Even when you think you’ve just gotten the hang of things, there will always be something there to humble you. Both the complexity and difficulty of fighting games are nothing new when it comes to the combative genre. Swiftly throwing you into the ring and leaving you to your own devices, memorizing your character’s skills truly comes in clutch. And, whileyou’ll still have guidance, fighting games ultimately leave everything up to you.
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The difficulty of fighting games isn’t a surprise. Playing them are truly a test of your skills, and it’s incredible how much they encourage us to think quickly about our every move. Amidst all the games in this genre, there are quite a few that are iconically hard to master. But which one is considerably the hardest?
10Injustice 2
The second installment in the Injustice series is no stranger to giving us some challenges. Implementing an RPG-style progression system in the game, playing in story mode can be more of a difficult trek than fighting against other players. This is all thanks to the AI, who are completely no joke as their skills are hard to overtake—even if you put the difficulty on easy.
WhileInjustice 2has been highly acclaimed by critics, its only downfall lies in the strange difficulty during story mode. The AI tends to be a bit buggy and oddly stronger than expected. However, once you learn how to properly block, you’ll be golden in getting by in a flash.
9BlazBlue: Central Fiction
For new players to the game,BlazBlue: Central Fictionis certainly a learning curve. Being technically challenging, the game features characters that easily catch you off-guard with their combos. From jumping in unexpected ways to heavily encouraging you to tactfully think about your movements, patience is key to becoming victorious.
On the other hand, not all the characters in the game are notably hard. You’ll find that when it comes to the huge roster of characters, there are more easy characters than ruthless ones. Regardless, BlazBlue: Central Fiction is still considerably a much harder fighting game than most.
MasteringDead or Alive 6is not for the faint of heart. The defense mechanisms can be complex and confusing, leading you to easily lose a fight against your opponent faster than you realize. In some ways, battles feel like you’re always taking a huge risk.
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It’s best to watch your opponent with a super close eye in this game. Learning how each character moves and the game’s unique kind of difficulty is the key to getting over its massive learning curve. At the end of the day, it’s a very aggressive game with short combos andflashy outfits.
7Dragon Ball FighterZ
Dragon Ball FighterZis one of the most engaging anime fighting games to date. Showcasing a deceptive yet simple combo system, it’s likely to be a breeze when you start playing it. But the further you dive into it, the harder it becomes. This likely comes from its initial simplicity slowly evolving into more difficult battles.
Getting better at Dragon Ball FighterZ comes with time. Working on your timing and when to use assists are the best courses of action, especially when it comes to its system of having you play three characters at a time. Overall, Arc System Works' take on theDragon Ballseries is one for the ages.
6Guilty Gear (Series)
Guilty Gear, as a whole, is a hard series in the fighting genre. At the same time, though, the perception that it’s difficult to get into isn’t 100% true. If you’re a seasoned player in the fighting genre, then Guilty Gear is a fun and challenging game to pass the time with.
The small mechanics that you have to overcome likely seem to be the reason behind why others might have trouble winning a battle. Taking the time to learn about all the powerful characters and their abilities can make Guilty Gear easy to master. Albeit, it might take a few hours, but you’re sure to get the satisfaction of getting the hang of things.
5Super Smash Bros. Melee
Super Smash Bros.is a video game series that will be iconic in the fighting genre for years to come. Compared to other fighting games, they seem pretty tame in regard to traditional fighting difficulty. However, there’s one installment that quickly wipes away this persona:Super Smash Bros Melee.
Super Smash Bros Melee is utterly more demanding when looking at the other games in the series. It requires you to think skillfully about your timing and how to work with the gameplay mechanics. With how much it has you take in from the moment you start, it’s no wonder it’s considered one of the hardest games to master.
4The King Of Fighters 13
The thirteenth installment inThe King of Fightersseries is not exactly welcoming to newcomers of the series. Progression-wise, everything moves at an extremely fast pace. With its 3v3 combat, you’ll also barely have time to think about your next move as a new fighter quickly steps in to try and take you down.
An amazing way to be victorious in a fight is to quickly adapt to the pace. Thinking on the fly might not be the easiest thing to do while in the heart-pumping thralls of combat, but it’s an effective means of not swiftly getting knocked out. Even if your hands are tired from the constant smashing of buttons, you’re sure to overcome everything.
3Street Fighter 5
AlthoughStreet Fighter Vhad a rough start in appealing to long-time fans of the series, the game has becomeone of the best fighting gamesaround over time. Featuring sixteen iconic characters, the fifth installment offers a perfect variety of head-to-head battles to explore.
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The difficulty in Street Fighter V is a bit unexpected at times. Fights can start off relatively easy and quickly form into ruthless combat in nearly the blink of an eye. If you’re paired against more experienced players, then you’re sure to run into even more difficulty. All-in-all, playing competitively is what truly makes it hard to master.
2Mortal Kombat 2
NoMortal Kombatgame is a walk in the park, but some are interestingly easier than others. When you put Mortal Kombat 2 into the ring, however, the combat gets noticeably more difficult. Most players tend to have trouble defeating the AI in Mortal Kombat 2. And this is for good measure.
With time, you’re sure to conquer any battle with little to no scratches. This doesn’t erase how time-consuming it can be though. When the game is just starting off, it’s nothing that a beginner couldn’t handle. But when the AI starts putting up a fight against you, that’s when things dive into the realm of nearly being impossible to beat.
Tekkenis such an iconic series in the fighting video game world that even strangers to the genre will recognize it. Through this, the series is more than just a fighting game. More rather, it’s an experience that takes a plethora of patience to master. With that said, if you’re a fresh face to the series, you might want to steer away from the seventh installment.
Due to the number of veteran players already engrossed by Bandai Namco’s modern addition to the series, a newcomer might need more guidance.Tekken 7’sfocus is movement and having layers to its fighting mechanics. Combining this with its intimidating number of characters to master, it’s no surprise that many find this the most challenging fighting game ever.
