15 Most Brutally Hard Video Games Of The Generation (So Far)

4. Bloodborne

Though Dark Souls grabs the headlines as the hardest franchise around, FromSoftware really put their all into Bloodborne - the slightly more speedy, H.P. Lovecraft-inspired spiritual continuation that is yet to get a sequel of its own.

Right from the off there's a particular stretch where you'll have to tackle a good 30+ enemies in quick succession - some of which will ambush you from around corners or 'activate' once you've passed - culminating in a boss battle. ALL of this takes place before you can once again save, and as there's nothing anywhere near as unrelenting for the rest of the game, you have to imagine FromSoft included this as a way to separate the 'casuals' from those who'll play the entire thing through.

Bloodborne does deliver when it comes to bosses too, with notable teeth-grinding highlights being Rom, the Vacuous Spider (an eight-legged horror that one-shots you by flinging smaller drones your way), a trio of foes you fight all at once called the Shadow of Yarnham, and Gehrman, another warrior like yourself who provides the final frenetic showdown.

Dark Souls may command the spotlight, but FromSoft's most devious work is contained quite nicely in Bloodborne, a potential franchise yet to truly take hold.