Which is better: Short or long video games?

SlashGear - When it comes to video games, every player is different. Some gamers enjoy sitting down on the couch for hours and playing through an adventure game that might take weeks to complete. And each and every time, they complete it.

[scar20]

Long video games by a longshot.

[BeOneWithTheGun]

Agreed. Let's see, give me a 25+ hour game that allows for exploration, tons of combat and travel and the ability to revisit it for weeks on end before the final credit roll or a game that I can beat between breakfast and lunch on a Saturday.

Hmmm.

[-Alpha]

The issue though is that long games can and do drag out. Sometimes you lose complete interest, you get lost in the story, there are too many sidequests that you must do/the game makes you do all these tedious things and it all detracts from the main experience etc.

You could just as well spend the same hours in a short game as you do in a long game as a result.

For example, I thought I would play Dragon Age forever but got bored/lost too easily for me to care anymore.

I prefer both but they both have their strengths and weaknesses.

Short stories tend to be more condensed and keeps players engaged but of course, they are short and lack replayability for the most part.

It's all about how the devs work the game's story, gameplay, etc into the timeframe

I love my RPGs and my condensed/adrenaline rushed shooters.

[mikeslemonade]

I think the main difference is shorter games tend to be more polished than a longer game. Longer games have deeper gameplay mechanics.

[Dysmorphic]

To add to Alpha-Male's post:

Imagine if all games were 25+ hours in length. You wouldn't be able to finish them all! Sometimes it's nice to have that bite-sized chunk instead of a full course dinner.

[LORD-PHOENIX]

when the actual article doesnt mention killzone but does cod and medal of honour

whoever submitted the article must have believed they would get more hits by doing this...sad person.. use relevant pictures for gods sake

[darthv72]

If it is an RPG or action/adventure then I would prefer long-ish.

A space shooter (shmup) is a nice length of 6 or so levels. That is ok to be short.

Racing games and sports games really have no determined length because they generally lack any sense of goal. By that I am meaning you are not out to save a princess or save the galaxy. You just play the fields to get better to beat the other guy.

Same with racing. You hone your driving skills to take on the other guy. So...in the end. Long or short really depends on the type of game.

edit: I forgot FPS...that one I could take either way so long as the end result is satisfaction. There have been some short FPS games that are satisfying just as there are some that were long and unfulfilling.

[MariaHelFutura]

SOTC is one of the best games ever made and it can be beaten in 4-5 hours speeding thru it.

Good games are good games.

[BeOneWithTheGun]

Very good point, Maria. That is one exception. Bubbles.

[alphakennybody]

Not really, it depends on the overall experience. Like for example GOW3 and FF13, GOW3 was short but it was very satisfying experience from the beginning to end. FF13 on the other hands was long and felt like a chore to play in many occasions.

[jc48573]

masturbation can be short and satisfying, but sex gives you a longer and better experience.

[BeOneWithTheGun]

Well, to be fair...God of War on hard mode and not just "blowing" through it is not a short game. To me, I consider a short game 4-5 hours. GoW on hard mode with exploring and getting all collectibles took me twice that.

[IneedWeed]

FF XIII was short? I played 10+ hours and got bored, heard it was 35+ hours.

Short games can be better at times. GOW3 for me on titan and took 9 hours, pretty short for a 40GB, compare that to FF XIII 30+ hours so, it shows that GOW3 is 5x better than FF XIII at the least.

[visualb]

BeOne -

I played through GOWIII at least twice

Once on medium just to soak in the cinematic feel / the story / the epicness

another on hard to actually get the challenge / focus on combo's / get collectibles

a game like GOWIII easily warrants 2 play throughs:

One for the "narrative" story, one for the actual game. I enjoy the narrative on normal mode to keep things simple (if its a fun game)

I did the same with Uncharted 2. I usually start games on Hard, but in order not to turn it into a grind, I played it or normal to make the story streamlined without interruptions, then again as an actually challenge =)

adds loads of replay ability to a game, and it feels great too!

[showtimefolks]

castelvania LOS is over 20hrs

but that is why the game suffers in many way the devs wanted the game to be long that was one of their selling points. It had few issues and that is why the game is about 84 in overall rating

but let's say the game was about 12-15hrs long but they had more time to test the game out and more polish time that game could have easiley been a 95 overall

not saying the game was bad i bought it when it came out and liked it but saying THIS GEN WHEN A GAME GETS OVER A 9 IT SELLS MUCH BETTER

i don't look at reviews and make up my mind but many younger gamers do and so some good game suffer because of that

[showtimefolks]

but a lenght of the game doesn't decide if the game is good or not if its over 8hrs but the attention has gone into the right place chances are it will be good

too many times we as gamers just look at the lenght and say oh not worth it

bayonetta is about 8hrs yet darksiders is about 12-15 but bayonetta is a much much better game

god of war 3 is about 8-10 hrs but darksiders is 12-15 yet GOW3 is much better

not trying to hate on any game just trying to make a point long games doesn't mean better games

[wsoutlaw87]

i dont really understand why anyone would want a game shorter. If you loved a game for 6 hours like moh wouldn't you want to keep playing new levels especially for the same price. And there is nothing making you finish a game if you get sick of it. If the game is good then there is no reason to want less of it.

[TVippy]

Short games for sure.

[Quagmire]

A film like Inception is viewed in 2-3 hours, whereas a game like Uncharted is played in 8-12 hours.

Yet, they both offer the same amount of satisfaction.

Its not a matter of how long a game is, but how that time is used.

[BeOneWithTheGun]

Still, if Uncharted was a 4 hour game I would still feel short changed. It's one thing to charge half price for a short game but 60 bones is 60 bones. If you don't gamefly it's an investment when you purchase a game. Most games don't have a lot of replayability.

[muzzy]

I get more satisfaction from video games because they're interactive. No film can give me the feeling of being in control like Heavy Rain did.

Yet, don't get me wrong. Inception is incredible. The winter action part made me laugh in reminiscence of shooters.

[OhReginald]

its either short and sweet, or long and boring nowadays...

[GodHandDee]

Good games

A short good game is better than a long bad one, a long good one is better than everything else. Quality comes first imo

[pr0digyZA]

The best are probably the games that let you choose. Like Stalker, you can complete the game in 6-10 hours, but if you choose to do small side missions then it can become a lengthy experience. I think that's why I like RPGs because they give you so much choice.

[xDaRkModEx]

Long games that don't get boring after 5 hours of gameplay. DEPENDS ON THE GAMEPLAY!!!

[Bigbangbing]

Depends on the genre, I don't want a 10 hours long RPG, and I certainly don't wanna play a 20 hours long FPS of repetitive action.

[visualb]

how about a +20 hrs long FPS STEALTH RPG?! --> Why deus ex is so amazing =D

Deus Ex Human Revolution can't come soon enough =( (I hope its awesome)

[Kran]

theres only one way to find out..... FIIIIGGGHHHHTTTT

[jaosobno]

Long games, I like to get my money's worth.

[PrettyinPurple]

This is like comparing "Ferrero Rocher" to "Bread".

Few instances I want something long enough to be repetitive... Like sleepless nights or half-term holidays, and guess what, I wish they'd end sooner!

[Pandamobile]

It depends on the genre.

[InvaderZim]

Trick question? O_o

[Bolts]

Good games are rarely long enough while no one gives a damn if shit games are too short. So with that in mind it's pretty easy to say that long games are better.

[visualb]

12-15 hours (uncharted 2, valkyria chronicles, infamous, MGS2, etc) are sweet spots, and a perfect length IMHO

however a longer game (usually +30hrs) (RDR, elder scrolls, fallout, deus ex, demon's souls, Total War games) can work with some games, like a slow drink, but must keep your interest.

also shorter say between 8-10 hours (GOWIII, Heavy Rain, Dead Space, Resident Evil 5, KZ2, Half Life 2) have also given me some of the best experiences yet...

not to mention super short between 4-6 hours (Flower, Portal, SoTC) can also make or break a game.

so as you see, its actually completely RELATIVE. However, IMHO, so as long as the game has +8 hours of GOOD SP + replay ability at least once more round, its worth €40

(I never pay 70€ for my games EVER (exception of Uncharted 2 and BF:BC2), even day one games. I always buy tem through amazon which is SUPER cheap, so to me games cost 40, not 70, thus my concept of value might be a little lower)

[RedDead]

€70? Only 50 over here in Ireland, with the exception of Activision.

[IneedWeed]

If the game is as good as Uncharted 1-2, GOW 1-3, then 8-12 hours is perfect. Games with more RPG genre should be 20+ hours. FPS single player campaigns are usually short.

Would be dope if Uncharted 3 was like 15+ hours haha.

[Yangus]

Long games.

FPS:15+ hour minimum./Half-Life/
RPG:80-100+ hour minimum./Look DQVIII 100+ hour/
TPS/Action/Adventure/Horror:2 0+ hour/Look Resident Evil 4/

EDIT:And Castlevania LoS!20+ hour.

I dont like short games.

[NnT3291]

I agree. It depends on genres. If you can finish a Rpg in 40 hours then it's not a long game.

[DoomeDx]

It depends on how much time the developer spends on that game.

Long games + Short development time = Unpolished most of the time

Short + Long development time = Polished to the max, and keeps me intrested!

Naughty Dog did a damn fine job with Uncharted 2!
Long and great!

[Redempteur]

long game with good gameplay ( in that case replay value is a bonus )

[NnT3291]

I still play Goldeneye 007, because it's short, I can finish the campaign in about 45 min, and every level is unique and fun.

[Syaz1]

i prefer a game length with a region between the length of dead space and mass effect 2. i loved fallout nv but the amount of bugs is frustrating, i'd rather that next time bethesda would provide proper polish even if it's at the expense of the amount of side dish offered. even with massive flaws, fallout nv is my goty, but it really has a lot of areas it can improve on.

[gamerdude132]

What the hell kind of question is that? Long, of course. Why would you want LESS value for your buck?

[Armyntt]

It all depends. Dont just make it long for the sake of length. If its long because the story is dictating the length then yea. I'll take an awesome 5 hour trip over a 25 hour trip where it seems im just doing things that just take time and really arent progressing the story in any way. Length =/= as great game.

[ReBurn]

As many have said, it depends. I don't mind a short game if it has replay value. If I can play through it more than once and get the same satisfaction that I did the first time, then it doesn't matter to me if I can get through it in 6 hours.

However, if it is a one shot deal, it needs to be longer. I remember how frustrated I was with the original Max Payne game on PS2. It was short, and once you made it through to the end there was no reason to ever pick it up again. People will say that harder difficulty levels mean replay value, but if the ending is exactly the same when I play it on the hardest difficulty as it is when I play it on the easiest then what's the point in ever going back and playing the harder difficulty?

I guess that's why some of my favorite games are fighters and racers. In those kinds of games I'm really playing against myself and it's a challenge to do better.

[theonlylolking]

All story modes should be at least 22hrs long.

[Nerox3]

Quality...regardless of length...many short games are great and many long games suck

[RevXM]

9-30... sweet spot.
A lot of shorter games are good too though.

Its not about length, it is about content, gameplay and quality.
If the game is really short then sure its not a good thing but a 7-9 hour game shouldnt be bashed down too hell and back all because it is short.

[bangoskank]

Between work and everything else I don't get a chance to put my game time in until 9-10pm. That said my gaming sessions are limited to 2-3 per sitting. At that rate I'll be playing something like Red Dead Redemption for an eternity. It's a damn fine game but I prefer something shorter, with a cohesive story, and tight, riveting gameplay. I'm probably going to get crucified for this(being that the majority here are PS3 fanboys) but the Gears of War games fit my lifestyle perfectly.
Another point: I loved "Demon's Souls" more than most games this decade but didn't have the time to grind and mine so that I could get the most out of it. I got to the end game as a thief with only the Lava Bow, a +4 Mercury Dagger, and a +7 katana. I couldn't finish with only that and didn't feel like going back and mining to level up myself and a stronger weapon.
As a gamer I like to have a fun, challenging, and memorable experience with one game and then move onto the next with no frustrations. That's my two cents.

[Zinc]

If they are good, than longer.
If they are merely okay, than still longer, if played on PC so that they can be modded into a better game.

Moral of the story.

Play longer games on your PC.

[overthatop]

LONG GAMES.

[Arknight]

"Which is better: Short or long video games?

I think you meant:
"Which ARE better: Short or long video games?"

[DJDeez]

Quality over quantity. But I'm greedy and rather have both!

[bviperz]

Length doesn't matter as long as the game pulls you in.