10 Video Game Sequels That Made Things Much Harder

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Sometimes a game series really ramps up the challenge after its initial release. This might happen when the game changes genres, or simply because the developers decide to make it much more difficult.

Games sometimes get harder for a reason. It could be because the original was too simple, or perhaps in a later installment to challenge players and offer a fresh experience. Ultimately, increasing the difficulty can often improve a game.

We’re taking a look at some game sequels that are notably harder than the games they follow.

10. Middle Earth: Shadow of War

More Responsibility, More Pain

The original Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was challenging, but the sequel is significantly harder. Enemies have many more ways to defend against your attacks, and battles often become long, draining fights where you’ll frequently find yourself disarmed or unable to effectively attack.

On top of everything else, the game features massive sieges. If you don’t carefully train and equip your army, you’ll lose every time. These battles can quickly overwhelm you as your troops are defeated. While the sieges look impressive, they’re incredibly challenging.

Players often criticized the bosses in the original game. The sequel addresses this by offering much tougher boss battles, and the later fights will really challenge your skills.

9. Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge

Brutality Without Cause

While not a fan favorite, Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor’s Edge is an incredibly challenging game, even for a series known for its difficulty. It’s noticeably harder than Ninja Gaiden 2, and some of its boss battles are as tough as those in Ninja Gaiden Black.

The game is difficult not because of smart challenges, but due to sheer enemy numbers and bosses that demand perfect gameplay – and even that isn’t always enough. It feels unfair, relying on frustrating tactics like constant enemy attacks and limited healing, rather than good design.

Look, if you just want constant, intense action and don’t really care why things are happening, this game will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. But honestly, as much fun as the frantic gameplay is, it doesn’t feel like a truly good game overall. It’s exciting, but a little hollow.

8. Dark Souls 2

A Rough Beginning

Many fans consider Dark Souls 2 the weakest entry in the series, largely due to its incredibly challenging beginning. Players start with very little health and struggle to recover, as healing items are scarce and ineffective.

You’ll eventually unlock Estus Flasks, but first you’ll have to overcome a difficult series of enemies and bosses that seem surprisingly challenging for the early part of the game.

The beginning of this game is brutally difficult – it’s enough to make you want to give up. And it doesn’t get any easier right away; it feels relentlessly challenging. While you eventually get the resources to fight back, the first few hours are just incredibly, unnecessarily hard.

The rest of the game is still very challenging. Unlike the first Dark Souls, enemy hitboxes are inaccurate, making it difficult to predict and react to enemy attacks.

7. XCOM 2

Don’t Get Too Attached

XCOM 2 is a challenging game, and it’s even more difficult than the original. One of the biggest surprises is that enemies can now capture your soldiers.

On top of the already challenging permadeath and unpredictable luck in this game, you now have to worry about your soldiers being captured – either after completing a mission, or even during one when facing the intimidating Chosen.

This game is challenging and unpredictable. You need to fully equip your team for each mission, and it’s best not to get too invested in any one character, as they could easily be lost permanently.

6. God of War: Ragnarök

The God of War is Challenged

Following feedback that the first game lacked enough boss battles, God of War: Ragnarok significantly increased their number and difficulty. The boss fights in this installment are incredibly challenging, with encounters like those against Nidhogg and Heimdall ranking among the most difficult in the entire God of War series.

The game features challenging bosses, but the optional ones are truly difficult. You’ll need to actively search for them, and be prepared for a serious challenge – they’re incredibly tough! There’s even another fight against a Valkyrie, as demanding as the one from the original game.

Man, it feels like the enemies in this game leveled up big time, but I didn’t get much to work with as Kratos. It’s tough! A lot of fights are way harder unless I really think outside the box and find a clever way to finish them off.

5. The Witcher 2

Fighting the Folklore

The Witcher 2 is a fantastic game and a big step up from the original, but it’s also quite challenging. Combat is very demanding, as you can’t heal during battles, making it unforgiving for players.

Instead of drinking potions instantly when you need them, you now have to make them in advance. This means you’ll need to figure out when you’ll be injured or take damage so you can prepare the right potions beforehand.

It can be tricky to figure out what’s going on during the larger battles, and the fighting system itself takes some getting used to. It’s challenging to really master.

As a long-time fan, I’m finding this game tough. The dodging feels really clunky, and when you actually land a hit, it doesn’t always feel as powerful as it should. This makes every fight a real challenge, and it’s even harder because you can’t just recover health instantly after getting hit. Honestly, it feels like the most difficult game in the whole series, and you really have to master a lot of complicated mechanics if you want to succeed.

4. Assassin’s Creed: Unity

Realistic Assassin Life

With Assassin’s Creed: Unity, the series really started to explore new ideas. Surprisingly, it’s a strong entry and arguably the most challenging one. Unlike previous games where you could often handle multiple enemies at once, trying to do so in Unity will quickly lead to failure.

Assassinations should be challenging, and successfully escaping after the kill is crucial. Unlike some previous games where the sequence ends immediately after a kill, this game requires both the assassination and a successful getaway. If you fail to escape, you have to start the process all over again.

This game requires careful thinking and strategy. Even with the best equipment, Arno remains fragile and vulnerable. You can only withstand a few attacks – whether from gunfire or close combat – before falling.

3. Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

Hell on Earth

In Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, you’re thrown into a truly hellish world, and it’s incredibly challenging. This isn’t a series for newcomers, but the game’s relentless difficulty, starting right from the beginning, is surprisingly impressive.

The game’s battle system focuses on exploiting enemy weaknesses, which is key to winning. This can be challenging early on with a small team, as the best demons for the job need to be recruited first. If you haven’t found the right demons, you’ll struggle to overcome certain fights.

The enemies in this game are challenging, demanding you carefully plan your team’s composition to succeed. Healing is also difficult, as you’ll have limited access to powerful healing items and spells for a large portion of the game.

2. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Fighting with Systems

Playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is noticeably harder than the original game, largely because there are so many different things to learn and manage. While you can create amazing structures, the building mechanics take time to master, and the game frequently requires you to use them to move forward.

It’s difficult to position objects accurately, which often leads to messy, poorly functioning designs.

The boss battles are more challenging, demanding you experiment with different weapons. While it’s usually simple to switch things up, discovering the most effective weapon combinations can be surprisingly difficult.

Breath of the Wild revitalized the Zelda series, while Tears of the Kingdom felt like a confident step forward, offering a welcoming yet demanding experience. The game doesn’t hold your hand; instead, it relies entirely on your ingenuity to solve puzzles and overcome challenges.

1. Star Wars Jedi Survivor

The Force is Way Too Strong

Compared to the original Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi: Survivor is significantly more challenging, no matter how easy you try to make it. While you have more combat abilities, enemies are much more aggressive and deal a lot of damage.

Man, some of the bosses in this game are seriously frustrating! Like, Ravis, that story boss? Brutal. And don’t even get me started on Son of Oggdo – I almost threw my controller a few times during that fight. Honestly, it’s just a tough game all the way through.

And that’s not mentioning the bounty hunter battles! They’re full of surprises, like jetpacks and special attacks, forcing you to quickly adapt your strategy.

This second game fully embraced the challenging, ‘Souls-like’ gameplay hinted at in the first, delivering some truly difficult battles.

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2025-10-29 17:16