The adventure genre constitutes such a broad spectrum of games that certain titles have very little in common besides being, usually, story-driven and involving exploratio♕n to s♋ome degree. Be it a short indie project or a sprawling open-world blockbuster, knowing when to end a game is crucial; after all, a dragged out storyline can retroactively diminish an otherwise great experience.
Even though the idea of going on an adventure is associated with freedom and world traversal, some fantastic adventure games barely crack the five-hour mark. Conversely, other titles last for dozens upon dozens of hours. In some cases, the length is justif꧙ied; other times, a game overstays its welcome. Here are five adventure games that are really short, along with five that could have been shorter.
Each game's average length to compl🐲ete the main story, as collected by , will be used as a reference.
10 ꦏ 🌊 Short: Firewatch (4 Hrs)
Firewatch is a mystery-driven adventure game set in the aftermath of 198🅘8's Yellowstone fires. Henry, a lookout working at the Shoshone National Forest, returns after a patrol to find his tower has been compromised and sets out to find the culprit. Throughout his investigation, Henry communicates with his supervisor through a walkie-talkie.
Firewatch builds paranoia through its remote setting, as Henry's isolation leads to a sense of powerlessness. At just four hours, Firewatch is a short sit that has a well-written story that main❀tains its intrigue until thꦅe very end.
9 Long: Assassin's Creed III (16 𝔍Hrs)
Quite a few 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Assassin's Creed games overstay their welcome, but the bloated length is particularly egregious since its core is not as strong as Black Flag, Origins, or Odyssey. Following a prologue that threatens to never end, Assassin's Creed III suffers from pacing issues that never let up.
Although it can be good game design to introduce new mechanics periodically to keep things interesting, Assassin's Creed III waits too long to completely open itself up; by the time it feels like th💫e shackles are truly off, the main story begins to reach its end.
8 Short: Brother🌼s: A Tale Of Two So🤪ns (3 Hrs)
Starbreeze Studios follows two brothers as they journey to the Tree of Life to collect some water to save their dying father. Along with telling a coming of age narrative for the younger sibling, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is𝔉 about connections, be it wit𓂃h family members, helpful strangers, or wolves in sheep's clothing.
Even though it lasts only a handful of hours, A Tale of Two Sons takes players on an 🌼engrossing and satisfying adventure driven by emotion.
7 Long: Alice: Madness Retu♐rns (14 Hrs)
A hack and slash adventure game with platforming elements, Alice: Madness Returns is an imaginative reinterpretation of a literary classic that also happens to feature solid gameplay and stunning art. Despite having all the necessary ingredients to be a masterpiece, nearly every chapter in Alice: Madness Returns overstays its welcome by a bit.
The levels could have been shorter, but Alice: Madness Returns' bigܫgest issues are the rather uninspired platforming sections and puzzles. That said, the game is still worth checking out.
6 Short: Little Nightmares (3.5 Hrs) 🦹
Blending puzzle, platforming, horror, and adventure elements, Little Nightmares is an ambitious title that can be completed in an afternoon. Set in a strange vessel called the Maw fill൩ed 💙with terrifying creatures, a young girl must traverse five levels that get increasingly creepier and more challenging.
Little Nightmares lives up to its name by delivering a suspenseful and atmosp❀heric campaign that stays with players long after it is completed.
5 🅺 🐎 Long: Mafia III (22 Hrs)
Mafia III comes painfully close to being a great game; unfortunately, monotonous mission design and a lack of polish stop it from reaching the heights seen by its predecessor. While the setting of New Bordeaux is quite gorgeous, Mafia III's open world seems to exist mainly to pad out the gam꧒e's length, with side missions having to be completed to progress🦂 the story.
That would not be so bad if the missions were interesting, but they boilღ down to repeating the same thing over and over again as the player gradually takes over the 10 districts in the game. The main story is good, so it is a shame that experiencing it requires slogging through so much filler.
4 Short: W𒁏hat Remains Of Edith Finch (2 Hrs)
Told in first-person and devoid of action, What Remains of Edith Finch is a story-driven adventure game that chronicles the titular character's final visit to her family home. The Finch line has been plagued by a curse for generations that causes everyone b🎐ut a singl♉e member to die through strange means.
What Remains of Edith Finch goes through multiple generations of the Finch family, shining a light on their lives and eventual deaths. At just two hours, What Remains of Edith Finch pac❀ks a lot of emotion and suspense into its short length.
3 🐈 Long: Batman: Arkham Knight (16 Hrs)
Depending on whether the user loves or hates the Batmobile, their mileage will vary when it comes to Batman: Arkham Knight. Out of all the entries in the series, Arkham Knight has the longest main story, with quite a꧑ number of missions centering around the Batmobile.
While the vehicle's controls work well, these polarizing sections are generally not as enjoyable as the on-foot segments and tend to drag. Unfortunately, Arkham Knight returns to this mechanic constantly throughout the campaign, which ca༺n make the whole experience feel like a chore if the Batmobile is not to someone's liking.
2 ♎ ꧑ Short: Journey (2 Hrs)
Designed to be completed in one sitting, Journey t𒁏akes players on an almost spiritual trip through a gorgeous but desolate des♏ert towards a mountain in the distance.
Telling its story through visuals and iconography rather than words, Journey uses its fantastic soundtrack, sparse but absorbing storytelling, and atmosphere to create a personal and replayable experience. Despite its short length, Journey moves at a measured pace that never feels rushed.
1 Long: The Legend Of Zel𝔉da: Twilight Princess (37 Hrs) 𝓀
Like pretty much all of the main The Legend of Zelda games, Twilight Princess offers a thrilling adventure that ranks among the best of its respective era. That said, as one of the longest entries in the franchise, Nintendo's 2006 adven💃ture game can drag in places.
The first couple of hours are particularly slow, even by The Legend of Zelda's standards, and segments like searching for the Tears of Light and the hide-and-seek sessions in the Lost Woods can be rather tedious. While the dungeons are generally great, Twilight Princess loses a bit of momentum in between these points as Hyru🌌le is not all that interesting to🧔 traverse.