Games That Should Have Been Much Longer

Have you ever finished a game and felt it was just the right length, or maybe even too long? Games like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Persona 5 are famous for being lengthy, and most players would agree they weren’t too short – in fact, both games were made even longer with downloadable content and expansions.

Which games could be even better with a little more development time? Some games are already fantastic, but they have so much potential that extra polish and content would make them truly exceptional. Let’s explore some RPGs, shooters, and other titles that deserve more time in the spotlight.

Star Fox 64

Gone Before You Know It

Average Playtime: 2 Hours

Okay, so I recently finished Star Fox 64, and honestly, it’s a super quick game – I beat it in under two hours, and that felt pretty fast! It’s definitely one of the best on the N64, though. My only real gripe is that it feels a little limited. I wish the developers had let me explore more instead of just sticking to one set route through all the on-rails shooting sections. It could have been even more amazing if they’d opened it up a bit.

I remember being so excited waiting to get this game when I was a kid, but honestly, it was pretty pricey like most N64 games were. And it was kind of short! It didn’t really keep my attention for very long. Even when it came out on the 3DS, it didn’t add a ton to the original game, although the 3D effects were really cool.

Resident Evil 3 (2020)

The Sprawling Streets Of Raccoon City

Average Playtime: 6 Hours

Both the original Resident Evil 3 for PlayStation and the 2020 reimagining are relatively short compared to other games in the series. Players control Jill Valentine as she returns to Raccoon City to uncover the truth about Umbrella Corporation, but they have a terrifying surprise waiting for her: a powerful, experimental creature called Nemesis.

This new version can be completed in around six hours, focusing more on action than challenging puzzles. It’s highly replayable because it’s short, and you can unlock weapons to use in subsequent playthroughs. However, it would have been even better if Capcom had made the game world larger, turning Raccoon City into a more expansive and interconnected environment.

Titanfall 2

BT, Catch!

Average Playtime: 6 Hours

I’d say Titanfall 2 is about the same length as the Resident Evil 3 remake, but honestly, it feels even shorter. It’s such a fast-paced shooter – you’re constantly jumping from one amazing action sequence to the next! You play as Jack, and you team up with BT, this awesome, thinking mech. We’re talking blasting mechs and soldiers, and pulling off crazy moves like something out of an anime – grappling hooks everywhere!

Titanfall 2 is considered one of the greatest mech-based shooting games ever made, and it really showcases the storytelling abilities of the developers at Respawn Entertainment. While many shooter games have relatively short campaigns – similar to the playtime you get with a Call of Duty title – it would have been ideal if this game’s story had unfolded more gradually. Hopefully, a potential third installment will offer a more expansive experience.

Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny

Samurai Showdown

Average Playtime: 9 Hours

Originally launched for the PlayStation 2, Onimusha 2: Samurai’s Destiny, like other games in the Onimusha series, is a relatively short experience. While the 2025 remaster brought it to more consoles, the updated controls also made it easier to finish quickly.

The game likely takes around five to nine hours to complete, depending on how familiar you are with the gameplay and how much side content you explore. While the game has choices that lead to different outcomes, encouraging multiple playthroughs, there’s no feature to carry your progress over to a new game. Adding a New Game+ mode, where you could start over with your existing progress, would have been a great addition to the remaster, along with more content.

Halo 2

Master Chief’s Master Cliffhanger

Average Playtime: 9 Hours

While the original Halo: Combat Evolved was highly successful, Halo 2 was an even larger hit when it came out. It featured a more expansive campaign and a wider variety of multiplayer options. A new feature, the ability to wield two weapons at once, significantly boosted Halo 2’s popularity, although the campaign wasn’t without its issues.

The game’s abrupt ending, leaving players on a cliffhanger, sparked a lot of debate. It felt unfinished, like the developers had to cut it short. Making fans wait three years for answers only made the situation worse, and many felt Bungie could have simply extended the game to provide a more satisfying conclusion.

Parasite Eve

A Cry For a Bigger Big Apple

Average Playtime: 10 Hours

Parasite Eve is a one-of-a-kind role-playing game for the original PlayStation. It combined strategic turn-based battles with the tense atmosphere of survival horror. Players take on the role of a detective in New York City who investigates and fights monsters using a variety of firearms, and must manage ammunition carefully.

While you had plenty of ammo, the game wasn’t nearly as stressful as something like Resident Evil. The focused story encouraged immediate replays to unlock an extra dungeon. However, many players feel that a longer experience – closer in length to a Final Fantasy game – would have made Parasite Eve even more impressive.

Mega Man Legends 2

Improved But Empty

Average Playtime: 11 Hours

Compared to the first game, Mega Man Legends 2 offered more exploration. Instead of being limited to a single island, players could travel between multiple locations by airship, ranging from tropical ruins to frozen landscapes. This added a lot more variety to the game’s levels.

Despite these changes, the game’s overall length remained similar. When compared to popular action-adventure titles of the era, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mega Man Legends 2 didn’t quite measure up. And, similar to the ending of Halo 2, the game’s cliffhanger ending has frustrated fans ever since its release in 2000.

Super Mario RPG

Mario’s First RPG, Remade

Average Playtime: 12 Hours

Originally released on the SNES, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars was a quick and fun turn-based role-playing game – and Mario’s first adventure in the RPG genre. In 2023, it was updated as Super Mario RPG for the Nintendo Switch, though the remake didn’t add a significant amount of new content, focusing mostly on improvements to the gameplay experience.

I flew through this game! I played on easy and with everyone attacking together, which definitely sped things up, but even on a normal setting, I finished it in a weekend. It’s a little disappointing that they didn’t add any completely new areas or expand on the old ones. I think remakes should really push boundaries, like Final Fantasy 7 Remake did, especially when the game isn’t super long to begin with.

Anthem

No Road Map In Sight

Average Playtime: 14 Hours

Anthem was a game that people either loved or hated. It offered a unique experience as a live-service game, letting players pilot powerful, customizable mech suits – similar to an Iron Man role-playing game. However, it fell short in creating a lively social hub; the main town felt small and lacked meaningful interactions with characters, which was unusual for a game made by BioWare.

The game’s main story was quite brief, taking around sixty hours to complete even for players who explored everything available at launch. While sixty hours is a decent length for a traditional single-player RPG, it’s short for a game designed to be played over a long period with ongoing updates. Unfortunately, those updates were infrequent and didn’t add much new content, and the game is no longer supported.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition

A Yearly Pilgrimage

Average Playtime: 17.5 Hours

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles was a unique action RPG where you created a character and journeyed across the world to fight a spreading poison called the Miasma. The game involved completing dungeons, but players had to repeat this process every year to maintain peace.

Honestly, replaying the same dungeons over and over got old fast, even when I was playing with friends. I get that Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Remastered Edition was just a remaster, so expecting a ton of new stuff from Square Enix might have been a big ask, but it wouldn’t have felt that out of place if they’d added a bit more to do.

2026-02-03 02:36