Look, I\u2019m not saying that an RPG can\u2019t <\/em>run longer. I just don\u2019t want to feel like I\u2019m wasting time with a game that only gets good after 40 hours, or one that devolves into dull busy work at that point. As Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock once said on a live album, \u201cLife is too fucking short to play or hear \u2018Freebird,\u2019\u201d a sentiment that conveniently also applies to Xenoblade.<\/p>\n \n![\"Astarion,](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/bg3-love.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=220&h=124&dpr=2\"\/)
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I\u2019m not one to police how long a video game should be. Every game is different and begs design considerations that dictate runtime. It makes sense for Star Fox<\/em>\u2019s campaign to be quick but highly replayable, while 007 First Light<\/em> needs most of its 20 hours to build its James Bond origin story.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n I will, however, die on one specific hill when it comes to the topic: No RPG needs to be longer than 40 hours, tops!<\/p>\n Look, I know that sounds like sacrilege to genre enthusiasts. (It is <\/em>our Spicy Takes Cookout weekend here on Polygon, in my defense.) But the reality is that I\u2019ve played very few ultra-long RPGs in my lifetime that paid off their enormous runtimes. I\u2019ve even dropped games I\u2019ve loved 50 hours in because I\u2019m just too exhausted by late-game grinding to see their stories to their conclusion. In an age where there are more great games \u2014 and way more RPGs! \u2014 than ever to play,<\/p>\n I\u2019m calling on the video game industry to come together and solve a crisis that has been plaguing my backlog for decades.<\/p>\n Before I make my case, I\u2019ll throw the defenders a bone. I understand the appeal of a long RPG, especially in an age where video game prices are hitting the $80 mark. A lot of people may only be able to afford two, maybe three, games a year. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, the idea of a very long game that will take months to complete is alluring.<\/p>\n Some RPGs even earn that length admirably; I put around 90 hours into Persona 5 <\/em>and barely felt like there was a wasted moment. A 40-hour runtime is not a one-size-fits-all prescription, but I would challenge you to find a game that would be made worse <\/em>by some editing.<\/p>\n My case against absurdly long RPGs is twofold. On one hand, it\u2019s a simple matter of storytelling economics. I\u2019m a firm believer in concise writing that takes a \u201cless is more\u201d approach, and that\u2019s a tough task when you\u2019re trying to fill 60 hours, minimum. I\u2019ve gotten invested in games like Bravely Default<\/em>, only for the strong starting momentum that captured me grind to a halt in long-winded conversations that don\u2019t do much to advance a story or develop characters. (Bravely Default<\/em> is especially egregious thanks to an infamous final act twist that has you replaying a slice of the game a few times for little payoff.) Both Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth <\/em>and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth<\/em> are guilty of that sin; I\u2019d argue that neither sequel is as memorable as their respective predecessors despite delivering supersized stories that go for broke.<\/p>\n For other RPGs, it’s not so much the story that suffers from being stretched thin; it’s the gameplay systems. Square Enix\u2019s Octopath Traveler<\/em> series has a lot going for it thanks to a deep job system that gives players plenty of room to experiment in combat. That hook wears thin when I\u2019m 400 random battles deep and repeating my same tightly-optimized moves on a batch of enemies I\u2019ve faced countless times. Sometimes an RPG can feel like a puzzle as you try to assemble the perfect party. If you find that synergy too early, you may be left going through the motions for the next 40 hours once the game has shown you everything it has.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve often heard RPG fans go to bat for games like this by noting that the length is the point. An 80-hour runtime, for instance, gives you space to develop builds over time and get into hyper-specific min-maxing. It\u2019s hard to imagine Elden Ring<\/em> working as well as it does without its enormity. That\u2019s a fair case, but have you considered that 40 hours is still a really goddamn long time<\/em>? I mean, come on! That\u2019s almost how long it would take you to watch Stranger Things<\/em> from front to back, and binging that show feels like an eternity!<\/p>\n Some of my favorite RPGs of the past few years have found success by tightening up rather than going long for the hell of it. This year\u2019s wonderful Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined<\/em> streamlines one of the genre\u2019s most time-demanding games, and it doesn\u2019t really lose much in doing so. Its breezy pacing and quick turn-based battles keep the story moving, creating a lovely little RPG that you can complete in 40 hours or less. I\u2019ll similarly go to bat for the excellent Granblue Fantasy Relink<\/em>, which packs all the spectacle of Final Fantasy 16 <\/em>into a slick 15 hours that doesn\u2019t waste a second. (It\u2019s so concise that I\u2019m more than excited to dive back into its upcoming Endless Ragnarok <\/em>expansion instead of dreading it.) Avowed <\/em>kept my attention for its entire runtime, even enticing me to finish most of its sidequests while still setting me free in around 40 hours. That\u2019s the dream, folks.<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Ichiban](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/chorus\/uploads\/chorus_asset\/file\/25285792\/like_a_dragon_infinite_wealth_ps5.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image: Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio\/Sega<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/octopath-traveler-0-influence-system-blog-0.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image:\u00a0DokiDoki Groove Works\/Square Enix via Polygon<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/static0.polygonimages.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/29_en.jpg?q=49&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=2\")
\n <\/picture>Image: Square Enix<\/small><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n