The 10 HARDEST New Game Plus Modes in Video Games
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Aaron Brown
New Game Plus playthroughs are there for the extra challenge, but these games went a bit overboard. Welcome to MojoPlays and today we're rethinking another playthrough after these games upped the difficulty the second time around. We'll be avoiding specific hard modes that are unlocked and instead focusing solely on difficult standard New Game Plus playthroughs. Our list of the hardest New Game Plus Modes includes “Batman: Arkham Knight” (2015), “Eternal Darkness” (2002), the “Dark Souls” franchise (2011-), “Final Fantasy XVI” (2023), and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re rethinking another second playthrough after these games upped the difficulty the second time around. We’ll be avoiding specific hard modes that are unlocked and instead focusing solely on difficult standard New Game Plus playthroughs.
Final Fantasy XVI made a lot of changes to the classic formula of the series but by far the most drastic was to the game’s combat. Taking more inspiration from the Devil May Cry series than from Final Fantasy’s past, the combat was faster and more focused on combos than outright strategy. While 16’s New Game Plus doesn’t amp up the difficulty a substantial amount compared to other entries on our list, it does add new modes while also randomizing enemy encounters for additional challenges. Final Fantasy Mode acts like you would expect from New Game Plus with all gear and equipment carrying over to deal with tougher and higher-level enemies but with the added focus on combo building for greater rewards, Ultimania is focused primarily on more difficult Arete Stone Challenges, and Time Attack Mode is Clive going one-on-one with many Eikons in the main game.
Eternal Sonata is a wildly overlooked JRPG from 2007 that lets players experience the last moments of famed composer Frederic Chopin as he slowly succumbs to tuberculosis and experience his music as other characters within this fantasy world. The game ends when the disease sadly ends his life, but players can still replay the game through New Game Plus mode appropriately called “Encore”. While this mode does open up new areas and as well as the hardest dungeon in the game, it also completely changes the game’s original mechanics and removes much of the strategy from previous battles. Another drastic change from other New Game Plus modes is that none of your progress from your previous playthrough carries over, meaning even though the enemies get substantial stat buffs, you’re starting from scratch all over again. It’s enough to have anyone playing a different tune the second time around.
Undertale is without a doubt one of the most unique RPGs on the market and it found widespread acclaim with its non-traditional approach to storytelling, world building, and especially its battles which rewards players for NOT engaging in outright combat. Likewise, Undertale’s approach to New Game Plus is just as novel as the base game itself. The game wants the player to find a more peaceful way to solve encounters, but for those who decided to mercilessly murder everyone they did battle with, the game remembers this on a second playthrough and there’s even specific dialogue that recounts and shames you for your actions. You can’t even achieve the game’s true good playthrough without the constant harassment, until a 3rd time through the underworld.
Eternal Darkness is a game designed to mess with the player. Not only will the game challenge the player’s sanity at every turn, constantly making them second guess themselves with all manner of mind games, but Eternal Darkness also hides the game’s true ending behind 3 new game plus playthroughs. The only way to achieve the real ending is by committing yourself with one of the 3 alignments for each playthrough, which makes drastic changes to the game's combat based on the player character, as well as how the game itself plays. The increased challenge comes from adapting to these new parameters to reach the game’s conclusion and each character’s particular playstyle as well as what can and will affect their sanity meter. The in-game characters aren’t going to be the only ones needing a straitjacket by the end.
No one would normally accuse any Kirby game of being “challenging” but back in the wild west days of 90s game development, even Kirby wasn’t afraid to knock unsuspecting players down a peg. After completing the game, Kirby’s Dream Land will give the player a code for the game’s “Extra Mode”, but the game fails to tell you that activating this code will turn Kirby’s Dream Land into a nightmare. Every level is now filled with either late game enemies or more difficult versions of regular enemies and all bosses now come with massive damage dealing and screen filling attacks. Even veteran Kirby players who never believed Kirby games even had a game over screen will have to “git gud” like it’s Dark Souls: Kirby Edition.
Unlike the other entries on our list, the brilliant Nier Automata’s new game plus challenge comes less from increased difficulty and more of a matter of endurance. Just like with other New Game Plus offerings, Nier Automata allows players to carry over all items, equipment and upgrades to each new playthrough. However, the game offers a staggering 26 different possible ending for players to earn, and while the game keeps things fresh by offering new bosses, challenges, and even new playable characters, your first playthrough can take on average about 20 hours and while you won’t have to completely replay the game 26 times to earn every ending, there are certain parameters that need to be met for specific endings and if players are trying to discover all of them without any help to guide them, they’re in for quite the long haul.
The Souls-Like genre has boomed in recent years with untold numbers of copycats attempting to add their own spin to FromSoftware’s now iconic formula. However, Lies of P manages to not only create its own identity but also put a fresh spin on the tried-and-true game mechanics longtime Souls fans are familiar with. Likewise, Lies of P also has a New Game Plus mode for those looking for an additional challenge in this already difficult game. Many weapons, upgrades, and unlocks carry over to this new run, but you’ll also open new upgrades for your skill tree and these can be stacked up to 7 times. Enemies also receive a substantial boost not only to their health but their damage output as well, so you’re going to need all the help you can get, especially if you want to unlock the best ending in the game.
Rocksteady completely shattered expectations and redefined what a superhero video game could be with their Arkham series, setting a new benchmark for adaptations and inadvertently influencing the entire industry on how to properly do open combat in gaming. While the finale to their trilogy might not be everyone’s favorite entry, the overall experience is still highly praised for its gameplay, once again especially its combat. However, for those who immediately went back to replay their last adventure in Arkham, they would find that Rocksteady went the extra mile to make players feel like Batman by completely removing the counter indicators. While this might seem like a minor change, without any indication that Batman is about to take a bat to the belfry, even the most skilled players will feel the need to spend a bit more time training before once again setting out on the streets of Gotham.
Undoubtedly the series most expected on this list, Dark Souls made a name for itself with its difficult gameplay that challenged players to “git gud”. Every game in FromSoftware’s Souls catalog features an even more challenging New Game Plus, from Dark Souls to xref Bloodborne and even the developers most recent hit xref Elden Ring all ramping up the difficulty to the tenth degree by increasing enemies health and damage and continuing to do so for those insane enough to stack multiple New Game Plus runs. However, out of the main Souls games, Dark Souls 2 stands out for its especially difficult New Game Plus playthrough. Dark Souls 2 manages to both challenge and frustrate players by greatly increasing the number of NPC invasions the player needs to deal with. Not only do these buffed extra enemies spawn in unexpectedly during regular exploration, but they can also appear during already difficult boss fights. Live, Die, Repeat Soulsian.
The oldest entry on our list and quite possibly one of the first games to ever feature a New Game Plus playthrough, the original Legend of Zelda was groundbreaking in a number of ways, from its combat, exploration, and approach to dungeons, but also managed to keep things fresh for those who sought to save Hyrule a second time. Nintendo expects quite a lot from players the second time around, however, as not only are dungeons and enemies remixed, but players can even lose their heart containers, permanently decreasing their overall health for the remainder of their playthrough should their timing be even slightly off cue. Future Zelda games offered a similar challenge with their Master Mode, but none have reached the controller breaking frustrations of the original.
Which new game plus mode challenged you the most on your second playthrough? Share your struggles down in the comments.
“Final Fantasy XVI” (2023)
Final Fantasy XVI made a lot of changes to the classic formula of the series but by far the most drastic was to the game’s combat. Taking more inspiration from the Devil May Cry series than from Final Fantasy’s past, the combat was faster and more focused on combos than outright strategy. While 16’s New Game Plus doesn’t amp up the difficulty a substantial amount compared to other entries on our list, it does add new modes while also randomizing enemy encounters for additional challenges. Final Fantasy Mode acts like you would expect from New Game Plus with all gear and equipment carrying over to deal with tougher and higher-level enemies but with the added focus on combo building for greater rewards, Ultimania is focused primarily on more difficult Arete Stone Challenges, and Time Attack Mode is Clive going one-on-one with many Eikons in the main game.
“Eternal Sonata” (2007)
Eternal Sonata is a wildly overlooked JRPG from 2007 that lets players experience the last moments of famed composer Frederic Chopin as he slowly succumbs to tuberculosis and experience his music as other characters within this fantasy world. The game ends when the disease sadly ends his life, but players can still replay the game through New Game Plus mode appropriately called “Encore”. While this mode does open up new areas and as well as the hardest dungeon in the game, it also completely changes the game’s original mechanics and removes much of the strategy from previous battles. Another drastic change from other New Game Plus modes is that none of your progress from your previous playthrough carries over, meaning even though the enemies get substantial stat buffs, you’re starting from scratch all over again. It’s enough to have anyone playing a different tune the second time around.
“Undertale” (2015)
Undertale is without a doubt one of the most unique RPGs on the market and it found widespread acclaim with its non-traditional approach to storytelling, world building, and especially its battles which rewards players for NOT engaging in outright combat. Likewise, Undertale’s approach to New Game Plus is just as novel as the base game itself. The game wants the player to find a more peaceful way to solve encounters, but for those who decided to mercilessly murder everyone they did battle with, the game remembers this on a second playthrough and there’s even specific dialogue that recounts and shames you for your actions. You can’t even achieve the game’s true good playthrough without the constant harassment, until a 3rd time through the underworld.
“Eternal Darkness” (2002)
Eternal Darkness is a game designed to mess with the player. Not only will the game challenge the player’s sanity at every turn, constantly making them second guess themselves with all manner of mind games, but Eternal Darkness also hides the game’s true ending behind 3 new game plus playthroughs. The only way to achieve the real ending is by committing yourself with one of the 3 alignments for each playthrough, which makes drastic changes to the game's combat based on the player character, as well as how the game itself plays. The increased challenge comes from adapting to these new parameters to reach the game’s conclusion and each character’s particular playstyle as well as what can and will affect their sanity meter. The in-game characters aren’t going to be the only ones needing a straitjacket by the end.
“Kirby’s Dream Land” (1992)
No one would normally accuse any Kirby game of being “challenging” but back in the wild west days of 90s game development, even Kirby wasn’t afraid to knock unsuspecting players down a peg. After completing the game, Kirby’s Dream Land will give the player a code for the game’s “Extra Mode”, but the game fails to tell you that activating this code will turn Kirby’s Dream Land into a nightmare. Every level is now filled with either late game enemies or more difficult versions of regular enemies and all bosses now come with massive damage dealing and screen filling attacks. Even veteran Kirby players who never believed Kirby games even had a game over screen will have to “git gud” like it’s Dark Souls: Kirby Edition.
“Nier: Automata” (2017)
Unlike the other entries on our list, the brilliant Nier Automata’s new game plus challenge comes less from increased difficulty and more of a matter of endurance. Just like with other New Game Plus offerings, Nier Automata allows players to carry over all items, equipment and upgrades to each new playthrough. However, the game offers a staggering 26 different possible ending for players to earn, and while the game keeps things fresh by offering new bosses, challenges, and even new playable characters, your first playthrough can take on average about 20 hours and while you won’t have to completely replay the game 26 times to earn every ending, there are certain parameters that need to be met for specific endings and if players are trying to discover all of them without any help to guide them, they’re in for quite the long haul.
“Lies of P” (2023)
The Souls-Like genre has boomed in recent years with untold numbers of copycats attempting to add their own spin to FromSoftware’s now iconic formula. However, Lies of P manages to not only create its own identity but also put a fresh spin on the tried-and-true game mechanics longtime Souls fans are familiar with. Likewise, Lies of P also has a New Game Plus mode for those looking for an additional challenge in this already difficult game. Many weapons, upgrades, and unlocks carry over to this new run, but you’ll also open new upgrades for your skill tree and these can be stacked up to 7 times. Enemies also receive a substantial boost not only to their health but their damage output as well, so you’re going to need all the help you can get, especially if you want to unlock the best ending in the game.
“Batman: Arkham Knight” (2015)
Rocksteady completely shattered expectations and redefined what a superhero video game could be with their Arkham series, setting a new benchmark for adaptations and inadvertently influencing the entire industry on how to properly do open combat in gaming. While the finale to their trilogy might not be everyone’s favorite entry, the overall experience is still highly praised for its gameplay, once again especially its combat. However, for those who immediately went back to replay their last adventure in Arkham, they would find that Rocksteady went the extra mile to make players feel like Batman by completely removing the counter indicators. While this might seem like a minor change, without any indication that Batman is about to take a bat to the belfry, even the most skilled players will feel the need to spend a bit more time training before once again setting out on the streets of Gotham.
“Dark Souls” franchise (2011-)
Undoubtedly the series most expected on this list, Dark Souls made a name for itself with its difficult gameplay that challenged players to “git gud”. Every game in FromSoftware’s Souls catalog features an even more challenging New Game Plus, from Dark Souls to xref Bloodborne and even the developers most recent hit xref Elden Ring all ramping up the difficulty to the tenth degree by increasing enemies health and damage and continuing to do so for those insane enough to stack multiple New Game Plus runs. However, out of the main Souls games, Dark Souls 2 stands out for its especially difficult New Game Plus playthrough. Dark Souls 2 manages to both challenge and frustrate players by greatly increasing the number of NPC invasions the player needs to deal with. Not only do these buffed extra enemies spawn in unexpectedly during regular exploration, but they can also appear during already difficult boss fights. Live, Die, Repeat Soulsian.
“The Legend of Zelda” (1987)
The oldest entry on our list and quite possibly one of the first games to ever feature a New Game Plus playthrough, the original Legend of Zelda was groundbreaking in a number of ways, from its combat, exploration, and approach to dungeons, but also managed to keep things fresh for those who sought to save Hyrule a second time. Nintendo expects quite a lot from players the second time around, however, as not only are dungeons and enemies remixed, but players can even lose their heart containers, permanently decreasing their overall health for the remainder of their playthrough should their timing be even slightly off cue. Future Zelda games offered a similar challenge with their Master Mode, but none have reached the controller breaking frustrations of the original.
Which new game plus mode challenged you the most on your second playthrough? Share your struggles down in the comments.
