10 Unique Video Game Difficulty Modes That Will Break You
2. Max Payne 3 - New York Minute/NYM Hardcore/Challenge Mode
A mode that exists in all Max Payne titles in varying forms, New York Minute gives the player one minute from the start of each level to complete it, with the timer extended by killing enemies and additional time given for headshots and melee kills. If you die or run out of time, you have to restart the game.
Anyone who’s tried it knows that the very nature of New York Minute demands you press forward or fail, constantly putting pressure on you to know what your next move will be.
If that’s not hard enough for you, you can play NYM on Hardcore difficulty, which makes enemies extremely dangerous, dealing very high damage and being brutally accurate with their shots. Any player who conquers this mode has achieved a momentous feat, and deserves a great level of plaudits.
The Deathmatch Made In Heaven DLC also introduced Challenge Mode, splitting levels into segments that require the player to complete specific criteria for each section like getting a certain number of headshots or not using pain pills. While nowhere near as hard as NYM, Challenge Mode gave a lighter, more arcade feel to the overall action.