Shadow of Mordor and shadow of War for me takes the cake, on hard mode and beyond the enemies have additional skills/perks and attacks, also there are different content like new events that the orcs do.
@@Jack-yq6ui there are some mods for games that do exactly that - flat stat increases/decreases that make the game harder without altering the intended experience. but yeah, most people want something original
@kevin thatcher even better if u owned ds2 on ps3 then got SOTFS and a ton of enemy and key item locations were moved..game felt so new..the dragon added to the bridge in Heides Tower.
One of my favorites is Killing Floor 2. Enemies become much smarter and have new abilities at higher difficulty levels. Gameplay feels very dynamic at the highest difficulty.
Hades is a great game that really changes the gameplay dynamics on harder difficulty. Ironically Hades starts out very difficult but gets progressively easier as you play the game while also getting more difficult with the way the gameplay changes on harder difficulty. Really looking forward to Hades 2!
Another good one is dead cells. Every time you beat the game you unlock a harder difficulty mode, which adds new enemy types to zones, adds some new stuff to zones, adds new moves to bosses, unlocks new weapons and makes healing a lot rarer. You can say progressing difficulty modes is the real progression of the game
One thing you forgot to mention about RE7 madhouse is the fact that ALL of the items changed location, and how you get them is completely different. For instance, you HAVE to collect coins to get the scorpion key. Getting the scorpion key gives you access to the gernade launcher early and early boss fights.
Perfect Dark!! The different difficulty options completely changed the game by adding new mission objectives and failure conditions. Alot of these objectives would take you to entirely new areas that are locked off in lower difficulties, which felt like a real treat. One mission, where you normally begin needing to rescue a negotiator being held hostage, will actually make YOU the negotiator who's being held at gunpoint when you play it on Perfect Agent mode.
I know it wasn't going to be on the list. But Dead Cells is the absolute king of this topic. Six modes of difficulty each unlocked by completing the previous difficulty. Each mode introduces new enemies and mechanics. Power ups/costumes that can only be unlocked on harder difficulty. Cherry on top, on the toughest difficulty there is a new stage and ending, good luck getting there though, got to it once for my butt to be wooped :)
The Timesplitters games makes the levels harder and longer on harder difficulties. Not only does it push the final goal further it also adds more objectives similar to how Goldeneye does it.
Dead Space was the game that got me back into gaming back on PS3. I've been playing the remake and love how they've upgraded it. It's awesome to know that there is a huge replay value in it (even though it already has it for the story), and same with Ragnorak! I had no idea the New Game + was so loaded. I'm looking forward to them both! Great video guys!
I thought that Goldeneye or Perfect Dark would've been here because they have the "007" and "Perfect Dark" difficulties, respectively, that you can unlock, which allow you to change things like enemy health levels.
Time Splitters 2 literally gives you access to more areas in the level. For example on the Siberia level, you can go up to the top of the dam and fight a helicopter in the higher difficulties.
Japs actually make games, instead of following a to do list like most western studios. Take redfall, some exec saw that open world, fps, with some rpg elements and nice graphics sells, they did that but forgot the game. Meanwhile take yoko taro and the nier games. He wrote it backwards and added gameplay elements when developing it. He wanted the game first, then the systems.
@@OhWell914 While I tend to gravitate towards games created by Japanese developers, I have to point out that it happens over there as well. From my experience it's not as acute of a problem as in the west but still, it's a thing unfortunately.
Currently deep into ng+++ in Nioh 2. So many new mechanics and loot added with each ng+ cycle and I still have another ng+, underworld and depths to complete. This game better be mentioned.
id love to see you guys do a top ten list of game modes that alter how you play! like resident evils mercenaries or cod zombies! modes that require you to be in a different mindset compared to the base game
Fallout 4 Survival mode. You dont have to unlock it, but it definitely makes the game feel completely different. The number of changes it makes would take too long to explain, but combat is much harder, you get tired, hungry, and sick, there is no fast travel, and you can only save at a bed. Theres more, but that's the basics. And unlike Skyrim's survival mode, FO4's feels like a real way to play, as opposed to just being tacked on afterwards.
It's awesome seeing games giving this kind of depth. But on the other side, there are so many games out there now, you rarely feel the incentive to play a game more than once.
Sometimes people have like 5000 hours sinked into a single game where they could do like 50 100-hour RPGs in the same time or, well, 250 usual 10-hour games, each twice
Except for games with stories that really engage me, I tend to find things getting tedious near the end of most FIRST playthroughs. I think there's only been a few (single player) games I've ever re-played, and that was over a decade later (not counting Rockstar star games where you can dive in and just fool around, or Skyrim where you might explore new content via mods).
@@strangerforthebetter how is that fact in any way related to my comment? Has literally nothing to do with what I said. Try reading with understanding next time.
Nioh 2 has by far the best post-game I've ever encountered. So many new mechanics, so many numerical caps lifted on skills and amount of equipped skills, so much more to learn and improve, new enemies... I can't even begin to explain how much more it goes above and beyond any other NG+ I've ever come across and feels like I'll be happily playing for the next year or more
Team Ninja does NG+ the best, they give you a full compelling game and make it feel like an intro with how much changes for each NG+ . No one does it better!
@Ludo Tech Very true. I'm on NG++ and can't believe how much I can still see the game expanding upon further playthroughs never mind the fact I only just got the DLC so have all that content to dive into as well as the addition of the splitstaff and fists which both are tons of fun to play. My original NG I mastered the tonfas and didn't really use much else till hitting the proficiency cap which at first annoyed me but realizing the caps rise on later NG+ runs and that the cap exists to guide players like me who'd become addicted to one weapon to experiment since the amount of gameplay variety each weapon contains more content and depth than most entire games do
@Play1234 Yup! My last response to Ludo Tech goes more in-depth, but it's unreal to me how much the first playthrough really does feel like a tutorial. It's common to hear soulslike fans say the real game only starts at NG+ but while it's often a little true it's hyperbolic... in Nioh 2 however saying the real game starts at NG+ is just straight up true. As amazing and absolutely top 10 Sekiro was for me I couldn't truly enjoy playing after beating NG+ and NG++ simply to get the alternate ending which ends the game 60% through. In Sekiro Kuro's Charm added some mechanical depth to NG+ but the comparison of Sekiro or any others soulslike game to Nioh 2's post-game is impossible to make
I have a interesting title that wasn't mentioned. The Evil Within 2 Classic Mode. Classic mode difficulty only gives you 7 saves only and no autosave plus the hardest part is no upgrades for your character at all so everything is stuck at default. But the reward was worth it as you get a melee weapon that crushes enemies. That was a brutal difficulty that is for sure
Pain Mode on Lisa the Painful is my favorite. Limited saves, more powerful mutants, and changes several major enemies and bosses into completely different mutants that are way more dangerous. Plus bonus content and ending for beating it
I think borderlands 2 “Ultimate Vault Hunter” mode could make the cut. In order to do well, you have to prepare for this mode in advance during “True vault hunter” mode. Slag becomes essential, enemies are a lot stronger and a strong build becomes essential to the game. In the standard and TVH modes you can get by with decent guns and a half thought out build. UVH mode requires a better understanding of the game and a much higher level of skill.
sorry. does not change much. especially if you have MAYA or slag gernades. then it is all same other than enemies take more damage. also Strong builds are necessary even on NORMAL mode. Try having fun playing melee krieg but with a sniper build.
Dark souls 2 has a cool Ng+ mechanic. Like usual it makes enemies stronger and has some higher level rings to find, but you can also raise the Ng+ level of an individual area by burning a special item at bonfires. Enemies don't endlessly respawn like normal so this can be necessary for farming
The removal of the warning signs in New Game Plus was where I REALLY started to feel like Batman. Learning that I could read those chumps like books was very empowering.
This makes the games even more intimidating, I love to beat my chest and have a victory cry when I beat a tough game😊. But I also love a challenge 🤦🏾♂️, games that I would come no where near of are DMC 4, Max Payne 3, Hifi Rush, Castlevania, and Ninja Gaided Black, but maybe even Arkham Knight 🤔 Great video, please make a part 2 🙏🏾❤️
I don't play on harder difficulty, I just want to chill and enjoy the game, but I'm still going to watch this list though, because you guys do really good content and I enjoy games 😂
I didn't knew that in the OG version of RE4 the Handcannon when equipped in the inventory screen, Leon will stand with his back facing the player and perching the gun on his left shoulder. This is a reference to Killer 7, in which Dan Smith holds his revolver in a similar way
Hard mode in Hotline Miami 2 is a great example of playing or approaching the game here new enemies are there more windows no lock on onto enemies and the ammo is scarce and on top of that if you pick up a weapon from the ground you simply lose ammo from that weapon
I would LOVE to see modes that just up the amount of enemies in more games! Recently played through Gears 5 and my main thought was that "I want more enemies to shoot at!" Wo Long could've also benefited of this.
Final fantasy 12 had a difficulty called New Game Minus, where the characters are stuck at level 1. You were forced to use different weapons and armor for different enemies, and the gambit system was absolutely necessary
The ideal of New Game + should be a game that more or less functions the same, but the new mode adds something that makes it a compellingly different experience. Just upping enemy health pools and damage output usually doesn’t fit that bill. I forget the example someone gave, but I think it was a hack and slash where the base game never required you to use the various consumables, but NG+ basically made using them essential to success. In that manner, the game still functions exactly the same, but it forces you to make use of your entire toolkit which expands your appreciation of everything they put in. That’s good design to make a game replayable.
Although it's a rather small change compared to anything in the video, I gotta give a shoutout to Mega Man ZX here. A lot of 2D handheld games are satisfied to simply change the number of enemies and the amount of damage they can deal/take on different difficulties, but Mega Man ZX actually takes it a step further by changing enemy behaviors in each difficulty. For some enemies, this changes their speed, for others it changes how often they attack, etc. In some cases you can even encounter entirely new attacks. That's in addition to harder difficulties doing the standard thing of making enemies hurt you more and be tankier on top of that. You need to really know what you're doing if you want to beat the hardest difficulty, which only even unlocks when you beat the game on normal anyway. It's a challenge I can only really recommend for hardcore players who enjoyed playing through the game the first time. As the game is already rather unfriendly to newcomers and shines the most for veterans, it's unlikely that most people have ever even played the game at the highest difficulty.
Another thing that made the batman Arkham games more challenging on those harder difficulties is if you didn't upgrade your health and armour. Truly a amazing challenge if you're good enough.
Borderlands 2 adds the Ultimate Vault Hunter mode when you beat the game for the second time. Enemies deal more damage, have waaaaaaaaay more health points and new enemies are added like armored psychos. In addition to that the “slag” element type becomes crucial as the enemies barely take damage if you don’t slag them first. This requirement essentially changes all your inventory and character build. Also enemies often come with shields and armors that requires you to have all elemental types handy to deal with them. As a bonus there is the overpower levels that allows you to make the enemies overpowered
A few others I remember don't change the base game, but they add new areas with tougher enemies and more powerful items. Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve both add in new features like the Chrysler Building for Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story gives you a key that can unlock new areas and crafting stations.
Fun Fact: The Legendery Dark Knight Mode name is based on The Dark Knight's legend. The lore is that Sparda {The Dark Knight} fought the whole Hell on his own to stop the demons from attacking humans.
FFVII Remake hard mode totally changes the game. Completely takes away your ability to use any consumables inside or outside of battles, and benches no longer restore your MP, which means you have a limited amount of spells you can use per chapter. It really makes you think about when you are going to use a fire spell, or when you are going to use a cure spell. One of the few times a "New Game+" style of difficulty really felt like a game to me.
Shout out to Phantasy Star Online. Its Ultimate difficulty mode had new layouts, enemy types, bosses, loot, and even a final boss phase. Back then, I remembered how insane that was to my friends and me.
Trek to Yomi difficulty unlock is pretty sweet. Unlocks after you beat the game on hard mode. All normal enemies die in one hit, but you also die in one hit. But the boss fights are still the same with chipping away at their health bar.
Not gonna lie....pretty disappointed that 007 Golden Eye isn't on this list! The way it adds more objectives for the player to complete instead of just making all the enemies take more/do more damage I feel is really underappreciated. Plus it really fits into the idea of being 007. I think adding more objectives totally changes the way the player has to approach the second playthrough. I vote it makes it to part 2 :) haha
@@cenciende9401 they did, but not in a video about the difficulty changing the game, it was a video just showing some love for the game if i'm not mistaken
I’d like to find more games where the hard level or new game plus is focussed on new areas or secrets or approaches (like, must be done on stealth or some access points are destroyed from the original playthrough but now you’d have endgame climbing skills, or you have to escort more people at a time through the zombie mall, I dunno) or new story segments, rather than the challenge being harder combat and and tougher enemies. I know there are games are out there like that, I just need to find more of ’em.
I would throw The Last Remnant onto the list, too. You get the harder enemies and you get to keep your components and cash. You can't do anything with those, though, until some stores open up - surviving to that point is non-trivial. The rest of the game is harder, too, because even though your main character can buff himself out with some end-game gear, this is a game where your main character is just one of over a dozen in battles and the companions you get don't get stronger stats at all.
NIoh 2, it has 4 new game + (dream of the strong, demon, wise, nioh). With each having different enemy layouts and attacks, and more progression mechanics being unlocked and expanded upon every tim. This alone is enough to keep you busy for a few hundred hours, but it doesn't even end here, after that you have over 100 underworld levels to clear and there's yet another end game thing which I haven't got to yet. I've played maybe 1000h and still haven't done it all. Beating the story once really is just the begining in that game, "normal" mode is pretty much just a tutorial.
Super Robot Wars 30 added the Super Expert Plus mode, increasing the XP per level up to 8 times normal, increasing costs for most upgrades, and removing most of the grinding and skill upgrade item sources. Also the game restricts certain abilities on your opponent's turn. It is meant for new game +, but even carrying over one round worth of items and upgrades might not be enough, with the game also requiring greater planning in both the tactics of each stage and the full game strategy to use every experience point and credit wisely.
I like hades when you unlock the pact of punishment, you get to customize how difficult you want the run and in what way, and challenge yourself in different ways each time.
Nioh. Which in general doesnt get enough love. But things change on every new game. New game plus is different to new game plus plus which is different to plus x3 etc. Its basically 5 different games with every new game plus mode. Different weapons and weapon modifiers same with armour and spirit levels. You can also unlock the ability to use two spirit's as its normally jusy one, enemy layout changes, enemies you encounter, enemy weapons and attack patterns. Skill cap changes every new game you get too. Then it even changes again if you manage to max your stats as you then unlock focus levels. There is even different items that are only available in later new games
Hey, Jake! You guys should do a video on the history of Gameranx. We would all love to know how it started, and who founded the company! Love you guys! I'm gonna post this on every video until you guys do it!
Sifu is brilliant in that regard: on hard mode, enemies have new moves & new combos, making you adjust your entire playstyle. Or, on the easier difficulty, they straightup don't do certain attacks and combos, making it notably easier to parry and dodge them.
Reminds me of Titan Quest, where if you beat the game, you unlock the Epic mode, which brings in some new enemies you haven't seen before, and at some parts, even new minibosses. And of course, if you beat that you unlock the even tougher Legendary mode
The original Crysis had a fun difficulty system, where if you played the game at the hardest difficulty, human enemies would start talking in Korean instead of English. Pretty rad!
Especially Devil May Cry 4 that is one of the greatest challenges of all time. And as for Bayonetta, the non-stop infinite climax difficulty is pretty much "VERY HARD" mode.
I like when games have unique difficulty modes with different enemy placements and level designs, not just beefier enemies and less damaging weapons
Making everything a meat shield is the worst.
@@Taijifufu Just like OP's pfp.
Shadow of Mordor and shadow of War for me takes the cake, on hard mode and beyond the enemies have additional skills/perks and attacks, also there are different content like new events that the orcs do.
I think thats universal tbh. Personally I have never seen anyone say: my favorite difficulty scaling is simply increasing standard values
@@Jack-yq6ui there are some mods for games that do exactly that - flat stat increases/decreases that make the game harder without altering the intended experience. but yeah, most people want something original
Dark Souls 2's new game plus was awesome. It moved enemies around, added enemies to bosses, and had npc phantoms invading your world.
Dark souls 2 new game plus was wild. I'll never forget the dukes dear freja showing up early before the boss fight began
I thought for sure this game in would be in the list.
DS2 was were I got into DS games, the ng+ was probably the best in the series.
@kevin thatcher even better if u owned ds2 on ps3 then got SOTFS and a ton of enemy and key item locations were moved..game felt so new..the dragon added to the bridge in Heides Tower.
@@TheRisingTide89 was the same for xbox and pc
One of my favorites is Killing Floor 2. Enemies become much smarter and have new abilities at higher difficulty levels. Gameplay feels very dynamic at the highest difficulty.
In Ninja Gaiden it's wonderful how unique enemies appear on harder difficulties. Master Ninja difficulty is a pain, but wonderful to master.
Hades is a great game that really changes the gameplay dynamics on harder difficulty. Ironically Hades starts out very difficult but gets progressively easier as you play the game while also getting more difficult with the way the gameplay changes on harder difficulty. Really looking forward to Hades 2!
Might be the same but who knows.
Me too!
Another good one is dead cells. Every time you beat the game you unlock a harder difficulty mode, which adds new enemy types to zones, adds some new stuff to zones, adds new moves to bosses, unlocks new weapons and makes healing a lot rarer. You can say progressing difficulty modes is the real progression of the game
One thing you forgot to mention about RE7 madhouse is the fact that ALL of the items changed location, and how you get them is completely different. For instance, you HAVE to collect coins to get the scorpion key. Getting the scorpion key gives you access to the gernade launcher early and early boss fights.
Perfect Dark!! The different difficulty options completely changed the game by adding new mission objectives and failure conditions. Alot of these objectives would take you to entirely new areas that are locked off in lower difficulties, which felt like a real treat. One mission, where you normally begin needing to rescue a negotiator being held hostage, will actually make YOU the negotiator who's being held at gunpoint when you play it on Perfect Agent mode.
I know it wasn't going to be on the list.
But Dead Cells is the absolute king of this topic. Six modes of difficulty each unlocked by completing the previous difficulty. Each mode introduces new enemies and mechanics. Power ups/costumes that can only be unlocked on harder difficulty. Cherry on top, on the toughest difficulty there is a new stage and ending, good luck getting there though, got to it once for my butt to be wooped :)
It’s hard to call it ng+ when you’re talking about a roguelite. But I get what you mean with boss cells.
@@clays4038 but this video isnt justabout ng+, its about unlockable difficulties that change the game
The Timesplitters games makes the levels harder and longer on harder difficulties. Not only does it push the final goal further it also adds more objectives similar to how Goldeneye does it.
Dead Space was the game that got me back into gaming back on PS3. I've been playing the remake and love how they've upgraded it. It's awesome to know that there is a huge replay value in it (even though it already has it for the story), and same with Ragnorak! I had no idea the New Game + was so loaded. I'm looking forward to them both! Great video guys!
I thought that Goldeneye or Perfect Dark would've been here because they have the "007" and "Perfect Dark" difficulties, respectively, that you can unlock, which allow you to change things like enemy health levels.
Time Splitters 2 literally gives you access to more areas in the level. For example on the Siberia level, you can go up to the top of the dam and fight a helicopter in the higher difficulties.
Very respectable list. Just realized substantial New Game+ changes seem to be mostly a Japanese dev thing too.
Japs actually make games, instead of following a to do list like most western studios.
Take redfall, some exec saw that open world, fps, with some rpg elements and nice graphics sells, they did that but forgot the game.
Meanwhile take yoko taro and the nier games. He wrote it backwards and added gameplay elements when developing it. He wanted the game first, then the systems.
Almost no western developers would bother putting effort into these things, they barely release playable games on day 1.
@@OhWell914 So true, most games made by Western developers are several months at best or 2+ years away from being suitable for release.
@@OhWell914 While I tend to gravitate towards games created by Japanese developers, I have to point out that it happens over there as well. From my experience it's not as acute of a problem as in the west but still, it's a thing unfortunately.
Meanwhile Forspoken, Resident Evil 6, Tenchu Z, Ninja Gaiden 3 exist...
Gameranx have been on a blast for the last week, every video is so good, we appreciate you.
Currently deep into ng+++ in Nioh 2. So many new mechanics and loot added with each ng+ cycle and I still have another ng+, underworld and depths to complete. This game better be mentioned.
Nioh 2 is the goat
Facts
@@kschmeed agreed, was bummed it didn't make the list but at least ninja Gaiden got the number 1 spot which is also team ninja
I love that Max Payne 3 has been receiving the respect it deserves lately, i almost feel like a proud parent
Same here, I loved that game so much, one of, if not the most satisfying shooting in any game I've ever played.
Max Payne 3 receiving attention = Peak
great, great game
I really liked the way the missions and maps changed in Time Splitters 2 when you switched the difficulty in story mode from easy to normal or hard.
Abso-bloody-lutely. More games need to do this.
Dude crazy to see how someone else remembers this lol
Man, my older brother and I burnt many many many hours playing that game as kids. Such a classic.
@@creedns They need to bring back having longer levels with higher difficulties, the reward for pushing yourself in the game was huge.
id love to see you guys do a top ten list of game modes that alter how you play! like resident evils mercenaries or cod zombies! modes that require you to be in a different mindset compared to the base game
Fallout 4 Survival mode. You dont have to unlock it, but it definitely makes the game feel completely different. The number of changes it makes would take too long to explain, but combat is much harder, you get tired, hungry, and sick, there is no fast travel, and you can only save at a bed. Theres more, but that's the basics. And unlike Skyrim's survival mode, FO4's feels like a real way to play, as opposed to just being tacked on afterwards.
It's awesome seeing games giving this kind of depth. But on the other side, there are so many games out there now, you rarely feel the incentive to play a game more than once.
Sometimes people have like 5000 hours sinked into a single game where they could do like 50 100-hour RPGs in the same time or, well, 250 usual 10-hour games, each twice
@@TheWinjin or 5000 games for 1 minute each
there was 2 games on this list that came out in the past year, stop complaining and appreciate the quality over quantity
Except for games with stories that really engage me, I tend to find things getting tedious near the end of most FIRST playthroughs. I think there's only been a few (single player) games I've ever re-played, and that was over a decade later (not counting Rockstar star games where you can dive in and just fool around, or Skyrim where you might explore new content via mods).
@@strangerforthebetter how is that fact in any way related to my comment? Has literally nothing to do with what I said. Try reading with understanding next time.
#8... you forgot to mention that Mr. Freeze boss fight. Hands down one of my favorite video game boss fights to this day.
Nioh 2 has by far the best post-game I've ever encountered. So many new mechanics, so many numerical caps lifted on skills and amount of equipped skills, so much more to learn and improve, new enemies... I can't even begin to explain how much more it goes above and beyond any other NG+ I've ever come across and feels like I'll be happily playing for the next year or more
I agree, in fact I feel like you start playing Nioh2 at NG+++ (or even NG++++), what's before feels just like an introduction.
Team Ninja does NG+ the best, they give you a full compelling game and make it feel like an intro with how much changes for each NG+ . No one does it better!
So glad someone mentioned this.
@Ludo Tech Very true. I'm on NG++ and can't believe how much I can still see the game expanding upon further playthroughs never mind the fact I only just got the DLC so have all that content to dive into as well as the addition of the splitstaff and fists which both are tons of fun to play. My original NG I mastered the tonfas and didn't really use much else till hitting the proficiency cap which at first annoyed me but realizing the caps rise on later NG+ runs and that the cap exists to guide players like me who'd become addicted to one weapon to experiment since the amount of gameplay variety each weapon contains more content and depth than most entire games do
@Play1234 Yup! My last response to Ludo Tech goes more in-depth, but it's unreal to me how much the first playthrough really does feel like a tutorial. It's common to hear soulslike fans say the real game only starts at NG+ but while it's often a little true it's hyperbolic... in Nioh 2 however saying the real game starts at NG+ is just straight up true. As amazing and absolutely top 10 Sekiro was for me I couldn't truly enjoy playing after beating NG+ and NG++ simply to get the alternate ending which ends the game 60% through. In Sekiro Kuro's Charm added some mechanical depth to NG+ but the comparison of Sekiro or any others soulslike game to Nioh 2's post-game is impossible to make
Ninja Gaiden Black getting the spotlight it deserves! Does my heart good man
yea but only mentioning hard mode lmao, if you know, you know eh hahaha
I really like when the segments are labeled like this video rather than just saying what number it is! You've leveled up your uploads 👾
I have a interesting title that wasn't mentioned. The Evil Within 2 Classic Mode. Classic mode difficulty only gives you 7 saves only and no autosave plus the hardest part is no upgrades for your character at all so everything is stuck at default. But the reward was worth it as you get a melee weapon that crushes enemies. That was a brutal difficulty that is for sure
Very brutal! 😊 I hated that game whilst love it. A classic for sure
Pain Mode on Lisa the Painful is my favorite. Limited saves, more powerful mutants, and changes several major enemies and bosses into completely different mutants that are way more dangerous. Plus bonus content and ending for beating it
I think borderlands 2 “Ultimate Vault Hunter” mode could make the cut. In order to do well, you have to prepare for this mode in advance during “True vault hunter” mode. Slag becomes essential, enemies are a lot stronger and a strong build becomes essential to the game. In the standard and TVH modes you can get by with decent guns and a half thought out build. UVH mode requires a better understanding of the game and a much higher level of skill.
sorry. does not change much. especially if you have MAYA or slag gernades. then it is all same other than enemies take more damage. also Strong builds are necessary even on NORMAL mode. Try having fun playing melee krieg but with a sniper build.
Dark souls 2 has a cool Ng+ mechanic. Like usual it makes enemies stronger and has some higher level rings to find, but you can also raise the Ng+ level of an individual area by burning a special item at bonfires. Enemies don't endlessly respawn like normal so this can be necessary for farming
I appreciate the videos releasing earlier in the day
I liked the fact you had to beat Mass Effect twice before you could unlock Insanity. I know it doesn’t change anything fundamentally but still.
I’ve had Max Payne 3 downloaded for over a year now and haven’t played it yet, I really need to play that game. Still holds up today
Is it on ps+
Hasn't played it but still says it holds up. Makes sense.
If you haven’t played it, how do you know it holds up jackass?
@@Gatorade69 i was gonna say same thing
Go play it right now!
The removal of the warning signs in New Game Plus was where I REALLY started to feel like Batman. Learning that I could read those chumps like books was very empowering.
Reminder that RE1Remake has a "invisible enemies" mode, which sounds stupid but is actually pretty exciting.
I have one playing Spider-Man as the Green Goblin it's fun & it completely changes imo
Max Payne 3's Old school difficulty was badass. You have to literally become a killing machine to clear that.
This makes the games even more intimidating, I love to beat my chest and have a victory cry when I beat a tough game😊. But I also love a challenge 🤦🏾♂️, games that I would come no where near of are DMC 4, Max Payne 3, Hifi Rush, Castlevania, and Ninja Gaided Black, but maybe even Arkham Knight 🤔
Great video, please make a part 2 🙏🏾❤️
Playing TLOU games with listening mode disabled make you approach areas very differently and I love that.
They don't. You can walk in front of the infected and they can't see you. You're intended to play it without that feature.
@@dragonkamran The intended way to play a game is however the player wants to play it.
Great work as always.
This is one of your best videos! Please make a part 2. Me and my siblings, friends,! And all the gamers I know all wanted a part. 2. Make it happen!!!
I don't play on harder difficulty, I just want to chill and enjoy the game, but I'm still going to watch this list though, because you guys do really good content and I enjoy games 😂
I consider myself an arkam enthusiast and knights new game+ was genuinely a fun experience from a long time vet
I always trust the content you guys through our way
I didn't knew that in the OG version of RE4 the Handcannon when equipped in the inventory screen, Leon will stand with his back facing the player and perching the gun on his left shoulder. This is a reference to Killer 7, in which Dan Smith holds his revolver in a similar way
Amazing video bro
HADES was also brilliant if you push the heat. Fantastic game!
32 heat was amazing
Played this game all day on gamepass
Hard mode in Hotline Miami 2 is a great example of playing or approaching the game here new enemies are there more windows no lock on onto enemies and the ammo is scarce and on top of that if you pick up a weapon from the ground you simply lose ammo from that weapon
I NEED to play Ninja Gaiden Black again! Never knew there was such a huge difference when playing in hard mode.
I would LOVE to see modes that just up the amount of enemies in more games! Recently played through Gears 5 and my main thought was that "I want more enemies to shoot at!" Wo Long could've also benefited of this.
You're the best! Keep it up ❤
Final fantasy 12 had a difficulty called New Game Minus, where the characters are stuck at level 1. You were forced to use different weapons and armor for different enemies, and the gambit system was absolutely necessary
Glad Falcon is getting a break! Missed ya Jake. Keep it up!
The ideal of New Game + should be a game that more or less functions the same, but the new mode adds something that makes it a compellingly different experience. Just upping enemy health pools and damage output usually doesn’t fit that bill.
I forget the example someone gave, but I think it was a hack and slash where the base game never required you to use the various consumables, but NG+ basically made using them essential to success. In that manner, the game still functions exactly the same, but it forces you to make use of your entire toolkit which expands your appreciation of everything they put in. That’s good design to make a game replayable.
Although it's a rather small change compared to anything in the video, I gotta give a shoutout to Mega Man ZX here. A lot of 2D handheld games are satisfied to simply change the number of enemies and the amount of damage they can deal/take on different difficulties, but Mega Man ZX actually takes it a step further by changing enemy behaviors in each difficulty. For some enemies, this changes their speed, for others it changes how often they attack, etc. In some cases you can even encounter entirely new attacks. That's in addition to harder difficulties doing the standard thing of making enemies hurt you more and be tankier on top of that.
You need to really know what you're doing if you want to beat the hardest difficulty, which only even unlocks when you beat the game on normal anyway. It's a challenge I can only really recommend for hardcore players who enjoyed playing through the game the first time. As the game is already rather unfriendly to newcomers and shines the most for veterans, it's unlikely that most people have ever even played the game at the highest difficulty.
Thank U for the upload Jake & Falcon/gameranx team 🌹
Hell yeah! I didn’t know about any of these and I’ve beat almost all these games.
Another thing that made the batman Arkham games more challenging on those harder difficulties is if you didn't upgrade your health and armour. Truly a amazing challenge if you're good enough.
Max Payne 3 would be such a great remaster. I miss bullet time. Michael from GTA is basically discount Max lmao
Great list! IMO, if done well, NG+ is one of the best things in single player games.
Borderlands 2 adds the Ultimate Vault Hunter mode when you beat the game for the second time. Enemies deal more damage, have waaaaaaaaay more health points and new enemies are added like armored psychos. In addition to that the “slag” element type becomes crucial as the enemies barely take damage if you don’t slag them first. This requirement essentially changes all your inventory and character build. Also enemies often come with shields and armors that requires you to have all elemental types handy to deal with them.
As a bonus there is the overpower levels that allows you to make the enemies overpowered
A few others I remember don't change the base game, but they add new areas with tougher enemies and more powerful items. Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve both add in new features like the Chrysler Building for Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story gives you a key that can unlock new areas and crafting stations.
Fun Fact: The Legendery Dark Knight Mode name is based on The Dark Knight's legend. The lore is that Sparda {The Dark Knight} fought the whole Hell on his own to stop the demons from attacking humans.
FFVII Remake hard mode totally changes the game. Completely takes away your ability to use any consumables inside or outside of battles, and benches no longer restore your MP, which means you have a limited amount of spells you can use per chapter. It really makes you think about when you are going to use a fire spell, or when you are going to use a cure spell. One of the few times a "New Game+" style of difficulty really felt like a game to me.
Great videos. It makes me wish I still had the reflexes of my youth.
Shout out to Phantasy Star Online. Its Ultimate difficulty mode had new layouts, enemy types, bosses, loot, and even a final boss phase. Back then, I remembered how insane that was to my friends and me.
Trek to Yomi difficulty unlock is pretty sweet. Unlocks after you beat the game on hard mode. All normal enemies die in one hit, but you also die in one hit. But the boss fights are still the same with chipping away at their health bar.
Not gonna lie....pretty disappointed that 007 Golden Eye isn't on this list! The way it adds more objectives for the player to complete instead of just making all the enemies take more/do more damage I feel is really underappreciated. Plus it really fits into the idea of being 007. I think adding more objectives totally changes the way the player has to approach the second playthrough. I vote it makes it to part 2 :) haha
I specifically remember them talking about that in a different video
@@cenciende9401 they did, but not in a video about the difficulty changing the game, it was a video just showing some love for the game if i'm not mistaken
I’d like to find more games where the hard level or new game plus is focussed on new areas or secrets or approaches (like, must be done on stealth or some access points are destroyed from the original playthrough but now you’d have endgame climbing skills, or you have to escort more people at a time through the zombie mall, I dunno) or new story segments, rather than the challenge being harder combat and and tougher enemies. I know there are games are out there like that, I just need to find more of ’em.
I would throw The Last Remnant onto the list, too. You get the harder enemies and you get to keep your components and cash. You can't do anything with those, though, until some stores open up - surviving to that point is non-trivial. The rest of the game is harder, too, because even though your main character can buff himself out with some end-game gear, this is a game where your main character is just one of over a dozen in battles and the companions you get don't get stronger stats at all.
Nice. I'm big on True Vault Hunter Moder from Bordelands.
NIoh 2, it has 4 new game + (dream of the strong, demon, wise, nioh). With each having different enemy layouts and attacks, and more progression mechanics being unlocked and expanded upon every tim. This alone is enough to keep you busy for a few hundred hours, but it doesn't even end here, after that you have over 100 underworld levels to clear and there's yet another end game thing which I haven't got to yet. I've played maybe 1000h and still haven't done it all. Beating the story once really is just the begining in that game, "normal" mode is pretty much just a tutorial.
Super Robot Wars 30 added the Super Expert Plus mode, increasing the XP per level up to 8 times normal, increasing costs for most upgrades, and removing most of the grinding and skill upgrade item sources. Also the game restricts certain abilities on your opponent's turn. It is meant for new game +, but even carrying over one round worth of items and upgrades might not be enough, with the game also requiring greater planning in both the tactics of each stage and the full game strategy to use every experience point and credit wisely.
Ninja Gaiden Black was so awesome! You didn't even mention the harder modes like Master Ninja that gave even harder unseen enemies!
I like hades when you unlock the pact of punishment, you get to customize how difficult you want the run and in what way, and challenge yourself in different ways each time.
Hades was the first game that came to mind when I started the video. Cant wait for Hades 2!
Nice! I like this video idea.
This definitely needs a part 2
Not sure if there’s enough for a list, but would love to see Top 10 Games That Change each play thru like the Nier series
Re2 remake hardcore mode should have been on the list. The tyrant makes many more appearances and the enemies are so much tankier
Metal gear solid sons of liberty switches things up with the boss battles too love it when games switch it up like that
I think the old Naval Ops: Warship Gunner 2 had a really robust second playthrough mode as well.
I actually watched the whole video waiting for you to mention Ninja Gaiden… 👍👍👍
Your videos make me happy 😊
Good video dude, have a good weekend everyone ✌️
the clip from re7 where you walked in the room and jack just catches you literally made me jump. Resurfacing my re7 ptsd
Surprised I don't see Kena here. On master difficulty it's like a souls difficulty
Nioh. Which in general doesnt get enough love. But things change on every new game. New game plus is different to new game plus plus which is different to plus x3 etc. Its basically 5 different games with every new game plus mode. Different weapons and weapon modifiers same with armour and spirit levels. You can also unlock the ability to use two spirit's as its normally jusy one, enemy layout changes, enemies you encounter, enemy weapons and attack patterns. Skill cap changes every new game you get too. Then it even changes again if you manage to max your stats as you then unlock focus levels. There is even different items that are only available in later new games
Ahh LDK mode (Legendary Dark Knight) mode was an experience... a good one i found myself pulling off more moves good times!! ❤❤❤❤❤❤
Omfg, Ninja Gaiden black on Master Ninja mode was a large part of my childhood
Hey, Jake! You guys should do a video on the history of Gameranx. We would all love to know how it started, and who founded the company! Love you guys!
I'm gonna post this on every video until you guys do it!
Maybe listen to fps podcast, or you could easily Google it lol
@@fatbroccoli8 I know I can. Dude why are being rude? I obviously want to see THEM make a video about it. I literally said that.
@@christianbrewster2571 not rude, just if you want to know so badly the information is at your fingertips, would be a pretty boring video is all lol
Jedi survivor unlocks a free perk 'doesnt take a slot' that puts end game enemies right from turorial
Some of the Bayonetta and DMC4 gameplay was painful to watch. The video was fun to watch!
Sifu is brilliant in that regard: on hard mode, enemies have new moves & new combos, making you adjust your entire playstyle. Or, on the easier difficulty, they straightup don't do certain attacks and combos, making it notably easier to parry and dodge them.
Sifu is trash anyways so who cares.
NG Black is difficulty differences are so significant. I wish team ninja still did that on their other games.
Outriders had a great co op that once you beat the final boss a while new set of worlds opened with crazy ass raids and weapon upgrades and visuals
I was so bored thanks man
Reminds me of Titan Quest, where if you beat the game, you unlock the Epic mode, which brings in some new enemies you haven't seen before, and at some parts, even new minibosses. And of course, if you beat that you unlock the even tougher Legendary mode
The original Crysis had a fun difficulty system, where if you played the game at the hardest difficulty, human enemies would start talking in Korean instead of English. Pretty rad!
Jedi survivor has some interesting things
Especially Devil May Cry 4 that is one of the greatest challenges of all time.
And as for Bayonetta, the non-stop infinite climax difficulty is pretty much "VERY HARD" mode.