Support NeoGAF

[rofif]

If I know the game will be 50h+, I am more than likely to say f it and replay some 10-15h long game like half life 2 or uncharted 4.
Embarking on a very long game feels like a heavy weight. I know it will be fun but when I think about it, it’s really hard to start a game like that.
And I have a lot of spare time.

Don’t you think games are bloated now? Why ff16 had to be 50+ hours long while it could’ve been an awesomely paced 20 hours long game. Mass effect games were each 20h. I can replay the whole trilogy in less time than bloater3 the wild bloat.
I prefer more replayable games. I always find something new when I replay souls games or uncharted. The experience is tight each time and I can find new fun if I want too.

 

[ReBurn]

The trick is to wait for sales and to stop caring whether you finish them.

 

[Kupfer]

It's okay, you don't have to play through all the games more than once if the first play through was worth the money.
I'd rather play 5 - 15 hour games than indulge in a Starfield. I can do that maybe once a year, if at all, especially since open worlds bore me too often now. I've also taken a hands-off approach to games that are too big and feel like work - I'm looking at you, Ubisoft. I don't even think about playing this kind of games anymore.
I have now started a second run through of CP2077, but that's a rarity for me. But I absolutely adore the atmosphere of the world and after nearly 3 years my body feels ready for a new run.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Souls games aren't exactly short you know. I think what you're looking for are tighter gameplay loops.

 

[RoboFu]

But you loved forspoken which is nothing but repetitive bloat.

 

[tommycronin]

Welcome to the end of the gaming era where ironically games never end.

 

[hemo memo]

I’m playing 5 to 10 hours games and having the time of my life.

 

[Buggy Loop]

Less Forspoken & Final Fantasy 16 rofif , more BG3 where every quests is an adventure with reward.

 

[Lunarorbit]

Now that games are $70 we all want value... and that mostly means increased game length to justify that increased spending.

I definitely agree that games are too big for me right now. Starfield looks cool. I only have 15 hours in totk. I've never tried cyberpunk but I've wanted to for 3 years. This is a me problem.

There's just too many games coming out nowadays. Not even in a fomo way, I just mean the market is so saturated that it's overwhelming and in a way a turn off.

 

[Sanepar]

I hate short games. for me a game should last min 20h but 50+ is ideal, that's why I prefer to play rpgs.

 

[Guilty_AI]

Less Forspoken & Final Fantasy 16 rofif , more BG3 where every quests is an adventure with reward.

He's prejudiced against "smart pc games" unfortunately

 

[TheDraconian]

But you loved forspoken which is nothing but repetitive bloat.

I wonder

 

[Heisenberg007]

Same.

Recently, I've been enjoying more <10 hours games (Ghostrunner, Miles Morales, Lost Legacy, etc.) than big bloated games -- unless they are games that I care about and/or super good (e.g., HFW)

 

[cireza]

Don't play such games ? That's what I do.

 

[Whitecrow]

As it should be.
It sucks, but noone except maybe Larian, knows how to make engaging RPGs anymore.

What's the point of having 100 quests and making an 200 hour RPG if the story, world and characters suck?
Devs have the wrong priorities these days.

 

[Drizzlehell]

I just stopped playing games like that for a while now. I even dropped Starfield after playing it for 4 days straight when it came out, not because I didn't enjoy it, but because the ever-growing list of quests to complete just started to feel suffocating and I had to check out.

I'm probably gonna revisit it in another month or so but in the meantime, I just stick to games that are short and sweet. That is also why I started reaching into that indie game well, there are so many games in there that are like that - fun gameplay, gets to the point quickly, and can be completed in under 10 hours, which is totally fine by me. I also recently got a used Xbox 360 and been catching up on some 7th gen games that I never played, such as Splatterhouse. That was super fun and it was also over in about 8 hours.

I usually chalk this up to my ADHD, though. I lose interest quite easily so I absolutely need a lot of variety in my gaming diet, and very rarely do I have the stamina to play just one game for more than a few days. The longest streak of playing just one game that I had in recent memory was with The Division 2, which I managed to stick with for about two weeks straight, and that was almost exactly a year ago.

 

[makaveli60]

Agreed. I choose a shorter unique adventure over a bloated long one any day.

 

[RagnarokIV]

I only really play reasonable length games now.

 

[RoboFu]

MGS on ps1 is a perfect poster child for a short but insaely great game. After i got the headband from beating it once I would just keep running through the game over and over again.

 

[BlackTron]

Now that games are $70 we all want value... and that mostly means increased game length to justify that increased spending.

I would pay more for a tighter game that removes all the padding and time wasting

 

[JohnnyFootball]

This is why Assassins Creed Mirage seems like a nice refreshing change of pace. I stress seems

Too many games indeed are about quantity of over quality.

 

[Roman Empire]

The trick is to wait for sales and to stop caring whether you finish them.

Made my peace with that this year. I probably gave up on 10+ games. I'll play what I enjoy, if I don't I just drop it. It's less one thing on my backlog.

 

[Kupfer]

But you loved forspoken which is nothing but repetitive bloat.

I wonder

 

[Drizzlehell]

This is why Assassins Creed Mirage seems like a nice refreshing change of pace. I stress seems

Too many games indeed are about quantity of over quality.

Yeah, I would still take that with a grain of salt, though. It's a Ubisoft game so what I'm expecting is more like: "instead of 300 hours, it's gonna take only 100 hours to complete!"

 

[Trunx81]

I finished my first run of Persona 5 with a little bit over 120 hours. When I read the counter, I couldn´t believe that I played for so long.

 

[ReBurn]

Made my peace with that this year. I probably gave up on 10+ games. I'll play what I enjoy, if I don't I just drop it. It's less one thing on my backlog.

Same. I stopped buying day 1 after too many disappointments and now I wait to buy until I'm reasonably sure I'll like it or it's cheap enough that it won't matter if I don't like it.

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

If I know the game will be 50h+, I am more than likely to say f it and replay some 10-15h long game like half life 2 or uncharted 4.
Embarking on a very long game feels like a heavy weight. I know it will be fun but when I think about it, it’s really hard to start a game like that.
And I have a lot of spare time.

Don’t you think games are bloated now? Why ff16 had to be 50+ hours long while it could’ve been an awesomely paced 20 hours long game. Mass effect games were each 20h. I can replay the whole trilogy in less time than bloater3 the wild bloat.
I prefer more replayable games. I always find something new when I replay souls games or uncharted. The experience is tight each time and I can find new fun if I want too.

I agree with you, I'm more or less unable to play long stuff because I have kids and don't have the extra 100 hours to spend on a game any more. Kinda sad but that's just how it is.

 

[StueyDuck]

As per my other thread... the bad long unnecessary bloated dialog designed to slow the game down is killing it for me.

Skip skip skip skip skip skip *5minutes later ...oh you want a necklace you left on the table next to you, *picks up ah quest done

 

[buenoblue]

Just put the game on easy and blast through it not doing any side stuff or grinding. I've done this a couple of times when I just want to lay back and relax and see the sights.

 

[Metnut]

You don’t have to finish long games. Play until it isn’t fun anymore and then move on to something else. You can always come back to it at another time.

 

[mortal]

OP, if you haven't already, I strongly recommend giving Armored Core VI a shot.

It has a level-based mission structure, and I consider it an antithesis to the current trend of huge sprawling game worlds that sometimes require 100+ hours to experience most of the content.
It has just the right amount of challenge without overstaying its welcome. It's also highly replayable with branching missions that lead to multiple endings.

The game's narrative may or may not be to your liking, depending on your taste, but I found that approach compelling and fitting for the tone.

 

[Con-Z-epT]

Just play something shorter that will keep your interest until you found fresh motivation to plow through a bigger game.

I also prefer games that focus more on replayability rather than paddling the length through more content.

 

[The Cockatrice]

Bloating depends highly on the genre/game. Is there nostalgia involved? Then I could easily play WoW classic for many hours if I wanted to, or replay Prey, Dishonored, Deus Ex games, etc. If its a game like Far Cry or AC? Never touch it ever again or avoid or very cheap cheap sale and even then I might abandon.

 

[Humdinger]

Yeah, I've been feeling the same lately. I have any number of games in my backlog that require huge time commitments. I just can't get myself to begin. I don't want War and Peace; I want a novella. I prefer shorter, more focused experiences.

Some of these games hook you into these long, drawn-out loops that aren't particularly fun, and yet keep you "engaged." It adds to their engagement numbers, but not to your fun.

 

[Lunarorbit]

I would pay more for a tighter game that removes all the padding and time wasting

Shawn Layden

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Now that games are $70 we all want value

Time the game makes you waste is not value, it's the opposite of that. Think of it this way: for $500 do you want a BJ from Scarlet Johansson that lasts 5 minutes or one hour one from a nearby street hooker?

 

[The Cockatrice]

Time the game makes you waste is not value, it's the opposite of that. Think of it this way: for $500 do you want a BJ from Scarlet Johansson that lasts 5 minutes or one hour one from a nearby street hooker?

I think he made the same point you did? THe more expensive the game the better it should be, but instead, Starfield for example, just wastes your time with so much useless filler that it's a fucking tragedy. Half the game are loading screens and useless dialogues that barely have any charm and are acted as if being spoken by an AI. Yes, we all want a BJ from Scarlet.

 

[Kupfer]

Time the game makes you waste is not value, it's the opposite of that. Think of it this way: for $500 do you want a BJ from Scarlet Johansson that lasts 5 minutes or one hour one from a nearby street hooker?

5 minutes, what dream world are you living in?

 

[Putyouinmyoven]

For me personally long games aren’t the issue, open worlds are. I’ll probably never play one again.

 

[Represent.]

Yes. Its why personally for me this year has been absolute doodoo gaming wise. Literally all the heavy hitter games this year are long as fuck. I enjoyed last year way more. This is one of the most underwhelming years I can remember in a while.

FF16
TOTK
Starfield
BG3

All ridiculously long and bloated games

SpiderMan 2, Alan Wake 2 both seem like a breath of fresh air. One of them will undoubtedly be my GOTY

 

[BlackTron]

Shawn Layden

Not that much more

 

[lh032]

Sekiro
Dark souls 3
Elden Ring
Armored 6

I did not complete all the games above, i think im stuck near the end of the game (probably 80-90% completion).
I am having fun, but when i cant get pass a certain bosses, i just give up and feel demotivated to continue the game.

And then I have a tons of backlog which played the game half way. Feels unsatisfied but its very hard for me to go back to these old games.

 

[Efren is G.O.A.T.]

I'm the opposite! I want long games!
1h for 1$ baby!

 

[Virex]

Just play something else that isn't going to paralyze you. There are plenty of games to choose from. Stop wanting to play a genre and bitch because that genre is known to have long games. Just as good as complaining that you hate swimming, but you keep on jumping in the pool.

 

[salva]

$70 USD / 10hr = $7 per hour. Pretty good bang for the buck I say, and not overly bloated

 

[Fbh]

Yeah these days if a game has a 50+ hours main story I'm probably skipping it unless it's made by a small number of devs which have shown me they can make long games that don't feel like I'm spending half of my time on repetitive bloat that's only there to increase the length.

Ultimately it's not really about how a long a game is but about how it gets to that length.

 

[StueyDuck]

Yes. Its why personally for me this year has been absolute doodoo gaming wise. Literally all the heavy hitter games this year are long as fuck. I enjoyed last year way more. This is one of the most underwhelming years I can remember in a while.

FF16
TOTK
Starfield
BG3

All ridiculously long and bloated games

SpiderMan 2, Alan Wake 2 both seem like a breath of fresh air. One of them will undoubtedly be my GOTY

I don't agree this year has been poop. I've enjoyed the time I've had with gaming and I wouldn't call any game bad or even ok, they've all been mostly good to great. But I agree it's been and underwhelming year

I feel there hasn't been anything special this year, it's all just iteration and things we've played 100 times before.

There hasn't been any outer wilds or death strandings or phasmophobias or valheims that have come out of nowhere and really felt new and inventive.

 

[kiphalfton]

Souls games aren't exactly short you know. I think what you're looking for are tighter gameplay loops.

The fuck are you talking about. OP literally didn't say anything about the souls games.

Edit:
Nevermind, at the very bottom. I was wrong.

 

[Sethbacca]

Now that games are $70 we all want value... and that mostly means increased game length to justify that increased spending.

This entire mindset is why modern gaming sucks. I'd rather have an absolutely banging 15-20 hour game over a mediocre 75 hour game.

 

[ProgenitorCastle]

I yearn for shorter games but with multiple entries in the same series like Megaman X, older REs, etc.