Not everyone can afford to buy every new release that comes out, which means it’stime to dust off the games that offer bang for their buck with massive main queststhat offer hours upon hours of gameplay.
Usually, it’s RPGs thatoffer the longest runtime, at least for a continuous narrative. Theoretically, you can play any multiplayer shooter, likeFortnite, and enjoy every match for years.
10 Best Boss Fights In Stealth Games
Even the most careful infiltrations can lead you to an unavoidable combat.
These games will provide enough content to last days, or even weeks, depending on how much the player wants to explore every nook and cranny.
For science’s sake, we sourced the run-time for the main story in each game fromHow Long To Beat. Some people will do it faster, others take a while, but all entries here are positively enormous.
10Pillars Of Eternity & Deadfire
Main Story Length: 78 Hours (36H + 42H)
Pillars of Eternity
Those who want theclassic CRPG experiencewith modern conveniences should look no further than the twoPillars of Eternitygames, as they not only inherited the spirit of the old Black Isle Studios series, butthey let you bring your character from the first title into the sequel.
The original Pillars of Eternity was standard fantasy fare, with players saving the world in a land where souls are forever reincarnated.
The second game spices things up with a race across the high seas, where the player can become a pirate and terrorize the fantasy oceans.
Those who fall in love with the world from Pillars of Eternity can also experience more of it inAvowed, as it uses the same setting, though it’s not a direct continuation of its story.
9Elden Ring
Main Story Length: 60 Hours
Elden Ring
There’s no denying thatElden Ringis the biggestFromSoftwaregame to date.
Those who attempt to hit the main story quests without any exploring will still find hours of gameplay before them, as they must defeat key bosses to unlock the road to the final boss.
10 Hardest Indie JRPG Bosses, Ranked
Hey JRPG fans, looking for a proper challenge? Then take a crack at the indie bosses on this list!
The thing is, only speedrunners are going to be able to accomplish that.
Thegamers who can’t dedicate their free time to a single title aren’t going to master the mechanicsto the point where they can avoid every hit and perfectly parry every boss.
So, they’ll have to explore The Lands Between, earning the experience points and gear they’ll need to complete their goals, which is something that takes hours to do.
8Pathfinder: Wrath Of The Righteous
Main Story Length: 56 Hours
Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
It’s no surprise that a game adapting a massive tabletop RPG campaign would make the list, as a single playthrough ofPathfinder: Wrath of the Righteousmeans strapping in for the long haul.
Set in the world of Golarian from thePathfinderRPG,the player character arrives in the city of Kenabres on the day that it falls to a demon horde.
Luckily, they’re the chosen ones, given the power to fight back the fiends or perhaps control them.
Leading a crusade takes a lot of work, which is why Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous takes along time to finish.
That’s just a single run, as the multiple Mythic Paths available to the player drastically change the story and party members, which means seeing everything can take a long time.
7Persona 5 Royal
Main Story Length: 101 Hours
Persona 5 Royal
The originalPersona 5was a massive game, with a story unfolding over the course of a school year. Just getting to the end of the Phantom Thieves' journey was a huge endeavor.
So, what did the mad lads at Atlus do?They released an updated version, slapped a third semester on it, and added a huge chunk of gameplayto it.
Not only was the endgame drastically expanded, but there were new segments strewn around the original storyline as well.
Persona 5 Royalis well worth the time it takes to see the credits, as it’s one of the finest RPGs ever made, certainly in the modern era, and by the end, it will leave the player wanting more time with the Phantom Thieves.
6Final Fantasy XIV
Main Story Length: 252 Hours (And Growing)
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
It’s kind of a cheat to put an MMO on here, butFinal Fantasy XIVis the exception, considering how it has a single narrative that players explore together, all with their own Warrior of Light.
To summarize the story of Final Fantasy XIV in a single paragraph would be folly. Let’s just say that it’s long and epic and has aton of fetch queststhat will eat up a chunk of time that could be better spent doing anything else in life.
By the time the player reaches level 100, they’ll have lost part of their limited lifespan to saving their slice of Eorzea from destruction.
10 Best GBA JRPGs, Ranked
Those who wanted to explore Nintendo’s JRPG catalog in the 2000s would have to rely on its handhelds rather than home consoles.
Considering the popularity of Final Fantasy XIV, it’s also unlikely that the story is going to be ending anytime soon.
As the Dawntrail expansion opens the doors to new countries and the wider multiverse, the story of the hero of Eorzea can continue for decades to come.
5The Mass Effect Trilogy
Main Story Length: 108 Hours
Mass Effect
Something of a cheat, as it’s technically three games in one, but few games captured that satisfaction of continuing a save in a sequel asMass Effect.
The epic story of Commander Shepard’s fight against the Reapers might be the greatest sci-fi story in gaming history.
Watching the rise and fall of humanity on the galactic stage as an unstoppable ancient alien threat returnsto wipe out nearly all biological life is about as epic as a game can get.
Full disclosure: the ending isn’t great, even with the improvements added over time.
Mass Effect is more about the journey than the destination. So, if an amazing ending is vital to someone’s enjoyment, then they might want to give Commander Shepard’s tale a miss.
4Dragon Age: Inquisition
Main Story Length: 51 Hours
Dragon Age
Dragon Age: Inquisitionis a game that’s perfect for open-world aficionados, as there is a mountain of quests to complete and places to explore. Almost too much, in fact, to the point where it’s important that the player balance story progression with side activities to prevent burnout.
The land of Thedas comes under threat from tears in the Veil, allowing interdimensional monsters to wreak havoc across the world.
The protagonist is the only one with the power to close these rifts, so they become the leader of the Inquisition and begin a mission to save the world from destruction.
While all Dragon Age games are massive, Inquisition is the one that feels sufficiently epic, with a truly apocalyptic event on the horizon.
This isn’t some Darkspawn uprising that the Grey Wardens will have to deal with: it’s Ragnarok by way of magic, and it’s up to the player to stop it.
3The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Poor Ciri. Geralt is on a quest to save her from the Wild Hunt, and he keeps getting distracted by everything from Gwent to his ex-girlfriends to monster-slaying missions that he finds on the road. Hope she has apps on her phone.
10 JRPG Enemies That Become Friends
JRPGs taught me that the best way to win against our enemies is by making them join us.
In all seriousness,The Witcher 3is a mammoth game, the kind where players can just get lost exploring its world and seeking out every small corner in search of secrets.
The land is as gorgeous as it is deadly, with supernatural horrors waiting in every sunny glade.
This is to say nothing of thetwo excellent DLCs, which add a ton of incredible content to the game and are just as vital for the full Witcher 3 experience as the main game.
2Baldur’s Gate 3
Main Story Length: 70 Hours
Baldur’s Gate 3
Baldur’s Gate 3has a problem, as it’s so enticing to start a new playthrough and make new decisions that many people never finish the game.
The allure of the Druid’s Grove and the Goblin Camp is just too much for some people.
This is a shame, as Baldur’s Gate 3’s lengthy story is full of great moments, especially at the end of the game, which has some of the toughest battles in the game, allowing players to cut loose with all kinds of awesome high-level abilities and spells.
Most players won’t get that far, as the siren song of the New Game button is too much for them, and they go back to the Illithid ship for another run. They swear they’ll finish the game this time – honest!
1Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Main Story Length: 57 Hours
Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
It’s tricky to discuss the length ofDragon Quest XIwithout getting into spoilers.What feels like the ending is actually only the halfway pointof a grand tale that will take hours to complete.
Much like Persona 5 Royal, Dragon Quest XI S added a ton of content to the experience, inflating what was already a massive experience to an eye-watering length.
That being said, the expansion to the story feels natural. It helps that Dragon Quest XI is one of the best entries in the series, and it’s well worth sitting through the countless random battles to reach the ending, especially for those who love minigames and want to spend time grinding for cool stuff.
10 Amazing Games With Pre-Rendered Backgrounds
Pre-rendered backgrounds are one of the most iconic and distinctive design tricks in gaming history.
