So after tapping out on Octopath about a week ago, I decided to start up the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 expansion. It took me a little more than 20 hours to do most of the content. Still missing a slate, have a handful of community tasks left, maybe two green barrels, and a few sidequests to complete, but for the most part, I'm done.
I really enjoyed it, even though it doesn't have that slow burn and immense depth of the base game. In a way though, I almost prefer that. I spent about a hundred hours playing XC2 over the course of nearly a year, and I have no idea how much content I didn't finish, but I'm guessing it's a lot. Additionally, I'm only at Eryth Sea in XC3D (around the 40 hour mark, which is probably a bit higher than it should be, but I spent a lot of time on the Bionis' Leg/Gaur Plains), and I'm getting overwhelmed by my inventory, party choices, gems, etc., in addition to realizing how much more of the game is left.
I liked how active a part Blades played in Torna's combat (and how few there were), and while it doesn't have nearly the level of XC2's customization, I liked switching out and the overall more brisk tempo of it. Maybe it was a bit too fast at times, because after a while I just let the AI take over, which like the base game, let me play with setups and team synergy to see what worked and what didn't. I love that about these nicely implemented auto combat systems. It's also great that I can go full manual whenever I need or want to.
The world, while far smaller and limited, still felt like an open-world game, with a nice sense of freedom to explore and discover. Labeled resource points and the FF15-like camps are great improvements. I actually liked crafting in this game, as I usually found it to be a pain to cook in the base game, so I barely did it. The community aspect was fine, although I could see it being annoying if you're the type of player who just wants to push the story forward. The late-game requirements could really put some players off. Quests were OK; a couple standouts, but most of them were your standard MMO-like fare. Loved the music and main story though! Lora was a terrific protagonist, and that ending was just... yep. :)
Anyway, after finishing it, I felt satisfied and not fatigued at all. There was never a point where I wanted to take long breaks from it (like I did with Persona 5 and XC2). While I think 20 hours for a game of this type is a bit too short (although perfect as an expansion), I feel like something that's 40-ish hours would be great, with a thoughtful and well planned NG+ (and beyond) for those who want to do it. It's exciting reading about XC2's NG+ features, but the idea of playing through it again tires me out just thinking about it! Not to say that one way or the other is better, as I know there are a lot of players who are in the "longer = better" camp. This is just me and my perspective as a 40-something year old dude who doesn't have as much disposable time as I once did, but who still absolutely loves playing games.
So yeah, Torna just got me thinking about RPG length in general. Not that it's the best comparison, but I think of the Dark Souls games and Bloodborne, which are all around 35-40 hours, and have NG+ loops for completionists and those wanting the extra challenge. My favorite 16-bit era RPGs are 25-40 hours. Gives you enough time to customize and enjoy the party/systems, but have a pace that keeps you engaged without having to dedicate so much time to them.
So with that being said, I've now been on the lookout for shorter RPGs. They don't have to be open-world, but my shortlist includes Ys VIII, Bravely Default, Cosmic Star Heroine, and Phantasy Star IV.
Curious to know what else might be out there! I'm mainly interested in more recent stuff (this gen and last gen) since I played most of the offerings from the PS2 generation and earlier. Thanks for reading, and don't worry, I still love me some long RPGs too... otherwise Dragon Quest VII wouldn't be one of my all-time favorites. :)
I really enjoyed it, even though it doesn't have that slow burn and immense depth of the base game. In a way though, I almost prefer that. I spent about a hundred hours playing XC2 over the course of nearly a year, and I have no idea how much content I didn't finish, but I'm guessing it's a lot. Additionally, I'm only at Eryth Sea in XC3D (around the 40 hour mark, which is probably a bit higher than it should be, but I spent a lot of time on the Bionis' Leg/Gaur Plains), and I'm getting overwhelmed by my inventory, party choices, gems, etc., in addition to realizing how much more of the game is left.
I liked how active a part Blades played in Torna's combat (and how few there were), and while it doesn't have nearly the level of XC2's customization, I liked switching out and the overall more brisk tempo of it. Maybe it was a bit too fast at times, because after a while I just let the AI take over, which like the base game, let me play with setups and team synergy to see what worked and what didn't. I love that about these nicely implemented auto combat systems. It's also great that I can go full manual whenever I need or want to.
The world, while far smaller and limited, still felt like an open-world game, with a nice sense of freedom to explore and discover. Labeled resource points and the FF15-like camps are great improvements. I actually liked crafting in this game, as I usually found it to be a pain to cook in the base game, so I barely did it. The community aspect was fine, although I could see it being annoying if you're the type of player who just wants to push the story forward. The late-game requirements could really put some players off. Quests were OK; a couple standouts, but most of them were your standard MMO-like fare. Loved the music and main story though! Lora was a terrific protagonist, and that ending was just... yep. :)
Anyway, after finishing it, I felt satisfied and not fatigued at all. There was never a point where I wanted to take long breaks from it (like I did with Persona 5 and XC2). While I think 20 hours for a game of this type is a bit too short (although perfect as an expansion), I feel like something that's 40-ish hours would be great, with a thoughtful and well planned NG+ (and beyond) for those who want to do it. It's exciting reading about XC2's NG+ features, but the idea of playing through it again tires me out just thinking about it! Not to say that one way or the other is better, as I know there are a lot of players who are in the "longer = better" camp. This is just me and my perspective as a 40-something year old dude who doesn't have as much disposable time as I once did, but who still absolutely loves playing games.
So yeah, Torna just got me thinking about RPG length in general. Not that it's the best comparison, but I think of the Dark Souls games and Bloodborne, which are all around 35-40 hours, and have NG+ loops for completionists and those wanting the extra challenge. My favorite 16-bit era RPGs are 25-40 hours. Gives you enough time to customize and enjoy the party/systems, but have a pace that keeps you engaged without having to dedicate so much time to them.
So with that being said, I've now been on the lookout for shorter RPGs. They don't have to be open-world, but my shortlist includes Ys VIII, Bravely Default, Cosmic Star Heroine, and Phantasy Star IV.
Curious to know what else might be out there! I'm mainly interested in more recent stuff (this gen and last gen) since I played most of the offerings from the PS2 generation and earlier. Thanks for reading, and don't worry, I still love me some long RPGs too... otherwise Dragon Quest VII wouldn't be one of my all-time favorites. :)
