Games Inbox: What is the hardest game on PS5?

Metro

14-07-2025

Returnal – not an easy game (Sony Interactive Entertainment)
The Monday letters page calls for a new developer to take over the Halo franchise, as one reader recommends Test Drive Unlimited 2 on PS3.
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Hard won reward
There's always a lot of talk about difficulty in video games but for myself I admit I like a hard game. Not all the time but I like to see some variety. If a developer thinks a game should be played at a certain level, I don't like to see them forced to change it, if they don't want to.
So that got me thinking about what is the most difficult game on the PlayStation 5? Which is what I play now. Demon's Souls is an obvious one, along with any other Soulslike, but I think it might actually be Returnal.
I'm a big fan of the game and I think its difficulty is handled relatively well, in that it's quite possible to get through the majority of the game with careful upgrading of your weapons and learning the rooms. But the last section and getting to the end is so difficult.
Beating the game, my heart in my mouth as I risk losing hours of progress, has been one of my exciting and rewarding gaming moments in a very long time (Saros is now my most anticipated game of next year). Curious to know what other readers think though.
Zeiss
Changing fortunes
I realise this isn't exactly topical but if you'd told my young self that Sega would end up quitting the hardware business by the start of the century and that Nintendo would become the most successful (with a few dips) my mind would've been blown.
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To me, at my school, the Nintendo consoles were deeply uncool and overly expensive, which is quite the double-whammy. That can't be an unusual opinion as it's why Nintendo still underperforms here, compared to the rest of the world, and I still have trouble recognising the current reality.
I've nothing against them but not only does it show how fortunes change but it also shows that what you assume to be common knowledge or an obvious truth can easily be you living in a bubble.
Chondo
Scrolling back
Interesting Reader's Feature about Fallout and Bethesda. Although I think he's being a little unkind I can't argue that much when it comes to Bethesda's slowness and unwillingness to change (or acknowledge everyone loves New Vegas better than their games).
I have to say it does sound very much like Todd Howard, or whoever, pushing their weight around but they've been slow now for decades, long before it became the standard. I'd also take the lack of Starfield news to mean they're starting to sweep the game under the carpet.
I 100% agree that Fallout remasters are the way to go in the short term and I think the success of Oblivion pretty much guarantees. What I'd really like though, and what would help them get into fans' good books, is a remake – not a remaster – of Morrowind. There's such a huge difference between that and everything they've put out since that I would live to see them embrace that older style of more complex, stat-based role-player again.
Dusker
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Superior drive
In response to Magnumstache and games for his PlayStation 3, I would suggest one of my favourite games on the console and one of my favourite games of all time, that is Test Drive Unlimited 2 (if he hasn't got it already).
Now that Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown has come out and has severely disappointed the fans, Test Drive Unlimited 2 has now absolutely solidified itself as a great game in the memories of those who played it first time around.
And despite still playing Forza Horizon 4 and 5 these days, neither (or in fact any racing game, including any of The Crew games) have come close to being better than that old Eden Games classic.
LeighDappa
Hand off
After seeing the news about the Halo devs being unhappy about their own game it does not sound good for what used to be my favourite franchise. I think it's long past time that the game be taken out of Halo Studios' hands and given to someone else.
Much like Phil Spencer himself, I'm not sure how many years of repeated failure are needed before action is taken. I don't know what exactly is going on, and I doubt we'll ever find out, but the remake of Combat Evolved should be especially easy to farm out to someone else.
Beyond that, there's plenty of other independent developers that could be given the main game to make. Saber Interactive, for example, or even give it to one of the Call Of Duty teams. Whatever happens it can't be left to rot even further.
Mentos
Two years later
When Hogwarts Legacy was originally released in 2023 your review of it sold me to get it. I am not a Harry Potter fan at all. The price of the game back in 2023 put me off it, as it was £65 and based on Harry Potter franchise. Having conversations with real life friends they said it is an excellent game and I should get it.
Before I sold my original Switch in late May I noticed a sale to buy the Switch version for £12.79. So, I did and I bought it to play on the Switch 2, as I knew Portkey were working on the Switch 2 version upgrade. So, when I bought my Switch 2 at launch I downloaded the update for £8.99 for Hogwarts Legacy.
I have just completed it now, after 109 hours of playing. Yes, it could have been completed quicker, but this kind of game is right up my street. Explore at my own leisure. No achievements to hunt, which was a blessing. Just play the game at my own pace. No stress of achievement hunting.
I can imagine some of the achievements, like probably fill the Room of Requirement. Sod that, just play the game and enjoy it, which I thoroughly did. Shame they haven't got the Star Wars licence, that would be gaming heaven. Same kind of game but with blasters and so on. Keep up the excellent work.
woz_007 (NN ID)
Old theory
I'm beginning to think that GTA 6 will be Bonnie and Clyde inspired. The two heroes will start off normal small time crooks and build to a Red Dead finale.
Would a bookie give me odds for this theory?
Bobwallett
GC: We doubt it. Not least because that was the rumour long before the official annoucement.
Growing into it
The only online, co-op or multiplayer gaming I engage in is once a week with my niece and nephew. Just not that interested in it and single-player gaming that I can get lost and absorbed in is what I enjoy.
For them, online or multiplayer is pretty much all they play. I think that's typical for kids and teenagers these days. It genuinely makes me worry for single-player gaming's future.
Maybe they'll grow into it. One of the problems is that most of the notable or worthwhile single-player games aren't really suitable for 12-year-olds.
It's not all negative though. The games they do play all have a real sense of play at the core of them. The latest they're enjoying is Ultimate Chicken Horse on Game Pass, which plays like a multiplayer Super Meat Boy with the ability to place items and hazards into the levels to trip your mates up.
They're also not obsessed with graphics, games being cross-gen or pushing the limits of the console in a way my generation seem to have grown up valuing.
I have got the boy downloading Halo: The Master Chief Collection, so we can do all the single-player campaigns co-op. Seems a good place to start to get a bit of single-player campaigning into their gaming life.
Simundo
Inbox also-rans
I just read that David Wise is not the composer for the new Donkey Kong Bananza game. That surprises me as he did such fantastic work on the other games.
Nick The Greek
Just found out that it's 10 years this month since Satoru Iwata passed away. Very sad but at the same but obviously Nintendo has done well anyway. Although I do wonder if they're still following his plan for Switch and now he's no longer with us there is no specific plan for the Switch 2.
Gazza
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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers' letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.
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