10 Hard to Beat PS4 JRPGs That Will Test Even Veteran Players

Even though PS4 is not the latest console from Sony, it still has a lot of JRPGs that will push back hard against the player. These games are genuinely difficult on their own, without you needing to give up something to make them a challenge. And to be honest, that's why many players avoid them.

However, there are those brave players who don't fear any video game challenge. So, regardless of whether these games get their tough reputation from brutal boss fights or punishing mechanics, I believe the following ten games will test you, even if you are a veteran JRPG player.

10 Tales of Arise

Bosses Hit Different

Tales of Arise starts off as a fairly approachable JRPG experience, but don't let that fool you. Its difficulty spikes in the second part of the game if you don't keep up with the right equipment and resistance. Especially when it comes to bosses who can become increasingly punishing after they are beaten. Mastering the boost strike system, party positioning, and elemental weaknesses will be essential if you don't want to keep dying in the mid to late game.

The game is an excellent example of a tough JRPG, but its difficulty is concentrated mainly in specific areas, such as the boss fights, rather than being spread across the whole game. However, you won't complete it anytime soon if you don't respect its basic principles.

9 Valkyria Chronicles 4

Every Move Matters

Valkyra Chronicles 4 is tough to master because it can often feel like playing chess. You can make all the right strategic moves, but one blunder leaves you vulnerable and costs you the whole engagement. The game uses a unique system where you move units in real time but fight within a turn-based structure.

Another difficulty of the game lies in the fact that the enemy soldiers and tanks can permanently kill your squad members if you're not careful, and some missions can fail because you missed completing one of the named objectives.

Experienced JRPG players who know how to strategize around turn-based environments will find manageable ways to play the game, while beginners can struggle. The game makes it easy for you to make a mistake, which is in itself an obstacle many find hard to overcome.

8 Kingdom Hearts III

No Room for Mistakes

In Kingdom Hearts III, the challenge primarily comes from Critical Mode, the game's highest difficulty setting. The mode itself halves Sora's HP and MP and makes the enemies much more intelligent and aggressive. And yeah, they deal more damage, too. This makes it vital to block and dodge enemy attacks perfectly, because if you don't, you won't survive for long.

You will generally need to pay extra attention to enemies' attack patterns, as even some lower-level ones can deplete your health pool if you're not careful. Further, since your resources are reduced, resource management will be another skill that you will need to perfect in order to get by on this difficulty level.

7 The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III

Strategy Over Strength

Forget about the days when you just picked your spells, equipped the strongest gear, and went for the enemies, because The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III won't let you get away with that. The game is pretty punishing for a few reasons, such as tough tanky bosses that deal a lot of damage, and a deep and complex combat system that you need to master to be able to kill them.

To beat this one, you need to fully understand things character builds, turn manipulation, and status effects while being able to plan a couple of moves ahead. The game will reward that kind of thinking, but if you only react in the moment, without planning ahead of your battles, you can quickly find yourself getting killed over and over.

6 NieR: Automata

Credits Hide a Secret

When it comes to NieR: Automata, the hard-to-beat part is sort of hidden. Many players think that when they complete the main storyline, they're done with the game, but little do they know that the game has multiple endings that you can get by finishing the main story arc with different routes. Without spoiling too much, some of those routes, like ending C, make you face a strong boss while playing a new character, which makes things even more difficult.

Once you complete all routes, you unlock the toughest of them all, ending E (True Ending), where you fight in a totally new Space Invaders environment that you weren't expecting. All in all, this game is hard to beat primarily because it asks you to be committed and grind through its many quests before you can see the whole story wrapped up.

5 Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age

Preparation Is Everything

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age stands out in our tough game list with its challenging optional content. For example, the Hunt board will be able to give you tough fights that will require a great level of preparation and optimization of the Gambit system, which lets you issue if-then type of controls to your whole party. On top of that, fighting some superbosses like Yiazmat can take up to an hour, and one or two mistakes can cost you a lot and make you lose.

Still, only some features offer this top-level challenge. But remember: if you try to ignore the Gambit system and don't pay much attention to the combos that can be offered by the License system, you will hit a wall and won't be able to complete some fights in a game that has the longest main questline in the series.

4 Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

Fast Combat, Little Room for Error

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a game that will reward aggressive play, but only if you're careful enough. The real-time combat system it implements revolves around quickly grappling with Flash Guard and Flash Move mechanics that allow you to block and dodge enemy attacks. What makes these mechanics tough is that you need to hit the perfect timing in order for them to work.

In later stages of the game, enemies become tougher and tougher, keeping you on your toes all the time. You will need to manage your party members well and switch between them at the right moment in combat to maximize damage output with combos and break their defense. Lastly, the game features one of the most satisfying crafting systems, which you must use to make potions and equipment necessary for survival.

3 Persona 3 Reload

The Long Climb Up

Persona 3 Reload is a JRPG with one of the best stories in the franchise, which can give you quite a challenge if you don't prepare yourself enough. The main dungeon, Tartarus, is a 264-floor tower that you go through across the entire game, and going too far unprepared can easily wipe out your whole party. Some full moon boss fights are especially hard because of strict time constraints and resource management that you need to perfect in order to win them.

I could say that the game's difficulty is consistent throughout the entire game, as the game really demands that you level up properly, fuse the right Personas, and have good time management skills. If you fall behind on these crucial preparation elements, you'll fall behind, and it won't be easy to catch up.

2 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Classic Mechanics, Real Consequences

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age may seem to some as a colorful and playful game that anyone can play while chilling out, but the reality is that this game can get surprisingly difficult really fast. Many of the game's bosses are more than capable (and willing) to wipe your party if it's underleveled, so you need to be careful not to bite enemies you can't chew.

On top of that, the game offers extra restricting settings if you're up for a real challenge called Draconian Quests. Here, you do things like empower enemies, remove armor, or make your whole party die when Luminary dies.

1 Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne HD Remaster

Mercy Is Not Included

SMT III: Nocturne HD Remaster is widely considered one of the hardest JRPGs out there for multiple reasons. The main one is its Press Turn system, which is implemented throughout the game and changes how turn-based combat works. Essentially, if you hit an enemy's weakness, you get an extra turn, but the same is true for them, so if you make one or two mistakes, you could end up losing in a moment.

Besides the fact that regular encounters can kill you, the game doesn't have a safety net or hand-holding mechanisms. You need to figure things out on your own, including strategically complex boss fights, which can go on for a long time if you're not prepared well enough.