10 Most Difficult PlayStation 2 Games Ever Made

If you're looking to kick back and relax with some PS2 nostalgia, the hardest games on the system are best avoided. If you're interested in conquering the trials of yesteryear, though, all of these games will give you exactly the level of memorable challenge that you've been searching for.

10 God Hand

God Hand definitely isn't as hard as some of the other games on this list, mostly due to its fundamental adaptability. If you're struggling with this over-the-top beat 'em up, the dynamic approach to difficulty won't ramp up, and you can even grovel for mercy to lower the difficulty rank when things get tough.

Get good at God Hand, though, and the game will adjust the challenge to match. Mastering the skills necessary to defeat it at the highest adaptive difficulty is a totally different ball game, delivering all the brutality that the aggressive branding suggests.

9 Stuntman

Racing games are rarely particularly tough, but throwing stunts into the mix changes the game entirely. Stuntman tasks players with a series of complicated challenges, and a lot of them require precise driving on a level that isn't for the faint of heart.

For those who love the concept of stunt driving but don't want to bang their head against the wall, the sequel, Stuntman: Ignition, eases up a bit on the challenge. A new entry, Stuntman: Hollywood, is also in development now, and I'd be shocked if it comes anywhere close to the original game's difficulty.

8 Unlimited Saga

Unlike God Hand, Unlimited Saga isn't really about mechanical mastery. Instead, the difficulty of this JRPG comes from its eccentric and often confusing nature. Taking much more inspiration from tabletop RPG systems than typical video game systems, few of its complex systems work in the way that most players would expect.

Add in a heavy emphasis on random luck (thanks, once again, to the tabletop influence), and most Unlimited Saga players are likely to end up more frustrated than compelled. The process of figuring things out can ultimately be very rewarding, but newcomers would be better advised to start with a different Saga game.

7 Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne

It's simple enough to sleepwalk through the combat of many turn-based JRPGs, but Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne is a major exception. Nothing in the game is unmanageable by any means, but you'll have to actually master the combat system and pay attention to buffs and debuffs to triumph over the challenging bosses.

Shin Megami Tensei 3: Nocturne's big skill check comes in the form of Matador, a boss that will force you to understand the battle system if you haven't been utilizing it properly already. Add in some luck of the dice that can make even good strategy fail to pan out, and it's no surprise that some players give up and never come back.

6 Maximo: Ghosts To Glory

Anyone interested in difficult games is likely familiar with the Ghosts 'n Goblins series, with the classic NES and SNES entries constantly appearing in discussions of the hardest games on the platforms. One title that doesn't get discussed quite as frequently is the PlayStation 2's Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, which takes place in the same universe, but make no mistake, it doesn't shy away from the franchise's trademark difficulty.

Luckily, Maximo also upholds the quality that keeps players coming back to the Ghosts 'n Goblins series. Responsive controls prevent the leap to 3D from muddling affairs, and the larger environments also pace out the challenges a bit more than earlier entries. If it still feels too hard, though, the sequel, Maximo vs. Army of Zin, is at least a tiny bit more manageable.

5 Armored Core: Last Raven

Armored Core developer FromSoftware is known for its challenging games, and Armored Core: Last Raven meets that standard and then some. Often considered the toughest game in the Armored Core series, Last Raven provides an intense difficulty spike compared to its predecessor, Armored Core: Nexus.

If you do decide to take this one on, you should start with Armored Core 3 and make your way forward from there, as you'll want some familiarity with the mechanics before taking on this challenge. Mastering the art of customization can make its toughest missions a lot more manageable, but you'll probably still be sweating before it's over.

4 Devil May Cry 3

The Devil May Cry games are generally tough, but the North American release of Devil May Cry 3 took things to a different level. The primary culprit was a change in difficulty settings. In the original North American version, the equivalent of the Japanese Normal difficulty was labeled as Easy, while the Japanese Hard difficulty appeared under the guise of Normal.

Hardcore fans appreciated a bump up in difficulty after the comparatively easy Devil May Cry 2, but the change was too much for many others. A special edition re-release of the game ultimately swapped the difficulty levels back to the Japanese versions, along with adding a different checkpoint system that made losing progress less of a constant nightmare.

3 Contra: Shattered Soldier

Contra is another franchise known for its difficulty, and Contra: Shattered Soldier can feel hell-bent on shattering the player. A short runtime makes it possible to gradually memorize the layout and master the mechanics of this run 'n' gun experience, but you aren't likely to conquer many of its challenges on the first attempt.

Luckily, the return to 2D gameplay benefited Shattered Soldier, delivering a more compelling experience than the original PlayStation's Contra: Legacy of War. It's not for the faint of heart, but it's a good one for Contra fans to check out.

2 Shinobi

Like Ghosts 'n Goblins and Contra, Shinobi is a long-running series known for its difficulty, and it also took no prisoners with its first PlayStation 2 outing. In this case, it actually upped the bar, going from retro games that weren't as brutal as Ghosts 'n Goblins to something tougher than ever before.

If you can master its challenges, though, the stylish action game is worth the hassle. Despite some repetitive level design, the sheer excitement of the combat incentivizes the development of the lightning-fast reflexes that you'll need. True to its arcade roots, Shinobi offers plenty of memorable hack-and-slash thrills.

1 Siren

Survival horror games are rarely easy — survival's in the name, after all — but anyone can master a typical Resident Evil game. The same cannot be said, however, for Siren. Some of its challenges stem more from frustration than anything, with unwieldy controls and camera mechanics requiring a good deal of getting used to.

Throw in some obtuse puzzles that will make you itch to pick up a guide, and the trial-and-error nature of playing through Siren can turn into a nightmare. If you can make your way through the first Siren, though, some of the most unforgiving elements are reduced in the sequel, so there's a light at the end of the PlayStation 2's darkest tunnel.