20 Most Frustratingly Difficult Video Game Levels Of All Time

The levels that are at best unreasonably cruel, and at worst mock your pathetic ability with wholehearted glee.

We go to games for a diversion from the stress, commutes and nagging partners of our quotidian lives. In their purest form video games have the power to provide this route of escape, be it through engrossing graphics, an absorbing narrative or compelling gameplay. Over the years we have fallen in love with the video gaming industry and have been rewarded with some incredible titles which have established the medium as a legitimate art-form alongside films and quality television. However, they say there€™s a thin line between love and hate and this proves true of twiddling of our favourite thumb-twiddling hobby. We expect so much of video games that when they disappoint it can be deeply aggravating. In an otherwise quality game, nothing can be more frustrating than an unjustly difficult level or boss battle. We will fritter away hour-upon-hour attempting to vanquish said obstacle, causing us to grind our teeth, develop grey hairs and sling our mistreated controllers at the wall at the wall. Even if we are ever successful in overcoming this seemingly insurmountable stage in the game, knowing how much time we have frittered away into this unfairly designed level is a cause of even more frustration. We are normally able to lower the difficulty to make the task more accomplishable but our foolish pride and conceit normally inhibits us from taking the easier option. Over the years the ridiculous challenge of these frustrating levels has made many rage-quit, leave the game containing the hellish stage forever or even destroy their consoles. We would advise that you don€™t try these at home, but of course that is the only place to attempt these ridiculous challenges €“ instead we advise that you are well rested, fed and aren€™t harbouring any excess stress.

20. 6-3 €“ Clock Tower (Catherine)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U72RlxhILGI Catherine is an ingenious puzzle-platformer with a surprisingly absorbing narrative, which uses anime scenes to tell the story of Vincent Brooks who is being plagued by a series of peculiar nightmares every night. To cut a long (and interesting) story short, these night-time horrors are completely real and every night you must control poor Vince as he manipulates crates to create staircases to climb out of the Nightmare stages. Several complications and €˜special€™ crates mean that making these staircases is easier said than done, so the gamer must use all of his intellect and spatial reasoning to help the unfortunate Vince escape the nightmares and have a few revelations about marriage and commitment along the way. It€™s hard to fully do the gameplay of Catherine justice to those who are unaware of the 2011 game, but suffice to say it€™s hard... It can even feel like developers Atlus Persona have been cruel at points. Patronisingly, the non-Japanese version of the game was dumbed-down for Western players and it still proves insanely difficult €“ how worrying. The stage which stands out as being so frustratingly difficult that it scorched its image into the minds of all those non-geniuses who couldn€™t instantly solve the puzzle is 6-3. This penultimate stage of the Clock Tower series had a combination of crates which required so much skill to successfully manipulate that many were forced to resort to an online guide for assistance; we have no shame in saying that we too were forced to seek the guidance of an online Catherine-sensei. WhatCulture Tip: Use the handy crate tips you are gradually taught throughout the game €“ they really do work.
 
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Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.