Top 10 Hardest Video Game Missions of the Century So Far

#10: The Virus Sequence

NieR: Automata (2017)

NieR: Automata is amazing, but it has PLENTY of frustrating moments, especially during the third playthrough. One of the most frustrating sections has you controlling 2B during the painfully drawn-out Virus sequence. With a virus taking over, your vision is distorted, you're limping for nearly 20 minutes, most controls are locked, and a timer constantly ticks down. There are no checkpoints, enemies constantly knock you down, and the only guidance is a vague map marker. Miss your path and youll likely fall, get stuck, burn your house to the ground killing your whole family, move to Costa Rica, and start a new life... Possibly.

#9: Cortana

Halo 3 (2007)

Halo is one of the greatest series of all time, and its third entry is home to one of the most infamously difficult levels of all time: Cortana. Right from the jump, youre overwhelmed by the Flood, attacking from every direction with a mix of Combat Forms and the grotesque Pure Forms. The one silver lining? Its relatively short, so the frustration and chaos dont last too long, though for many players, even that felt like an eternity. Getting shot in the leg only takes a fraction of a second. Doesnt mean the pain doesnt stick with you for a long time. Just long enough to get hired by WatchMojo just so you can bitch about it.

#8: Recovering The Plans

Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005)

The original Star Wars: Battlefront II is often considered one of the greatest games ever made, but even a perfect plum is gonna have a super hard stone in the middle. Recovering The Plans aboard the Tantive IV is Battlefront IIs giant hard stone. The narrow hallways and tight corners make combat chaotic, even when you get to play as Darth Vader. Things only get harder as you progress, with an endless wave of Rebel troops constantly respawning in those tight spaces. To make matters worse, your stormtrooper allies stop respawning toward the end, while the Rebel AI just keeps coming. Do I need to tell you guys why thats frustrating?

#7: Code Talker Mission

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (2015)

In MGSV, Snake is tasked with locating the Navajo biologist Code Talker and extracting him. It kicks off with an encounter against the Skull Snipers, otherwise known as throwing you in the deep end. Youll need to outmaneuver or out-snipe them to get through. From there, Snake has to infiltrate a heavily guarded mansion and sneak into the basement. If you didnt take down the Skulls earlier, theyll reappear, possess the guards, and relentlessly pursue you during the escape. Its poo.

#6: Supply Lines

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004)

If you thought flying a full-sized plane in GTA3 was tough, then you clearly havent played Supply Lines in GTA San Andreas. This mission has you remotely pilot a tiny toy plane, and somehow, its the hardest mission in the game. The controls are awkward, sure, but the real problem is how fragile the plane is. It can be destroyed in seconds, and to make things worse, it burns through fuel fast. Run out mid-mission, and youre forced to restart from the beginning, no matter how far you got. That may have been the salt in the wound that solidified this mission in our minds.

#5: Hunting the Valkyries

God of War (2018)

This is less of a singular mission, but rather a collection of fights that count towards a larger quest. Hunting the Valkyries in God of War is tough because each fight is essentially a high-level boss battle demanding a pretty solid mastery of the games combat mechanics. Every Valkyrie has a unique moveset with unpredictable attacks that can end your fight in an instant. Their speed, aggression, and ability to chain devastating combos together leave little room for error. On top of that, limited healing options and the need to react on instinct make each encounter feel intense and unforgiving. The ultimate challenge, the Valkyrie Queen, combines all previous tactics into one hemorrhoid-inducing encounter.

#4: Through the Fire and The Flames

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (2007)

Okay, Im really stretching the definition of mission, but we cant make a list of moments that most players couldnt beat without acknowledging the hardest song in Guitar Hero history. Beating this song in Easy? Sure, achievable. Medium? Tough. Hard? You probably never finished it. Expert? Forget about it. This is as tough as a game gets, which is funny, because its Guitar Hero, not Dark Souls.

#3: Alien Autotopsy Part III

The Simpsons: Hit and Run (2003)

The Simpsons might not be everyones cup of tea, but theres no denying how enjoyable The Simpsons: Hit and Run was, becoming infamous as the longest begged-for remaster of all time... SERIOUSLY!? How has this not been re-released!?. In the final mission, Alien Autotopsy Part III, players have to deliver trucks of nuclear waste to an alien ship while racing against a tight time limit. Mess up and its game over. To make matters worse, the timer continues during the cutscene, so if you dont arrive with enough time to spare, youre doomed to fail right at the finish line. Its a frustrating end to an otherwise fun game that is infamous for stopping players from experiencing the ending.

#2: Mile High Club

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

The Mile High Club mission in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is tough, but were focusing on Veteran difficulty, the difficulty that has become infamous with gamers as one of the hardest difficulty modes available in a game. This particular mission is notoriously hard because it combines extreme time pressure with brutal enemy AI. You have just seconds to clear a cramped airplane filled with enemies who have pinpoint accuracy and can drop you in a flash. There's no room for error, every shot and movement must be perfect. Its overall fairly short, but its also fairly goddamn annoying.

#1: Pantheon of Hallownest

Hollow Knight (2017)

Marathon experiences are almost always the hardest things you can experience in a game, as they require focus for longer than 10 minutes, with some marathon challenges requiring the player to be locked in for hours. The Pantheon of Hallownest in Hollow Knight is brutally hard because it demands perfection across an incredibly long boss rush featuring nearly every major boss in the gameover 40 in totalwithout saving or healing between most fights. Even harder versions of bosses appear, requiring mastery of their patterns and reflexes. A single mistake can cost everything, forcing you to start over. And starting over is what stops most players from even attempting this bulls**t.