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5 Worst Types of Video Game Missions, Ranked

Updated on December 2, 2021

As gamers, we often find ourselves rolling eyes over what some developers would class as entertaining. Missions that distract you from the story and spoil the immersion altogether, and basically any side activities that hold no real merit whatsoever in an otherwise compelling world. It's something we've seen countless times before, and yet still something we still have to comprehend for the sake of progressing through whatever tale it is we're locked into.

Like the saying goes: you can't win 'em all. And that's true. Not all missions will pack a hard enough punch to satisfy all players, just like how not every story will be a guaranteed showstopper. But certain mission groups, on the other hand, are just mentally draining, and a stain on the industry as a whole. Now, whether your agree or not — you can't deny that these five types of missions aren't at least a little frustrating.

5. Trailing

You know how it is. You've just spent a solid portion of a tutorial learning how to craft gear and string a few combos together, and you're hungering for the battlefield — ready to throw down with any foe that dares cross your eye. But there's a slight issue. That foe of yours isn't quite ready to face the music, and instead chooses to lure you into a monotonous trailing mission that adds next to no meat to the overall story whatsoever.

We're looking at you Assassin's Creed. Right in the eye, actually. The point I'm trying to make is this — nobody enjoys trailing a target for twenty minutes, only to be told that they need killing almost immediately after. Cat and mouse chases can be fun, but not when they're literally plastered in every other section of the game. It's filler, clear as day, and we're just not really into it.

4. Races

Races are a fantastic way to get the blood pumping and the in-game cashflow churning. That is, when you're actually playing a racing game, of course — and not something that thinks it can be such, whereas it's really just a point-and-click adventure and nothing more. And by that, I mean races that honestly have no place in certain games. Mafia, being one example of this. Games like that are built on heavy action sequences and fast-paced storytelling. But when a race pops up out of the blue, it tends to knock us back — and we really aren't always prepared to retaliate.

Obviously, if we wanted to play a racing game, then we would openly go out and buy a racing game. But these things tend to sneak up on you, and they're actually embedded in a lot of titles these days. Even Final Fantasy with the chocobo races brings out the worst in us. And, of course, it's nothing against racing games as a genre, but the races that hold no merit in otherwise fantastic alternatives.

3. Water

Just water. Anything to do with water in general, to be honest. There's usually a designated area in most video games these days that buries a pocket of tedious missions smothered in it. And that burning hatred, for many, started with the infamous water temple in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Since then, it's become a known thing — to have an unexplainable fear and unhinged anger towards anything to do with the big blue.

Don't get me wrong, water levels can be great. Let's not forget Subnautica, ABZÛ, as well as SOMA and BioShock, all of which have stunning underwater backdrops and connecting stories. But, like unwanted races, water levels that spring out of the blue don't tend to sit too well in our heads. They're infuriating in their own way — especially when there's a temple or some sort of forbidden treasure involved. Oh, and don't even get me started on the controls.

2. Escort

Nobody wants to lug around a pacifist named Barry through a horde of zombies. And yet, thanks to a few developers with a tongue-in-cheek humour — that's exactly what we had to do. We had to reel the ally in, convince him we could be trusted, and then escort him step-by-step to a safehouse of some sort. But what we really wanted to do, of course — was abandon him. Just, I don't know, leave him to the wolves.

Escort missions aren't a barrel of laughs, that's for sure. That's a known fact. And yet, contrary to what we keep telling video game developers — they still shovel them in by the truckload. A sidekick to aid us battle, yes — but a worn NPC with no combat experience and a knack for absorbing bullets, no. No, thank you. But despite our constant nagging and nitpicking, they still creep their ways into our games. Sigh.

1. Timed

Yes, it's timed missions. You know, basically anything to do with a clock or a countdown. It's one of those unforgiving things that annoyingly triggers lashings of anxiety from the moment it drops. And although many would argue that the thrills that coincide with a ticking time bomb are a joy to withstand, many would openly say that they are, in fact, quite the opposite.

It doesn't matter if there are sixty seconds on the clock or sixty minutes, because the second the game invites you to knuckle down and sprint for the goal — you're immediately slumped with more of a challenge than you can chew. They can be unpredictable, unfair, and sometimes, in all honesty — unbelievably cruel. But hey — what can you do? Well, not a lot, expect perhaps be quicker. A lot quicker. No pressure.

So, what about you? What's your least favourite type of mission? Let us know over on our socials here or down in the comments below.