Gaiden makes an excellent case for smaller, more compact games

Games tend to be so long these days, and it can feel overwhelming. Many long games are worth playing, but can be difficult to find the time to do so. I think that’s why Gaiden feels like a top tier LAD title. It has all the series hallmarks and breadth of side content, but limits the play area to one major city (two of you count the castle, but everything in there feels meaningful. It makes me WANT to indulge in all the side content since it’s nowhere near of a commitment as so many other games, including games in this series.

Mind you, I love long games, and I think the fact that so many titles in this franchise offer so much content is a part of what makes the series so special. But Gaiden shows that AAA game experiences can still be immensely satisfying in a smaller and more densely packed play time. It’s just a nice, slightly shorter quick fix of everything that makes the series great with little of its weaker elements.

The only other studio that seems to get this is capcom with resident evil. Those games tend to run maybe 20 hours tops, but most of them are like 8 hour games with high replayability. I’m hoping that AAA might take the hint and put out smaller but still excellent experiences, because not every game needs to be 60 hours long.