20 Video Games That Punish You For Being Too Skilled

Godhand is something of a cult classic within the beat 'em up genre. The game is far from flawless, but thanks to its in-depth combat system and ridiculously corny characters, it has managed to capture the hearts of many brawler fans.

In particular, the fans that love to be punished for playing skillfully.

In terms of scaling the difficulty with the player's performance, you won't find a system more in-depth and more sadistic than that of Godhand. Instead of regular difficulty settings that let you choose your experience, God Hand features a "Difficulty Level" bar, which rises when you continually deal damage to your enemies without getting hit yourself.

The bar has three levels, and while the first two simply lower your damage output and increase your enemies', the final level, called "Die," is perhaps the most punishing "reward" you'll experience for doing well. 

Not only do enemies get so strong they can take you out in a couple of hits, but they also become more aggressive, meaning that you will be constantly swarmed by thugs with the strength of the Hulk.

The mechanic is so tough that the game even features an item that you can buy to lower your difficulty level.

You know things are bad when spending money to lower the difficulty seems reasonable.