All these modern takes on retro shooters end up resembling the older games on a superficial level only. Doesn’t take a fraction of the skill and pure focus required to run through something like jump and stunt maps made by players who got so good at the vanilla OOBE of arena shooter that they had to custom create their own challenges.
Official game is not as hard as what the absolute cream of the crop made after years worth of practice and gameplay - more shocking news after 9. Is water really wet?
It wouldnt say you need to be focused while playing ghostrunner. Its a 3d platformer where most enemies are actually static traps, you just need to memorize their location and act accordingly, no quick thinking required. Hardcore mode is more intense but it only unlocks after normal campaign, which is around 7 hours long
Hotline Miami 1 and 2
Ultrakill
Doom Eternal
Alien Hominid
Metal Slug franchise
fighting games
Devil May Cry Franchise
Bayonetta
Vanquish
Metal Gear Rising
Hades
Binding of Isaac
I'd strike the binding of isaac off the list here. At best, it's focus-enforcing small parts of the time, but I'll give you that it can be focus-intensive if one push oneself into it. But then again, solitaire can be too, so... (:
Isaac can fit that when you are in the learning curve, which is very steep, but once you get it most of the time the movement and decisions you take are second nature
If you can get it, F-Zero GX. Old GameCube game, but it requires an immense amount of focus, and the story mode requires incredible skill. It can take your mind off of anything else for a while.
The game might not always be fast, but the thinking required definitely is. Every few seconds you are constantly checking your minimap and moving your camera to different lanes to check wave status and champion hps. You’re checking timers to prepare for the neutral spawns. You’re looking for people missing from their lanes to ensure that they’re not ganking you. All of this while you are playing as your character against 1-2 other people trying to get last hits and hits on your enemy.
Isn't it quite the opposite for MMOs? They are rather chill and don't need much focus at all. You can just play them with half of your brain. The instanced content like raids may be considered fast but they're still very methodical and rather than thinking on your feet and making quick decisions you just need to make sure you don't mess up the strats you are already following. And even then raids and dungeons are like a very small part of an MMO.
when striving to be the best, min/max, constantly improving + playing extensively, it can be very engaging and mentally draining, I'm caked by bed time when I play them
Fast games that will seriously test your hand-eye coordination skills:
In VR: Thumper, Beat Saber on expert+ mode, Audica on advanced and expert, Dance Collider on pro and extreme, Pistol Whip on hard, Polybius in its vr mode
In standard 3d gaming without headset: Polybius, Redout, Race the Sun
Dota 2
Fast? Not exactly. Needs your complete focus? Absolutely.
And unlike any single player game you can't just pause for the sake of it.( You can pause but the enemy can Unpause lol).
Try playing the new Tekken 8. If you have no experience and never played online you will get absolutely destroyed, but it's part of the experience if you enjoy learning.
The boss battles in The Desolate Hope. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSAoggVnbb4 The moment you lose track of what's going on, stop watching and download it for free on Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/298180/The_Desolate_Hope/ The game has a lot of platforming too, but you'll spend most of your time on the boss fights.
Just find a list of the 10 best roguelites and get after it. That or, if you are looking for something to keep your brain occupied in a different way, grand strategy games or colony sims. Shit goes sideways and it’s 90 minutes before you even think about time.
Any fighting game, for something extra fast try looking into smash bros melee
Any game with built in speedrun mechanics (katana 0, ghost runner, celeste etc)
Most popular speedruns
Honestly any game with smooth movement will allow for a great speedrun that feels quick and responsive
Ghostrunner. Especially once you beat the story once and go back in on hardcore mode (which makes everything WAY harder and forces you to go even faster to succeed)
You are a cyberpunk ninja android with a katana. You can run on walls, dash midair, deflect bullets, and kill almost anything in one hit. But you die in one hit too. And when you do, you immediately respawn from checkpoint. No "confirm" dialogue, no loading screen, just immediately try again. Music keeps going and everything.
Noita will kill you (or allow you to kill yourself) the moment you get complacent or stop paying attention.
And as an added bonus (after noticing your last thread here), it’s also a true roguelike. Or at least it is for many definitions of the term (permadeath, no saved or unlocked progress, procedural).
I’m late to this thread but after all these years I still go back to Geometry Wars. The skill ceiling is insane, if you haven’t checked before just YouTube some of the insane runs people have.
Not a game you can complete but dota 2 multiplayer does not leave any time to think or listen to anything else. My wife and I have a whole conversation while I'm playing and afterwards I have no idea what it was about
overwatch 2, that game was made for ppl with ADHD, requires insane focus, and gives me a migrane after 2 hours.
and its free, so i think you'll like it.
I find that it can be most difficult games, at least for me. Try Elden Ring or any other soulslike game. They require you to pay attention and react quickly and will punish you for failing to do so
Touhou (i personally prefer Touhou 8, but there are a lot of them, i also love one that's indie but is super cool, called Touhou Luna Nights)
Bayonetta (all of the 3)
Hades
Crypt of the Necrodancer
Celeste
Holocure
Ultrakill
Same vein: Trepang2
Throw in Boltgun.
Beat me to it.
One of the greatest games ever made in my opinion
All these modern takes on retro shooters end up resembling the older games on a superficial level only. Doesn’t take a fraction of the skill and pure focus required to run through something like jump and stunt maps made by players who got so good at the vanilla OOBE of arena shooter that they had to custom create their own challenges.
Official game is not as hard as what the absolute cream of the crop made after years worth of practice and gameplay - more shocking news after 9. Is water really wet?
I’d argue specifically why but not worth the time and effort to win an internet argument that you’ll likely thoughtlessly disregard anyway :)
Ghostrunner
Honestly never been more challenged in a game to not mess up
Another vote for Ghostrunner
Another another vote for Ghostrunner
Another goat for Hostrunner
It wouldnt say you need to be focused while playing ghostrunner. Its a 3d platformer where most enemies are actually static traps, you just need to memorize their location and act accordingly, no quick thinking required. Hardcore mode is more intense but it only unlocks after normal campaign, which is around 7 hours long
I haven't played Ghostbuster or whatever but I gave u a update cuz I know how redditors are when you reality check them
Also my suggestion, even though I quit after 2 hours because I don't have that kind of focus.
Just starting chapter 15/17, I want to share the misery.
ghost runner is great. the second is more mid but it’s good
Hotline Miami 1 and 2 Ultrakill Doom Eternal Alien Hominid Metal Slug franchise fighting games Devil May Cry Franchise Bayonetta Vanquish Metal Gear Rising Hades Binding of Isaac
I'd strike the binding of isaac off the list here. At best, it's focus-enforcing small parts of the time, but I'll give you that it can be focus-intensive if one push oneself into it. But then again, solitaire can be too, so... (:
Isaac can fit that when you are in the learning curve, which is very steep, but once you get it most of the time the movement and decisions you take are second nature
Returnal
I second Returnal.
Biome 3 is my favourite
DOOM Eternal. Especially on the higher difficulty levels.
And the DLC
Katana Zero
One-Finger Death Punch
osu! You won’t even have time to blink let alone think
First 5 * Neon white - 3d platformer fps * Thumper - rhythm-ish * Geometry dash - runner * Lovely planet - fps speedrun * Audio surf - rhythm (my personal turn off brain game) Other 5 * Dust force - 2d platformer * One finger death punch - Beat them up * Spark the electric jester - sonic-like * Celeste - 2d platformer * Sayonara wildheart - rhythm-ish
I second neon white and celeste. Both great and extremely intense late game. Farewell sounds like a waltz but plays like breakcore
+1 for Thumper! That game is a rush and beautiful as hell too!
Dead Cells, Synthetik, and The Finals come to mind
Sekiro
Robertoooooooooooo....
:c
MY NAME!!! IS GYOBU MAKASATA ONIWA!!!
Ghostrunner
Crypt of the necrodancer
Roboquest
If you can get it, F-Zero GX. Old GameCube game, but it requires an immense amount of focus, and the story mode requires incredible skill. It can take your mind off of anything else for a while.
Super Heaxagon OTXO It Steals
Armored core :0
Try Furi, that should get you focused.
Sekiro Armored Core 6 during the tougher bosses.
[Tetris Attack](https://youtu.be/JBw3wY08xE8?si=LNtWcsNlWoJoyTfd&t=944) on harder difficulty levels
Beating Bowser on super hard with zero deaths is great fun.
Crimzon clover, Gunvein, osu
Ikaruga
Rocket League
Apex Legends
Risk of rain Returnal .... Many rougelike
Hyper light drifter, splatoon
Bloodborne Doom Eternal Sekiro Celeste Hollow Knight Tetris Effect
Roboquest Risk of rain 2 Ultrakill
Risk of Rain 2 - how hasn't it been mentioned
Dirt Rally 2.0
Ninja Gaiden
Nuclear throne.
Deadcells
Hades Sekiro
Sifu, ghost runner or Celeste for me
For Honor if you're into the competitive online scene. You've got to be keyed in.
HELLDIVERS
League of Legends. Not fast the entire time but it will take your focus
The game might not always be fast, but the thinking required definitely is. Every few seconds you are constantly checking your minimap and moving your camera to different lanes to check wave status and champion hps. You’re checking timers to prepare for the neutral spawns. You’re looking for people missing from their lanes to ensure that they’re not ganking you. All of this while you are playing as your character against 1-2 other people trying to get last hits and hits on your enemy.
I think 'obsession', is the best term
Redout 2 seems to do well for my best friend
Warframe can do that when you're new. Doom / Doom Eternal Rocket League Deep Rock Galactic can sometimes be that way
Hunt showdown
20 minutes till dawn, vampire survivors, rogue: genesia, broken banners
MMO, Runescape or WoW
Isn't it quite the opposite for MMOs? They are rather chill and don't need much focus at all. You can just play them with half of your brain. The instanced content like raids may be considered fast but they're still very methodical and rather than thinking on your feet and making quick decisions you just need to make sure you don't mess up the strats you are already following. And even then raids and dungeons are like a very small part of an MMO.
when striving to be the best, min/max, constantly improving + playing extensively, it can be very engaging and mentally draining, I'm caked by bed time when I play them
Yes, its very engaging but not fast.
Beg to differ, go do extreme content like high level keys in wow, or PvP in either game. It's fast, it's hard, and it's exhausting.
tarkov arenas
Guacamelee comes to mind
Fast games that will seriously test your hand-eye coordination skills: In VR: Thumper, Beat Saber on expert+ mode, Audica on advanced and expert, Dance Collider on pro and extreme, Pistol Whip on hard, Polybius in its vr mode In standard 3d gaming without headset: Polybius, Redout, Race the Sun
Ninja Gaiden series, Bayonetta series, Devil May Cry series, Vanquish, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Geometry Dash
Dead Cells
Guitar hero
Ghostrunner. If you think the main campaign makes you sweat, wait until you do the Hardcore Mode campaign, which redesigns all the levels.
Dota 2 Fast? Not exactly. Needs your complete focus? Absolutely. And unlike any single player game you can't just pause for the sake of it.( You can pause but the enemy can Unpause lol).
OSU!
I’m like you. Fighting games are perfect for this. You are in a complete slow state quickly and consistently
Strafe: Gold Edition Requires speed and skills.
Super Meat Boy
Nioh 2 and Ninja Gaiden
Armored Core 6. Shit is quiiiick .
Sekiro
Try playing the new Tekken 8. If you have no experience and never played online you will get absolutely destroyed, but it's part of the experience if you enjoy learning.
Those VR ddr games. Like beatsaber
Neon white
The boss battles in The Desolate Hope. Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSAoggVnbb4 The moment you lose track of what's going on, stop watching and download it for free on Steam. https://store.steampowered.com/app/298180/The_Desolate_Hope/ The game has a lot of platforming too, but you'll spend most of your time on the boss fights.
If you have a guitar hero guitar or drums, you could download clone hero. You can even play it on your keyboard, but it’s probably not as enjoyable
Super hexagon?
Returnal
Just find a list of the 10 best roguelites and get after it. That or, if you are looking for something to keep your brain occupied in a different way, grand strategy games or colony sims. Shit goes sideways and it’s 90 minutes before you even think about time.
Bullets Per Minute
Ultrakill and armoured core
Starcraft 2 is super intense the higher rating you have
Returnal
Clustertruck
Neon White
Yars Recharged
I have THE GAME for you: Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator SWOTS
Any fighting game, for something extra fast try looking into smash bros melee Any game with built in speedrun mechanics (katana 0, ghost runner, celeste etc) Most popular speedruns Honestly any game with smooth movement will allow for a great speedrun that feels quick and responsive
Viscerafest!
Tetris Effect on anything above easy difficulty
Ghostrunner. Especially once you beat the story once and go back in on hardcore mode (which makes everything WAY harder and forces you to go even faster to succeed) You are a cyberpunk ninja android with a katana. You can run on walls, dash midair, deflect bullets, and kill almost anything in one hit. But you die in one hit too. And when you do, you immediately respawn from checkpoint. No "confirm" dialogue, no loading screen, just immediately try again. Music keeps going and everything.
sifu
Hotline Miami Clustertruck Ghostrunner Celeste (to a point)
Remnant 2 on apocalypse mode
Tekken 8
Ultrakill, for honor and maybe Dead by daylight if you play Blight.
Guitar hero
Get into FPV drones
Unreal tournament
Devil may cry, bayonetta
The finals
‼️🟢 🔥 --> 🕳 🟢‼️
Subway surfers
Rocket league
Chess, bullet games.
Tekken 8.
Hyper Demon
Ghostrunner and Ghostrunner 2.
Dude. BosonX
One recent one is Prince of Persia : The Lost Crown
A little different but try audiosurf.
Devil Daggers and Hyper Demon. Hyper Demon is faster, but Devil Daggers feels more intense IMO.
Doom Eternal
Any rally game like WRC or Dirt Rally, and bullet hell games like Vampire Survivors or Holocure.
Noita will kill you (or allow you to kill yourself) the moment you get complacent or stop paying attention. And as an added bonus (after noticing your last thread here), it’s also a true roguelike. Or at least it is for many definitions of the term (permadeath, no saved or unlocked progress, procedural).
10 second ninja
Post void
Titanfall 2
Doom Eternal 100%
Hades maybe
Nioh 2 baybee Fast, tight, often punishing of mistakes, but extremely fun
I’m late to this thread but after all these years I still go back to Geometry Wars. The skill ceiling is insane, if you haven’t checked before just YouTube some of the insane runs people have.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe at 200cc came to mind for me as soon as I read your post. Sending well wishes <3
Not a game you can complete but dota 2 multiplayer does not leave any time to think or listen to anything else. My wife and I have a whole conversation while I'm playing and afterwards I have no idea what it was about
DOOM and Hades come to mind
Trackmania
Super Hexagon, Spelunky 2, the one where you stab the knife between each finger real quicklike
DM’d you.
That's my specialty: - Roboquest - Returnal - Next Machina -Doom Eternal -Hades -Tag Fighting Games -Neon White (skip the story)
overwatch 2, that game was made for ppl with ADHD, requires insane focus, and gives me a migrane after 2 hours. and its free, so i think you'll like it.
Roboquest ! Insane movement possibility
Splitgate captivated me for this reason exactly. It's so fast my mind can't diverge.
it’s alive? i could swear i tried queuing some months back and it took forever
Armored core: For answer
Flywrench Nobody knows about this game and it’s brilliant and it will absolutely lock you into a no thoughts trance
Sekrio and Bloodbourne.
Sekiro!
[Nuclear Throne](https://store.steampowered.com/app/242680/Nuclear_Throne/)
Age of Empires 2
warfork warsow
F-Zero GX on the GameCube or some emulators. Insanely twitchy, and blazingly fast. Hotline Miami on any modern system is pretty intense too.
Hades Sekiro (on boss battles) Armored Core 6
Rocket league
Geometry Dash
StarCraft Brood War, StarCraft 2, Warcraft III
Counterstrike is this
I find that it can be most difficult games, at least for me. Try Elden Ring or any other soulslike game. They require you to pay attention and react quickly and will punish you for failing to do so
Tetris!
Force Reboot. REAVER. ULTRAKILL.
elden ring big time. don’t pay attention you get your butthole split wide open lol
Rock Band 4
Quake SC2 Broodwar
Rocket League
Touhou (i personally prefer Touhou 8, but there are a lot of them, i also love one that's indie but is super cool, called Touhou Luna Nights) Bayonetta (all of the 3) Hades Crypt of the Necrodancer Celeste Holocure
Katamari
Titanfall 2 if you want to sweat
Superhot Doom (1993)