Time is money, with every wasted moment akin to setting dollar bills on fire. Most avid gamers would love nothing more than to sit on their couch or in front of their computer, spending two thirds of the day in their favorite fantasy world, but that usually isn’t feasible. Because everyday life takes priority over leisure time, people have to be careful which games they choose to play.
Deciding which title to dive into can be especially stressful when the the games are enormous. If it is a stellar title, then every second feels well spent. Should the game be lackluster, though, players will find themselves simply going through the motions, reaching the end only to convince themselves that the whole thing wasn’t in vain.
For this reason we have compiled a list of games that take dozens of hours to complete, classified by whether or not they are worth the time to do so. It should be noted that some of the entries are more open ended, meaning they can be completed in a relatively short amount of time if desired, but diving into the real meat of the content will still fill up the hours. Additionally, games deemed unworthy are not necessarily bad, but may not be compelling enough to warrant several days of gaming.
So clear your schedules, because here are the 16 Video Games That Take More Than 50 Hours To Beat That Are Worth It (And 9 That Aren’t).
Worth It: The Witcher 3
The first two games set in Andrzej Sapkowski’s mature fantasy world were revered by critics and fans, but they were still niche products. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt blew the lid off of the whole franchise, exposing the fleshed out universe to a whole new legion of fans.
Unlike most open world fantasy games, the player character is well defined, leaving little room for aesthetic customization. Despite this, player choice still factors greatly into the plot and interactions. Geralt of Rivia has a hard shelled exterior, but the driving force of his mission is the parental bond he has with Ciri.
Worth It: Grand Theft Auto V
Rockstar outdoes itself with each game it delivers. Red Dead Redemption 2 is currently feeding gamers’ hunger for engrossing, living sandboxes, but Grand Theft Auto V should not be forgotten so soon.
The game holds around seventy story missions. This is about twenty less than its predecessor, but there is no filler to be found; each one is an memorable event. Besides those, there are a plethora of side missions and an expansive multiplayer mode that has taken on a life of its own. GTA VI probably won’t be around anytime soon, but V has yet to grow stale, and it probably never will.
Not Worth It: Metal Gear Solid V
It’s hard to discourage players from picking up this title, since what is there of it is one of the greatest action games in recent memory. The precise problem lays in the words “what is there of it.” Due to a well publicized falling out between Kojima Productions and the publisher, Konami, The Phantom Pain was released in a painfully unfinished state.
The game still works, but there comes a point in the story where everything falls apart and it beelines to a finish, leaving vital questions unanswered. It’s better to acknowledge Metal Gear Solid 4 as the true finale, and everything else afterwards as a bonus.
Worth It: Breath Of The Wild
The premiere Legend of Zelda title wowed NES (or Famicom) owners with its emphasis on exploration and discovery. Ocarina of Time managed to recapture this feeling, but no other entry had done so until 2017’s Breath of the Wild.
The voice of a distressed Princess Zelda wakes a slumbering Link and – after a short tutorial in the immediate surrounding location – the world is open up for discovery. The open ended design does not sacrifice plot, as the cinematics are more beautiful than ever. Traversing every inch of the ruined Hyrule takes countless hours, and every moment is pure bliss.
Worth It: Final Fantasy XII
The Final Fantasy series has a stellar track record, with few of its numbered entries being considered anything less than phenomenal. Several Final Fantasys could have been on this list, but XII gets the mention because of its especially grand scope.
Tackling the main story without any side quests takes longer than most RPGs, but why would anyone want to ignore the bonus activities? Ivalice had been utilized a few times before, in games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, but never had it felt so real and bustling with life.
Not Worth It: Final Fantasy XIV Before A Realm Reborn
Hubris is a bad characteristic to have, and it all too easily latches itself onto successful people. Square-Enix was still riding high off of Final Fantasy XI’s success when XIV was released in 2010. The new MMO felt outdated, frustrating to navigate, and like a slap in the face to fans.
Fortunately, this story has a happy ending. Square made the wise decision to completely redesign the game, eventually relaunching it in 2013 as A Ream Reborn. The original build is now impossible to access, and the company has regained the MMO community’s trust.
Worth It: Skyrim
This game is often associated with the joke about porting it to every console imaginable. It is a funny bit of droll, but bringing it to as many gamers as possible is a noble mission, because everyone deserves the opportunity to experience The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for themselves.
Certain elements are streamlined from previous entries, but the core tenants that make an Elder Scrolls game are still present and more engaging than they have ever been. The title is seven years old, but traversing through the rural region of Skyrim is still a blast.
Worth It: Any Of The Yakuza Games
One shouldn’t expect a realistic representation of the notorious crime syndicate from this series, but they will find soap opera-esque melodrama and over the top melee combat. The entire series spans several decades, and follows a core group of characters.
The older titles have not aged graciously, but Sega has been generous enough to remake first two games, making them smoother experiences for modern times. With these remakes, it is easier than ever for newcomers to jump into the series and see what fans have been fawning over for all of these years.
Not Worth It: Elder Scrolls II
The older Elder Scrolls games paved the way for what would later become one of the industries’ most venerated franchises, but diving into them now takes the patience of a saint and the free time of a pensioner. Modern conveniences are absent, and bugs are heavily prevalent.
The upside is that should players learn to grasp the outdated controls and obsolete mechanics, there is a breathlessly expansive world to be explored. Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall and its predecessor are worth picking up as curiosities, but will compel few to complete them these days.
Worth It: Fallout New Vegas
Both Fallout titles from the last generation of consoles hold up to this day, even if their graphical presentation leaves something to be desired. New Vegas gets a special mention because of its faithfulness to the original two titles, due to Chris Avallone’s involvement.
The spin off title also differs itself Bethesda’s efforts in the series because of its emphasis on player choice effecting the world. Gamers interested in picking it up should play the PC or 360 version, though, as the PS3 release is still wrought with bugs and crashes.
Worth It: Mass Effect 2
Some may argue that playing through the Mass Effect trilogy is not a worthwhile endeavor, as its ending left a sour taste in everyone’s mouthes. It is true that the conclusion is disappointing even with its patched amendments, but games, like life, are more than just about the destination. The journey to the finale is more rewarding than the final moments before the credits roll.
Playing through the trilogy leads to countless special moments and unforgettable encounters. A mediocre ending is only a small blight that does little to tarnish the overall saga.
Not Worth It: Fallout 4
Fallout 4 is a not a bad game by any stretch of the word, and anybody who plays it is sure to have fun. However, the changes it made to the classic Fallout formula proved too much for some veteran fans. Player choice is no longer at the forefront, with an increased significance placed on collecting loot and exploring dungeons.
Admittedly, the game runs out of gas before the majority of the side quests can be completed. The DLC offerings also fail to live up to the prior entries’ unique expansions.
Worth It: Legend Of Dragoon
The PS1 ushered in something of a golden age for RPGs from Japan. Almost everyone fondly recalls the console’s Final Fantasy titles, but a few gems are less remembered by younger generations, like Xenogears, Legend of Legaia, and The Legend of Dragoon.
Legend of Dragoon was an expensive undertaking at the time, and fortunately did manage to make back its budget in sales. Playing it today proves that the mechanics and story have stood the test of time. Anyone interested in visiting this old classic is in luck, as it is available on the Playstation Store as a PS1 Classic.
Worth It: Red Dead Redemption 2
It’s barely been out over a month, and Red Dead Redemption 2 is already being hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. Much like true love, sometimes people don’t need time; they know it when they see it. This epic tale of the fading outlaw lifestyle provides spine tingling story moments and heart pounding firefights.
When not progressing through the story, there are a wealth of bonus activities and side quests to undertake. Even the most mundane of these remains interesting, as they are usually accompanied with well written dialogue that allows the player to learn more about Arthur Morgan and the rest of Dutch van der Linde’s gang.
Not Worth It: Final Fantasy XIII
For those who know what they are getting into, Final Fantasy XIII is a fun ride. Unfortunately, the thirteenth title sparked the ire of many fans with its linear design that removed even the slightest illusion of freedom.
Time has only made the game less intriguing to play. Two sequels were released, creating an entire Final Fantasy XIII trilogy. Sadly, though, they don’t live up to the original’s quality, and the plot takes ridiculous twists. One game with a concrete ending would have been enough, but knowing there are two more afterwards makes the first one less appealing these days.
Worth It: Dragon Age
Bioware didn’t forget about fantasy fans when it released the epic space opera, Mass Effect, in 2007. Two years later saw Dragon Age: Origins hit store shelves, marking the beginning of another classic franchise. Those familiar with the developer were more comfortable with the setting, which hearkened back to its earlier Boulder’s Gate and Neverwinter Nights days.
The latest entry was 2014’s Dragon Age: Inquisition. The franchise’s future is uncertain, but here’s hoping the company commences work on a new entry after Anthem comes out. Perhaps they have already started development in secret.
Worth It: Xenosaga
Tetsuya Takahashi worked on numerous legendary titles, including several Final Fantasy games and Chrono Trigger. Younger gamers will most likely recognize the name from the well regarded Xenoblade Chronicles series. Those are from the first of his titles to bear “Xeno” in their titles, however.
Playstation One has Xenogears, and the PS2 has the Xenosaga trilogy. All four of these titles are immaculately crafted narrative driven RPGs. These intensely dramatic games stand out from the crowd by focusing on science fiction settings and themes, instead of the comfortable fantasy tropes expected from the genre.
Not Worth It: Fallout 76
No one is surprised that Bethesda has released another glitch ridden product, but the amount of bugs that populate Fallout 76 is truly surprising. What’s worse, though, is the fact that the game itself is not that fun even if one can look past all of the crashes, frame rate drops, and connection issues. The developer is working on fixing the issues plaguing the multiplayer game, but it is best to stay away from it for now.
On the bright side, there are still four incredible mainline entries and a fantastic spin off, more than enough content to keep players occupied until the next 76 patch comes out.
Worth It: Persona
The more than twenty year old Persona series is itself a spinoff of Megami Tensei, an older Atlus franchise. Right from the get-go, it is clear that the games are for a niche audience, but this also means that one will never find a similar experience like the one offered by Persona.
Praise can be sung all day about the battle systems and dungeon, but the slices of every day life in between are what really make the series so unique. The older games may have some obsolete mechanics incongruous to modern sensibilities, but the series as a whole is a worthwhile endeavor.
Not Worth It: APB Reloaded
Those familiar with MMOs probably already know to steer clear of this one. The original APB had been in development for half a decade before launching half baked. A quick glance at the game reveals a product that looks incomplete.
The servers shut down several months later and the game was heavily reworked into it’s Reloaded version. Now it is free to play and on consoles. However, despite being free and sporting an impressive breadth of content, none of it is entertaining. There are better MMO’s out there, and certainly better open world games in urban settings.
