Beating a Game in One Night

Loot Ninja writes:

"I recently had a Gears of War 2 marathon and managed to finish the game in under ten hours on the day it launched. When I told some people they laughed and thought I was nuts, some were even upset saying that I had cheapened the experience of playing through the title. I do not think I cheapened the experience, I played through and listened to the story and looked for COGs and extras, but still managed to finish the game in coop with a friend in the first day."

[VampHuntD]

If so I wish I had your job that would enable me to do such things with the many games I want to play currently....

Wait, you DO have a job right? And also, quit stating that you didn't "cheapen the experience" like a parrot.

[taz8080]

LOL, it was launched on a Friday which meant you could play all night until Saturday morning, didnt interfere with work one bit. SLeep yes, work no.

[VampHuntD]

I still wish I had that kind of time :)

[taz8080]

It was a rare occasion, typically that kind of time is not a luxury unfortunately.

[Voozi]

Took us 7 hours - 50 min lol on normal, still need to go back and get it done on Insane ;D

[The Matrix]

I'm a PS3 owner and lover. The other night I played the first Gears with my xbox loving friend. We finished it in one night. And I have to say that no game sucked me in like Gears of War. It was the most refreshing game I've played since I played my first PS2 game.

[Rofflecopter]

played it. loved it. only problems: alone, my roommate beat it in 6 and a half hours, so its still short. and you are never really fighting a ton of people like cliffy said i would be. also, the floor textures tend to be bland and the framerate sometimes stutters. However, the story is freaking amazing this time around and the gameplay is incredible. i loved this game! definitely managed to suck me in.

[Tomdc]

am i the only one who thinks its sad to play a game for 10 hours straight!?

check my disagrees and agrees for the answer i guess...

[Monchichi025]

I actually don't mind games being 10 hours...I actually kinda like it. LOL

Okay, let me first mention that I'm a casual gamer. I don't have all the time in the world to focus on games like I usto. So games like Gears, Halo, Mass Efect, etc... are perfect for me cuz I can actually have expectations of beating it.
Unlike a game like Fallout 3 which however great people will tell me it is, I won't buy it cuz I'll never be able to finish it! i mean by the time I'm fully into it, another Great game will be out!!! Anyways, that's my 2 cents as a casual!!

P.S. GEARS OF WAR 2 is INCREDIBLE!!!!

[Lifendz]

the Gears 2 campaign was long. Much longer than the last game.

[taz8080]

Playing a game straight thru is fine and does not alter the experience at all.

[greyishfox]

I beat the first GoW in my first sitting. I found it a bit disappointing to be honest, I expected more out of the gaming experience and was a bit let down. I end up chalking that game up to a rental, not a purchase.

[FantasyStar]

Are you talking about Gears? or God of War? Seriously, I'm a bit confused.

[Cocksmokingclerk]

Playing a game straight is good it keeps you entertained and keeps the story alive not forgetting parts.

[taz8080]

This is true, the story was kind of like watching a long movie to a certain extent in one sitting. Although the plot in Gears is a bit odd at times.

[greyishfox]

It's one thing spending a lot of time playing the game and going thru the story, its another to be able to finish it in one reasonable sitting. (12 hours max?)

[taz8080]

I wonder how much longer reviews will keep a blind eye to length of games, I wouldnt be surprised to see games start taking a hit in score pretty soon.

[VampHuntD]

It's already happened to tons of games, although from my notice mostly PS3 games. Take Heavenly Sword for an example. Great game, lost points in reviews for being short. Reviews take into account multiplayer too which means short games are ok if they have it. Which I think is crap cause a lot of people don't play online.

[PirateThom]

I'm yet to touch Gears of War 2 online (and probabaly won't since I hated the online in the first game) and I've already finished the campaign and, as much as I enjoyed it, I can't help but feel that there should be more, but I really feel no incentive to go back and play more.

That's a problem for me. Some games, I will play multiple times, but some just have no draw for multiple plays.

[fiercescuba]

Its faster than slaying boars in the forest for 2exp I suppose.

[taz8080]

THis is true, I could have spent 10 hours playing WoW and gained maybe 1 level.

[taz8080]

I think one play through did it for me also. I have no desire to go back and try to beat it at a higher difficulty jsut to see the same story again. Unless something brilliantly different happens at the end at a different difficulty, count me out. Online is good but that was not the main reason I got hte game.

[VampHuntD]

A. Are you the Loot Ninja Taz? You keep saying I in reference to the article. If you are and don't wanna tell in public, pm me instead :)

B. I agree, I won't replay a game on a higher setting just to do so unless I really enjoyed the game to begin with (Devil May Cry comes to mind). I'd prefer that I get some bonus for doing so rather than torturing myself just to say I did it, but if it's fun, I'll gladly do it.

[pswi60]

this why games like Oblivion and Fallout 3 are so important. Even GTA 4 to an extent. There is so much to do in these games, even if you want to stray from the main storyline in the game you can, and still have a great time. The problem with GTA 4 is that it's too repetative but Fallout 3 took care of alot of annoying things that plagued Oblivion like epic dungeon crawls and slow character progression. We need more developers like Bethesda and less "flash in the pan" games.

im not saying gears 2 is bad at all, its awesome. the scale is much bigger, its polished, but its on rails much like mgs4. are they epic games, yes...to short? yeah, for $60 definitely.

[BlackTar187]

that is to short booo. I paid 64 dollars for only 10hrs and thats not even a speed run.

Okay I love this game but does that sound familiar. ive been running around lately saying these type of double standards people seem to be okay with now thats its a game they like and bought.

bottom line is 10hrs is great as long as it was a fun 10hrs.

I will be playing this coop. and 10hrs of fun is not going to deter me like some of you who cant seem to figure out your wearing the same shoe on a differnt foot.

[Danja]

As is most ppl buy shooters for the Story mode...Online play is where it's at dude..

R2 story mode was great...but everyone knows the main selling points for R2/Gears 2 is online..cuz thats where you get unlimited replayability

[BlackTar187]

that is opnion so dont say how it is. That is open to opnion and ill leave it at that. Can you ref. what game i was saying this about? If so then you have your comment answered in the direction you were probably not aiming for when you replied.
I play MP all day so i know what you mean but that is still not exactly what i was getting at. Double standards. is all im pointing out here. thats its i love all the games that are out but im sick of the double standards and I hate that people can so blindy pass it off and not see that they are in fact the problem.
how long are the GeoOW2 cutscenes?

[INehalemEXI]

Personaly, no mater how good the online is I want my shooters to be rich in single player campaign/story as well. Adds to the value and expands the universe of the game. Which leads to greatness. 10 hrs however is acceptable and due to having so much to play right now its a good #.

[Bodhi]

Come on now, this isn't a RPG where it'll last you 60+ hours, it's a shooter.

How long did Perfect Dark and Goldeneye 007 on the N64 last you? It lasted me about 4-5 hours each and those were the greatest games ever.

Now the Campaign mode is 10 hours long, you're probably not playing the horde mode or the multiplayer if you're complaining right now.

Before someone mentions Resistance 2.

Gears 2 Campaign = 10hrs
Resistance 2 Campaign = 11hrs

Both are extraordinarily good games.

[Darkseider]

But I went through R2 in about 12 hours so it isn't that far off. Although I didn't play through in one sitting it was still only a 12 hour single player campaign. Could it have been longer? Maybe a couple of hours but anything more would have made the game more of a chore. Think of things this way as well. 12 hours for R2 = $5 for an hour of solo play. 10 hours or gears = $6 for an hour of solo play. In any case it is still a good deal. Plus you have the online multiplayer which adds to the value of the game.

[Blink_44]

So who cares? I beat the game in one sitting.
It took me 7 1/2 hours.

[etownone]

Beat the game in two days, about 10 hours of game time on Hardcore playing co-op.

awesome fvcking game!!! best co-op experience to date

[PikkonX]

This is one reason I haven't picked up Gears 2 yet. $62 is too much when I can beat it the same day I purchase it (like I also did with Halo 2 and 3) and I couldn't stand the multiplayer in the first title. I hear the online is much better this time around though.

[dachiefsman]

matchmaking is still dismal. It can take up to 5 mins to get into a match.

I don't understand why devs will not implement the Halo 3 matchmaking system. It is the best around.

[Halochampian]

if you have a full party, it takes about 5 secs to find a game.

but other than that,it is really slow.

[Expy]

The campaign wasn't supposed to be very long. It is beatable in 6-8 hours if you're quick about it.

[RebornSpy]

but that in no way cheapens the experience or whatever he's trying to say. My friend and I played 8 hours straight on coop hardcore, then rested for four hours and played for another 3. We finished that night by around 12. All in all, it took about 15 hours to beat it, and it was amazing. This guy must have played through on an easier difficulty or something, because I can't imagine playing through the game in under 10 hours, especially on my first playthrough.

I plan on playing many more times with different friends and on different difficulties, as there is so much more replay value in this campaign than the previous. Plus there is still Horde and multiplayer to check out, featuring bots and ghost cams.

I beat the CoD4 campaign on Christmas day(the day I received the game), and it probably only took me 8 hours, 10 tops. I spent many times that amount on multiplayer, though, and the campaign was still enjoyable. As long as it's fun and replayable, it doesn't matter that a game's campaign is only 10-15 hours long

[Halochampian]

my thoughts exactly.

[PS3n360]

A couple hours a night for me. you dont go to a nice restaurant and devour it in 10 minutes. I am just past the worm and I am really starting to get into it. Playing on hardcore is great the AI is pretty damn good with the exception of the odd locust being obviously def. Playing a year of MP on Gears 1 sure helps playing campaign on Gears2.

[SHaDoW6]

We're not in the 80's or 90's. Games cost what they cost, so get over it. The question here is are they worth it? YES, they are!!!
Games like Gears of War 1 and 2 are art. The storyline pulls you in to the game, your left speechless at the amazing graphics.
There is only one thing I can add..... Me and the wife went to dinner the other night, the tab for the 2 of us was $95 and it was over in about an hour. About the same time later I was crapping it out. So you tell me is Gears 2 worth $60 for 10 hours of gameplay, plus unlimited online.........damn skippy...

[rodellison]

My thoughts exactly.. 10 hrs+ of entertainment for ONLY $60 is a steal. For me its even worse - babysitter for 2 kids for four hours - $40. Dinner for me and my wife - between $60 to $100. One night out for just 4 hours of entertainment is well over $100.
If you throw in ANY extra entertainment time you get out of a games multiplayer, you're well into 20hours and beyond. $60 is a steal.
If you don't think it is..then you're probably still in your teens and haven't got a dose of real world yet.

[farhsa2008]

this is the DUMBEST thing you can do as a gamer, i repeat the DUMBEST thing you can do because it cheapens the experience 100%, games that i thought about playing months before they were released only to finish it within hours of buying it is so STUPID. I never finish a game in one day, hell not even a week, i take as long as possible because it makes the game that much more interesting to play and you get the full excitement from it, i still have yet to finish gta 4 yet i bought the game before every one of you one week before the release date, i still have yet to finish siren blood curse which i have had for two months, hell i still aint finished quantum of solace which i got a week ago and that gameplay lasts only 4 or 5 hours according to reviews. I cannot state how important it is to not finish games early, if you do this you DESERVE to be ripped off all your purchases in your entire life.

[hfaze]

You seem to think that running through a game quickly cheapens the experience, while others (like myself) do not feel the same way.

I ran through MGS4 in a weekend (mind you, two 12hr gaming sessions...), and had GTA4 beat in five days. I did not feel that this cheapened the experience on either one of these titles. With MGS4, I just couldn't put the controller down!! ;-)

If you feel like gaming in small doses is the best way (how else can you explain not having finished the GTA4 story line MONTHS after release), then good for you. But to try and convince others that this is the ONLY way to play? Pfffft... please...

[Lord Xire]

I find most shooters to be beatable in 1 sitdown.

CoD4, Resistance 2, Halo 3, Gears1, Gears2.

I tell you what tho when it comes to length the Tom Clancy games have it the best. R6V2, GRAW 1 and 2 takes a while.

CoD2 was lengthy also. I'll give it that.

[UnwanteDreamz]

If you want a game to last 20 plus hours you need to stop playing FPS most dont last too long. I thought everyone knew that.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

The only long shooters that come out are Half Life and RPG style shooters like Bioshock, Mass Effect, and Fallout 3. Those clock in around 15 to 200hrs of gameplay. Gears of War was about 4hrs long, so Gears 2 being about 9hrs, plus significant improvement in graphics and twice as much content. Not to mention the game is much better over the first, they mix it up well in Gears 2. Yesterday I hooked up my older 360 and my new one up to my big screen, slapped in Gears and Gears 2, hit split screen... and my mouth hit the floor. I'm not a fan of the multiplayer, although horde is fun, my online preference is just different from Gears or even Halo.

[Bathyj]

About 10 is normal these days. Everyone whined about it a year ago, but its the norm now for shooters and adventure games.

Remember games have so much more actual contentin them now like art assets, AI, texures. Everything is bigger and takes more space and time to create. It doesn't mean gametime will be longer, it just means the game will be richer for it, with more detail or whatnot.

[JUSTICEFORALL]

do you have a job? if you dont GET ONE

[Substance]

..unless it's an RPG or puzzle game. I remember beating Shinobi, Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, Megaman, Super Mario 1, 2, 3, etc. Most of these, beaten in less than 10 hours. Nowadays, I can still beat the NES Megaman in 45 minutes. Games were not long back in the days, they just didn't have save points and you have to start from the beginning everytime you power up your system. A 10 hour game is fine as long as it's memorable.

[dirtrider]

yea it is short but what a good time it is

[STICKzophrenic]

People should play on Hardcore and stop complaining about the length of the game. Of course it's gonna be quick if you play it on Casual. Enemies are dead after a few shots probably. Boring.

Play it on the harder difficulties, and learn some strategy about taking cover and conserving ammo.

I played it on Hardcore by myself on my first playthrough, and it took me a good bit of time...probably around 14 or so hours.

[PirateThom]

I played it on normal (like I play most games) and completed it in less than 10. I don't think length is the whole issue, I think it's the difficulty.

I have trouble with the first game on Casual because I suck at it, in Gears of War 2, the fact you can be revived by team mates makes it a lot harder to "die". In fact, that aside, I didn't have to continue until very late in the game and I wasn't in crawl mode until about half way through and there was only one time I ran low on ammo because the game was pretty generous in every area.

Honestly, I think Gears of War 2 was pretty much toned down the difficulty to make it appeal more to a more casual audience, which is why I'd say if you blew through the first on Normal, play Gears 2 on Hardcore. If you blew through Gears on casual play Gears 2 on Normal. It'll probably lengthen the game by ramping up the challenge, but I still think games should be longer and the length should be judged on normal mode.

[XxCYONIDExX]

Gears isn't even somewhat of a challenge until you play it on insane.

[truehunter]

This is why i love JRPG.

[ElementX]

Even though I hate Loot Ninja, I will comment because I can.

Beating a game in one sitting is stupid IMHO. If you're going to do that, you might as well rent it. I like to play a few games at once, so I can switch stuff around and keep it interesting. Right now I'm playing Resistance 2, Fallout 3, Dead Space, I also have Gears 2, LBP, Far Cry 2, and Fable 2, not to mention MGS4.

I mean, if you want to sit for 8 hours straight and blast through Gears 2, be my guest, however I feel like I'm cheated if I can't play a game over the course of a week or two before completing it.

[rockbottom3076]

On normal but still a very short but fun ride.

[InMyOpinion]

The good thing about Gears 2's campaign is that once you have finished it you want to replay it right away on a harder difficulty.