarity of powerful weapons and a deliberate lack of mid-level saving
It's clear that this original isn't shy about its intent
Number eight "Darius Gaiden"
ah, the classic challenge of a shoot em' up
"Darius Gaiden" has players flying the starship Silver Hawk through a series of scrolling levels
attempting to destroy enemy ships while dodging obstacles
Silver Hawk's journey as per the genre of choice
is made harder by said enemies flooding onto screen in multiple groups at once
making for heptic action
the constant movement of Silver Hawk
coupled with unyealding streams of projectiles
means that dodging and split-second maneuvering is key here
Number seven "Fear Effect"
being afraid as the title suggests
would be a relatively appropiate reaction
developed by Chronos Digital Entertainment
"Fear Effect" serves as a merging of polygon-era horror elements and tactical action into a singular experience
it has you switching between three mercenaries on a mission to Hong-Kong
dealing with sudden firefights and environmental puzzles
and punishing you for anything less than pitch-perfect reflexes and problem-solving
recklessness is detrimental here
as the game demands precision and caution with every step
Number six "Metal Gear Solid"
this is one heck of a sneaking mission, that's for sure
Hideo Kojima's beloved 1998 game Metal Gear Solid
pushed gaming forward with its hollywood-inspired cinematography, high quality voice-acting
and sense of atmosphere
it also reinforced the hardest elements of the stealth action genre to great effect
by dropping the elite soldier Solid Snake into a complex
riddled with security cameras and highly percevtive guards
add to that, the secret death traps and bosses that require careful strategy to beat
and the difficulty inherent to Metal Gear Solid should not be in question
hey, at least you'll never forget the main character's name
Number five "Heart of Darkness"
into the depths of danger we go
this cinematic platformer telling the tale of a young boy venturing to an alien realm to save his dog
embodies the age-old ideal of trial and error gameplay
each sequence in which the kid hero Andy must overcome natural hazards and defeat living shadows
is designed to be completed in specific manner
on threat of instant death
fortunately the game offered unlimited lives
so it is possible to learn the patters and techiques necessary to push forward
Number four "Tomb Raider III"
Lara Croft's third outing doesn't lack for challenge
that much is clear
the 3D action adventure game "Tomb Raider III" relies on save cristals
rare collectible items sparsely scattered throughout levels that limit the number of times you can save
this makes the typical mix of firefights, puzzle-solving and tomb exploration all the more difficult
as the game has no shortage of lethal traps, combative humans and animal foes
topped off by a steep learning curve that comes into play really early on
"Tomb Raider III" is nothing short of a test of your ability
Number three "Tenchu: Stealth Assassins"
with only ten levels
this game effortlessly proves to be hard
set in feudal Japan
"Stealth Assassins" is an action game where the player controls one of two ninjas conducting dangerous night missions
the player is given a grappling hook and unlimited tries for each mission
before being left with little exposition to determine how to progress
thus the game is built around trial and error
with the added threat of losing items upon death
reinforcing the need to choose one's inventory carefully and learn quickly
Number two "Rayman"
colorful, lively and undeniably tough
this is the legacy of rayman
a side-scrolling platformer developed by Ubisoft
its fantastical visuals and vibrant color scheme give way to a classically built platforming experience
many level in "Rayman" is heavy on length and light on checkpoints
to add to the challenge
the titular "Rayman" has a limited number of lives and everything from giant insects to musical notes are deadly to the touch
then there's the matter of the a hundred and two electoon cages needed for completion
which are invisible until their triggers are found
before we unveil our top pick
here are few honorable mentions
Number one "Alundra"
much loved from the outset
this Playstation action role-playing game delivers in many respects
including rewarding hardship
"Alundra" features platforming segments from time to time that by design
ask the player to adapt to the game's isometric perspective and plan jumps accordingly
there's also the matter of its puzzles
built around very subtle solutions
that reinforced the theme of exploration
little details can be easily missed and valuable items lost
meaning players must constantly be on alert and pay very close attention
it can be brutal at times but it's worth the effort to succeed
Do you agree with our list?
what do you think of the hardest games for the Playstation
for more easy-going top tens published every day
be sure subscribe to WatchMojo.com