Summary
Konami made a big splash on the PS2 thanks to their continued success with franchises likeCastlevaniaand Metal Gear.Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertyin particular helped sell the vision of the PS2 albeit a year after the console launch.
The amount of power that Hideo Kojima and his team got out of the PS2 was jaw-dropping at the time including light and shadow effects and the sheer ability to blow up a watermelon. If now-deceased comedian Gallagher played video games, he would have surely been impressed with the watermelon effects. IsMetal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Libertya hard game though? If not, what Konami games on the PS2 are challenging beyond belief?
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runneris hard like many space shooters are. This one throws mechs into the mix to make things a bit more challenging. Jehuty, the one players will inhabit as the pilot Dingo, handles a lot smoother than something on the ground like a Gundam.
There are difficulty levels to make things a lot easier, but the core difficulty will be a challenge on top of the actual hard modes. Players will have to get good at dodging dozens of beams firing at Jehuty simultaneously in some instances.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, again, can be as easy or as hard as players want to make it. Hideo Kojima has always been good about that which is whyZone of the Enders: The 2nd Runnercan cater to a wider audience too. However, withSnake Eater, even on the easiest setting it can be a pain because of all the gameplay mechanics.
Players will have to sift through menus to choose from dozens of camouflage patterns to blend into the environmentswith Big Boss. They also have to eat to keep strong and dig bullets out of their bones. It was a groundbreaking and immersive entry in the series but one with plenty of challenges that some saw as a bit too clumsy.
All three mainlineSilent Hillgameson the PS2 are in the same range of difficulty levels.Silent Hill 2stands out among them though since it was Konami’s first attempt on the console for the franchise. Some things are a bit more haphazard than the sequels which would arm protagonists with more weapons, for example.
James, the star ofSilent Hill 2, will mostly have to bash his through creepy monsters with melee weapons. Even when guns appeared. ammo was scarce as were other resources in the game, adding to the tension in an already terrifying survival horror game.
DDRMAX Dance Dance Revolutionis no joke as it can kick anyone’s butt whether they are fit or not. Unlikemodern dance gamesthat typically look at hand placement only, likeJust Dance,DDRwas all about foot placement on a mat controller.
Some songs are easy enough to dance to while others will make players look wildly unhinged. It’s good exercise though that will surely sweat up anyone’s daily exercise routine. All of the PS2’sDDRgames are challenging, but as this was the first one to hit the console, it’s worth highlighting.
Ring of Redis kind of likeFront Missionwhich is Square Enix’s mech-based tactical RPG.Ring of Redis also a mech-based tactical RPG but aiming takes place in real time just like Sega’sValkyria Chroniclesseries. That makes the game harder than anyFront Missionoff the bat not to mention the obscure strength of the enemy’s AI.
It is unbelievable at times, forcing players to strategize and plan their moves with the utmost care. It’s worth doing though as the alternate history story of a post-WW2 Japan being split into two nations via the United States and Russia is interesting.
Lifeline’sdifficulty comesinto play because of the accessory needed to play it. The game takes place in a space resort that gets flooded with aliens. A waitress, Rio, gets caught in the middle but manages to arm herself in the chaos.
The thing is, Rio cannot be controlled directly. Instead, players view her through a camera and then use a microphone to issue her orders. It was innovative for a horror game, but it was too ahead of its time because the technology was not responsive enough. This led to poor Rio dying a lot.
2Contra: Shattered Soldier
GameFAQs Difficulty: 5/5
TheContragamesare notorious for being hard just like Capcom’sGhouls ‘n Ghostsfranchise. Typically they follow one hit and you’re dead type of rules and it’s not much better inContra: Shattered Soldierwhich is part of the thrill.
To finish this game, players have to “git good” and dodge and shoot like a savant and the challenge will make evenDark Soulsdiehards weep. It’s going to take some practice but eventually beating the game will be one of the best feelings in the world. The one plus side to this is that it is short.
1Gradius 5
Gradiusbegan in arcades in 1985 and it’s one of the staples of the horizontal shooter genre. Players will take a ship, go into space, fight other ships, and then move on.Gradius 5is not quite as brutal as a bullet hell akin toIkaruga, but it’s still no picnic. It andContra: Shattered Soldierare so close together in terms of challenge that it is sometimes a toss-up.
Gradius 5wins slightly nine times out of ten because there are far more projectiles being blasted at all times and there is less space to dodge in thanContra: Shattered Soldier. Make no mistake though, both games are going to make players cry.
