Top 10 Longest Video Games EVER

“The Witcher” is an epic tale that takes a lot of investment. So, it’s natural that gameplay represents its sprawling nature. Geralt’s search for his adoptive daughter takes him to the ends of the land of the Continent, where players encounter all sorts of creatures. The many diversions during Geralt’s quest lead to missions that expand “The Witcher 3’s” runtime. While most players will engage in a ton of side quests, the main story has an approximate 51-hour requirement of its own. With multiple possible endings, fans spend time uncovering every scenario before moving on to filler content. “The Witcher 3’s” open world and complex story complement one another, so it doesn’t feel as long as it actually is.

The “Yakuza” series has featured plenty of open worlds, but this one goes far and beyond. Taking place in three distinct locations, it diversifies gameplay by incorporating more than just action-based elements. Because of the change in direction, fans have a lot more to do than before. The story’s dramatic beats offer a wide range of options for its RPG format. While the melodramatic tone can be a hit or a miss depending on what you like, the game keeps going until all plot threads are covered. Navigating around every aspect of the main objectives will require around 57 hours, so be prepared to dive all in with “Infinite Wealth”’s main plot.

It’s hard to gauge just how long “Elden Ring’s” primary campaign is since few follow the traditional route. Thanks to an abundance of content, most players spend their time roaming the Lands Between without worrying about the story. However, “Elden Ring” does have main objectives, culminating in as many as six possible endings. The journey to becoming the Elden Lord is far from easy or straightforward, meaning players must dedicate significant time to quests that grant them the highest honor. If you’re looking for a playthrough that wraps up the core part of the story, you’re in for at least 59 hours before the title of The Elden Lord beckons.

Exploring a massive kingdom's skies and depths is easier said than done. “Tears of the Kingdom” features the farthest outreaches of Hyrule, so much so that covering every portion of the map can take over 200 hours. But a shorter requirement is on hand since we’re talking just the main story. Then again, an estimated completion time of around 59 hours hardly counts as a speedrun. As one of the most well-received games of all time, “Tears of the Kingdom”’s campaign is filled with quality missions that vary in difficulty and depth. Its high-impact nature makes it a perfect title for completionists, who can get the best out of the game without straying away from the plot.

Among the immediate responses to “Final Fantasy XII’s” release was surprise toward the open world. A first for the series, it breathes new life into the franchise, making gameplay open-ended and diverse like never before. However, the gripping story is highlighted as “Final Fantasy XII’s” winning quality. Six playable characters and a plethora of RPG content send fans down a long journey that keeps adding new layers. Choices with big-time consequences uncover new aspects of gameplay, as characters build toward the high-stakes climax. The game’s runtime was nearly unheard of at the time of its release and remains so nearly two decades later. So, if you’re up for it, “Final Fantasy XII’s” primary outline will require around 61 hours to conquer.

The “Assassin’s Creed” series’ knack for scaling up the map with each entry reached new heights by “Valhalla.” To tie into the story, protagonist Eivor is tasked with visiting various portions of the open world and forming alliances. Because of the change in backdrops, new characters and scenarios are introduced at a frequent pace. “Valhalla” received criticism for its padding of the map, as gameplay involves a lot of traveling without as much substance. Regardless, since it all factors into the main objective, the campaign balloons up to an approximate 61-hour runtime. For the most part, players are looking at about 10 hours per story arc before the plotline comes to a close.

A story revolving around time travel across vast spaces of the map sets up a long playthrough. “Dragon Quest VII” embraces its RPG format for a wide-ranging campaign in a dense landscape. Due to the demands of turn-based combat, completing missions takes longer than a standard game. Exploring multiple continents is a must, even for the story-based campaign. Interacting with various characters is key for progression, which is part and parcel of the game. Those who brave through “Dragon Quest VII”’s challenges can take as many as 77.5 hours or more to complete. In case you prefer a slower-paced style, then you might end up spending a whole lot more time than that.

As surprising as it may be to see a racing game on this list, “Gran Turismo 4” does have a sense of finality. The “story” is essentially winning the Gran Turismo World Championship, following which the game rolls out its end credits. While that might sound simple enough, perfecting your craft and actually getting across the finish line is a massive undertaking. The World Championship consists of 10 races, each varying in difficulty and focus. Of course, getting to the championship is its own challenge, as players need to beat all prior events to gain access. With so much included in fans’ checklist, beating “Gran Turismo 4” can take well up to 76.5 hours and more.

Newer gamers might think of “Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate” and “Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate” as proof of the series’ penchant for long playthroughs. But they still don’t come close to 2008’s “Freedom Unite,” which can potentially fill up 100 hours’ worth of gameplay. It’s a mindboggling statistic considering the game is made for handheld platforms. Although it lacks a defined storyline, the primary goal of slaying monsters and ending all given objectives is considered as beating the game. Players of a lower skill level might take far longer, as this is a title that’s designed to be as punishing as possible. Still, those who have reached the finish line know that the end result is equally rewarding.

The “Persona” series tested players’ mettle with “Persona 3’s” huge runtime, yet it still had more to deliver. As the enhanced version of “Persona 5,” “Royal” is leaps and bounds ahead of others in terms of consumer investment. The game is split between exploring dangerous locations in the realm known as the Metaverse and navigating the protagonist’s everyday life. Containing so many RPG elements that you’ll lose track of where you are and how you got there, “Persona 5 Royal” feels seemingly endless with no end in sight. However, through grit and determination – and about 101 hours of gameplay – fans can complete the overarching objective. After all that time, you’re bound to be interested in seeing how it all ends.

Do you have a game in mind that took you forever to beat? Let us know in the comments.