When it comes to immersion, video games have an edge over films and literature; nothing pulls you into a world like being able to explore it yourself. Unfortunately, many games suffer in the pacing department for the same reason. It happens to everyone: by the time you’ve done all the sidequests, you’ve almost forgotten what the main story was about.
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Too often, games have the pitfall of equating playtime with value, resulting in bloated experiences. They may promise you a hundred hours of gameplay, but most of that is downtime spent collecting trinkets. Here are ten games that flip the concept on its head: they are lean, mean experiences that stay fresh until the credits roll and leave you wanting more.
10
Dead Space 2
The first Dead Space is a masterclass in atmospheric horror but suffers from most of its campaign feeling like a series of fetch quests. The remake tried to amend this by giving Isaac dialogue and fleshing out the storyline, but it doesn’t have quite the same stranglehold on pacing that Dead Space 2 does.
This game can be beaten in one sitting and is certainly engaging enough to warrant the act. Dead Space 2 steps up the action and always has curveballs to throw, keeping you on your toes throughout. The end credits fake-out is the cherry on top.
9
Max Payne
A tale told almost entirely in flashback, Max Payne begins at the end and then lets you know how the titular hero got here. Sam Lake’s weaving of the narrative is complemented perfectly by James McCaffrey’s deadpan recitation.
A quintessential action game, Max Payne clocks in at about eight hours but feels much longer – in a positive way. It’s a three-part crime story with sufficient interludes and environmental changes to keep it fresh without being overwhelming. That is until the helicopter starts shooting at you in the endgame.
- Released
-
November 17, 2004
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 5
- How Long To Beat
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16 Hours
The lowest-hanging fruit to pick on MGS for is its long cutscenes, and the series might have gone overboard with the fourth entry. But Metal Gear Solid 3, the series’ farewell to the PS2, is a game that’s masterfully paced. The game begins with slow sneaking sections and ends in a climactic flurry of vehicular combat and boss fights, with only one more stealth sequence – helping an injured EVA through the forest – before the final boss.
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It’s no folly that the long ladder ascent – one of the most iconic moments in the series – happens right after a tense sniper battle. Climbing up while hearing an acapella version of the game’s theme, you have time to reflect on story events up to that point.
7
Silent Hill 2
Great story pacing doesn’t mean a game has to go full throttle all the time. The original Silent Hill 2 is fairly slow, giving you time to ponder and philosophize on James’ psyche. The gameplay is not meant to be the main attraction, although there are a few neat details that add to the experience.
The remake steps things up a notch with better combat and plenty of easter eggs, but it’s also twice the length of the original. That doesn’t mean it’s badly paced, but if you’re looking for a horror game that gets you meditative, go with the 2001 version.
6
Spec Ops: The Line
Six Days in Fallujah? Try three days in Dubai. Spec Ops: The Line presents itself as a military shooter, but over time it’s come to be appreciated more for its thought-provoking storyline than its admittedly mediocre gameplay. The game moves at a relentless clip, giving you no time to rest.
Martin Walker’s downward spiral continues to fascinate audiences today, with many game theorists pointing out that the characters never drink water throughout the plot’s duration. Spec Ops: The Line’s condemnation of war is effective on a level that psychological horror games should aspire to.
At launch, Metal Gear Rising was criticized for being too short, prompting a response from producer Atsushi Inaba. A decade later, Metal Gear Rising’s focused campaign feels like a blessing. There are many reasons it remains the most beloved Metal Gear spin-off, and its lack of filler is one of them.
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While the game can be beaten in under six hours even on a first run, it’s worth noting that the in-game clock stops during cutscenes and game-overs, which means some of those criticisms were a bit misguided. If the endless memes and comparisons to bloated games haven’t convinced you to play Revengeance already, its fast pace should.
4
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Multiplayer in Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
The Call of Duty series draws mockery for its short campaigns, but 2007’s Modern Warfare exemplifies why they work. Despite its linearity, Modern Warfare is structured so well that there is never a dull moment. Its changing perspectives and locales keep it fresh.
This game is the single most influential military shooter of all time, and some of its DNA will always be in every FPS that follows. Intense shootouts are followed up by quieter levels, like the legendary All Ghillied Up stealth mission. Modern Warfare is a game where you’re either catching your breath or holding it: there’s no boredom in between.
3
Alan Wake
Compared to its sequel that took things in a bigger and more bombastic direction, the original Alan Wake is a rather subdued love letter to commercial horror like Stephen King and The Twilight Zone. There are daytime segments that flesh out the storyline and serve as recovery periods, while the night is reserved for terrifying moments.
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There’s always another story to be written.
The story is divided into six episodes minus the DLC. Each chapter takes about an hour to get through; basically, the game is formatted like a TV show you can binge-watch in one night.
2
Resident Evil 4
The classic version of Resident Evil 4 has a relatively long campaign for a survival horror game, and first-time players can easily expect to spend 20 hours in the campaign. Even after the discovery of the Ditman glitch, today’s top speed runs take up to 90 minutes.
Despite its length, the game is paced to perfection. It’s divided into three segments – a village, a castle, and a military base – that you progress through before they can get stale. There’s sufficient downtime between combat-heavy sections to let you catch your breath, and boss fights have an air of finality for each zone. The 2023 remake is an excellent game but leaves the island segment feeling truncated in comparison.
1
Tomb Raider: Legend
After the disastrous Angel of Darkness, Lara Croft needed to come back in a big way. The answer was Tomb Raider: Legend, one of the most triumphant reboots in gaming history. Helmed by new developer Crystal Dynamics, the series shed its antiquated mechanisms and established itself as an action-adventure behemoth once again.
This game is hardly longer than a feature film and can be beaten in just a few hours. Every second, however, is jam-packed with intensity. It also has on its side what many bloated games do not: replayability. It’s easy to jump back into Tomb Raider: Legend and go on this globetrotting adventure many times over.
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