5. Demon's Souls
When I was growing up, games were legitimately hard. You couldn't save at your leisure. Items were often given sparingly. And if you ran out of extra lives, the game took you back to the very beginning. It was super frustrating, but ultimately so rewarding if you made it through the entire game. In contrast, today's games are much easier. Saving often is expected. Button mashing or rushing in guns blazing will get you through most combat sequences. And if you have trouble, the game will take you by the hand and lead you to a solution. Demon's Souls is different. You can expect to die...a lot. The game will chew you up, spit you out, and leave you begging for more. There are 5 total worlds to traverse, with a hub connecting them. One of your goals is to collect souls, the in-game currency. You begin by creating a character and choosing a class, although the game offers flexibility to change classes if you choose to spend your hard-earned souls on this. The first level pits you against common enemies and a level boss, both giving you a taste of what is to come. With enemies, you must carefully plot every strike and defend wisely, and the first level boss only offers one chance for victory. When you die, you get sent back to the beginning to do it all again, and lose all your souls in the process. With few second chances and a high learning curve, Demon's Souls offers up one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences on the PS3.