Why is Demolition Man one of the worst missions in GTA history?

There are only a few missions in the GTA series that could be considered as terrible as GTA Vice City's Demolition Man. It has all of the ingredients of a terrible mission. Clunky controls and a time limit help cement this mission as one of the hardest in the GTA series. It isn't just hard, but it's also boring. By its own merits, the mission isn't that hard, it's just a mission that irritates players.

Demolition Man is unlocked early on in a GTA Vice City player's playthrough. Unfortunately for GTA Vice City players, it's completely different from everything else they've done thus far. This, in conjunction with a combination of other factors, has cemented it as one of the most infamous missions in the GTA series.

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Why GTA fans often hate Demolition Man

Demolition Man is Avery Carrington's second mission to Tommy Vercetti. It's also many players' first introduction to RC vehicles in the game (as well as controlling a helicopter up to this point).

Time limits are annoying

Some GTA Vice City players have seen this screen over and over again (Image via GTA Wiki)

Adding a time limit to anything is often seen as nothing more than artificial difficulty. While it does make some tasks more challenging, it also limits a player's freedom.

With less freedom comes less enjoyment. Demolition Man's time limit isn't unforgiving by any stretch, but it does run into another problem. Players at this stage of GTA Vice City aren't too good at flying helicopters.

Given the whole task involves flying an RC helicopter (RC Goblin as it's officially known), players are bound to make some mistakes here. Beginners can easily make a careless mistake, which only makes this mission feel even longer.

Simple tasks

Demolition Man can be summed up as "picking up a bomb and delivering it to its destination four times." Some destinations are noticeably higher up in the building, which can make some trips feel rather dull and lifeless at times.

Add in the fact that some players are bound to make mistakes, and one should realize that they're forced to re-do an unexciting task. There does come a point where players can beat the mission without much preparation, but it should be stated that it's still a hated mission among online communities.

Terrible reward

All of that effort for $1,000 (Image via GTA Wiki)

If players struggle with this mission, then they won't be glad to hear all of that time and effort was spent to get $1,000. There are easier missions in GTA Vice City that give a higher monetary reward.

Sadly, Demolition Man is available too early on in the playthrough to offer a meaningful reward. Raising it any higher would be too generous for those who can complete the mission on their first try.

Clunky controls

At least players would be done with this mission... (Image via GTA Wiki)

Other than the fact players won't be used to flying a helicopter at this point in the game, it's worth noting that GTA Vice City still has an archaic control scheme in general.

Demolition Man's awkward placement in the storyline, as well as its boring tasks and mind-numbing time limit, exacerbates GTA Vice City's bad controls further. So it's not surprising that Demolition Man lives on as a notoriously annoying mission within the GTA series.