What PS1 game’s difficulty spike felt intentional?

[killamch89]

Have you ever played a PS1 game that hit you with a sudden, brutal difficulty spike but it felt deliberate, not lazy? I’m talking about a moment that clearly tested skill or knowledge, not just a cheap wall. Which game did this best? Bonus if it made you respect the design more, not less.

[Scorpion]

For me, Mega Man Legends's difficulty spike felt intentional. The final boss battle against the Glyde and then Juno, after a relatively straightforward game, felt designed to truly test everything you'd learned. It was a brutal but satisfying mastery check.

[killamch89]

Resident Evil's first zombie encounter was brilliantly designed - the sudden shift from exploration to survival horror served as both difficulty spike and genre introduction in one moment.