Difficult, no.
Too long, yes.
But it comes and goes, sometimes I want to get really involved in a game
Too long, yes.
But it comes and goes, sometimes I want to get really involved in a game
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30+ crowd, do you find yourself opting out of buying games you are otherwise interested in because they are difficult or too long?
- Thread starter ngower
- Start date
I'm in this boat. I'll try my best to avoid 30-40 hour games. Reason being is that if I only have an hour to play I want it to be of substance versus filler gameplay (e.g. dialogue or cutscenes in JRPGs).
I still seek out difficulty, but having a kid has really restricted my play time so I'm much more sensitive to game length now. Sifu is a good example of a game that really worked for me this year - challenging and relatively short.
I'm not bothered by difficulty, but it's very rare that a game needs to be longer than 20 hours IMO, it's almost always filler.
Mid-30's here. And yes, if a game is 'too difficult', then I won't pick it up the majority of the time. My backlog is too big and my movie and tv show backlog is too great to ever sink time into a game that is just going to frustrate me.
Long games as well. I don't need these 30+ hour games. I wouldn't even think of picking up XC3. 150 hours? Pfft, no thanks.
Long games as well. I don't need these 30+ hour games. I wouldn't even think of picking up XC3. 150 hours? Pfft, no thanks.
Nah, not at all, length isn't an issue in the slightest. But I do start to exclude certain genres like multiplayer games, even so some get me here and there, I'm done with most of these times wasters, especially when today devs disrespect your lifetime that you spend with a game more than ever before.
But long games? Fuck no, most of recently played through games are 100 hour plus games.
But long games? Fuck no, most of recently played through games are 100 hour plus games.
I'm approaching my mid-forties, and playthrough length is definitely one of the things I pay attention to the most, but not for the reasons you might expect. For me, it's less "I don't have time to sink 100+ hours into a game" and more "that just doesn't sound fun".
I'm a one-game-at-a-time kinda guy, and I'd rather play through 2 or 3 (or more!) games a month rather than devote 4-5 weeks to just one, especially since incredibly long games tend to have so much repetition.
Whenever I find myself with a backlog, I sort my unplayed games by length and save the longest ones for last.
I'm a one-game-at-a-time kinda guy, and I'd rather play through 2 or 3 (or more!) games a month rather than devote 4-5 weeks to just one, especially since incredibly long games tend to have so much repetition.
Whenever I find myself with a backlog, I sort my unplayed games by length and save the longest ones for last.
Not really. I'm married with three kids so my game time is super limited but I can get a good 8-10 hours in each week. I'll still play long games. If it takes me months to finish a game, that's fine. I'm not in a rush.
I pretty much avoid any game longer than 20 hours other than Final Fantasy or Persona at this point, and certainly don't play any "hard" games anymore. I have such little time for gaming, each session really has to count and deliver the maximum amount of fun.
Difficulty: No, I enjoy difficult games that are done well (I.E. Souls Games etc.)
Length: No, again, as long as it's done well (I.E. Red Dead 2, Elden Ring etc.)
The only time where difficulty or length bother me is if either is artificial. Like having a million fetch quests to pad the length; or games that are difficult in ways that are unfair / artificial.
Length: No, again, as long as it's done well (I.E. Red Dead 2, Elden Ring etc.)
The only time where difficulty or length bother me is if either is artificial. Like having a million fetch quests to pad the length; or games that are difficult in ways that are unfair / artificial.
100%
I've bounced off all the Soulsborne games I've tried but really want to play Elden Ring but it being hard/super long is making me hold off. Maybe if it's on sale for Black Friday or the holidays I'll grab it.
I've bounced off all the Soulsborne games I've tried but really want to play Elden Ring but it being hard/super long is making me hold off. Maybe if it's on sale for Black Friday or the holidays I'll grab it.
For most games, I prefer short and sweet. I'd much rather play a larger number of games with broader variety. I avoid most games over 40 hours long because I know I won't finish them. I do sometimes start longer games to gain an understanding of the game knowing that I'm going to drop it.
A good portion of games I've spent over 40 hours with are racing games. They're my biggest exception. I've always been into racing inside and outside of gaming, plus I have a wheel setup that makes games more fun and engaging for me.
A good portion of games I've spent over 40 hours with are racing games. They're my biggest exception. I've always been into racing inside and outside of gaming, plus I have a wheel setup that makes games more fun and engaging for me.
Not too much, in terms of time what I want to play generally stays constant, it just takes me much longer to actually work through some games as I have maybe 1 or 2 hours max per evening (refuse to play while my daughter is awake unless I am playing something with her on the switch). Difficulty doesn't matter, will quite happily play an easy chill game or one that is hard as nails.
Persona 5 Royal took me around 2 and a half months. Stuff on switch I can generally work through quicker due to the portability.
Persona 5 Royal took me around 2 and a half months. Stuff on switch I can generally work through quicker due to the portability.
Lol, I legit opt out of buying games once I know they are too easy. It's never because they are too difficult.
No kids, no significant other, I got time and money. I actually buy too many games. Like Ys 9 I bought knowing I had several other long JRPGs to play, and I by the time I would get around to playing it I could find it on sale for $30. I still buy shit like that new day one because I want to do my very small part in getting games like that continually made.
I'm 30 and nope, if i'm interested in some game difficulty makes no difference to me. The longer the game, the bigger plus it get's from me. That's why i played all new AC games to platinum probably. Game that lasts me few months always have bigger chance to get on my radar
This is where PC mods come in handy - avoid the grind. Stuff like souls games, are you having fun but don't wanna sit for an hour or two and grind for souls. Flip a switch on the mod for exp.
Having said that, I appreciate games like Horizon that you can just lower the difficulty level and avoid side quests that you would normally do to grind for XP
Having said that, I appreciate games like Horizon that you can just lower the difficulty level and avoid side quests that you would normally do to grind for XP
I'm not 30 but I've been quite busy lately and I can't say that this has any bearing on my purchasing habits or picks. Elden Ring has been a godsend, yeah it's long and challenging but I enjoyed my +100hr time with it because it's engaging and scratched an itch and something I found myself interested in in the first place. And I'm planning on starting Witcher 3 or Dragon's Dogma afterwards, or maybe go back to TUNIC.
On the other hand, I ignored Stray cause I heard it's QUITE short and walking sim-y, just not in the mood for something like that yet thu I might pick it up on sale to put in the backlog.
On the other hand, I ignored Stray cause I heard it's QUITE short and walking sim-y, just not in the mood for something like that yet thu I might pick it up on sale to put in the backlog.
Difficult, no.
Too long, yes.
Not only that, I usually don't even play Game Pass games that I get "free" with my subscription because they are too long. Around 20-ish hours is what I usually see as the max. I prefer shorter though (12-ish hours) I do make exceptions though, like for Dark Souls games etc.
It's not about not having time but because I get bored more easily than when I was younger.
Too long, yes.
Not only that, I usually don't even play Game Pass games that I get "free" with my subscription because they are too long. Around 20-ish hours is what I usually see as the max. I prefer shorter though (12-ish hours) I do make exceptions though, like for Dark Souls games etc.
It's not about not having time but because I get bored more easily than when I was younger.
I'm in my 40's and I'm more likely to nope out of something for being too easy than too difficult.
I'll play long games if they're quality (played through Elden Ring when it came out, although it took a few months) and manage to keep my attention throughout their duration, but I really appreciate finding great short game. Loved A Plague Tale and that's about a dozen hours. Loved the Little Nightmare games and you can play through each one in like 4-6 hours. I've enjoyed indie games that I beat in 2-3 hours (check out Lithium City). If Atlus made a Persona "novella" game that you could finish in 5-15 hours, I'd replay that thing yearly.
When every game turns into a 50-100 hour affair, it gets tiring.
I'll play long games if they're quality (played through Elden Ring when it came out, although it took a few months) and manage to keep my attention throughout their duration, but I really appreciate finding great short game. Loved A Plague Tale and that's about a dozen hours. Loved the Little Nightmare games and you can play through each one in like 4-6 hours. I've enjoyed indie games that I beat in 2-3 hours (check out Lithium City). If Atlus made a Persona "novella" game that you could finish in 5-15 hours, I'd replay that thing yearly.
When every game turns into a 50-100 hour affair, it gets tiring.
Not for any reasons that have anything to do with age. I haven't played cuphead as it's the kind of difficult that I don't think I would appreciate. I would definitely play it if it came to PS Plus though.
I define 'too long' as when a game doesn't respect your time and is padded out. I don't mind a long game if the feeling of progression is there.
In terms of Elden Ring- maybe give that a shot. I didn't find it very difficult, but it *is* a long game. But I don't think it wastes your time.
I define 'too long' as when a game doesn't respect your time and is padded out. I don't mind a long game if the feeling of progression is there.
In terms of Elden Ring- maybe give that a shot. I didn't find it very difficult, but it *is* a long game. But I don't think it wastes your time.
I'm 36. Game length is only a consideration for me in determining how much I'm willing to spend on a game I'm interested in. If a game is 40+ hours to beat I usually won't hesitate paying full price as opposed to a game, say, under 20 hours.
Difficulty may become more of a concern at some point, but for now I'm still playing and loving long, notoriously difficult games like Elden Ring.
Difficulty may become more of a concern at some point, but for now I'm still playing and loving long, notoriously difficult games like Elden Ring.
Definitely. Time is at a premium these days. Fuck sticking with things for more than an hour if I'm not feeling it, if it's far too challenging for me, or if I I know it's going to be too much of a time sink to get to the good stuff. "It gets good after the 20h mark" cracks me up every time. Ain't nobody got time to waste 20 hours before they can get reasonably entertained. Fuck that.
I do love that gigantic meaty games exist for folks who are on a budget or who prefer to spend longer times in a specific game, environment or world. I tend to prefer maximizing how much I get out of each game. As soon as I'm not feeling it anymore. I kind of just move on. My one exception is a lifelong passion for WoW. I stick through that shit, thick and thin. But it's precisely because I love existing and being in that game world, even when the pickings are slim.
I do love that gigantic meaty games exist for folks who are on a budget or who prefer to spend longer times in a specific game, environment or world. I tend to prefer maximizing how much I get out of each game. As soon as I'm not feeling it anymore. I kind of just move on. My one exception is a lifelong passion for WoW. I stick through that shit, thick and thin. But it's precisely because I love existing and being in that game world, even when the pickings are slim.
Nope, I'm 38 in a little bit under a month and I tackle every JRPG I'm interested in. I still don't care about lenght but I try to juggle my games a little bit: One big game at a time and for the mix some short ones. Playing only 50+ hour games would be a little bit tiring.
But I don't look at a game for the certain length. If I'm interested in it, I buy it. Worst that can happen is, that I don't complete it but ehh ^^
But I don't look at a game for the certain length. If I'm interested in it, I buy it. Worst that can happen is, that I don't complete it but ehh ^^
Not really but I do select easy or story mode more than I use to because I don't have time.
I did dedicate some time to beat Elden Ring and Returnal. It took over a month to finish ER and I kept coming back to Returnal because their save implementation was trash when the game released. Once's they fixed it, I was able to finish it at my pace.
I did dedicate some time to beat Elden Ring and Returnal. It took over a month to finish ER and I kept coming back to Returnal because their save implementation was trash when the game released. Once's they fixed it, I was able to finish it at my pace.
XC3 is like the poster child for this.
I've got a 2 year old, already don't have the time to meet my personal needs.
In spite of XC3 looking like a great game I can't imagine making a serious investment into it when it takes over a dozen hours to get done with tutorials and hand holding.
I've got a 2 year old, already don't have the time to meet my personal needs.
In spite of XC3 looking like a great game I can't imagine making a serious investment into it when it takes over a dozen hours to get done with tutorials and hand holding.
36. Have a five-year-old. Howlongtobeat.com is my friend. And I definitely check both length and difficulty.
That said, I just sank 27 hours into Returnal and loved it. But I just can't be bothered with games that are 50 hours any more. Especially if they're difficult. I'll buy any new final fantasy or god of war, but apart from that I look for stuff at around 15 hours or less.
That said, I just sank 27 hours into Returnal and loved it. But I just can't be bothered with games that are 50 hours any more. Especially if they're difficult. I'll buy any new final fantasy or god of war, but apart from that I look for stuff at around 15 hours or less.
Definitely. I haven't played an RPG in years, except on portables. I don't have time to sit in front of my TV and focus on something for that long anymore.
Too difficult: Not really, I don't like Souls style games which I guess the difficulty is part of that, but I'm not actively talking myself out so much as completely ignoring because I know I won't like it.
Too long: Depends, I still never beat the original Xenoblade and I own it 3 times... I'd like to at least finish that once before I consider picking up 2 or 3.
Too long: Depends, I still never beat the original Xenoblade and I own it 3 times... I'd like to at least finish that once before I consider picking up 2 or 3.
I think more important than the length of the game is how long play sessions will generally take and how the game design handles that. My sessions now are usually a half hour to an hour, and if a game expects me to just sit there and play for more than that I'll probably stay away. Being able to suspend games definitely helps with that, but even with those features some games just aren't designed in a way that you're able to pick them back up easily/seamlessly after a break.
I'm happy to spend 6 months getting through Assassin's Creed because I can easily just pop in for 45 minutes and do a mission or explore a city, but I had to drop Persona 5 because I don't want to spend 3 play sessions in the same dungeon or spend a whole session just reading dialog. Back in the day I ate that shit up but I just can't anymore.
I'm happy to spend 6 months getting through Assassin's Creed because I can easily just pop in for 45 minutes and do a mission or explore a city, but I had to drop Persona 5 because I don't want to spend 3 play sessions in the same dungeon or spend a whole session just reading dialog. Back in the day I ate that shit up but I just can't anymore.
Yep. But i tend to play everything on easy mode just so i can blaze through them and get to the end without hitches, quit being a git gud obsessed completionist ages ago
I have very limited time and avoid anything that is known to have mundane filler content. Anything else is fine. It took me four months and 180+ hours to beat Elden Ring and loved every minute. Love short, fun games too.
I have a friend who is the opposite. He also has limited time, but only plays low-stress, low-effort games (Ubi-style stuff). He uses games as a pacifier and doesn't want challenge. I think he actually prefers long games in that context.
I have a friend who is the opposite. He also has limited time, but only plays low-stress, low-effort games (Ubi-style stuff). He uses games as a pacifier and doesn't want challenge. I think he actually prefers long games in that context.