History ThatOneLevel / Unreal

** '''[=WAR-OnyxCoast=]''' from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses''. It should be easy. Pick the Leviathan and start busting enemy nodes with your teammates covering your ass and doing the node building, isn't it? Well, no. Your enemy start with two Darkwalkers, which are slightly weaker but faster than your beast, and have the numbers advantage (4-to-5). Add to it the dumb Leviathan AI already mentioned, and you'll find yourself not being able to be anywhere while your teammates are stuck in the Levi and your enemies keep charging against your core.

* '''DM-KGalleon (Koos Galleon):''' In the PC version, at least. It's extremely intricate, with lots of obstacles, it has a lower floor where dodging is difficult, some weapons are in places that are hard to reach, and some passages are extremely narrow. Couple this in single-player with the fact that the "weapon stay" preferences are off[[note]]this means that once someone picks up a weapon, everyone has to wait X seconds for it to respawn and take it again[[/note]] and that [[GangUpOnTheHuman the bots will be more focused on shooting you than their enemies]], and you've got a really hard challenge, probably even harder than the final match. The console version of the map lacks the lower floor, so it becomes somewhat easier, but when you pair it with the [[PortingDisaster porting issues]], it becomes a hard match again.

** Swamp, the first level after retrieving the first [[MacGuffin artifact]], starts easy and nice, with you taking a walk over [[SceneryPorn the breathtaking swamps]] of Elara V to rescue a pair of marines. Then you move onto the second holding point and during five minutes you need to hold your own while hordes of Light and Medium Skaarj warriors tear you and your allies a new one. For the record, the clunky movement mechanics of Unreal II play against you while your enemies are faster, retain the leap attack from the original game, and their bolts have a big splash damage. Good thing that GameplayAllyImmortality is on your side for this mission, otherwise would be a quick NonStandardGameOver.

** '''[=DM-Diesel=]''' from ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' is a 2-on-4 Team Deathmatch match in a small map where you're paired with the worst member of your team against four of Iron Guard's best. Good luck getting the [[QuadDamage UDamage]] before they get it. The same can be said for the '''[=DM-Biohazard=]''' and '''[=DM-Deck=]''' missions from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'', except that those are optional missions and you may want to skip them.[[note]]If you're unlocking characters, you may miss Scythe by skipping Deck.[[/note]]
** '''[=WAR-Torlan_Leviathan=]''' from the end of [[GuideDangIt all but one of the Act II paths]], with your team possessing the Leviathan against the Krall and their two Darkwalkers[[note]][[GuideDangIt For one of these paths]], the Krall are replaced by Liandri robots; this of course doesn't mean that the mission is made any easier.[[/note]]. [[AllThereInTheManual The game's visual code]] calls this level an "[[VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004 Invasion-style]]" match for good reason: it's a completely and unfairly asymmetrical 4-on-7 match where your AI will be at its worst as you see all of your companions getting onto the Leviathan and making useless attempts at taking the nodes and the enemy base. Your only choice is grabbing the Leviathan yourself as soon as it spawns and deploy as close as you can between the objectives. It's on this scenario that you may want to play the Iron Guard Reinforcements or Tactical Diversion card if you have them. You WILL need them.

** '''[=WAR-OnyxCoast=]''' from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses''. It should be easy. Pick the Leviathan and start busting enemy nodes with your teammates covering your ass and doing the node building, isn't it? Well, no. Your enemy start with two Darkwalkers which are slightly weaker but faster than your beast, and have numbers advantage (4-to-5). Add to it the dumb Leviathan AI already mentioned and you'll find yourself not being able to be anywhere while your teammates are stuck in the Levi and your enemies keep charging against your core.
* '''[=WAR-Islander_Necris=]''' from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'': Remember the Islander level from ''Act III: The Liandri Conflict'' where you get a big bunch of Axon vehicles and your enemy only a pair of turrets alongside barricades placed in order to prevent vehicle invasion? Well, you start on the Turret side, and your enemy starts with a full array of Necris vehicles. If you cannot get the Orb to the Prime node and start busting the enemy core ASAP, you will suffer. A lot.

* '''Cellars at Dasa Pass:''' Not only is there a brutal segment where you have to fight a stone titan in a relatively small space, the level has several places (including the aforementioned stone titan fight) where you'll have to deal with endlessly respawning krall pairs (i.e there will be two krall, once you kill them two more will show up, repeat ''ad infinitum'') and, in a bit that seems just plain unfair, right before the exit there will be another respawning krall pair, which most players will probably assume is just like the others and look for another way to open the gate to the exit. However, ''this'' respawning pair has a finite number and the gate only opens once you kill all of them. The level is a pretty big GuideDangIt as well, with you spending a lot of time finding a new lever, flipping it, then wandering all over the level trying to figure out what the hell it opened.
* '''The Darkening:''' In your second run through the Mothership Core, after destroying the reactor and just before fighting the Queen, the power has gone out, leaving you fighting mutated Skaarj and clusters of Pupae while [[BlackoutBasement pitched in total darkness]]; you get the [[InfiniteFlashlight Searchlight]] right before this level, but despite the wide beam it's prone to causing tunnel vision. Ammo is at a premium, so if your stocks are low after the onslaught of Skaarj Lords and the Warlord boss fight in the reactor, you best remember the way to areas previously fenced off with force fields, as they're the only locations with supplies to be found.
* '''Inside UMS Prometheus:''' [[spoiler:The UMS Marine fight]]. Once [[PlayerCharacter Prisoner 849]] activates the Prometheus's transponder, nine of these guys will attack you, [[spoiler:either with the Grenade Launcher, the Rocket Launcher or the Combat Assault Rifle]]. Their damage output is upped for the fight, and no matter where you hide, they will find you, as the elevator to the lower levels is disabled. They also strafe so fast that your more powerful hardware is too slow to hit them reliably with. The one single bone the game throws at you is that they don't show up all at once.

* '''[=DM-HealPod][=]:''' The Dreamcast version, at least. Since your only source of health is the eponymous healing pod, which also includes a DeathTrap (at floor level some passages include a steppable button that triggers it), and your only source of armor is the Shield Belt, located in a small chamber, you better be good at timing, because the level is ''very'' unforgiving for unseasoned players, even with keyboard and mouse support. Hell, this is also true for the PC version, even if the map doesn't appear in the ladder.
* '''DM-Peak (The Peak Monastery):''' The last Deathmatch rung of the PC version. A Flak Cannon-friendly map with narrow passages and outer wooden bridges from which its easy to fall down. Even the most open areas don't give enough room for maneuver. And you have three other rivals to face. Have fun!

** '''[=CTF-EternalCave=] (Eternal Caves):''' The map shows why asymmetrical maps are very frown upon when it comes to online CaptureTheFlag play. Your team starts in a volcano-like area with a back route in order to escape with the flag for the enemy team. But the enemy team has a long and narrow bridge which ends in a platform which contains the flag, from which is easy to fall off, and which the enemy will take advantage of by Shock Rifling you from a distance. Both ways between the bases have narrow passages where you can (and will!) fall victim of splash damage attacks, and not even the Shield Belt (which is closer to your team's base than the enemy's) can protect you from some attacks. And there's no connection between both ways that don't involve translocating or impact-jumping, so you're screwed if you take the low road.

* '''AS-Overlord ([[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Operation Overlord]]):''' The map has the attackers infiltrating a base in order to disable the Long-Range-Cannon. The problem is that, in the initial area, attackers have access to only two weapons (Miniguns and Sniper Rifles) while the enemy can load themselves with anything from inside the base. In addition, the outdoors area has OneHitKill mortars and automatic weapons which pack quite the punch, a [[LeeroyJenkins careless]] player with a bad or lacking sense of timing is usually punished with a painful death. After the tedious task of infiltrating the base, the first indoors combat area has the defenders taking advantage of having the Flak Cannon on their side shredding down people who take the long road to the boiler room. Afterwards the attackers finally have a proper spawning point with adequate weapons and armor, however there's the matter of reaching the cannon area (with a single attacking point, expect being spammed with all kinds of explosives) and going through a long catwalk that's easy to fall off of until reaching the control room, which must be blown in order for the mission to end. Making matters worse, the area has constant earthquakes due to the big gun's recoil each time it shoots, which makes it even easier to slide off of the too-thin catwalk.

* '''AS-Overlord ([[[[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII Operation Overlord]]):''' The map has the attackers infiltrating a base in order to disable the big Long-Range-Cannon. The problem is that, in the initial area, attackers have access to only two weapons (Miniguns and Sniper Rifles) while the enemy can load themselves with anything from inside the base. In addition, the outdoors area has OneHitKill mortars and automatic weapons which pack quite the punch, a [[LeeroyJenkins careless]] player with a bad or lacking sense of timing is usually punished with a painful death. After the tedious task of infiltrating the base, the first indoors combat area has the defenders taking advantage of having the Flak Cannon on their side shredding down people who take the long road to the boiler room. Afterwards the attackers finally have a proper spawning point with adequate weapons and armor, however there's the matter of reaching the cannon area (with a single attacking point, expect being spammed with all kinds of explosives) and going through a long catwalk that's easy to fall off of until reaching the control room, which must be blown in order for the mission to end. Making matters worse, the area has constant earthquakes due to the big gun's recoil each time it shoots, which makes it even easier to slide off of the too-thin catwalk.

* '''AS-Overlord (Operation Overlord):''' The map has the attackers infiltrating a base in order to disable a big cannon. The problem is that, in the initial area, attackers have access to only two weapons (Minigun and Sniper Rifle) while the enemy can load themselves with anything from inside the base. In addition, the outdoors area has OneHitKill mortars and automatic weapons which pack quite the punch, a [[LeeroyJenkins careless]] player with a bad or lacking sense of timing is usually punished with a painful death. After the tedious task of infiltrating the base, the first indoors combat area has the defenders taking advantage of having the Flak Cannon on their side shredding down people who take the long road to the boiler room. Afterwards the attackers finally have a proper spawning point with adequate weapons and armor, however there's the matter of reaching the cannon area (with a single attacking point, expect being spammed with all kinds of explosives) and going through a long catwalk that's easy to fall off of until reaching the control room, which must be blown in order for the mission to end. Making matters worse, the area has constant earthquakes due to the big gun's recoil each time it shoots, which makes it even easier to slide off of the too-thin catwalk.

[[folder:''Unreal II: The Awakening'' (includes ''XMP'']]

!! ''VideoGame/UnrealI'' (includes ExpansionPack ''Return to Na Pali'')
* "Cellars at Dasa Pass": Not only is there a brutal segment where you have to fight a stone titan in a relatively small space, the level has several places (including the aforementioned stone titan fight) where you'll have to deal with endlessly respawning krall pairs (i.e there will be two krall, once you kill them two more will show up, repeat ''ad infinitum'') and, in a bit that seems just plain unfair, right before the exit there will be another respawning krall pair, which most players will probably assume is just like the others and look for another way to open the gate to the exit. However, ''this'' respawning pair has a finite number and the gate only opens once you kill all of them. The level is a pretty big GuideDangIt as well, with you spending a lot of time finding a new lever, flipping it, then wandering all over the level trying to figure out what the hell it opened.
* "The Darkening": In your second run through the Skaarj spaceship, after destroying the reactor and just before fighting the Queen, the power has gone out, leaving you fighting mutated Skaarj and clusters of Pupae while [[BlackoutBasement pitched in total darkness]]; you get the [[InfiniteFlashlight Searchlight]] right before this level, but despite the wide beam it's prone to causing tunnel vision. Ammo is at a premium, so if your stocks are low after the onslaught of Skaarj Lords and the Warlord boss fight in the reactor, you best remember the way to areas previously fenced off with force fields, as they're the only locations with supplies to be found.
* From ''Return to Na Pali'', [[spoiler:the UMS Marine fight]]. Once [[PlayerCharacter Prisoner 849]] activates the Prometheus's transponder, nine of these guys will attack you, [[spoiler:either with the Grenade Launcher, the Rocket Launcher or the Combat Assault Rifle]]. Their damage output is upped for the fight, and no matter where you hide, they will find you, as the elevator to the lower levels is disabled. They also strafe so fast that your more powerful hardware is too slow to hit them reliably with. The one single bone the game throws at you is that they don't show up all at once.

!! ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament''
* [[CoolBoat DM-KGalleon (Koos Galleon)]] in the PC version, at least. It's extremely intricate, with lots of obstacles, it has a lower floor where dodging is difficult, some weapons are in places that are hard to reach, and some passages are extremely narrow. Couple this in single-player with the fact that the "weapon stay" preferences are off[[note]]this means that once someone picks up a weapon, everyone has to wait X seconds for it to respawn and take it again[[/note]] and that [[GangUpOnTheHuman the bots will be more focused on shooting you than their enemies]], and you've got a really hard challenge, probably even harder than the final match. The console version of the map lacks the lower floor, so it becomes somewhat easier, but when you pair it with the [[PortingDisaster porting issues]], it becomes a hard match again.
* The Dreamcast version has [[EarlyGameHell the fourth level]], [=DM-HealPod][=]. Since your only source of health is the eponymous healing pod, which also includes a DeathTrap (at floor level some passages include a steppable button that triggers it), and your only source of armor is the Shield Belt, located in a small chamber, you better be good at timing, because the level is ''very'' unforgiving for unseasoned players, even with keyboard and mouse support. Hell, this is also true for the PC version, even if the map doesn't appear in the ladder.
* From the PC version is also the last rung of the Deathmatch campaign, DM-Peak. A Flak Cannon-friendly map with narrow passages and outer wooden bridges from which its easy to fall down. Even the most open areas don't give enough room for maneuver. And you have three other rivals to face. Have fun!

** CTF-Niven (Niven Experimental Lab) is a single-way 2-on-2 map. Single-way maps in CaptureTheFlag tend to be frown upon because of the lack of exit paths for flag carriers, making them easy prey of defenders, and there's no better (worse?) example of this evil than this. The only route connecting both flag bases with the middle area is a curved passageway where it's easy to get stuck and [=AoE=] weapons such as the Shock Rifle's combo and ball, the Rocket Launcher, the Flak Cannon's shells, the Bio Rifle and the Ripper's alternate (all weapons present in the level) have a strong dominance. However the enemy team has a Minigun in their base, whereas your team has just a Ripper, which lacks in comparison. And finally, once you're in the middle area, your only non-water route is a long ledge going around the reactor.
** As popular, legendary and iconic as it is, [[FloatingContinent CTF-Face (Facing Worlds)]] is this thanks to the sniping positions of the two bases having an open view of the spawning locations, allowing snipers to spawncamp opponents indefinitely and in near-total safety, and if someone ever manages to live long enough to grab the flag, they'll surely eat a headshot as they try to make it back to base. It's not unknown for there to be ''no'' flag captures during regulation time, and the game being decided by one single capture on Sudden Death/Overtime.
** Finally [=CTF-EternalCave=] shows why asymmetrical maps are very frown upon when it comes to online play. Your team starts in a volcano-like area with a back route in order to escape with the flag for the enemy team. But the enemy team has a long and narrow bridge which ends in a platform which contains the flag, from which is easy to fall off, and which the enemy will take advantage of by Shock Rifling you from a distance. Both ways between the bases have narrow passages where you can (and will!) fall victim of splash damage attacks, and not even the Shield Belt (which is closer to your team's base than the enemy's) can protect you from some attacks. And there's no connection between both ways that don't involve translocating or impact-jumping, so you're screwed if you take the low road.
* Due to your teammates being [[ArtificialStupidity incredibly incompetent]] at guarding objectives and the fact you can't be everywhere at once, [=AS-OceanFloor=] is a very difficult map to defend in. Your best hope is to finish the attack turn as quickly as you possibly can so you're not forced to defend for long.
* The last mission of the Assault campaign, [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII "Operation Overlord"]], is no slouch. It has the attackers infiltrating a base in order to disable a big cannon. The problem is that, in the initial area, attackers have access to only two weapons (Minigun and Sniper Rifle) while the enemy can load themselves with anything from inside the base. In addition, the outdoors area has OneHitKill mortars and automatic weapons which pack quite the punch, a [[LeeroyJenkins careless]] player with a bad or lacking sense of timing is usually punished with a painful death. After the tedious task of infiltrating the base, the first indoors combat area has the defenders taking advantage of having the Flak Cannon on their side shredding down people who take the long road to the boiler room. Afterwards the attackers finally have a proper spawning point with adequate weapons and armor, however there's the matter of reaching the cannon area (with a single attacking point, expect being spammed with all kinds of explosives) and going through a long catwalk that's easy to fall off of until reaching the control room, which must be blown in order for the mission to end. Making matters worse, the area has constant earthquakes due to the big gun's recoil each time it shoots, which makes it even easier to slide off of the too-thin catwalk.
* [[ThatOneBoss Xan Kriegor on DM-HyperBlast]]. Not only does the level take place on a small space cruiser where it's very easy to fall off and die, Xan ''himself'' can make this utterly and incredibly frustrating, as he'll likely obliterate you the first time you face him, and his favorite weapons can very easily knock you off the ship and into the abyss of space. The worst part of it is that Xan likes to hide, making it a violent hide-and-go-seek, and a very fatal one if you fail to constantly look behind you. Made easier by Xan's constant spewing of taunts, though, even if the way the game handles them means you can't use them to locate him.

!! ''VideoGame/UnrealIITheAwakening'' (includes multiplayer-only ExpansionPack ''XMP'')

%% !! ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship''

%% !! ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament2003''

!! ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004''

* Due to your teammates being incredibly stupid and the fact you can't be everywhere at once, any CTF level in single player quickly becomes an irritating hassle.
* [[EarlyGameHell The fourth level of the single player]], [[HighAltitudeBattle DM-1on1-Desolation]], is played with 5 bots. The level is small and cramped, with tight corridors because (as its name suggests) it's supposed to be played with ''two'' players rather than six, with lots of things in your way such as pillars, narrow passages (which makes them as frag bait when someone shoots with splash damage weapons like the Flak Cannon, the Rocket Launcher or the [=BioRifle=]) extremely few options to trickjump, and the only way to get some armor is by using the Booster adrenaline combo with enough health. There's also an [[QuadDamage UDamage]], which the bots will steal if you don't know how to time it well.
* The [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings "Bridge of Fate"]] maps from the Bombing Run and CaptureTheFlag ladders. Both maps are composed by the two bases separated by an abyss, joined by three very narrow bridges. The CTF match, in particular, makes returning with the flag a chore, even if you take the lateral routes. If you don't have trustworthy teammates covering your back, you're screwed. As for the BR rung, it's a chore for defense and getting the ball, mostly. Since the ball is in the central bridge, you need a good teammate located at the end of one of the lateral bridges so you can pass the ball. However, the AI isn't programmed for tactical positioning, and they'll go directly to the ball, so your best bet is for you to be the better positioned one and expect a bot to pass you the ball... making you the newest target of the enemy team. At least the BR match is switchable, however...
** ...said alternate map is [[HighAltitudeBattle BR-SkyLine]]. The map is composed of three towers, the two team ones, and a central one where the ball is located. The layout seems to be pretty straightforward, and in normal game settings there shouldn't be any problem. However, the map itself is low-grav (meaning that Shock and Mini hits have extra punch, and you're more vulnerable for homing Rocket and primary Link hits, while your air control is pretty low) and the entrances and exits to the central tower will be harsh, to say the least. Couple that with the goal being located inside of the team towers and most of the team spawns happening inside of this tower, and scoring becomes a hell of a chore.
* There's also the final Assault map, [[CoolStarship AS-Mothership]]. You and your team have to infiltrate a Skaarj mothership, including [[UnexpectedGameplayChange taking out its outer defenses and getting into its tiny entrance bay via spaceship]], where you can and will be [[CycleOfHurting aggressively shot down from every possible direction before you can retaliate]]. If you do manage to get inside, you'd think things would get easier once you're on your feet in familiar gameplay territory, right? Wrong. Expect to spend ages respawning over and over again trying to evade the AI's [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Instant Insta-Kill Rocket Launcher Attacks of Insta-Death]] long enough to wear down each fanatically-guarded node before the timer runs out (and, in the case of the last ones in the control room, ''even reach them at all''). Destroying the reactor core and completing the offense portion is a miracle in and of itself; when the enemy attacks they will be sure to bring their [[ArtificialBrilliance AI of Doom]] with them, [[FromBadToWorse rendering your defenses helpless as they tear through the very defenses they made nigh-impenetrable before]]. '''And this is on the ''[[NintendoHard easier]]'' difficulties.'''
* The final match, [=DM-HyperBlast2=]. It's a widened version of the original, meaning that you need to move a bit more to hunt down whoever is the leader of the best team in the ladder.[[note]]Depending on how well their teams performed against yours in the team ladders, you either face [[TheRematch Malcolm]] (Thunder Crash), [=ClanLord=] (Iron Skull Skaarj) or [[HesBack Xan]] (The Corrupt)[[/note]] Even on the lowest difficulty setting, they will religiously pound your ass. [[spoiler:There's a catch, though: since opponents dying to world hazards such as the void count as a kill for you if they flew into it from one of your shots, you can camp the Shock Rifle and Super Shield area, negating both of them to your enemy and getting relatively easy kills]].

%% !! ''VideoGame/UnrealChampionship2TheLiandriConflict''

!! ''VideoGame/UnrealTournamentIII''

** "Diesel" from ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' is a 2-on-4 Team Deathmatch match in a small map where you're paired with the worst member of your team against four of Iron Guard's best. Good luck getting the [[QuadDamage UDamage]] before they get it. The same can be said for the Biohazard and [[BossBattle Deck]] missions from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'', except that those are optional missions and you may want to skip them.[[note]]If you're unlocking characters, you may miss Scythe by skipping Deck.[[/note]]
** A very special mention goes for "Torlan Delta" (a.k.a. Torlan_Leviathan) from the end of all but one of the Act II paths, with your team possessing the Leviathan against the Krall and their two Darkwalkers[[note]][[GuideDangIt For one of these paths]], the Krall are replaced by Liandri robots; this of course doesn't mean that the mission is made any easier.[[/note]]. [[AllThereInTheManual The game's visual code]] calls this level an "[[VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004 Invasion-style]]" match for good reason: it's a completely and unfairly asymmetrical 4-on-7 match where your AI will be at its worst as you see all of your companions getting onto the Leviathan and making useless attempts at taking the nodes and the enemy base. Your only choice is grabbing the Leviathan yourself as soon as it spawns and deploy as close as you can between the objectives. It's on this scenario that you may want to play the Iron Guard Reinforcements or Tactical Diversion card if you have them. You WILL need them.
** "Dusk" from the beginning of ''Act III: The Liandri Conflict'' is a 4-on-6 Warfare match that requires you to NOT to be distracted with the Support Nodes (which just gives you access to the Cicada and the Shield Belt) and get to the enemy core and destroy it ASAP. Should you fail to do so, you'll be overwhelmed with hordes of Liandri Bots not giving you the chance to retaliate and attacking you from anywhere.
** Also from Act IV is the "Onyx Coast" mission. It should be easy. Pick the Leviathan and start busting enemy nodes with your teammates covering your ass and doing the node building, isn't it? Well, no. Your enemy start with two Darkwalkers which are slightly weaker but faster than your beast, and have numbers advantage (4-to-5). Add to it the dumb Leviathan AI already mentioned and you'll find yourself not being able to be anywhere while your teammates are stuck in the Levi and your enemies keep charging against your core.
* Act IV starts with "Islander Necris". Remember the Islander level where you get a big bunch of Axon vehicles and your enemy only a pair of turrets alongside barricades placed in order to prevent vehicle invasion? Well, you start on the Turret side, and your enemy starts with a full array of Necris vehicles. If you cannot get the Orb to the Prime node and start busting the enemy core, you will suffer. A lot.

%% !! ''VideoGame/UnrealTournament4''

** Finally [=CTF-EternalCave=] shows why asymmetrical maps are very frown upon when it comes to online play. Your team starts in a volcano-like area with a back route in order to escape with the flag for the enemy team. But the enemy team has a long and narrow bridge which ends in a platform which contains the flag, from which is easy to fall off, and which the enemy will take advantage of by Shock Rifling you from a distance. Both ways between the bases have narrow passages where you can (and will!) fall victim of splash damage attacks, and not even the Shield Belt (which is closer to your team's base than the enemy's) can protect you from some attacks. And there's no connection between both ways that don't involbe translocating or impact-jumping, so you're screwed if you take the low road.

* [[FloatingContinent CTF-Face (Facing Worlds)]], one of the first levels of the Capture The Flag ladder, can be this, thanks to the sniping positions of the two bases having an open view of the spawning locations, allowing snipers to spawncamp opponents indefinitely and in near-total safety, and if someone ever manages to live long enough to grab the flag, they'll surely eat a headshot as they try to make it back to base. It's not unknown for there to be ''no'' flag captures during regulation time, and the game being decided by one single capture on Sudden Death/Overtime.

* [[CoolBoat DM-KGalleon (Koos Galleon)]]. It's extremely intricate, with lots of obstacles, it has a lower floor where dodging is difficult, some weapons are in places that are hard to reach, and some passages are extremely narrow. Couple this in single-player with the fact that the "weapon stay" preferences are off[[note]]this means that once someone picks up a weapon, everyone has to wait X seconds for it to respawn and take it again[[/note]] and that [[GangUpOnTheHuman the bots will be more focused on shooting you than their enemies]], and you've got a really hard challenge, probably even harder than the final match. The console version of the map lacks the lower floor, so it becomes somewhat easier, but when you pair it with the [[PortingDisaster porting issues]], it becomes a hard match again.

* The last mission of the Assault campaign, [[UsefulNotes/WorldWarII "Operation Overlord"]], is no slouch- It has the attackers infiltrating a base in order to disable a big cannon. The problem is that, in the initial area, attackers have access to only two weapons (Minigun and Sniper Rifle) while the enemy can load themselves with anything from inside the base. In addition, the outdoors area has OneHitKill mortars and automatic weapons which pack quite the punch, a [[LeeroyJenkins careless]] player with a bad or lacking sense of timing is usually punished with a painful death. After the tedious task of infiltrating the base, the first indoors combat area has the defenders taking advantage of having the Flak Cannon on their side shredding down people who take the long road to the boiler room. Afterwards the attackers finally have a proper spawning point with adequate weapons and armor, however there's the matter of reaching the cannon area (with a single attacking point, expect being spammed with all kinds of explosives) and going through a long, easy-to-fall catwalk until reaching the control room, which must be blown in order for the mission to end. Making matters worse, such area has constant earthquakes due to the big gun's recoil each time it shoots.

* [[EarlyGameHell The fourth level of the single player]], [[HighAltitudeBattle DM-1on1-Desolation]], is played with 5 bots. The level is small and cramped, with tight corridors because (as its name suggests) it's supposed to be played with ''two'' players rather than six, with lots of things in your way such as pillars, narrow passages (which makes them as frag bait when someone shoots with splash damage weapons like the Flak Cannon, the Rocket Launcher or the [=BioRifle=]) extremely few options to trickjump, and the only way to get some armor is by using the Booster adrenaline combo with enough health. There's also an [[QuadDamage UDamage]], which the bots will steal if you don't know how to time it well. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the bots have a tendency of annoying you unless you react quickly.
* The [[Literature/TheLordOfTheRings "Bridge of Fate"]] maps from the Bombing Run and CaptureTheFlag ladders. Both maps are composed by the two bases separated by an abyss, joined by three very narrow bridges. The CTF match, in particular, makes returning with the flag a chore, even if you take the lateral routes. If you don't have trustworthy teammates covering your back, you're screwed. As for the BR rung, it's a chore for defense and getting the ball, mostly. Since the ball is in the central bridge, you need a good teammate located at the end of one of the lateral bridges so you can pass the ball. However, the AI isn't programmed for tactical positioning, and they'll go directly to the ball, so your best bet is for you to be the better positioned one and expect a bot to pass you the ball... making you the newest target of the enemy team. At least the BR match is switcheable, however...

* There's also the final Assault map, [[CoolStarship AS-Mothership]]. You and your team have to infiltrate a Skaarj mothership, including [[UnexpectedGameplayChange taking out its outer defenses and getting into its tiny entrance bay via spaceship]], where you can and will be [[CycleOfHurting aggressively shot down from every possible direction before you can retaliate]]. If you do manage to get inside, you'd think things would get easier once you're on your feet in familiar gameplay territory, right? Wrong. Expect to spend ages respawning over and over again trying to evade the AI's [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Instant Insta-Kill Rocket Launcher Attacks of Insta-Death]] long enough to wear down each fanatically guarded node before the timer runs out (and, in the case of the last ones in the control room, ''even reach them at all''). Destroying the reactor core and completing the offense portion is a miracle in and of itself; when the enemy attacks they will be sure to bring their [[ArtificialBrilliance AI of Doom]] with them, [[FromBadToWorse rendering your defenses helpless as they tear through the very defenses they made nigh-impenetrable before]]. '''[[NintendoHard And this is on the]] ''[[NintendoHard easier]]'' [[NintendoHard difficulties.]]'''

** A very special mention goes for "Torlan Delta" (a.k.a. Torlan_Leviathan) from the end of all but one of the ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' paths, with your team possessing the Leviathan against the Krall and their two Darkwalkers[[note]][[GuideDangIt For one of these paths]], the Krall are replaced by Liandri robots; this of course doesn't mean that the mission is made wany easier.[[/note]]. [[AllThereInTheManual The game's visual code]] calls this level an "[[VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004 Invasion-style]]" match for good reason: it's a completely and unfairly asymmetrical 4-on-7 match where your AI will be at its worst as you see all of your companions getting onto the Leviathan and making useless attempts at taking the nodes and the enemy base. Your only choice can be getting the Leviathan as soon as it spawns and deploy as close as you can between the objectives. It's on this scenario that you may want to play the Iron Guard Reinforcements or Tactical Diversion card if you have them. You WILL need them.

** Also from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'' is the "Onyx Coast" mission. It should be easy. Pick the Leviathan and start busting enemy nodes with your teammates covering your ass and doing the node building, isn't it? Well, no. Your enemy start with two Darkwalkers which are slightly weaker but faster than your beast, and have numbers advantage (4-to-5). Add to it the dumb Leviathan AI already mentioned and you'll find yourself not being able to be anywhere while your teammates are stuck in the Levi and your enemies keep charging against your core.
* ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'' starts with "Islander Necris". Remember the Islander level where you get a big bunch of Axon vehicles and your enemy only a pair of turrets alongside barricades placed in order to prevent vehicle invasion? Well, you start on the Turret side, and your enemy starts with a full array of Necris vehicles. If you cannot get the Orb to the Prime node and start busting the enemy core, you will suffer. A lot.

* [[FloatingContinent CTF-Face (Facing Worlds)]], one of the first levels of the Capture The Flag ladder, can be this, thanks to the sniping positions of the two bases having an open view of the spawning locations, allowing snipers to spawncamp opponents indefinitely and in near-total safety, and if someone ever manages to live long enough to grab the flag, they'll surely eat a headshot as they try to make it back to base. It's not unknown for there to be ''no'' flag captures during regulation time, and the game being decided by one single capture on Sudden Death/Overtime.

** ...said alternate map is [[HighAltitudeBattle BR-SkyLine]]. The map is composed of three towers, the two team ones, and a central one where the ball is located. The layout seems to be pretty straightforward, and in normal game settings there shouldn't be any problem. However, the map itself is low-grav (meaning that Shock and Mini hits have extra punch, and you're more vulnerable for Rocket and Link hits, while your air control is pretty low) and the entrances and exits to the central tower will be harsh, to say the least. Couple that with the goal being located inside of the team towers, most of the team spawns happening inside of this tower, and scoring becomes a hell of a chore.

* "The Darkening": In your second run through the Skaarj spaceship, after destroying the reactor and just before fighting the Queen, the power has gone out, leaving you fighting mutated Skaarj and clusters of Pupae while [[BlackoutBasement pitched in total darkness]]; you get the [[InfiniteFlashlight Searchlight]] right before this level, but despite the wide beam it's prone to causing tunnel vision. Ammo is at a premium, so if your stocks are low after the onslaught of Skaarj Lords and the Warlord boss fight in the reactor, you best remember the areas previously .

* The second visit to the Skaarj spaceship, just before fighting the Queen. This time around, the power has gone out, leaving you fighting nothing but Skaarj with shields and larvae in a cramped environment pitched in complete darkness. It doesn't help at all that, of course, ammo and medkits are extremely rare. If your skills with the dispersion pistol aren't top notch (and if you've skipped upgrades for it to turn it into something worth using), expect to die a lot.
* From ''Return to Na Pali'', [[spoiler:the UMS Marine fight]]. Once [[PlayerCharacter Prisoner 849]] activates the Prometheus's transponder, nine of these guys will attack you, [[spoiler:either with the Grenade Launcher, the Rocket Launcher or the Combat Assault Rifle]]. Their damage output is upped for the fight, and no matter where you hide, they will find you, as the elevator to the lower levels is disabled. They also strafe so fast that your more powerful hardware is too slow to hit them reliably with.

* [[CoolBoat DM-KGalleon (Koos Galleon)]]. It's extremely intricate, with lots of obstacles, it has a lower floor where dodging is difficult, some weapons are in places which are hard to reach, and some passages are extremely narrow. Couple this in single-player with the fact that the "weapon stay" preferences are off[[note]]This means that once someone pick up a weapon, everyone have to wait X seconds for it to respawn and take it again[[/note]] and that [[GangUpOnTheHuman the bots will be more focused on shooting you than their enemies]], and you've got a really hard challenge, probably even harder than the final match. The console version of the map lacks the lower floor, so it becomes somewhat easier. Of course, when you pair it with the [[PortingDisaster porting issues]], it becomes a hard match again.

* [[FloatingContinent CTF-Face (Facing Worlds)]], one of the first levels of the Capture The Flag ladder, can be this, thanks to the sniping positions of the two bases having an open view of the spawning locations, allowing snipers to spawncamp opponents indefinitely and in near-total safety, and if someone ever manages to live long enough to grab the flag, they'll surely eat a headshot as they try to make it back to base. It's not unknown for there to be ''no'' flag captures during regulation time.

Better get used to how and when to use each weapon's [[SecondaryFire firemodes]], [[ThatOneLevel because you]] '''[[ThatOneLevel will]]''' [[ThatOneLevel need them]].

* "Cellars at Dasa Pass": Not only is there a brutal segment where you have to fight a stone titan in a relatively small space, the level has several places (including the aforementioned stone titan fight) where you'll have to deal with endlessly respawning krall pairs (i.e there will be two krall, once you kill them two more will show up, repeat ad infinitum) and, in a bit that seems just plain unfair, right before the exit there will be another respawning krall pair, which most players will probably assume is just like the others and look for another way to open the gate to the exit. However, ''this'' respawning pair has a finite number and once you kill enough they stop spawning and the gate opens. The level is a pretty big GuideDangIt as well, with you spending a lot of time finding a new lever, flipping it, then wandering all over the level trying to figure out what the hell it opened.

* From ''Return to Na Pali'', [[spoiler:the UMS Marine fight]]. Once [[PlayerCharacter Prisoner 849]] activates the ship, [[spoiler:nine UMS Marines, three at a time]] will attack you. [[spoiler:They]] either come with the Grenade Launcher, the Rocket Launcher or the CAR. [[spoiler:Their]] damage output is upped for the fight, and no matter where you hide, [[spoiler:they]] will find you, as the elevator to the lower levels is disabled. [[spoiler:They]] also strafe fast, removing [[spoiler:their]] need to dodge, and forcing you to go outside in order to fight [[spoiler:them]].

* [[CoolBoat DM-KGalleon (Koos Galleon)]]. It's extremely intricate, with lots of obstacles, it has a lower floor where dodging is difficult, some weapons are in places which are hard to reach, and some passages are extremely narrow. Couple this in single-player with the fact that the "weapon stay" preferences are off[[note]]This means that once someone pick up a weapon, everyone have to wait X seconds for it to respawn and take it again[[/note]] and that [[GangUpOnTheHuman the bots will be more focused on shooting you than their enemies]], and you've got a really hard challenge, probably even harder than the final match.
** The console version of the map lacks the lower floor, so it becomes somewhat easy, averting this trope. Of course, when you pair it with the issues mentioned in the UT YMMV page's PortingDisaster entry, well... it becomes again a hard match.
* Due to your teammates being [[ArtificialStupidity incredibly incompetent]] and the fact you can't be everywhere at once, any CTF level in single player quickly becomes an irritating hassle.

* [[ThatOneBoss Xan Kriegor on DM-HyperBlast]]. Not only does the level take place on a small space cruiser where it's very easy to fall off and die, Xan ''himself'' can make this utterly and incredibly frustrating, as he'll likely obliterate you the first time you face him, and his favorite weapons can very easily knock you off the ship and into the abyss of space.
** The worst part of it being that Xan likes to hide, making it a violent hide-and-go-seek. And a very fatal one if you fail to constantly look behind you. Made easier by Xan's constant spewing of taunts, though, even if the way the game handles them means you can't use them to locate him.

* Due to your teammates being incredibly incompetent and the fact you can't be everywhere at once, any CTF level in single player quickly becomes an irritating hassle.
* [[ThatOneBoss Xan Kriegor on DM-HyperBlast]]. Not only does the level take place on a small space cruiser where it's very easy to fall off and die, Xan ''himself'' can make this utterly and incredibly frustrating, as he'll likely obliterate you the first time you face him, and his favorite weapons can very easily knock you off the ship and into the abyss of space.
** The worst part of it being that Xan likes to hide, making it a violent hide-and-go-seek. And a very fatal one if you fail to constantly look behind you. Made easier by Xan's constant spewing of taunts, though, even if the way the game handles them means you can't use them to locate him.

* The final match. The stage is Hyperblast, Xan's ship. Large, semi-confusing, Xan's love of shock rifles knocking you into space, and the low-gravity. You WILL hate this level.

* From ''Return to Na Pali'', [[spoiler:the UMS Marine fight]]. Once [[PlayerCharacter Prisoner 849]] activates the ship, [[spoiler:nine UMS Marines, three at a time]] will attack you. [[spoiler:They]] either come with the Grenade Launcher, the Rocket Launcher or the CAR. Their damage output is upped for the fight, and no matter where you hide, they will find you, as the elevator to the lower levels get turned off. They also strafe fast, removing the need to dodge, and forcing you to go outside in order to fight them.

* [[FloatingContinent CTF-Face (Facing Worlds)]], one of the first levels of the Capture The Flag ladder, can be this, thanks to the sniping positions of the two bases having an open view of the spawning locations, allowing snipers to spawncamp opponents indefinitely and in near-total safety, and if somever ever manages to live long enough to grab the flag, they'll surely eat a headshot as they try to make it back to base. It's not unknown for there to be ''no'' flag captures during regulation time.

* [[EarlyGameHell The third level]] is titled Hell. It's set in a factory on a cold planet. The memorable part? The. Enemies. Are. SPIDERS!!! Tiny ones that attack in groups as they crawl up to you & huge ones that leap across the room at you. To a player who suffers from arachnophobia, they will find themselves in a spot of trouble in Hell.

* [[EarlyGameHell The fourth level of the single player]], [=DM-1on1-Desolation=], ''from the Qualification ladder'', is played with 5 bots. The level is small and cramped, with tight corridors because (as its name suggests) it's supposed to be played with ''two'' players rather than six, with lots of things in your way such as pillars, narrow passages (which makes them as frag bait when someone shoots with splash damage weapons like the Flak Cannon, the Rocket Launcher or the [=BioRifle=]) extremely few options to trickjump, and the only way to get some armor is by using the Booster adrenaline combo with enough health. There's also an [[QuadDamage UDamage]], which the bots will steal if you don't know how to time it well. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the bots have a tendency of annoying you unless you react quickly.
* There's also the final Assault map, AS-Mothership. You and your team have to infiltrate a Skaarj mothership, including [[UnexpectedGameplayChange taking out its outer defenses and getting into its tiny entrance bay via spaceship]], where you can and will be [[CycleOfHurting aggressively shot down from every possible direction before you can retaliate]]. If you do manage to get inside, you'd think things would get easier once you're on your feet in familiar gameplay territory, right? Wrong. Expect to spend ages respawning over and over again trying to evade the AI's [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard Instant Insta-Kill Rocket Launcher Attacks of Insta-Death]] long enough to wear down each fanatically guarded node before the timer runs out (and, in the case of the last ones in the control room, ''even reach them at all''). Destroying the reactor core and completing the offense portion is a miracle in and of itself; when the enemy attacks they will be sure to bring their [[ArtificialBrilliance AI of Doom]] with them, [[FromBadToWorse rendering your defenses helpless as they tear through the very defenses they made nigh-impenetrable before]]. '''[[NintendoHard And this is on the]] ''[[NintendoHard easier]]'' [[NintendoHard difficulties.]]'''

** Diesel from ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' is a 2-on-4 Team Deathmatch match in a small map where you're paired with the worst member of your team against four of Iron Guard's best. Good luck getting the [[QuadDamage UDamage]] before they get it. The same can be said for the Biohazard and [[BossBattle Deck]] missions from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'', except that those are optional missions and you may want to skip them.[[note]]If you're unlocking characters, you may miss Scythe by skipping Deck.[[/note]]
** A very special mention goes for Torlan Delta (a.k.a. Torlan_Leviathan) from the end of all but one of the ''Act II: With Caesar's Coin'' paths, with your team possessing the Leviathan against the Krall and their two Darkwalkers[[note]][[GuideDangIt For one of these paths]], the Krall are replaced by Liandri robots; this of course doesn't mean that the mission is made wany easier.[[/note]]. [[AllThereInTheManual The game's visual code]] calls this level an "[[VideoGame/UnrealTournament2004 Invasion-style]]" match for good reason: it's a completely and unfairly asymmetrical 4-on-7 match where your AI will be at its worst as you see all of your companions getting onto the Leviathan and making useless attempts at taking the nodes and the enemy base. Your only choice can be getting the Leviathan as soon as it spawns and deploy as close as you can between the objectives. It's on this scenario that you may want to play the Iron Guard Reinforcements or Tactical Diversion card if you have them. You WILL need them.
** Dusk from the beginning of ''Act III: The Liandri Conflict'' is a 4-on-6 Warfare match that requires you to NOT to be distracted with the Support Nodes (which just gives you access to the Cicada and the Shield Belt) and get to the enemy core and destroy it ASAP. Should you fail to do so, you'll be overwhelmed with hordes of Liandri Bots not giving you the chance to retaliate and attacking you from anywhere.
** Also from ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'' is the Onyx Coast mission. It should be easy. Pick the Leviathan and start busting enemy nodes with your teammates covering your ass and doing the node building, isn't it? Well, no. Your enemy start with two Darkwalkers which are slightly weaker but faster than your beast, and have numbers advantage (4-to-5). Add to it the dumb Leviathan AI already mentioned and you'll find yourself not being able to be anywhere while your teammates are stuck in the Levi and your enemies keep charging against your core.
* ''Act IV: Calculated Losses'' starts with Islander_Necris. Remember the Islander level where you get a big bunch of Axon vehicles and your enemy only a pair of turrets alongside barricades placed in order to prevent vehicle invasion? Well, you start on the Turret side, and your enemy starts with a full array of Necris vehicles. If you cannot get the Orb to the Prime node and start busting the enemy core, you will suffer. A lot.

Better get used to how and when to use each weapon's firemodes, because you '''will''' need them.

'''NOTE:''' By their very nature of not being canonical/official, {{game mod}}s are excluded from this list.

* [[CoolBoat DM-KGalleon]]. It's extremely intricate, with lots of obstacles, it has a lower floor where dodging is difficult, some weapons are in places which are hard to reach, and some passages are extremely narrow. Couple this in single-player with the fact that the "weapon stay" preferences are off[[note]]This means that once someone pick up a weapon, everyone have to wait X seconds for it to respawn and take it again[[note]] and that [[GangUpOnTheHuman the bots will be more focused on shooting you than their enemies]], and you've got a really hard challenge, probably even harder than the final match.

* CTF-Face can be this, thanks to the sniping positions of the two bases having an open view of the spawning locations, allowing snipers to spawncamp opponents indefinitely and in near-total safety, and if somever ever manages to live long enough to grab the flag, they'll surely eat a headshot as they try to make it back to base. It's not unknown for there to be ''no'' flag captures during regulation time.

* The final match, [=DM-HyperBlast2=]. It's a widened version of the original, meaning that you need to move a bit more to hunt down whoever is the leader of the best team in the ladder[[note]]Depending on how well their teams performed against yours in the team ladders, you either face [[TheRematch Malcolm]] (Thunder Crash), ClanLord (Iron Skull Skaarj) or [[HesBack Xan]] (The Corrupt)[[/note]]. Even on the lowest difficulty setting, they will religiously pound your ass. [[spoiler:There's a catch, though: since opponents dying to world hazards such as the void count as a kill for you if they flew into it from one of your shots, you can camp the Shock Rifle and Super Shield area, negating both of them to your enemy and getting relatively easy kills]].

* [[EarlyGameHell The fourth level of the single player]], [=DM-1on1-Desolation=], ''from the Qualification ladder'', is played with 5 bots. The level is small and cramped, with tight corridors because (as its name suggests) it's supposed to be played with ''two'' players rather than six, with lots of things in your way such as pillars, narrow passages (which makes them as frag bait when someone shoots with splash damage weapons like the Flak Cannon, the Rocket Launcher or the [=BioRifle=]) extremely few options to trickjump, and the only way to get some armor is by using the Booster adrenaline combo with enough health. There's also an [[QuadDamage UDamage]], which the bots will steal if you don't know how to time it well. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the bots have a tendency of annoying you unless you react quickly.

* [[EarlyGameHell The fourth level of the single player]], [=DM-1on1-Desolation=], ''from the Qualification ladder'', is played with 5 bots. The level is small and cramped, with tight corridors because (as its name suggests) it's supposed to be played with ''two'' players rather than six, with lots of things in your way such as pillars, narrow passages (which makes them as frag bait when someone shoots with splash damage weapons like the Flak Cannon, the Rocket Launcher or the [=BioRifle=]) extremely few options to trickjump, and the only way to get some armor is by using the Booster adrenaline combo with enough health. There's also an [[QuadDamage UDamage]], which the bots will steal if you don't know how to time it well. Oh, and if that wasn't enough, the bots have a tendency of annoying you unless you react quickly.