Length vs. Cost; Can a Game be too Short?

    With the recent controversy with The Order 1886's game length, the topic of game value has sprung up a lot in the past couple weeks and I feel that it's an important discussion to have. Game value (ie; the amount of time you put into a game vs how much money you spend on it) is a very personal thing, everybody has their own monetary value they attribute to a game's length and the ire that The Order has received might seem like just another angry internet thing, but I think it's justified. AAA games cost 60 dollars (going up to 75 in Canada very soon), so a 5 hour experience kind of seems like a rip off as minimum wage in Canada right now is 10.50. Think about that, that is almost an entire day's worth of pay just for five hours of quick time events, sub par shooting, and horizontal black bars.

    Call of Duty has an extensive, progressive multiplayer, and while a lot of people might scoff at its short campaign or it's 'dudebro' attitude, at least sinking a lot of time into it feels rewarding, as you prestige as much as you want and flaunt it with your badge. Bioshock Infinite has a 10 hour campaign, but it also has extra modes and an engaging story. Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes was $40 and while it gained some serious hate, fans of Metal Gear got a lot out of it and at least the base mechanics were rewarding and got a lot of people excited for Phantom Pain.

    So, can a game be too short? I think it depends on the price of the game, and whether or not you as an individual feel like that time was fulfilling or rewarding. It's going to differ from person to person, some people might not get as much out of a tight, well controlled first person shooter with a replayable lengthy campaign like Wolfenstien the New Order as others. Some might feel like an atmospheric puzzle laden 8 hour experience like The Swapper is a frustrating waste of time, even if it is only 20 dollars, while I felt extremely rewarded every time I beat a puzzle and advanced into another part of the game.

    A 5 hour game for $60 isn't inherently a bad thing, but a bad 5 hour game for $60 is extremely harmful, and I think that's the biggest reason why The Order left a bad taste in people's mouths. As many people have already stated, The Order 1886 has many problems and its length isn't one of them. Padding out a 5 hour experience with meaningless fetch quests or escort missions wouldn't have made it a better game. Length isn't everything, but I think it definitely should be considered when buying a game, especially when that game is not only brand new, but also $60. Being educated and reading reviews doesn't hurt either, as you will get a good idea of how good or bad a game is, and make a purchase or don't accordingly.

     Just remember, a game being short isn't a black mark against it, and that with games, as with a lot of other types of media, it's quality over quantity in most cases and there are plenty of other factors to consider when buying or talking about whether a game is good or bad. Thank you for reading, and come back soon.