10 Most Brutally Hard First-Person Shooter Levels In Video Game History

6. TimeSplitters 2 - Atom Smasher

Time Splitters 2 is an underrated gem of a game, and while it isn’t usually thought of as being a particularly difficult FPS, one of its levels stands out for being more challenging than the rest. This mission, titled Atom Smasher, transports you into the role of a 007 Bond-esque spy circa 1972. Your goal is to defuse five bombs spread out through the level before they detonate.

While even the hardest shooters at least allow you to methodically take your time as you make your way through a level, the nature of the Atom Smasher mission forces you to be constantly forging ahead, otherwise you’ll run out of time and you’ll lose. Snipers seem to be able to hit you from anywhere, civilian scientists get in the way, and the final boss fight is the hardest of the entire game.

You have to deal with all these while making sure to conserve your health, else there is virtually no chance of you making it all the way through to the end. And with that timer always ticking down, you have to keep moving and not make a mistake. It’s a gruelling experience that requires both a steady hand and knowledge of the level design to win.