All articles tagged with #game length
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which takes nearly 50 hours to complete, is considered by its director Naoki Hamaguchi to be appropriately lengthy, though he promises the next installment will be more concise, aiming to balance storytelling and gameplay length as development progresses.
The author shares their personal experience playing Ghost of Yotei, highlighting how their new life with a family has limited their gaming time, leading to a slower, more immersive experience. Despite the time constraints, they appreciate the game's depth and compare it favorably to Ghost of Tsushima, noting it will take them at least a month to complete. They express enthusiasm for the game and its potential as a Game of the Year contender, emphasizing its quality and their enjoyment despite the slower pace.
A former Creative Assembly writer reveals that the increasing intelligence and evolving AI of the xenomorph in Alien: Isolation made the game longer and more complex than initially intended, suggesting that a future sequel might aim to streamline the experience.
Former Ubisoft director Alex Hutchinson revealed that Ubisoft intentionally added content to Assassin’s Creed games to increase playtime and delay resale, aiming to keep players engaged longer and prevent quick trade-ins, especially to retailers like GameStop.
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is a remastered collection supporting crossplay across all platforms, allowing multiplayer with up to eight players, but it does not support cross-progression. The game features 29 skaters, including unlockables, and offers a gameplay experience that can take approximately 25-35 hours to complete all achievements, with the most time-consuming part being the Solo Tour mode.
Donkey Kong Bananza, a highly praised Switch game, typically takes 15-20 hours to complete for a standard playthrough, but a 100% completion including all collectibles and challenges can extend to 50-60 hours. The game features 17 chapters with a total of 777 bananas to find, with many objectives locked until later stages or post-game.
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on Switch 2 offers a lengthy and immersive experience, with the main story taking around 50 hours, but full completion including all side content and collectibles can extend to 200-250 hours, making it a substantial game for fans and completionists alike.
Death Stranding 2, a larger and more detailed sequel to the original, offers a main story length of 40-60 hours for casual players, with full platinum trophy completion potentially taking 80-120 hours, depending on how much time players invest in unlocking all features and secrets. The game is exclusive to PS5 and features improved gameplay and a more coherent story.
Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD, now available on Nintendo Switch 2, offers a substantial RPG experience with a main story length of 35-45 hours, which can extend beyond 60 hours with optional content and gameplay adjustments like battle speed and encounter rate toggles.
Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden criticizes the trend of excessively long video games, arguing that 100-hour games are unsustainable due to rising development costs and a mismatch with the time constraints of modern gamers. Layden suggests that shorter, more compelling games could be a solution, as the current focus on lengthy gameplay and photorealism may not be viable for many studios. He advocates for games that are engaging enough to encourage players to finish them without requiring excessive time commitments.
Fantasian Neo Dimension, a remastered version of the mobile game Fantasian, is set to release on December 5 for various platforms including PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Developed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, the game offers a main story that takes 30-40 hours to complete, with additional content extending playtime to 80-90 hours for completionists. The game features new difficulty options and 4K support, enhancing its appeal to both new and returning players.
Mario & Luigi: Brothership, the latest Mario RPG for Nintendo Switch, offers a substantial gaming experience. A casual playthrough focusing on the main story takes about 35 hours, while completing optional side quests can extend the playtime by approximately five hours. This makes it the longest Mario RPG on the console, surpassing titles like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Super Mario RPG. The game features numerous islands to explore, with additional content available upon revisiting them.
Major League Baseball is likely to implement an 18-second pitch clock with runners on base starting in 2024, reducing game times by approximately five minutes. The change aims to bring game lengths closer to the ideal duration of 2 hours and 30 minutes. The decision lies with MLB, which has the majority of votes on the competition committee responsible for rule changes. In the 2023 season, the pitch clock reduced the average time of a nine-inning game by 24 minutes. Players prefer a uniform clock for all pitches, but they are outnumbered on the committee. The change is highly likely to happen next season, pending the committee's formal process.
Major League Baseball's competition committee is considering reducing the pitch clock from 20 seconds to 18 seconds with runners on base starting next year. The clock with bases empty will remain at 15 seconds. The committee is also discussing reducing the number of mound visits per game from five to four. The pitch clock was introduced in 2023 and successfully reduced game times, but the average length gradually increased as players adjusted to the new rules. Some players have concerns about increased injury risk, but the league has the power to implement changes even if players object. A final decision is expected before the start of Spring Training in February.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the upcoming RPG from SEGA's RGG Studio, is being touted as the largest game in the series so far, with a runtime longer than anything they've made before. Studio head Masayoshi Yokoyama wants to create a "festival" atmosphere around the game to get fans excited and willing to play through the lengthy experience. Yokoyama acknowledges that the game's long runtime may deter some players, but hopes to generate enough hype to overcome any hesitation. Pre-release gameplay and trailers have showcased the game's extensive content, including side activities like a hostess club and an island resort management game.