A lot of media takes time and patience to truly appreciate, and video games are no different. In fact, they can be even harder to get into due to their increased length. You can finish a film in one sitting and a song is only a few minutes, but even the shortest games tend to be between six and ten hours.
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It is worse when you do not know whether the time investment will pay off. Today, we’ll be checking out ten PS4 games where it is absolutely necessary to trudge through arguably slow introductions in order to enjoy an epic journey.
10Uncharted 4
The first threeUnchartedgames have immaculate pacing. They often start off bombastic and continue to balance touching story moments with set pieces.Uncharted 4is easily the longest game in the series and slows down the action for the introduction. It takes about three and a half hours for the story to pick up. Once it does, the momentum does not let up. This pacing works well inLast of Us,but it feels a little jarring in theUnchartedfranchise.
9The Witcher 3
CD Projekt Red not only outdid itself withThe Witcher 3, but also revolutionized the open-world RPG genre. Few games feel this grand, with regions and cities all feeling distinctly unique. The opening gives a small slice of what the rest of the game offers. If you are not intrigued by the intro, just give it a few hours for the rest of the map to open up and more quests to become available.
8Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Painis by far the longest mainlineMetal Gear Solidtitle. To longtime fans, the opening cutscene and attack on the hospital is a thrilling segment that compounds the mystery surrounding Venom Snake.
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Those only in it for the open-world gameplay will have to slog through this in order for the game to open up. All the same, the opening segment set to Midge Ure’s cover of “Man Who Sold the World” is striking.
7Nier: Automata
Nier: Automataexists outside of normal video games. It eschews modern conventions and does so mostly in service of the narrative. It is hard to find a reason for why you have to play through the introduction without dying, lest you be forced to restart the whole thing.It is technically a different ending, but doing it more than once grows frustrating. Once you make it to the first save point, it is all smooth sailing.
6Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: Worldis more accessible than prior entries in the franchise, but it is still less accessible than most contemporary action-RPGs. Because of this, it has a fairly slow intro meant to introduce players to all the mechanics. This is tiresome if you are already familiar with the game,though it is necessary for most newcomers. It is just unfortunate you cannot skip it.
Red Dead Redemption 2is an achievement on several levels. Few games have a similar scope in both story and gameplay. There is enough narrative content to fill up several seasons of a television show. However, some are less than enthused by the opening hours where the gang is stuck in the snowy mountains after a botched robbery. If you want to hit the ground running in an open-world game,Red Dead Redemption 2’sintroduction will certainly be a challenge.
4Death Stranding
Hideo Kojima’sfirst effort after leaving Konami and forming his own studio is a polarizing title. Before understanding the gameplay loop and jumping into the swing of things, players spend a few hours being introduced to the world with tons of exposition.
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It is all intriguing but definitely feels like an information dump, something some players might find difficult to endure. We wonder if the designer’s next project will be a sequel toDeath Strandingor a new IP.
3Control
Remedy Entertainment’s 2019 third-person action game is one partTwin Peaksand one part high-octane shooter. Jesse Faden uses her powers as the director of the Federal Bureau of Control to destroy the mysterious force called the Hiss inside the Oldest House. It takes several hours for players to earn the best powers, and the game becomes progressively more interesting with each new ability. It goes from an average third-person shooter to one of the year’s most interesting action games. While available on the PS4, consider play it on PC orControl: Ultimate Editionon the PS5
2Last Of Us
While originally released on the PS3, the remastered version ofThe Last of Usfor the PS4 is the definitive way to play this 2013 classic. After an incredible opening, theLast of Usspends a few hours introducing the players to the ruined world before the journey actually begins. Walking through the quarantined zones is wonderful the first time through, but repeated playthroughs make us wish this part could be expedited.Last of Us Part 2does a better job with the introduction,though it has the advantage of players already loving these characters.
1Bloodborne
To be clear,Bloodborneactually has a fantastic introduction. Its opening area is only rough because most players spend itdying countless times as they learn more about the combat and mechanics. The area up until Father Gascoigne is arguably the most challenging part of the game. After the boss, everything else is more manageable. It is unbelievably challenging, but also equally rewarding. FromSoftware is hard at work onElden Ring, but many are hoping for aBloodbornefollow-up.
Next:10 RPGs That Are Amazing (After A Rough Opening Few Hours)
