10 Infuriating Levels That Almost Derailed Great Video Games

8. A Quiet Exit - Metal Gear Solid V

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The entirety of MGS V's second chapter randomly threw in huge, barely-tied-together plot developments between repeated missions from Chapter 1, which is how you ended up with teammate Quiet being suddenly taken away from you.

Late on, a mission pops up informing you that you have to save her from an enemy fortress, which in theory should be the kind of explosive set-piece director Hideo Kojima does so well.

Unfortunately, despite a strong start, a good chunk of the mission is spent hunkered down and sniping wave after wave of incoming tanks. Tanks have always been formidable opponents in the MSG series, but here the developers to crazy with them. Every time you think you're done, a brand new batch of armoured vehicles roll over the hill, as you repeat the same hide-and-shoot formula while keeping your rockets stocked up.

It's just so boring, and no amount of cool, well-choreographed CG cutscenes can mask how uninspired the mission's design actually is. And then, for no real reason at the end, Quiet disappears forever.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.