15 Hardest Games of 2024

Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree

The hardest of the hardcore eventually settled into the expansion to where they could comfortably finish it with insane conditions. Launch was a completely different story, with the Land of Shadow mercilessly beating even the most experienced players with end-game builds. Such was the backlash against the difficulty that it even prompted some review bombing on Steam. Regardless of which side you fall on, there’s no denying that Shadow of the Erdtree posed some incredibly challenging encounters, whether you took a wrong turn at Jagged Peak or accepted death at the hands of a fated consort.