Play Length vs Replay Value

**A Robot Bit Me** · 02 Jan 2008, 02:56 PM

I'm with Frog; it's more about the pacing than the length. Measuring a game's worth or replay value by the number of hours it demands to complete it is like gauging a book's merits based on its page count. It's a ridiculous criterion on which reviewers weight far too heavily -- and it's because of it that I spent more time searching for heart pieces and silly knick-knacks than I did wrecking monsters' shit in Twilight Princess. I don't want longer games or shorter games, I want streamlined experiences that are as concise as they have to be. Dragon Quest VIII and Phantom Hourglass are the perfect length, and Gradius V is too long.

Getting better at games is replay value to me. You can't really get better at turn-based RPG's, so they construct the illusion of you getting better by putting bigger numbers over enemies' heads when you attack them via a menu-based selection. New Game+ just means bigger numbers; that feature doesn't do a whole lot for me. Striving to 1CC Contra 4 is much more tangible and rewarding -- that's replay value.

**Cowutopia** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:01 PM

Gradius V would be an okay length if the beginning wasn't so easy compared to the end. The end is impossible, and like Contra you have to play through all the early levels to get there.

**A Robot Bit Me** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:02 PM

I find going through the beginning to get to the end to be fairly commonplace in games, movies, and books.

**Cowutopia** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:04 PM

I know I mean...the beginning drags, and then you get nailed by the end and you've got to slog through 2 hours of the beginning shit again to get back there.

Someone was talking about this in the Contra thread, the challenge levels prepare you for the later levels, so when you get there you don't get your ass kicked to the curb, wasting all your effort getting through the beginning. Gradius V would benefit from something like that, I think.

Now I'm to the point where I can sit down and play straight through on a few credits, and it's a good length.

**A Robot Bit Me** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:10 PM

I see what you mean. Challenge Mode would be a great fit for Gradius V, I agree. If you can train yourself to clear the first half of the final stage without weapons for example, you'll be able to beat it on arcade mode handily.

**SpoDaddy** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:13 PM

When I was younger I wanted every game to be 40+ hours long. Now I want every game to be 10 hours long with tons of unlockables, score attack modes, and online multiplayer.

**Ryu_Otoko** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:14 PM

Originally Posted by Cowutopia

That's why you love Heavenly Sword?

Actually, no. Heavenly Sword is a really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really short game. It's a great game with best voice-synching today, but the game is too short in length. Resident Evil 4 is better than Heavenly Sword, but RE4 is obviously not a 2007 game, well not originally anyway.

Still Heavenly Sword ranks up there as one of the best of 2007.

**Ryu_Otoko** · 02 Jan 2008, 03:17 PM

Originally Posted by mannerbot

No, that is why he loves the PS3, the Blu-Ray disc allows for games of an exceptional and extraordinary length.

Never thought about that. But yeah. That would be one reason why I love the PS3. Then again, most of the PS3's best games are short in length. Go figure.