Video games are a convoluted form of media, and it doesn't help that a single game can contain hundreds of hours of content. Why play multiple games when you can invest your time into one quality one? The incentive to play games with long stories is strong. Intriguing stories can add to their immersion, bringing unprecedented fulfilling experiences.
Bold developers go the extra mile by adding bonus content to keep the player engaged. Spread across various genres, the following estimates were compiled from howlongtobeat.com. We've seen some fantastic lengthy storylines over the years, but this raises the question, which game series has the longest stories?
10 Baldur's Gate
The fantasy role-playing series Baldur's Gate is renowned for its player customization in the Dungeons & Dragons setting. Games in the series can have long main stories or completionist runs. Content is abundant, especially when you take the expansions into account. To put things into perspective, Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn will take players at least 136 hours to beat—longer than the average role-playing game.
9 The Elder Scrolls
Although the main stories of The Elder Scrolls games are short in comparison to other games listed, The Elder Scrolls is one of the longest series during a completionist run. Quests in a game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim respawn, so there is virtually no end to the game. Moreover, expansive lore contained in-game will have players occupied for months on end. The storylines between the games do not connect, but there are recurring themes.
8 Xeno
The Xeno series initially started as a SquareSoft series, but later was developed by Monolith Soft. The first game of the series was Xenogears, released in 1998, but Xenoblade Chronicles, released in 2010, was the game that became a massive hit with players. A few generations later, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition released for the Nintendo Switch. A pattern seen in the Xeno series is complex stories. Expect to spend a beefy 50.5 hours trying to beat Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition without doing the extras or playing at a gingerly pace.
7 Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing is a series about building communities in remote locations. Completing all of the games' content will take you thousands of hours easily. By interacting with other residents and buying a house, you'll find the game has a lot offer.
The Animal Crossing series is one of our favorite Nintendo staples. Completing all of the game's content is possible, but not required. You may as well enjoy Animal Crossing for what it is; an enjoyable simulation game set in a lively world.
6 The Legend Of Zelda
While the stories of The Legend of Zelda are long, they are not to the point of being drawn-out. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the series' longest game because of its numerous side quests and extra content. To beat the game entirely, it will take players approximately 186 hours!
This series is one of gaming's most popular and lengthy. The story is about a boy named Link and his quest to save Princess Zelda from the malevolent Ganon.
5 Megami Tensei
The Megami Tensei franchise is a JRPG (Japanese role-playing game) that has earned worldwide acclaim. It's not as popular as other JRPG franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, but that could change with the recent success of Persona 5.
The "Megami Tensi" name refers to games of the same name and sub-series like Persona. A recurring theme is that the games are long to beat, spanning over 100 hours in some cases. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 will take players around 121 hours, while Persona 5 Royal will take players 143 hours!
4 Final Fantasy
The surreal Final Fantasy series has accumulated a substantial number of lengthy games. There are exceptions to the notion, but generally speaking, Final Fantasy games are quite long. There are two examples of games spanning over 200 hours (Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius and Mobius Final Fantasy). However, the majority of the series' installments are around 40-50 hours, not including extras. Doing a completionist run, players can find over 100 hours of content, on average.
3 Dragon Quest
As a series with the "longest-running Japanese RPG series," according to Guinness World Records, Dragon Quest has revolutionized the industry, it has been an active series since 1986. Dragon Warrior VII, the series' longest game, has an average completionist playtime of 260 hours. We see consistently lengthy games in the Dragon Quest series. This JRPG series has unrelated stories, so you can play them in any order.
2 Monster Hunter
Monster Hunter games can have extraordinarily long completion times. Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate can be beaten under a completion run in 610 hours! Many of us haven't played a single game that long. Monster Hunter Freedom Unite has a main story that is around 122 hours long. The series revolves around slaying monsters as part of quests. There is an abundance of side quests to keep you engaged.
The most recent Monster Hunter game, Monster: Hunter World, is the best-selling game in the company's 40-year past. The series is rapidly growing in popularity. Suffice to say, Monster Hunter is a series with one of the longest stories.
1 Story Of Seasons
The Harvest Moon series was renamed Story of Seasons in 2014. Comprised of the Story of Seasons and Harvest Moon games, it has exceptionally lengthy stories. The premise involves starting with a dilapidated farm and turning it into a profitable one. Harvest Moon is one of the earliest and most prominent farming simulation games. It's not unheard of to play over 300 hours completing a single game. Story of Seasons is the series with the longest stories.