Are games these days too long?

Just About Video Games - "Are games these days too long?"

Lanah Tyra · 2024-04-09T17:23:24.182Z

Saw a quite heated discussion on Xitter, but the topic is quite interesting so I thought I would ask what you guys think about it. Are games too long these days? Since the release of FFVII Rebirth I've seen many people complaining that they don't want to put over 100 hours into a game, it's too much open-world and they want 8-10 hours games with linear gameplay and story. Someone mentioned there are plenty of amazing indie games like that, but people then complained they want AAA studios to make games like these. So what do you think? Do you prefer shorter games or want to get the most for your money with as much extra content as possible?...

RichStaff4/5/2024, 5:33:42 PM

I used to love epic RPGs, especially open-world or semi-open-world (like classic Final Fantasies) with lots of side quests. And nothing about their appeal has changed, but I'm painfully aware of my increasingly squeezed leisure time and how completing 100+ hours of something like Baldur's Gate 3 either eats into other pursuits (such as healthy sleeping habits) or means lots of short, unfulfilling sessions stretched out over months, when what I really love about these kinds of games is diving deep for several hours.

Not to say that the industry should change its output based on my changing lifestyle, but I do understand why some folks complain about game length. I'm much more in the market for inventive, weird, super well-crafted 10-hour experiences than I used to be.

Makster 4/6/2024, 8:49:22 AM

Rich

I think it solely depends on genre just like film - an epic in the style of Ben Hurr wouldn't be in that genre if it came in at <90 minutes or an animated kids film that was close to 3 hours

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 11:26:00 AM

Rich

I definitely feel the less time to game problem. Most of my gaming time goes into FFXIV as I play that with my partner so it's our quality time together. I prefer longer games and don't mind if they take months until I complete them, but there totally have to be shorter games too, so there is something for everyone. Like Murrraaaay said below there needs to be a balance, and the length of the game shouldn't feel forced.

Sturmer 4/5/2024, 6:15:34 PM

If it's under 100 hours, you might as well consider it a waste of money! Just kidding.

MURRRAAAAY 4/5/2024, 6:24:16 PM

I think there needs to be a mix, i think the problem was where a lot of devs were trying to copy these massive big open world games for the sake of it when maybe the game didnt really warrant it, Gears 5 springs to mind for me, the open world bits were bland, empty, boring traversal & felt like it was added in to say it was open world like Horizon Zero Dawn which really was open world. The more Linear DLC for Gears 5 called "Hivebusters" was FAR better and went back to the more linear gameplay of Gears which had worked for it in the past.

Now especially with time constraints on everyone in the modern world (as we level up in age we dont have the time we did as kids) not every game needs to be 50 - 100 hours long or whatever, its nice to be able to get some games that are 10 hours or less, go on a great adventure, have a blast and finish the game then move on to the next one!

Thats why I mean variety is key, if it fits the creative direction of the developers and needs more time to cook, hell yeah make it a big game, but dont just pad it out with filler for the sake of it which I feel has happened a lot in the past!

Makster 4/6/2024, 8:47:58 AM

MURRRAAAAY

Yeah I do think that gaming does seem to follow trends for worse more so than better.

In the late 00's and early teens I feel that there was a trend to put multiplayer into everything especially after the success of Halo ODST firefight, COD WaW Nazi Zombies, and Gears Horde mode, games needed to have a co-op mode to it. Same with the open world component spear headed by Ubisoft and Assassins Creed but more so with Grand Theft Auto. And I think we are seeing the trend in more recent years with loot boxes, season passes, and Battle Royale type games. It think these trends influence game length more than anything

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 11:31:09 AM

MURRRAAAAY

Totally agree that there has to be a balance, and length or additional content shouldn't be forced just because "that other game has it too". I love FFXVI, I've done all the side contents, most of the quests were genuinely good, the problem there was that the 2nd part of the game was heavy with side-quest, which is understandable because that's when you know enough of the story to make meaningful sidequests, but even I was tearing my hair out towards the end that I just want to carry on with the story come on, but I also didn't want to miss out on the side quests 😂I think the NG+ in FF games helps with this, because you can do the story and a few side quests on first run, then complete all the side quests when you do it on hard mode for the trophies. But some people don't want to play a game twice. Can't please everyone in one game, so again variety is the key ^^

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Groblin 4/5/2024, 8:46:49 PM

For me I don't care how long or short a game is, all I want is for it to be fun all the way through.

I have played many games where all the quests just feel repetitive and unimaginative and the game would have been much better without them. Witcher 3 ended up feeling like that for me.

There are also lots of games that I have sunk many hours (too many if you ask my wife) like Stardew Valley and Watch Dogs 2 that keep me wanting more.

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 11:32:07 AM

Groblin

I agree, as long as the story is good and I'm having fun I won't judge a game by its length. A short game can be just as good as a long one.

Makster 4/7/2024, 7:52:59 AM

Lanah Tyra

The story of a game really is the glue that keeps me coming back. I was playing Ghost of Tsushima but dropped it because the story was too compelling and the gameplay (whilst fun initially) I saw the copy and pasted assets and mission modes/ side stories which really put me off. Compared to Yakuza where it is the same - copy and pasted assets (sometimes from game to game) but also mission modes (beat up this guy, buy this thing) but it's the humorous and bizarre side stories that made me want to keep playing.

I think people can parrot John Carmack's quote

Story in a game is like a story in a porn movie. It's expected to be there, but it's not that important

I do think that if the gameplay isn't that interesting then the story will have to do the extra work.

Paul 4/5/2024, 11:15:58 PM

I prefer a big game with a great story that takes a while to get through with lots to do and to explore.

I think people need to remember they dont have to finish the game in one week. There have been plenty of games I stopped playing for a while and then came back to a month or a year later and completed. They aren't going anywhere.

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 11:35:54 AM

Paul

Exactly how I see it. I think there is pressure on people because of social media, they try to rush finishing a game because otherwise they might see spoilers. Which is a shame, people need to be more careful how they post stuff, if the game is still fresh take the time to at least tag the post with the game's tag, so if someone is trying to avoid that content they can easily block it.

I finished FFXVI fairly quickly as I was really engaged with it and had enough time on my hands. Still haven't completed the plantinum though as I got other things to do, but will happily get back to it later, and I will still enjoy it as much as I did on my first playthrough.

I thought I would be rushing through FFVII Rebirth because I really want to see the story unfold and the similarities or differences compared to the OG, but the extra content is so good, that I decided to take my time with it. We need to wait years for the 3rd part of Remake anyway...

Paul 4/6/2024, 12:24:49 PM

Lanah Tyra

Spoilers are a definite problem. I managed to avoid them for the last of us p2 until I completed it a year after its release.

Makster 4/6/2024, 8:42:40 AM

Games shouldn't be held to the standard of $/hour. If we want games to be an artistic medium like music or film then it should merit it on quality alone. Key to this would be Portal and Portal 2 which I think have perfect lengths and are a close to perfect game in terms of craftsmanship, pacing, and introducing and executing new mechanics to the player.

That being said I do think it varies by genre. Counter to the above point, if I played the latest Persona or FF and it lasted 8-10 hours I would be disappointed and I'd think they'd rush a lot of the time needed to develop the characters, their relationships, and themes of the story. However if a shooter like Bioshock Infinite (something I beat recently) lasted 40+ hours, I doubt I finish it.

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 11:39:00 AM

Makster

Exactly, the length varies per genre, I like my RPGs long because I want to know everything about the characters, but I appreciate shorter games which can be a good way to wind down after work. And people who made the game deserve fair pay for their work, so the price of the game should definitely reflect the quality and amount of work put into the game, and not the length of it.

Makster 4/7/2024, 7:48:50 AM

Lanah Tyra

Before I got a 360 I was playing a lot of longer games: Red Dead 2, Yakuza Kiwami and Zero, Sakura Wars. All these games easily surpassed 15 hours and sometimes 30+ hours. So when I got the 360 I was actually looking forward to some 8-10 hour games i.e. shooters.

Titanfall 2 is an interesting case as it felt short but I'm unsure whether it's because the mechanics changed every couple of hours so once you got used to it, it was taken away again. It was a great game but still felt short.

EveOnlineTutorials 4/6/2024, 11:14:24 AM

For me it's not about the length of the game, it's about whether it can hold my attention, I love MMOS and the open world, but, a lot of them, it's the same stuff everywhere, especially in survival games.

My time to actually game is limited due to children/wife etc, but I think we need, as a gaming industry to work on "quality" of gaming over time, rather than "massive open world" that is boring to run around.

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 11:42:20 AM

EveOnlineTutorials

Exactly, I love open world as long as it's filled with meaningful things to do and isn't just there for the sake of it. I also appreciate games with replayability, where different decisions will lead to different outcomes and you can go and play the game again later without it being repetitive. These games can easily be shorter to complete, because you can have multiple runs on it which on the long run will add up nicely in hours.

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AlexGoesTheWorld 4/6/2024, 1:34:05 PM

And when AAA studios will do a 10 hours game, people will complain "it's 60e, they are shitting on me!". People complain about everything, if AAA studios do long games "they are too long", if they do them short "they are too short". Add to it that too many people want everything right here and now, without patience, without effort... and you're done.

I think the length should be right for the game. HZD is good to be long, Lego Builder's Journey is good to be short. I personally enjoyed both very long and very short games and games in between. I tend to have a slight bigger preference for longer ones so I picked the "long story with extra side content" in the poll but to be honest, when a game is great, it is great, whatever its length.

Lanah Tyra 4/6/2024, 1:48:54 PM

AlexGoesTheWorld

That's my choice from the list as well, as it defines my favourite games, but even a short, one hour game demo can be good if it's good quality and engaging.

Definitely all the heated discussions I've seen relating to this topic show how these days people complain about everything and want everything fast. And if you are part of a fandom long enough you will see people complain about one thing, then couple of months later the same people will complain about the opposite as well.

Makster 4/7/2024, 7:46:32 AM

AlexGoesTheWorld

I guess you gotta consider bang for buck. If at a restaurant you were paying premium prices but weren't full at the end of the meal then you'd be dis-satisfied with the experience. I do think that a shorter game is better than a longer game however. Take Assassins Creed 3 - people really enjoyed the boat combat but that was a small portion of the game (i.e. it was too short) therefore they expanded it with Black Flag. If a game is too long, it's difficult to judge how much to cut by

Konquest 4/7/2024, 2:21:02 AM

I’m constantly looking for open world games that are immersive and neverending. I love the sims series because it gives freedom to tell your own stories but I also love action games with survival elements. At times when there are no quests at all and your creative juices run dry you get bored. So my dream game would be GTA Online + Sims + Skyrim + Fallout 4 in one with repeatable radiant quests 🤣 I know it might sound like a second life kind of game. But strangely I dislike second life sort of games.

Lanah Tyra 4/7/2024, 7:07:12 AM

Konquest

That would be a very interesting game indeed :D

Makster 4/7/2024, 7:44:13 AM

Konquest

Sounds like MetaQuest. But I know what you mean... I think there are Grand Theft Auto role play servers and DayZ (the pre-cursor of PUBG Battlegrounds) had really good immersive survival modes.

BoomerMod4/7/2024, 7:41:21 PM

I just realised I typed up a reply yesterday, but I closed the tab without posting it! 😩

It feels strange that people complain about Final Fantasy games being long, as that's the reputation they have!

Shorter games are becoming more appealing as I get older. There are more things competing for time, like family, social life, a career etc., so being able to play a game in short bursts and finish in a week is perfect!

That being said, I do like to have a long / live service game I can return to over a longer period of time.

Lanah Tyra 4/7/2024, 8:37:50 PM

Boomer

There's nothing wrong with short games, and they are getting very popular for the exact reasons you mention. But to criticise a franchise for being long which is known for being long... I'll never get it.