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What are the best "difficult but fair" action RPGs for PC?

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Dark Souls III vs DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin vs Mount & Blade : Warband

 vs Lords Of The Fallen 2014 vs Salt and Sanctuary vs Tails of Iron vs FORCED: Slightly Better Edition vs FORCED SHOWDOWN vs Shovel Knight

Specs

Platforms

Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Genre

Action Role-Playing

Steam Rating

-

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

PlayStation 3

Genre

Action Role-Playing

Steam Rating

Mostly Positive

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems

Genre

Action-RPG, Strategy, Simulation

Steam Rating

Overwhelmingly Positive

Publisher

TaleWorlds Entertainment, Ravenscourt Games

Developer

TaleWorlds Entertainment

Recommended OS

Windows XP or greater

Recommended Memory

1GB RAM

Recommended Processor

Intel Core Duo 2.0 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 3600+

Recommended Hard Drive Space

100MB available space

Recommended Sound

Standard audio

Recommended Graphics

NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, ATI Radeon 9600, or better

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Steam Rating

Mixed

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Steam Rating

-

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Linux

Genre

-

Steam Rating

Mostly Positive

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Steam Rating

Very Positive

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Platforms

-

Genre

-

Steam Rating

-

Publisher

-

Developer

-

Recommended OS

-

Recommended Memory

-

Recommended Processor

-

Recommended Hard Drive Space

-

Recommended Sound

-

Recommended Graphics

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Great combat system

The combat in Dark Souls 3 asks you to understand how each enemy moves, what are the weak spots in those movements and exploit them. To exploit enemy moves, you'll have to know how your equipped weapon behaves as they have wildly different behaviors and timings. There are different kinds of melee and ranged weapons as well as spells. You'll have to choose the right tool for the job. Additionally, positioning in a fight is important as attacking from behind will be more effective than attacking from the front. All elements combined, DS3 offers a deep combat system that's satisfying to master.
Comment

Pro
 Can give a great feeling of accomplishment

The Dark Souls series is known for how difficult it is and Dark Souls 3 is no slouch in this area. The game is difficult and the player will die a lot. This of course can give a feeling of aggravation, but once a difficult boss is finally defeated, there is a sense of achievement that is not often found in other games. Conquering this game is a feat, one that many will relish.
Comment

Pro
 Fast and precise gameplay

Dark Souls 3 adds a bit of speed over its previous releases. This makes for an exciting new experience for players of the franchise as well as an overall exciting experience for new players, as it requires impeccable timing of how one can react to counter, dodge or hit an enemy.
Comment

Pro
 Vast variety of equipment and spells

The equipment found in this game is quite numerous. There are many different swords, bows, spells as well as a huge selection of different armors. Weapons such as swords can each have unique abilities such as different strikes. So while one sword may have a long reaching sideways swipe, another may have a deep penetrating forward strike. These weapons can also be changed in their special abilities as the player can infuse certain crystals, to then give the weapon a magic bonus such as flame damage or frost damage. For those that prefer magical abilities there will be many NPCs to be found that can teach different spells such as pyromancer spells, miracle spells or sorcery spells. Each can be used depending on what equipment the player uses, such as staffs or talismans or chimes. Armor is also something that comes in a variety of flavors, though it cannot really be adjusted with abilities, though it can be mixed and matched in order to match with the users playstyle or look they are going for. Some armor is quite heavy and will require certain characteristics to be upgraded in order to be used. Overall, the choices the game gives the player when it comes to equipment is quite vast and can allow for really deep strategy, planning out what equipment will work for any particular situation.
Comment

Pro
 Solid controls

No matter if using a keyboard and mouse or a gamepad (or Steam controller), the controls work well and can be customized easily in the settings. This makes the controls versatile as they can be customized to fit any type of player and their preferred control scheme.
Comment

Pro
 Worthwhile equipment combinability

Any and all equipment in the game can be useful at some point of gameplay. The players is not penalized for wanting to use particular equipment for looks over usefulness, as all equipment is useful in some way. This greatly opens up how one can combine the equipment they find as the player is not held back by equipment not being as useful as the rest.
Comment

Pro
 Appealing graphics that illustrate a dark and interesting world

The design of said graphics makes for a world so in depth it is quite a site to behold. Everything in the game feels and looks like it belongs and only serves to further flesh out this dark mystery of a world. The game definitely takes advantage of better hardware over the previous titles and it shows, the game looks really good.
Comment

Pro
 Good selection of classes

There are 10 total classes the player can choose from during character creation. This makes for a quite a few options for the player to pick from, giving them a sense of originality as well as a character that can fit just about anyone's playstyle.
Comment

Pro
 Save points in the game are easy to find

There are a lot of bonfires (where the player can save) scattered around the game. This makes it easy to save before death, which is a big help for many, due to how difficult the game can be.
Comment

Pro
 Unique experiences through exploration

The game focuses less on linearity which means that the player can go their own direction in large environments, in order to explore what appeals as the best path to them. It sees the player constantly winding around different paths that interconnect, all while holding secret passages and hidden items. There is much to discover in the game, which gives a great sense of wonder as to what will be found next. With so much to see and do in the game, depending on how one plays and where they go, their experience can be quite unique when compared to someone else's experience, who may have took a different path and found different items. Overall this makes for a game that feels personal to the player, as no two gameplay experiences are alike.
Comment

Pro
 Fast load times

The load times in the game can vary, depending on if the user has an HDD or an SSD, but even when using an HHD the games load times are under 10 seconds, with the majority taking under 6.
Comment

Pro
 Unpredictable boss fights

The boss battles will see the boss shift their strategies and attacks often, making for a battle that will react to how the player is fighting as well as constantly change in order to keep the player on their toes, which makes for challenging battles.
Comment

Pro
 A great variety of equipment for almost any playstyle

You'll be finding new pieces of equipment quite often, giving you many options to choose from. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to pick the equipment that best suits your playstyle. For example, heavy armor will make you move slower, but you'll be better protected. Greatswords have a wide reach, but you swing them really slow. Conversely a dagger is very fast but it has a horrible reach.
Comment

Pro
 Unpredictable boss battles

The boss battles in Dark Souls 3 consist of several phases, changing up how the bosses fight over the course of the battle. They will gain new abilities, become more aggressive, or reveal various nasty surprises. This creates an enjoyable experience that is different from most modern games where bosses are just glorified pincushions.
Comment

Pro
 Stunning environments

The world of Dark Souls 3 looks amazing, so you may often feel the need to stop and take in the beautiful sights. This can be the sheer size of structures, mountains, or caves. It can also be the decorations, inscriptions, or details in a room. There's always so much to look at, allowing you to truly immerse yourself in its world.
Comment

Pro
 Extensive lore that's presented in unconventional ways

There's tons of lore everywhere for you to discover, but it isn't necessarily told through a conventional story. Weapons, armor, spells, and items you acquire have descriptions on them that tell you where in the game world they came from, any prominent characters they're associated with, and a bunch of other relevant and interesting information. So when you find examples of the lore scattered around the game, like bosses wearing a style of armor you read about, or an obscure NPC mentioned in a sword's description, you know the history behind the design and their purpose without that boss or character needing to explain anything to you. Even though the actual story in Dark Souls III is very thin, there's a lot to find under the surface if you're willing to look for it.
Comment

Pro
 Fixed issues found in previous titles

The first game in the series had some issues with roll direction, the second had issues with a boring layout and forgettable bosses. This being the third game in the series takes the best out of the previous two and combines them into a cohesive experience. Everything is polished to improve the game. Bigger and better bosses, skillful level design, omni-directional rolling and all weapons have a special ability.
Comment

Pro
 Customizable HUD

The heads up display in the game can be turned on or off as well as set to a new third setting where the HUD adjusts itself automatically to only show what is important at the particular time of play.
Comment

Con
 Poor support for mouse+keyboard control

The default DS3 key/button bindings actually prevent full use of certain weapons by requiring the shift key to be pressed and not-pressed simultaneously. Rebinding is possible, but limited by issues like the left mouse button overriding all others and certain bindings not actually working in game (e.g. Shift+MiddleClick).
Comment

Con
 Designed to work better with Intel CPU

The game can only take advantage of up to 4 cores of a CPU, meaning those using AMD CPUs (which tend to have 8 cores) will only be able to use half of their cores for the game. This will make for a poorer experience if using an AMD CPU.
Comment

Con
 May be too depressing and dark for some

This game can feel like a weight on ones shoulders. Everything about it is dark, gloomy and depressing. Some people may not enjoy this atmosphere at all.
Comment

Con
 Open atmosphere makes for confusing paths

With the game having more of an open world feel it can be difficult to know what direction to go in. While much can be explored, there is a certain feeling of being lost that can make for a frustrating experience.
Comment

Con
 Some graphical pop in

No matter ones graphical settings or rig being used, the game does suffer from some pop-in when turning fast. This can be distracting when noticed, which detracts from the feeling of polish and immersion in the game.
Comment

Con
 Some areas have slowdown

No matter the equipment being used, there are portions of the game (even when using the best equipment) that will see a dropped framerate.
Comment

Pro
 Excellent boss battles

There are many iconic boss battles throughout the game that make for some of the most difficult moments to be played. But once finally defeating a boss the feeling of accomplishment is well worth it.
Comment

Pro
 Expansive fantasy settings

Dark Souls II offers a wide variety of locales to explore, all within a fantasy setting. The amount of differing locations does give a feeling of lack of cohesion though but does have the benefit of locations that are wildly different from each other, which can be refreshing at times.
Comment

Pro
 Branching gameplay with plenty of choices

The branching gameplay within Dark Souls II makes for not only a great way to tailor each adventure to each player keeping everyone's experiences unique, but also a reprieve from many difficult points in the game. If one area has become too tough or something has the payer stuck from advancing further, an alternate path in the game can be taken to wholly different areas. This allows for a multitude of options on how to level up as well as well as many different options in finding and equipping that found gear.
Comment

Pro
 Slow and deliberate fighting with reward/risk mechanics

Each enemy encounter needs to be calculated and precisely timed, as any mistake will most likely mean death. An added level of complexity to this equation is enemies that can be ignored but will then gang up on the player once a boss is beaten. This creates a risk/reward scenario that the player needs to weigh with a lot of thought.
Comment

Pro
 New lighting system

Before the original Dark Souls II was released the developer had shown off a lighting system where areas were pitch black and a torch was necessary to see. This was eventually removed before the release. Now with the release of the DX11 version, DARK SOULS II: Scholar of the First Sin is able to actually have this lighting system working on par with what was shown of years ago pre-release. Many areas will now be completely dark and in order to traverse them the player will need to use a torch to see and light static torches throughout the level to keep it lit. This will then allow the player to go through the level without the aid of the torch in order to battle all enemies that lay within. This overhauled lighting system creates a whole new play mechanic that will force players to tackle levels in a completely different manner than the original game.
Comment

Con
 Difficulty that requires a lot of time and patience

To be honest, difficult is a nice way of putting it, this game can destroy ones will to live. It is not even worth counting how many times one dies, as it will be in the hundreds if not thousands. Only through patience and sure determination will many reach the ending of the game. So much time is needed in order to replay many areas and bosses over and over in order to learn the exact timing and what moves to use that not many people can spare it. This is not a game for casual players, that is for sure.
Comment

Pro
 Incredible realism

While you go about your life in the game, you'll see little tabs on the side and be updated about the state of the world, even about stuff you aren't involved in, you'll see who is fighting who, who is at war, who won and lost a battle, who won a tournament. You can be attacked by anyone at any moment while traveling throughout the world, having a small, or big army can determine whether or not the enemy sees you as a threat. It feels like a very believable world.
Comment

Pro
 Tons of stuff to do

This game is a medieval enthusiast's dream, you can build up a huge army and fight for yourself, become king, be a vassal for a king, choose to be a wandering tournament fighter, a wandering fighter who takes down bandits, a bandit pillaging villages as they see fit, you can get married, and even get involved more deeply into the politics of the world. You can even join a group of rebels to try and overthrow a king, they will, in turn, then be the king of their respective realm. You can go to taverns, and feasts, as well as set up your own feasts after getting married. You can build your own mills, velvet factories, etc, and be a wandering merchant. You can even be a slaver if you wanted to, whenever you defeat bandits or others, you can capture them and sell them to random brokers, which gives you money. The possibilities are endless.
Comment

Pro
 Deep RPG mechanics

There are so many deep rpg mechanics in this game it's insane, you can level up with tons of different skills, improve weapon proficiency, as well as basic stats. There's also buying new weapons and armor, horses, etc. You can also upgrade your companion's skills, their weapons and armor, and their stats as well as weapon proficiencies. Basic infantry can also be upgraded to higher positions, upgrading them with better weapons and armor, as well as increasing their skills. There's also a morale system in place when you need to keep all troops happy, make sure you're well stocked with different varieties of food, etc.
Comment

Pro
 Impressive & realistic Combat system

The game has one of the most realistic medieval combat systems ever, and it flows very well. There are different ways to control swordplay as well as archery, blocks are done using the mouse and moving it in the direction of the enemy's weapon and clicking the right mouse button. Archery is very realistic is well and there is always a sense of accomplishment when you kill or even hit a target.
Comment

Con
 Horseback Archery is difficult

Doing archery on horseback is very difficult to pull off, not impossible, just very difficult, the realism is appreciated, though it's a bit too hard to hit a target when riding a horse.
Comment

Con
 No real story

The game does not have any real story, there is some semblance of a story early in the beginning of the game, with you choosing to possibly help out a merchant, but after that, there is no real story, you basically make your own destiny, but there is no set story that the game gives you, and therefore, there is no real narrative.
Comment

Con
 Brutal and unforgiving

You get captured, and that is it, your entire army is gone completely, you will lose all your gold, and a lot of the companions you had, you may even lose some of your inventory or equipment, this is especially bad when you play under the "Realistic" save settings, as the game automatically saves after every event, which means you've lost everything and there is nothing you can do about it.
Comment

Con
 Frame rate issues and crashing

Lords of the Fallen has suffered from frame rate issues and crashing since it's release. Various patches have been released to address these issues but they still remain to be an issue.
Comment

Con
 Last half of the game can be too easy

In the second half of Lords of the Fallen the player is able to accrue runes that allow for stat boosts, making the game arguably a lot easier that the first half.
Comment

Pro
 Easier than the Souls series

Lords of the Fallen has been pretty much modeled after the Dark Souls series with gameplay that is very similar. Though with LotF, the gameplay is a bit easier, with enemies not being as excruciatingly as tough. While the easier gameplay does make Lords of the Fallen more accessible, it is still a difficult game in it's own right.
Comment

Pro
 Arcade like combat

The combat in Lords of the Fallen is a bit arcade like in that it plays like a hack and slash more so than a tense combat parrying game. This makes for an easier to get into game.
Comment

Pro
 Risk and reward loot system

There is a risk reward loot system within Lords of the Fallen in where the player, the further they progress without saving, the better loot they will receive as drops. So depending on when the player wants to save can create a very tense situation when having not saved in over an hour and running low on health. It runs the risk of losing all of the players progress since last saved all for the hope of better items.
Comment

Pro
 Highly detailed graphics

Lords Of The Fallen features some very gorgeous graphics, something that really sets it apart from the game it takes its inspiration from.
Comment

Con
 Flat story

The story in Lords Of The Fallen never really explains much to the player, leaving the player feeling a bit disconnected from the game, not really caring about the characters or their outcome.
Comment

Pro
 Risk reward gameplay

The player throughout the game is always earning salt when defeating enemies. This salt is used to purchase upgrades and items in the game, so the more you have the more you can purchase. The thing is though that you can lose all of the salt you have collected if you die, and being that this is a difficult game, you will die a lot. The risk reward mechanic in this that you can either push on with low health, venturing into the unknown and possible death, but if you die, you will lose your money. This choice can be tough to make, but will constantly be on your mind, which elevates the risk of play.
Comment

Pro
 Deep combat

While this is a 2D platforming game, the combat is actually quite diverse, depending on what equipment one is using (and there is quite a lot of equipment). Players have a light and hard attack that each can be charged. They can also be combined to create combos, with some that may even result in some juggling of enemies. Being that this is in 2D, the controls for the combat is quite responsive and there is a good bit of verticality (since there is no third plane to worry about) thanks to the level layout and jump mechanics. All of this combines to make for some deep combat that is enjoyable through customization, speed and level design.
Comment

Pro
 Exploration based gameplay

The player does not start with much in items or story. It is up to the player to explore and figure out little by little what is going on in the game. This makes for an adventure that the player can be immersed in by filling in any gaps with their own imagination, which in turn allows the player to be invested.
Comment

Pro
 Huge selection of upgrades

The player earns salt by killing enemies in the game. This salt can then be used to purchase upgrades and new abilities for their character on a large spherical grid. This grid has many branching paths that cover just about any skill or ability one can think of for a dark fantasy game. Want to branch off into magical abilities, you are free to do so. Similarly, you can branch off into more of a fighter build. You can even create a hybrid build of fighting and magic to suit you. There is no limit to the choices you can make, which allows for a game that is highly customizable to fit anyone's playstyle.
Comment

Pro
 Good use of metroidvania level design

Metroidvania genre games tend to lock portions of the game behind elements that can not be traversed until a certain item or skill is earned. This makes for a world that requires a lot of backtracking and familiarity, meaning the player needs to keep track of all the areas they have already explored. Once a certain item or skill is found that will allow the player to get past what was once a road block, new areas can then be explored and the story can be advanced. The mechanic of this used to be to save space while elongating a game, but now is used as a way to get the player to feel connected and familiar with the world. There is also a pleasure to be found once new areas can be unlocked as it gives a sense of satisfaction that you are progressing past a point that you never knew when it would be unlocked.
Comment

Pro
 Interesting perk mechanic

There is a feature in the game called "creeds" that allows on to sign up for one creed at a time. These creeds will give you access to certain specific perks such as building out their sanctuary (of which each creed has one) where you can customize vendors of items, find new quest givers and access fast travel points. All of this offers a level of customization that can give the player advantages in the game.
Comment

Con
 May be too niche

The setting of the game is quite dark and may be draining to spend any significant amount of time in the world. The gameplay itself can be quite difficult as well, which means this may not be the game for everyone.
Comment

Con
 Difficult to know where you are

There is no map in the game, which is exacerbated by the fact that this is a 2D title. In 2D there is basically no way to tell where you are in relation to where you want to go other than from memory. This can be troublesome if it has been a few days since you last played, as you now need to remember where you need to go and where you have been and how that all relates to where you are now, all without being able to see anything other than what is immediately in front of you on the screen.
Comment

Pro
 Offers tactically challenging gameplay

The game is challenging and really requires co-op and communication in order to figure out the maps.
Comment

Pro
 Designed with co-op in mind

FORCED: Slightly Better Edition was purely designed for co-op, this game tests your co-operation.
Comment

Con
 Co-op first, singleplayer second

While the game can be played singleplayer (and many enjoy it that way), a lot of people find co-op the only real way to play the game.
Comment

Pro
 Beautiful art style

FORCED SHOWDOWN has a beautiful art-style that is very colorful and unique.
Comment

Pro
 Fun varied gameplay

The RPG elements combined with the battle mechanics and the deckbuilding make the core gameplay fun and varied creating a lot of replayability.
Comment
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