00:00I'm sorry to see, but you seem rather weak to be in possession of a menorah.
00:07Welcome to Mojo Plays, and today we're taking a look at the 10 hardest RPGs of the 2000s.
00:13Keep in mind that these games had to have had their initial release sometime between 2000 and 2009.
00:21The gay bog blew a hole in the ground and now we're in this cave.
00:25Anything else obvious you'd like pointed out?
00:27Before we begin, we publish new videos all week long.
00:30So be sure to subscribe to Mojo Plays and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos.
00:35Kingdom Hearts
00:36Some may roll their eyes at Kingdom Hearts being on this list.
00:49However, few remember the early days of OG Kingdom Hearts back when it first released on PlayStation 2.
00:54It definitely was not an easy game to play, and it wasn't because of the combat.
01:00The controls were pretty awful when it came to moving around the environment and trying to jump between platforms.
01:06Many stuck with it and suffered, of course, but for those who wanted their games to feel good to play, they bounced.
01:13I was one of those.
01:14It didn't help that fun skills like gliding came in way, way later in the game.
01:20Where's Kairi?
01:21I thought she was with you.
01:23The door is open.
01:25What?
01:26The door is open, Sora.
01:28Vagrant Story
01:29Vagrant Story is difficult in the same way as the original Dragon Quest, in that you only get to control one character as opposed to a party of three or four.
01:47But that's just the tip of the iceberg.
01:49Even hardcore RPG fans will find trouble in keeping pace with Vagrant Story's ever-increasing difficulty.
01:55As you progress, enemies can get a hell of a lot tougher than they were minutes before, meaning you have to spend an egregious amount of time farming just to make the next section of the game tolerable.
02:06If you know how to handle classic RPGs, then trust us, Vagrant Story is great.
02:11For newbies, though, proceed at your own risk.
02:14The Witcher
02:15The very first Witcher game can be a ton of fun to play on PC, between the story and exploration portions of the game.
02:29But when it comes to combat, it's going to be hit or miss for some people.
02:33The reason?
02:34Well, the combat and the controls aren't exactly the greatest, even with the two distinct control schemes to choose from.
02:40It just feels super clunky to move around and attack.
02:44Don't get us wrong, The Witcher is a great RPG, it's just that you really have to get used to the awkward movement in order to truly appreciate everything else.
02:54Thank you, Geralt.
02:55I hope this potion helps.
02:57Eytrian Odyssey
02:58Most RPGs are more than happy to provide information about your enemy between their level, their resistances, their weaknesses, and what have you.
03:13Sometimes, it requires a bit more effort on your end, but Eytrian Odyssey is notorious for refusing to provide that info.
03:20You will never know if you're over-leveled, under-leveled, or right where you need to be until you engage in combat.
03:27Most of the time, this will wind up getting one of your party members killed, if not the entire party.
03:33This is definitely the kind of game where you want to save, and save often.
03:38Persona 3
03:38Speaking of Atlus games, we can't go through this whole list without mentioning Persona 3.
03:49This game is known to be the last of Persona's early and oppressive years, and it is definitely the hardest game in the entire series.
03:57Enemies hit like a truck, forcing you to make the most out of your very first turn.
04:01Your social life isn't super easy to manage either, as you will need a guide if you are that determined to max out all of your links.
04:09Do it perfectly, and you'll have three days to spare.
04:12Do it on your own, and you're likely going to wind up with a couple of links that are just shy of being maxed out.
04:19Dot Hack Infection
04:21Ah, got it. Join my party. It's kind of weird mailing each other when we're face to face.
04:27On the surface, Dot Hack Infection seems like your typical RPG, with a heavy emphasis on using different weapons, rather than a sizable group of party members.
04:37No different than Vagrant Story, right?
04:39But here's the thing about Dot Hack.
04:41This game will kick your teeth in very early on.
04:45Infection specifically is infamous for making the early game insanely tough.
04:50Kite is prone to miss attacks far more frequently than most games would allow, while enemies seem to always be heavily coordinated.
04:58On one hand, it's cool feeling like the AI can match a player's skill.
05:02But Dot Hack Infection, as well as its sequels, are just unforgiving to absurd degrees.
05:08You sent that email? Helba?
05:12That aside, I must warn you. Beware of Leos.
05:15The Last Remnant
05:16Whereas most RPGs stick to the tried and true formula of keeping enemy levels the same and encourage players to always fight,
05:33The Last Remnant is a completely different beast.
05:36In this game, enemies don't level up as the game progresses.
05:40Instead, enemies will grow stronger the more you fight.
05:44It does not matter if you're fighting lower level fodder or slightly bigger baddies.
05:49All enemies will get buffed the more often you engage in battle.
05:53This is such an antithesis to farming XP that you're really just going to have to pick and choose your battles wisely.
06:00An interesting approach indeed, but one that is likely going to test your patience.
06:05Fire Emblem
06:15Fire Emblem is known to be one of Nintendo's harder franchises.
06:25You do need some level of wit to maintain the upper hand in battle.
06:28However, the GBA game Fire Emblem, or Fire Emblem the Binding Blade, is one tactical RPG that's going to filter out even the most diehard fans.
06:38The difficulty spike rears its ugly head in pretty early into the game, and with no tutorial to explain anything,
06:45you might be in serious trouble if you aren't already familiar with Fire Emblem's core mechanics.
06:51Or if you're somebody like me, and you wound up losing a lot of instruction manuals.
06:55That said, you might want to save this one after you've played a few entries in the series.
07:00Demon's Souls
07:09It should come as no surprise that Demon's Souls was going to pop up on this list sooner or later.
07:19We all know what to expect from FromSoftware games, and Demon's Souls was the kickstart to their action RPG formula.
07:25Big bosses with vicious attacks, enemies placed right around corners that are perfect for ambushing,
07:31wandering around environments with absolutely nothing explained to you until it's too late.
07:35You get the drill.
07:36Demon's Souls showed us that we were about to enter an era where players were either into the nonsense or totally unamused.
07:43And for the most part, everybody seemed to love the nonsense.
07:47And yet, this isn't even far from being the hardest RPG ever released in the 2000s.
07:54That title goes to Shin Megami Tensei III, Nocturne.
07:59That I cannot allow.
08:03Only the greatest warrior is worthy of such authority.
08:08The sheer name of this game sends a shudder down people's spines.
08:13Even SMT fans who know the game in and out.
08:16Some even go so far as to say it's the most difficult game they have ever played.
08:19One of the biggest reasons for this, though, is the game's press turn system, which can be both super rewarding and extremely punishing.
08:27Landing a hit that exploits the enemy's weakness will grant you an additional turn.
08:32However, missing an attack will instead allow the enemy to act twice, which can then give them more than enough time to inflict a devastating amount of damage.
08:41You have to play this game very, very carefully, as one whiffed, repelled, or nullified attack can severely compromise you.
08:52This game is not for the short-fused.
08:55So who knows if I'm ever going to dedicate my own time to trying to suffer through this.
09:00But tell us, what's the hardest RPG you've played in the 2000s?
09:12Did it make our list?
09:13Let us know down in the comments, and don't forget to subscribe to Mojo Plays.
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