8 Video Game Missions That Most Players Hated

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When we start a new game, we’re usually looking for a certain experience – whether it’s just to have fun, feel something emotionally, or simply be entertained. We want to get lost in the game’s world, but sometimes, one particular mission can completely ruin that, becoming incredibly frustrating and annoying.

You know the feeling – that one level that just doesn’t fit, completely disrupting the flow and making the game feel different than it was before. It’s like a sudden stop that ruins the fun.

We don’t do these missions because we like them. We push through them, eager to finish and get back to the enjoyable parts of the game. It’s not about a difficult challenge – it’s just about getting past the frustrating bits.

I was in a pretty grumpy mood this morning, and you know what? I decided to embrace it! I figured it was the perfect time to rant about those game levels that just drove us all crazy. So, I’ve put together a list of eight missions that almost everyone seems to agree were absolutely infuriating to play.

8. MJ Missons

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 doesn’t simply continue the story; it builds on one of the most highly praised superhero games of the last few years.

The Spider-Man franchise is known for its exciting, fast-paced action, so players had high hopes for the sequel. They expected even more energy with two playable characters, Peter and Miles, and a roster of familiar faces – and the game largely delivers on that promise. However, the sections where you play as MJ frequently disrupt the thrilling Spider-Man experience, as they offer a very different, and less engaging, gameplay style.

What bothers me most about these parts of the game is how suddenly the speed and mood change. You’re quickly flying around New York City, then suddenly forced into a slow, drawn-out stealth section. It doesn’t feel like a natural part of the story; it feels like something you have to do before the game lets you enjoy yourself again.

Players often hurry through these parts of the game, eager to remove the mask and get back to normal gameplay.

7. Scouting The Port

GTA 5

Grand Theft Auto V players constantly debate their favorite character and heist, but there’s one thing almost everyone agrees on: the ‘Scouting the Port’ mission is terrible.

It’s frustrating because the job involves doing the same thing over and over with complicated controls, making it a really boring and annoying process. You end up spending a long time slowly operating a crane and moving containers in a way that’s incredibly repetitive.

This mission is famously frustrating – I’ve even heard of players abandoning replays of the entire story just to avoid doing it again. It’s really that bad!

Personally, this just doesn’t feel like something that belongs in a Rockstar game. While the game has slow moments before, like the yoga, those at least move the story forward. This feels like a meaningless chore that doesn’t even offer a small reward.

6. Water Temple

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

The Water Temple in Ocarina of Time is famously the most frustrating dungeon in any Legend of Zelda game, so it’s no surprise it’s on this list!

This level is famously difficult, and a rumor spread that it was actually glitched. Many players still believe that making a mistake with the water levels can permanently lock up the game and erase your progress. While this isn’t true, the level is incredibly frustrating, which is likely where the rumor started.

Even if you weren’t worried about messing up your game, the temple is frustratingly confusing. You’ll find yourself going back and forth through the same rooms over and over, and constantly stopping to change the water levels just to progress.

I replay Ocarina of Time annually, and even though I’m now familiar with it, experiencing it for the first time is a truly breathtaking and surprising adventure – especially considering its icy opening!

5. Harper Boss Fight

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7

This was the point when the Call of Duty community was completely baffled and wondered what the developers were doing. It felt like a seriously strange decision.

While Black Ops 7 wasn’t perfect, the boss battle with Harper really highlighted the game’s confusing direction. Harper, a popular character from Black Ops 2 portrayed by Michael Rooker, reappears during the campaign.

Instead of returning as a hardened warrior, he shows up as a massive boss during a bizarre, drug-induced hallucination. It’s as strange as it sounds, and many players felt the encounter was incredibly cheesy and poorly executed, with awkward dialogue and a confusing premise.

Black Ops 7 didn’t resonate with fans and ended up being the lowest-rated game at launch in the series’ history. Many players still have a hard time accepting that this game exists within the same storyline as the highly acclaimed Black Ops 1 and 2.

4. Hallucination Level

Max Payne

Dream sequences and hallucinations are frequently used in games, but the nightmare section in the original Max Payne is often considered one of the most poorly executed examples.

In this part of the game, Max moves through strange and twisted worlds. He follows faint bloodstains down long, shadowy corridors and across dangerously thin walkways, where a single mistake means falling to his doom.

A constant, echoing cry of a baby plays throughout, creating a spooky mood. However, what starts as atmospheric quickly becomes frustrating, as the gameplay relies on slowly repeating the same actions.

While it’s true the twist could be seen as serving the story – the main character is grieving and losing his grip on reality – the “it was all a dream” trope is generally a weak storytelling choice. This is especially true in a game like Max Payne, which is known for its incredibly polished and innovative gameplay.

3. Delicate Flower

Hollow Knight

If you’ve ever thought about replaying Hollow Knight to unlock all the endings, you probably paused when you remembered the Delicate Flower quest. It’s notoriously difficult – more challenging than any of the boss battles!

Okay, so the basic idea of this challenge is incredibly simple, but unbelievably stressful! You’re tasked with getting a super delicate flower all the way across the map to a graveyard. The catch? One hit from an enemy, or even using fast travel, and the flower instantly breaks! It really makes you explore Hallownest carefully and slowly, because you’re constantly worried some random attack will destroy all your hard work. It’s a tense experience, to say the least!

Man, this mission was a real nail-biter. I was holding my breath the entire time! And honestly, finishing it wasn’t even a fun kind of relief, it was just… exhausting. It was one of those quests where you have to just keep trying different things until something finally works, and it really tested my patience.

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It’s interesting that the developers recognized this quest was overly difficult. The sequel, Hollow Knight: Silksong, includes a similar challenge but makes it fairer by adding a time limit instead of requiring players to complete it without taking any damage. This suggests Team Cherry themselves felt the original quest was a bit too harsh!

2. Lava Race

Conker’s Bad Fur Day

When I first played Conker’s Bad Fur Day and got to the hoverboard race over lava, I genuinely thought I was failing miserably. I kept wondering if I was overlooking something simple that would make it work.

Actually, this race is a frustrating experience. The controls are awkward, and the game’s physics feel deliberately difficult, to the point where it’s incredibly irritating and makes you want to give up.

Honestly, playing this game is just… frustrating! The controls feel as all over the place as the levels themselves. It feels less about how good you are and more about just getting lucky with when obstacles appear and which enemies decide to chase you. You really need endless patience, and it’s the kind of game that just makes you want to throw your controller!

As a huge Conker fan, I can say the game is known for being really hard sometimes, but usually those tough spots have a pattern you can learn. Everything, that is, except the Lava Race. Ugh, that part is just relentlessly difficult, and honestly, it’s always been my least favorite. It’s just pure frustration!

1. Guarma

Red Dead Redemption 2

While some Red Dead Redemption 2 players genuinely liked the Guarma chapter, most people felt it was the weakest part of an otherwise amazing game when it first came out in 2018. Everyone loved the game up until that point.

Honestly, as a fan, I was really disappointed with this chapter. It completely pulls you away from the amazing open world we’ve all been exploring for so long and sticks you in a really restrictive, on-rails section. Plus, the story felt like it was being hurried, and the whole thing just went on way too long. It didn’t feel great after investing so much time in the game.

It’s easy to feel disconnected from what’s happening and just want to return to the main story, particularly because you’re nearing the end of Arthur Morgan’s journey.

I’ve heard this really interesting take on that chapter – apparently, some people think Rockstar wanted it to feel awful! The idea is, because the gang keeps messing up, you’re supposed to feel trapped in a terrible situation, and the game just expects you to push through it. Honestly, if you didn’t try to speed through the Guarma section, I don’t believe you!

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2025-12-23 16:44