Top 10 Hardest Levels in PlayStation Games

“Driver” (1999)

Normally, one should not struggle with a tutorial under any circumstance. Even if it’s boring, it’s still a tutorial! You’re there to learn the game! Well, that’s the idea that “Driver” seemed to have forgotten as its tutorial is a full-on driving exam. Not only will you have to learn the car’s handling, but also perform various maneuvers that you may not even need to utilize all while under a time limit and a strict three-strikes collision rule. We would expect such demands from a game like “Gran Turismo”, but “Driver”? C’mon…

“Jak II” (2004)

For as much as some folks swear by “Jak II”, we gotta be honest - the controls have not aged well. The gunplay can be frustrating to tolerate, and it gets aggravating even more when turrets come into play. We shudder at the mention of a turret section because we know what to expect. How are we supposed to shoot at the necessary targets when you’re constantly spawning in hordes upon hordes of enemies dealing way too much damage? There is simply no time to breathe in any of “Jak II’s” turret sections. You just have to hope you’re turning fast enough to stop an enemy before they pull their triggers.

“Devil May Cry 3: Dante’s Awakening” (2005)

We’re not including boss fights in this list as there are several other lists covering boss fights specifically. However, the reason we’re including Invading Hell on here is because it is a series of boss fights back-to-back. Ask any DMC fan, and they will tell you the same thing: the bosses in “Dante’s Awakening” can be unfair and frustrating. Everyone has their own bosses that are the banes of their existence. You really need to just focus and use the Devil Trigger explosion whenever you can. That’s the only advice anyone can give.

“Bloodborne - The Old Hunters” (2015)

“Bloodborne” was obviously going to show up on this list. It’s “Bloodborne,” one of the hardest games to ever be published by Sony itself. But even with all of the grueling agony you’ve been through in the base game, everything pales in comparison to the DLC expansion. “The Old Hunters” has earned its infamy because of the focus on adding Hunters as enemies. Basically, you’re fighting enemies that play as you would, and the red-eye Hunters are extremely aggressive. Even players who reached beyond level one-twenty have voiced their troubles. You’re going to have to grind to make it out of this alive.

“Twisted Metal 2” (1996)

When it comes to the hardest “Twisted Metal” levels, most go to the various fights against Minion. But we aren’t considering boss fights for this list. We’d argue Holland is the hardest of any “Twisted Metal” level. This field of grass and hay gives you almost no places to hide in. Sure, you have two windmills, both of which can be blown to Hell. So, again, no place to hide. In a one-on-one or a four-player free-for-all, this level isn’t bad. But when you reach Holland in the campaign and see that you’re facing almost the entire cast at once, well, hope you know your codes.

“Crash Bandicoot” (1996)

The first “Crash Bandicoot” is known to be the hardest of the original PS1 games. When it comes to the hardest levels, though, everyone has their struggles: Sunset Vista, Cortex Castle…for us, The High Road. Here, your platforming has to be incredibly precise, with some segments requiring perpetual motion for you to consistently nail jumps even if the draw distance hasn’t fully rendered what’s ahead! In other words, what you have is one long path filled with leaps of faith. What’s worse is that the “N. Sane Trilogy” remake accidentally made it harder because of the controls and how they modeled Crash! So, that old rope-walking trick is a lot harder to pull off there than in the original.

“PaRappa the Rapper” (1997)

It has certainly gotten harder to praise “PaRappa the Rapper” when we all know in the back of our minds that the game is far from excellent. Exhibit A - Stage 4. What made this cooking rap so infamous among players was how it completely screws up the timing in its beats. No matter when you press the buttons, it is never good enough. You are always too early, too late, or just flat out suck. And you know you pressed the buttons at the right time! But on this level, the game does not care. You can be on point to the ear, but to the game, you might be the worst rapper ever. Fried chicken never sounded so tasty before this.

“Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters” (2007)

“Size Matters”...when your gameplay is unbalanced. Many “Ratchet & Clank” fans have grown to resent “Size Matters” on account of just how busted the gameplay truly is, and it is only more evident when reaching Quodrona. Just about every enemy is a bullet sponge with most of them taking about three or four rockets to defeat, and your armor gives about as much protection and resistance from enemy fire as a cardboard chestplate. Even with maxed out weapons, the final level is unforgiving in the most unfair ways possible.

“Returnal” (2021)

It sounds silly to say the first area of a game is incredibly hard (perhaps more so than a tutorial in some cases). However, “Returnal'' is a tough game in general, and what makes the first area so difficult is the fact that you have nothing. You’re not as powered as you might have been in your previous run. At least when you’re in the second and third worlds, you’ve got yourself situated with a gun you like, an alt fire that’s useful, and a couple of consumables equipped. In the first area, all you have is that peashooter of a pistol. It gets the job done, but it really discourages you from going against the more aggressive challenges as you navigate.

“God of War” (2005)

The Challenge of the Gods is already notorious for its fluctuating difficulty and ridiculous concepts, but the worst of these is the final challenge. One small platform plus a never-ending wave of Cerberus puppies plus two immortal Satyrs to harass you endlessly? Had the Satyrs not been given an unblockable grab that can send you over the edge, maybe more players would have seen this task through to the end. One of our own on the MojoPlays team tested his might and wound up spending nearly two hours trying to beat it. He did it, but what did it cost? Everything.

What was the hardest level in your favorite PlayStation game? Did it make our list? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe for more PlayStation lists!