TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise has been running smoothly since its inception in 2007. After a tonal shift in 2017 withAssassin’s Creed: Origins, the titles have been massive open-world adventures longer than most gamers can even finish. The latest release,Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla,pushes the envelope even further in terms of scope.
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According to howlongtobeat.com, simply going through the main story takes over fifty hours, and that’s before getting into the side content. The game is so big, one could run through any of the ten series below in their entirety before finishingAssassin’s Creed: Valhalla. We’re not telling you to play these games instead, but just understand what you’re signing up for before starting Ubisoft’s most recent entry in its storied franchise.
10Max Payne (24 1/2 Hours)
Fans had to wait nine years to receiveMax Payne 3in 2012 fromRockstar Games, and it sure was worth the wait. Fortunately, the two older titles also hold up. Being linear third-person shooters, one knows what to expect in terms of length.Max Payne 2is particularly short, only taking between five and seven hours. Add the Game Boy Advance version ofMax Payneto switch things up too.
9Gears Of War (54 Hours)
WhileHalodominated the original Xbox, Microsoft was able to diversify during the Xbox 360 era.Gears of Warcame out early in the 360’s life and quickly became one of the most iconic games in the Xbox’s catalog. Epic Games no longer has anything to do withGear of War, but Microsoft is doing a good job ofkeeping the third-person shooter alive.Going through the mainline entries in a row takes about 47 hours, and adding the prequel,Judgment, makes it about 54.
8Uncharted (49 Hours)
Unchartedwas Naughty Dog’s first step into mature titles instead of cartoonish worlds likeJak and DaxterorCrash Bandicoot. Every mainline entry exceptUncharted 4is a brief journey, ranging from between six and ten hours.Uncharted 4is the only beefy one, taking about 14 to 16 hours. This is ultimately a part of its genius, as the pace of the first three games never lets up. Maybe they are short, but it is easy to beat any ofNathan Drake’sadventures three or four times. Even adding onThe Lost Legacystill leaves the franchise shorter thanValhalla.
7Mortal Kombat (50 Hours)
Fighting games are always a weird thing to talk about when it comes to game length. Really, a fighter lasts for however long it continues to be entertaining. However, at least four games in theMortal Kombatfranchise havestory modes, starting withMortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe.Even before that, two games had Konquest modes, telling unique stories with definitive endings. Going through the arcade ladder and story modes in all of them would take less time than it takes to beat the most recentAssassin’s Creed.
6Syphon Filter (50 Hours)
This is probably the oldest and most dormant franchise on the list.SyphonFilterwas a solid third-person shooter on the original PlayStation, and the final two PSP games even became more critically adored. Developer Bend studio most recently developedDays Gone, which contains an Easter egg referencing the older franchise. Fans are hoping for a return eventually, but until then take a 50 hour trip down memory lane by charting the franchise’s trajectory from the PS1 to the PS2 and finally the PSP.
Telltale’s games are never particularly long, and the episodic format allows them to be broken down into digestible chunks. After all is said and done, itsWalking Deadseries is now a beefy adventure.
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Going through all of the seasons from start to finish takes slightly upwards of 40 hours, which is still a little bit shy ofAssassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Be prepared to make some devastating decisions when playing.
4Crash Bandicoot (45 Hours)
By 1996, Nintendo already had its slew of legendary platforming franchises. Sony had a few great ones in the PlayStation’s early life, but they did not have amemorable mascot untilCrash Bandicoot.The original trilogy on the PS1 are all classics, and the recentCrash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Timeis a worthy successor. Going through all the levels in all the games, including the PS2 titles in betweenCrash 3and4takes about 45 hours.
3Half-Life (45 Hours)
Gordon Freeman’s life has been a wild ride since theincident at Black Mesa.While it may be confusing torture for him, players have been eating up every entry. With titles released between 1998 and 2020, one may be surprised to learn all the content only adds up to about 45 hours. To be fair, no game in the series was released between 2007’sHalf-Life 2: Episode 2andHalf-Life: Alyx. Throw in thePortalgames and one still would not take up more time than going throughAssassin’s Creed: Valhalla.
2Donkey Kong Country (37 Hours)
Donkey KongCountryis one of the most celebrated SNES platforming franchises, and that’s saying something considering this is the same console withSuper Mario World.
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After a long lull, Retro Studios brought the series back on the Nintendo Wii. Like most platformers, simply going through the levels does not take a lot of time, but going for 100% completion takes a little more effort.
1Halo (56 Hours)
Halonot only revolutionized the first-person shooter, but it also made Microsoft a force to be reckoned with and saved the original Xbox from obscurity. While multiplayer is the main attraction, one cannot forget the compelling single-player campaigns packaged with each entry. They never overstay their welcome, and can all be tackled cooperatively with at least one friend in under ten hours each.Halo Infinitelooks to significantly expand upon the single-player with an open-world format.
