Summary
During the ninth generation of video game consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S), launched in November 2020, numerous great games have been released, including several critically acclaimed titles that have joined thepantheon of the highest-rated gamesever made. With open-world RPGs established as one of the most popular modern genres, many games of this generation offer vast worlds to explore and an array of optional quests and activities, providing dozens, if not hundreds, of hours of playtime for fans willing to fully immerse themselves in their fictional universes.
To determine thegames with the longest playtimefor this generation, some rules must first be established. For this ranking, we’ll focus on story-driven games, primarily RPGs, with focused narratives and optional side quests or other side activities available for players, thus excluding freeform sandbox games or multiplayer session-based titles that can be played indefinitely. In addition, the average playtime (viaHowLongToBeat) used for comparison includes the time required to complete both the main story and the majority of all available side content, as this reflects how most players typically engage with these games. With that in mind, here’s a look at the longest games of this generation so far.
Following the excruciatingly long main story (over 50 hours) ofThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red opted for a less ambitious journey inCyberpunk 2077, with a relatively short main story that playerscan complete in around 26 hours. However, true to the studio’s tradition, the world ofCyberpunk 2077is brimming with hand-crafted side quests, minor optional activities like clearing gang bases or hunting cyberpsychos, as well as additional content like collectibles and exploration.
To complete the majority of story-related quests and activities, newcomers toCyberpunk 2077should expect to spend at least 60 hours with the game, while doing everything Night City has to offer, including earning every trophy, may require over 100 hours. Not to mention the acclaimedPhantom Libertyexpansion, whichadds 13 to 30 hours of exciting stories.
The sequel to the iconic series by GSC Game World,STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, launched with some issues, particularly related to NPC spawns and behavior. However, short length isn’t one of them. The world of the Zone is seamless, larger, and more detailed than ever before, so players venturing into its dangers should be prepared to invest a decent amount of time into the game.
The main quest ofSTALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylcan becompleted in around 36 hours on average, yet the game features plenty of optional quests and involves significant backtracking across its vast map. Players don’t have access to any vehicles and can only travel on foot, with very limited inventory space. With that in mind, striving to complete all side activities may require double the time needed for the main path, and completionists could spend well over 150 hours with the game, hunting for rare weapons and artifacts.
Like with any Bethesda RPG before it, few doubtedStarfield’s scope, especially with the promise of delivering hundreds of explorable planets for fans. While the game may not fully live up to its ambition, it can quite literally become a second life for players if it clicks with them. Interestingly, despite its epic overall scale, the main story inStarfieldis surprisingly condensed and can be completed in just around 24 hours. Of course, that’s just scratching the surface of what the game has to offer.
Even without landing on every world and sticking mostly to narrative-driven content like the side quests, a first fullplaythrough may take about 74 hours. Dedicated fans who want to see and explore everything should expect to invest around 150 hours. On top of that,Starfield’s unique approach to New Game Plus mode deserves attention as well, requiring players to beat the main story at least twice to uncover some unique revelations, further expanding the playtime.
Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio has been in turbo mode this generation, delivering high-quality, diverse, and lengthyYakuzaaction RPGs almost yearly. Nearly any of the recent titles in the series can take up to 100 hours for completionists, yet two games in the lineup stand out the most for their scope and abundance of optional content.
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealthisthe longest and most sprawling entry, featuring two of the main series protagonists: Ichiban Kasuga and Kazuma Kiryu. With an epic main story requiring over 58 hours to complete, it’s already one of the biggest story-driven RPGs available today, while side quests and activities push its potential to keep players occupied for up to 116 hours. Another alternative isYakuza: Like a Dragon, which is just a tad shorter in every regard, yet can still take 46 to 103 hours, depending on the player’s goals.
Turn-basedPersonaJRPGs are known for their length, withPersona 5’s main story taking around 100 hours — a mark few other games can match. The series' spiritual successor, set in a fresh universe,Metaphor: ReFantazio, also aims high with its ambitious narrative, setting the stage for an epic quest across the realm of the United Kingdom of Euchronia.
The game’s main story isn’t as long asPersona 5’s andcan be completed in about 66 hourson average — still an impressive feat. Of course, like any true JRPG, fans can spend nearly double that time inMetaphor: ReFantazio’s unique world if they aim to complete every side quest and uncover every hidden item the game has to offer.
The expanded scope ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis astonishing, especially given that it’s only the second part of the planned remakes of the original iconic JRPG. Square Enix notably expanded the world, characters, and available quests and activities inRebirth, putting the first chapter to shame. This results in the main story ofRebirthtaking around 48 hours to complete, while an average player who occasionally tackles side quests and enjoys the array of fun mini-games canexpect at least 92 hours of playtime, or possibly much more.
For completionists,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis easily one of the largest story-driven games of the generation. Earning all trophies, doing everything, including collecting all items and defeating every optional boss, would require over 160 hours, more than twice as much asFinal Fantasy 7 Remake.
One of the highest-rated games of the year so far,Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2owes its lengthy playtime to the game’s slow pace, as, like its predecessor,Deliverance 2is all about immersing players in the harsh day-to-day life of a grounded medieval world stripped of fantasy elements. For the sequel, Warhorse’s ambitions rose significantly, offering a longer game in every regard, with an even more sprawling and varied map.
The main story ofKingdom Come: Deliverance 2takes an average of 53 hours to beat, while RPG lovers who pursue every optional quest and mission should expect their time with the game to clock in around the 100-hour mark. Of course, there’s even more toDeliverance 2’s charming world for players who enjoy their stay in Bohemia, asplayers can literally live there.
Two entries later,Assassin’s Creed Valhallastill reigns as the most ambitious and expansive installment in Ubisoft’s flagship series, featuring several truly enormous maps to explore. With just the main story of the base gametaking over 60 hours to complete,Valhallablurs the line between an action game and a full-fledged RPG, delivering hours of cutscenes, a wide array of characters, and meaningful choices throughout the campaign.
Given the sprawling nature ofValhalla’s territories and mythical realms, it’s a real paradise for completionists who prefer to methodically clear the world of every mystery. In that case, players are in for a truly colossal journey that can take over 150 hours. For fans who can’t get enough of the game, three sizable expansions —Wrath of the Druids,The Siege of Paris, andDawn of Ragnarök— are also available,adding 30 to 55 more hoursof content across three new maps.
It is already known thatElden Ringhas cemented its legacy as one of the best and most influential games of this generation, fully opening the soulslike genre to a mass audience. On top of that,Elden Ringis one of the longest games of the past five years. With its gigantic, beautiful, layered world and ambitious lore,Elden Ringis an arresting and immersive RPG, even if its cryptic narrative and overall approach to quest design can be challenging to follow.
Elden Ring’s mandatory path through several major bosses toward the ending takes around 60 hours, while striving to defeat every boss and complete every quest may extend the journey well beyond 100 hours, and will almost certainly require players to consult some guides online. Matching the scope of the base game, theShadow of the Erdtreeexpansion is so vast it can outshine many standalone games,adding 26 to 50 hoursto theElden Ringexperience, including some of the game’s best quests and hardest bosses.
Guessing the number one on this list is hardly a surprise. A modern king of the CRPG genre,Baldur’s Gate 3restored its past glory admirably, becoming a smash hit and one of the most played games of the generation, consistently amassing over 100,000 simultaneous players on Steam alone. The game’s gigantic scope and slow-paced combat, coupled with near-endless replayability, ensure that players are in for quite a long journey withBaldur’s Gate 3.
The main story aloneclocks in at over 72 hours on average, while a completionist run could take as much as 175 hours, provided that players are already familiar with the game. Of course,Baldur’s Gate 3’s non-linear nature ensures every new run will differ in events and playtime, yet no matter how one slices it, Larian’s creation stands as the longest story-driven RPG of this generation so far, with a good chance of retaining that title for years to come.
