Gone are the days when a 30-hour gameplay was considered long enough to be deemed as an achievement. Nowadays, the gaming industry tends to push the boundaries with triple-digit gameplay durations, leaving players overwhelmed and fatigued. However, two Star Wars Outlaws developers aim to break this trend by offering a “dense” and “rich” gaming experience that captivates players without overstaying its welcome. In an interview with IGN, Julian Gerighty and Navid Khaveri, the creative and narrative directors of the game, expressed their intention to create a game that people can enjoy and finish, rather than leaving players with an unfinished, unfulfilled experience.
Outlaws: An Adventure Tailored to the Player’s Pace
Outlaws is described as a “very dense, rich, open-world adventure” that allows players to explore at their own rhythm, putting players in control of their gaming experience. Gerighty is quick to debunk any notions of Outlaws being a 200 or 300-hour epic, emphasizing that the game has a definite ending. This stance by Ubisoft challenges the prevailing notion that longer games equate to better games. It highlights the idea that a game can be impactful and engaging without consuming an exorbitant amount of time.
The Fallout from Poorly Executed Long Games
While there is undoubtedly a place for long games that offer immersive and long-lasting experiences, it cannot be denied that poorly executed lengthy games can become tedious and overwhelming. The relentless grind and never-ending to-do lists can transform the marketing promises of grand, epic adventures into a tiresome ordeal. Players have increasingly expressed their dissatisfaction with bloated game sizes, leading developers to reconsider the length of their games.
Obsidian, the renowned RPG studio, has taken notice of this growing discontentment with overly lengthy games. In titles like The Outer Worlds, Pentiment, and the upcoming Avowed, Obsidian deliberately focuses on creating more mid-length gaming experiences. This shift in approach promises depth and replayability while avoiding the pitfalls of excessive scale. It is interesting to witness a team from Ubisoft, known for their sprawling open-world franchises like Far Cry and Assassin’s Creed, opt for a more compact and focused game design with Outlaws. This intentional response appears to be a direct reaction to criticisms received by their previous games.
Exceptions to the Rule
While the move towards more concise games is refreshing, it is essential to acknowledge that not all games should adhere to this trend. Titles like Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3, set to release in Fall 2023, have the potential to deliver on their promises of extensive playtime. These highly anticipated RPGs have the scope and ambition to captivate players for hundreds of hours, but they are exceptions rather than the rule. Creating an unfinishable 300-hour RPG requires ample time and resources, including a dedicated team of developers.
In an industry that has been fixated on the idea that longer is better, the emergence of games like Outlaws signals a refreshing shift. Players can now look forward to immersive and engaging experiences without the worry of being overwhelmed by an unnecessarily long game. As developers begin to prioritize depth, quality, and player satisfaction, the gaming landscape is set to evolve into a more diverse and fulfilling space. Compact games, complemented by standout exceptions, can strike a perfect balance between captivating players and respecting their time.
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