The Game Awards were held on December 8th and most gamers weren't too surprised to see Elden Ring crowned as Game of the Year. Elden Ring was a phenomenal video game and the best-selling any FromSoftware game made yet.
FromSoftware's Souls games are known to be some of the most grueling and challenging video games out there, and Elden Ring is no exception. Elden Ring takes an open-world approach, something the previous games didn't do. While this is a fantastic, gorgeous, and fun world to explore it can also be quite stressful.
10 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance continues to receive mixed opinions, and it's no wonder why. On one hand, the story and depth of the gameplay are absolutely incredible. However, the gameplay can also be a huge off-putting factor for gamers.
There is simply so much to do with the gameplay that the open world can feel overwhelming for players who aren't totally prepared. The combat system alone is complex and difficult to get a hold of. Players also have to figure out what kind of build they're going to want to make and will need to constantly keep their stats balanced with the armor they have to equip.
9 Sea of Thieves
Sea of Thieves is not welcoming to the inexperienced and this can make it a difficult game to get into for first-time players. Embarking on this vast open world might remind gamers of their time playing Wind Waker as a child, however, they may not have been prepared for the stress this world can provide.
Getting surrounded by the tentacles of a kraken or having a ghost ship rise up from the ocean beside a player inexperienced at ship combat can be an absolute nightmare. What's more, encountering other players on the sea can just add to the overall stress, and they can very easily lose all the loot they worked so hard to accumulate.
8 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Breath of the Wild is one of the best Legend of Zelda games yet and the game somewhat lies to players and that's the fact that Link can't really go wherever he wants. Players might feel overwhelmed and stressed even at the beginning of the game due to how insanely vast the game is.
However, if they explore too far in any direction, the game won't be kind to them. There are stronger enemies in different areas and an unprepared player is going to get destroyed easily. Breath of the Wild can be incredibly stressful on the first playthrough, but it does ease out when the player follows the story. After the player finishes the main story, then they can explore to their heart's content.
7 Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawn is one of the best story-driven games on the PS4 and is extremely captivating when players begin the game. However, once Aloy leaves on her journey things don't seem so easy. Stealth is incredibly important in Horizon Zero Dawn and even the machines that are considered of the lowest levels can overwhelm Aloy quickly.
This adds even more stress when encountering higher-level machines and simply traveling through the world can find the player dying multiple times. This does take away the overall emersion of the game and leaves the player feeling a bit overwhelmed and annoyed with the experience.
6 Kenshi
Kenshi can be an absolute nightmare of a game to play and has more risks than most survival games. The game has been primarily noted for its insane combat where afterward the player can actually lose their limbs in battle.
This is treated just as it is in real life, and it makes the already stressful and difficult game even more so. Kenshi isn't for everyone and there isn't much going for the game outside of stress and difficulty as there's no narrative to pull the player along.
5 Dying Light 2 Stay Human
Dying Light 2 is one of the best games like Resident Evil and while it is no doubt a beloved game, there's no denying that this open-world game is incredibly stressful. There are zombies seemingly at every turn, and it can be a nightmare to try and survive in this horror game.
However, one great aspect of this game is the parkour which can help the player out of plenty of tight spots, even when they're backed into a corner by zombies, something that is far more daunting in other zombie games.
4 Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Dragon's Dogma has always split gamers, and it makes sense given the many negatives and positives within the game. The story isn't great, and the world can feel pretty unimaginative and dry. However, what makes this game so great is also what makes it equally stressful and that's the combat.
The combat system is incredibly varied and complex with all sorts of different ways to approach it. The gameplay is just sheer fun and fairly difficult. Enemies are constant and crawling through a dark dungeon and then unexpectedly seeing a horrifying and powerful monster can be quite daunting.
3 Elden Ring
Elden Ring is one of the longest single-player games on the PS5 and one of the best games FromSoftware has ever made, if not the best. Despite how amazing this game truly is, it certainly doesn't feel that way all the time.
The game is challenging, like most of the other Souls games, and even traveling the Lands Between is a dangerous task. This game doesn't often allow room to breathe or to take in the sights and can be incredibly stressful. The same can be said about many of the bosses in the game which can leave players feeling overwhelmed as they constantly fight the same boss over and over again.
2 Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World is an ideal game for many different sorts of players, however, that doesn't make it any less stressful. The game has a great combat system that allows the player to focus on primarily one specific weapon type.
The combat can range from standard to intensely difficult depending on the monster the player is engaged with. It's best to have an idea of what monster to go after rather than just exploring at times as it can be an incredibly unforgiving world.
1 Metro Exodus
Survival horror games are always the most stressful games and Metro Exodus is another example of this. Finding food, having the right clothes for the given weather, and being able to fend off monsters can all be a nightmare.
There's never really a chance to rest in Metro Exodus and even when being careful there are plenty of jump-scares at every corner to ruin a player's night. However, for those who enjoy such thrills, this is one of the best games to have.