RPGs: The 150-hour Epic or The 15-hour Quickie?

Do we want quantity or quality RPGs?

It's all very well to be an achievement whore or even a completionist, but what happens when the RPG you're playing lasts barely 15 hours and clocking up points doesn't even raise a sweat? We feel cheated, that's what happens. But is plodding through a 150-hour epic, hitting milestone after milestone, a better alternative? Surely there's a compromise somewhere between the two.

[JasonPC360PS3Wii]

I want my choice of both, some I like long, some I don't. As long as there is a choice, it's cool with me the way it is now. Just don't go back to turn based, I'm spoiled by real time action RPG's.

[TitanUp]

i like the 25-70 hour rpgs 12 is too short and 150 is too long

[MK_Red]

I actually think both are wrong and a true and rewarding RPG should be long but not too long and the thing that matters the most is replayablity of it. You can finish Fallout 2 in 1 hour but you can play more and it won't end even after weeks and even if it does, you can try a new character with a new gender which changes a lot of things during the game. Try another path, another set of skills and different dialogue choices, the size of difference is has big as the distance between redemption of the world or complete destruction of humanity.

[Lotto]

I dont think a rpg can be to long.

[khellendros1]

RPGs are by far my favorite genre and I've noticed that 35 to 60 hours is about right. Anything less and you feel cheated and anything more you might loose interest.

[kwicksandz]

mass effect for example on my first play through i clocked it at 55 hours. perfect game length for an RPG imo

[LaChance]

Is way too long , Im student and dont have too much time to spend on gaming so 20 to 40 hours is ok.

[Dannagar]

I prefer around 20 - 40 hours. After 40 hours, I kind of get burnt out.

[Skerj]

Funny, I'm right in the middle of Devil Summoner right now and it's the title image. In any case any game I spend 150 hours on is well spent, because obviously the story and characters were engaging enough to trap my interest for that amount of time.

I know I've completed Xenogears about 9 times, lost count with ChronoTrigger, 90 or so hours in Vagrant Story, 150 hours in Front Mission 3, Persona 3 now has 169 hours in my second play through, and the rest of the SMT games get at least 60 hours of play time.

Even though Mass Effect's main story takes like 15 hours or so to complete, I ended up spending 40 hours in the game completing all the sidequests and levelling up.

I prefer the long variety though, it allows time for character and proper plot development, and usually the world develops too. But even that relies on the storytellers at hand, because I know of a few RPGs that take a while to complete but I just can't get into them.

[The Fungus]

It really depends on the RPG. If it has a great story, I want to get through that story as fast as possible while still having the story told to me in a good manner. It's like a book you want to hurry up and finish because it's just so good. The need to find out what happens makes you forget about power leveling and super special swords.

If the battle system is the games strongpoint, Then I can play the game until my character is maxed out and I have unlocked everything, regardless of the story. It's like jumping on a trampoline. Eventually you can do all kinds of flips and whatnot, but it really serves no purpose. It's just fun.

[VigorousApathy]

I think I speak for all RPG fans when I say all I want from an RPG is the customization and interactivity of Mass Effect, the replay value of Diablo, the length and nonlinearity of Morrowind, the graphics, storyline, and character quality of Final Fantasy, the character quantity of Suikoden, the class system of Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights, the epic scale of Chrono Trigger, the humor of Earthbound, the online experience of World of Warcraft, and the combat of Call of Duty 4.

[VigorousApathy]

I guess no one wants the things I just said. Well, I hope they don't get them then.

[Lucreto]

I agree with some and disagree with others.

I agree with Suikoden it is my favourite series and the epic scale of Chrono Trigger.

I disagree with the morrowind one as nonlinear on that scale can be too much. I have Oblivion played it for 60 hours and have no incentive to do the story. I prefer the Final Fantasy for the story and some side quests along the way are fine

[wowsauce]

It should have a 20-30 hour storyline and 100's of hours of potential gameplay either through replayability or side quests/exploration.

[The gaming GOD]

I can enjoy a 100+ hour rpg as long as it doesn't lose the fun factor. I can play a 15 hour short rpg as long as it's complete.

In other words, time isn't a factor. The REAL factor is quality

[iamtehpwn]

It should be as long as it needs to be in order to feel like a complete game. Ultimately, there is no definite answer, just depends on the game itself.

[Genesis5]

I don't know. I have about 450 hours in on Oblvion. I will usually play in between other games now. But I just picked up the Shivering Isles and I've been playing a lot more again.I think it's great. I never really get that bored with it. For an average RPG though. Usually around 100-200 hours is what I'll play.