Which game has the perfect length?
We’ve all seen movies that can take 30 minutes. That whole last act of Bad Boys II? Should have been left on the cutting room floor, man. The same goes for many games. Aliens: Isolation it’s great, but how much better could it be if you tightened it a bit to remove some of the debris in the middle?
Our video producer, Felix-from-Nintendo-Life – yes, that’s definitely his legal name now – explores some games that, for him, have the ultimate appeal. . perfect run time. Not too short and importantly not too long, the games he looks at in the video above strike that perfect Goldilocks balance.
Inspired by his reflections, we, the editorial board of Team Nintendo Life, thought about the games we believe has been stuck for a fair amount of time – plus a few things we wish someone had grabbed a pair of scissors for. Let us know your thoughts and nominations in the comments!
Gavin Lane, editor
Sorry for starting this off in the most straightforward way possible, but Portal Right up there, right? Valve comes in, laying the groundwork in the most interesting way imaginable, exploiting every avenue and puzzle trick, allowing you to play for a bit and then escape. You feel extremely satisfied, with both a smile on your face and your old gray matter stretched out in a few short hours.
On the other hand, Paper Mario: King of Origami will not stop. To be fair, that’s not the story’s fault but the game’s combat system, which feels more perfunctory than ever. I’ve said it before – I would have Love an option to remove the battles on it, because the characters, interactions, and the world itself are all great. This isn’t a big game but I just want it to end.
Alana Hagues, deputy editor
I had trouble with this at first because RPGs are my favorite genre, But a lot of them waste a lot of time. But then I realized that the answer was obvious — Time trigger. It’s a game that goes very well every time I replay it. It doesn’t waste a second of playing time, you don’t have to grind, and it’s just a fun adventure. More recently, I think the indies have carried this torch — A short walkfor example, not only short but also perfect. It’s a game that knows what it’s trying to do and just does it without asking questions.
My favorite game at the opposite end of this scale is Okami. Okami is beautiful, impressive, and fun, but I never fully fell in love with it beyond its aesthetics and brush mechanics. It’s also about 10 hours long. Ark of Yamato is a cool idea, but basically refighting every boss right at the end just feels like a chore. Sorry, Okami fans – I have a lot of respect for this game, I promise.
Jim Norman, editor
Okay, I’ll smash The wilderness outside empty again. It’s a game where perfect length is the key, right? I’ve said too much already. If you haven’t played Outer Wilds yet, you should play Outer Wilds.
Of the less spoilery options, I’ll throw small same there. I’ll admit it’s a moderately small game, but the ~two hour play time left me beaming. Any longer and that tight time loop would start to annoy me. Maybe.
Please don’t hurt me for booking Sea of stars at the opposite end of the spectrum. This was one of my go-to games of last year, but I can’t help but feel like it’s outstayed its welcome a bit in its subsequent appearances. I will definitely play this game again later, but I wonder if it will be abandoned next time.
Agree with those? Pretty safe bet, all around. Are there some better candidates? Let us know your personal choice below.
