Avowed: A Fresh RPG Experience That Aims to Captivate Without Overstaying Its Welcome

In Japan, there’s a word for a shelf filled with unread books: tsundoku.

Gamers have their own version of this—it’s called a backlog.

Many players have piles of unfinished or untouched games.

Websites and Reddit groups help players deal with this struggle.

The gaming world releases more titles each year, with many being blockbusters that seem to take forever to finish.

Some studies suggest that only about 10% of players see a game through to the end.

But could this be shifting?

Among the top-reviewed games since 2020, five take at least 60 hours to complete, according to Metacritic.

Analyst Rhys Elliott notes that games are becoming longer over time—a trend that has crept up gradually.

For instance, earlier Assassin’s Creed games took only 25 to 30 hours, while Valhalla can exceed 60 hours.

Longer games might sound appealing, but they also cost more in development.

There’s a risk that as development budgets grow, fewer players finish these lengthy games.

Rhys believes that shorter games might be better for companies.

He argues that most players wouldn’t see a difference if an expansive game was trimmed by 20%.

Another option is to give players a choice about their gameplay length.

Carrie Patel, the director of Avowed at Obsidian, aims to create a game that resonates with players.

Obsidian, known for titles like The Outer Worlds and Fallout: New Vegas, wants to offer a more accessible gaming experience.

RPGs usually require many hours to complete, but Carrie emphasizes shorter playtime in Avowed.

A quick playthrough of Avowed takes about 15 hours, while completing all extras could take around 40 hours.

The team aims for a game that values players’ time and effort.

“We realize players have many choices,” Carrie explains. “We want to make sure their time is well spent.”

Games don’t need hundreds of hours of gameplay to become popular.

For example, some fans were displeased when they heard that Spider-Man 2 could be completed in under 30 hours.

However, it still received great reviews and set sales records for Sony. Quality can outweigh quantity.

Carrie shares this sentiment: “Most players aren’t just looking to pass time; they want a rich experience.”

Rhys calls this a smart approach. Players who want to rush through can still fully enjoy the game.

Future games might adopt this method as well.

Why do developers create such lengthy games in the first place?

In Avowed, many players might only experience a small part of its content.

Carrie acknowledges the concern: “What about those who skip content?”

She aims to provide pathways for those less interested in exploring every detail, ensuring an enjoyable experience for every player.