The Last Spell

GWJ Conference Call 858

Click Here to Download!

Amanda, Rich, Daryl, and Glendon talk about the Long Run in games: where the longer run time has enhanced the experience.

Media: Code Vein (PS5), The Last Spell (PC), Octopath Traveller 2 (Switch), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.

To contact us, email [email protected]! Send us your thoughts on the show, pressing issues you want to talk about, or whatever else is on your mind.

  • Subscribe with iTunes
  • Subscribe with RSS
  • Subscribe with Yahoo!
Download the official apps
  • Download the GWJ Conference Call app for Android
  • Download the GWJ Conference Call app for Android

Comments

00:01:13 Code Vein
00:05:33 The Last Spell
00:11:25 Octopath Traveler 2
00:15:00 Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (film)
00:23:50 The Long Run in Games
00:45:45 GWJ Housekeeping
00:47:36 Thread of the Week

I need to go back and take another look at The Last Spell. I was really enjoying it early on in its in early access, and it sounds like it's only gotten better.

I also noticed Code Vein was free on PSPlus this month and was considering it. I agree that, when these games are presented as part of a curated monthly collection, you think "these must be good".

Thanks to Daryl for saving me a download!

EDIT: As for the "long run", I have happily put 100+ hours into big, open-world RPGs like Elden Ring, Horizon Forbidden West, Ass Creed Valhalla/Odyssey, Skyrim etc etc. The weird thing is, if I think I'm in for 100 hours when I start, it puts me off. The game has to trick me with a beautiful map and a power curve/skill system that makes me want to just reach the next landmark, hit the next level, unlock that next skill, until I'm in the early/mid game happy spot of thinking "Wow, there's so much to do and see! I love it!".

Code Vein is objectively terrible, every cutscene is an anime-nonsense, giant boob cringe-fest. But for some reason I keep playing it. I guess the exploration and combat is kind of good? But it feels like it's not because it's buried under a pile of particle effects and inane companion barks.

Finally got around to listening to this one, and boy, do you have different definitions of long games than I do.

For a purely story-driven campaign, I consider:
< 2 hours: very short
2 - 6 hours: short
6-20 hours: normal length
20-40 hours: long
40-80: very long, and you'd better be really good to get me to consider you
anything over 80: ridiculous

In fact, I'm pretty sure I've only ever played one campaign for more than 80 hours (not counting replays or restarts), and that was Assassin's Creed: Odyssey, which - including all DLC - took me around 230 hours over the span of 4 years.

When I consider what to play next, anything that HLTB lists at over 25 hours usually gets moved to the back of the list of candidates. Especially considering I usually take at least twice as long HLTB's estimate.

About 15 years ago, you had the "8 hours and done" campaign being a frequent game type. I remember bemoaning it then, but I often miss it now, as we're not only swamped by long games, but also the sheer numbers of constant releases of good, immensely long titles.