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What older gamers enjoyed or simply could tolerate now make some of these games almost impossible for younger generations people. There is definitely some value in these titles below, but just know it won’t be easy to go through them for any gamer used to playing games from the past ten years or so. Still, it’ll help to know and appreciate where the genre came from.
10 Elder Scrolls: Arena
The Elder Scrolls series is all about player freedom. After the first dungeon, players can go in any direction they chose and tackle side quests or do the main story.
While the debut entry and Daggerfall offer arguably more freedom and content, they are also crawling with technical issues, many of which are game-breaking. It is also just hard to navigate the systems and menus. For a good balance between the two generations of Elder Scrolls titles, go with Morrowind.
9 Wizardry IV
The Wizardry franchise is a classic on par with Ultima. The games are arguably harder, however.
Wizardry IV in particular was designed to be almost impenetrable to anybody but the most loyal fans. Even with a guide, playing it today would be a huge challenge. Additionally, getting the game to run on modern computers or finding a copy will be a whole other obstacle all its own.
8 Shadow Tower
Before FromSoftware blew people’s minds with Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne, they were making niche RPGs like King’s Field and Shadow Tower.
These older titles feature a similar level of difficulty but in first-person and with, admittedly, more jank. Time has not been super kind to them, either. Shadow Tower is playable as PlayStation Classic on PS3 or PSP. Stats increase based on how players use them, similar to Elder Scrolls games.
7 SaGa Frontier
SaGa Frontier is just one in a series of games, but it is worth mentioning because of a recent remaster for modern consoles. Even though it is updated, Saga Frontier is still a game of its time.
The idea of multiple perspectives from different protagonists depending on who you play as is great, but the open-ended nature makes it too easy to get lost. Figuring out what to do is more challenging than the combat.
6 Wasteland
Those who have played the recent Wasteland 2 and 3 can attest to its difficulty. These are a cakewalk when compared to the original Wasteland from 1988. Even for its time, Wasteland gained a reputation for its brutal challenge. It can almost seem unfair at times.
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While maybe not everyone can beat it, it is worth playing simply because it was made by Interplay Entertainment, who went on to develop the original Fallout games.
5 The 7th Saga
This lesser-known SNES JRPG was actually made more difficult in its western localization. Enemies are stronger and the main character is made weaker. Unique for the time, players can see approaching enemies using radar on the HUD.
The 7th Saga received slightly lower reviews than similar all-time classics from the era. At least this game is easier to play than the planned sequel, Mystic Ark because that one was not even released in the west.
4 Baldur’s Gate
Anyone who played Baldur’s Gate swears by it as one of the best RPGs ever made. We believe them, but it is hard for anyone to see for themselves considering the complexity of its mechanics.
Baldur’s Gate is based on a Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, so figuring it out takes time and effort. There is a remaster available for modern consoles, so it is at least worth diving into to try for oneself.
3 Final Fantasy
The original Final Fantasy is bare-bones compared to its successors, but the formula is already well established.
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There are various remasters available, including the pixel-perfect re-release for mobile platforms and PC, but anyone looking to go back to the tried and true NES version will find a brutally difficult JRPG. The balancing is not as tight and numerous bugs make the journey harder. The best re-release so far is the 20th-anniversary edition for the PSP.
2 System Shock
While taking place in the first-person perspective, don’t mistake the original System Shock for a traditional FPS. It shares more in common with early immersive sims like Ultima Underworld.
It is worth playing to see where games like Dishonored and Prey drew their inspiration. There is currently a remake in the works from Night Dive studios which looks promising. The sequel, System Shock 2, is far easier to access from a modern gamer’s perspective and has an equally creepy atmosphere
1 Early Ultima Games
Most fans sing the praises of Ultima VII. Going back further and further, things become iffier. The first three games in the series in particular are games of their time.
The debut Ultima came out in 1981 and just had its 40th birthday. One should not expect a game theoretically old enough to be a human grandfather to be easily playable in the modern age.
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