Lately in the gaming sphere there’s been a lot of conversation about video game length with some going as far to say that all video games should be shorter, have worse graphics, and the developers should be paid more. All of the following games fit the first two criteria, I can’t really verify if the third was met but all of these games are, unlike many others that claim to be, fun.
Shinobi (2002)
PS2
I’ll start by saying Shinobi 2002 has little in common gameplay wise with the previous games on the Sega genesis. In this one you play as a ninja named Hotsuma (who has the best scarf in gaming) that wields a sword called Akujiki that constantly drains his life away and needs to be fed with souls to prevent that from happening. Shinobi is a very challenging 3D Platformer and hack and slash where you need to kill enemies to prevent Akujiki from killing you prematurely. The most important mechanic is one called Tate, where whenever you Hotsuma kill something Akujiki power increases which will eventually lead to one-shotting almost everything, including bosses. Whenever you kill four or more enemies in a row you’ll get a cinematic finisher to go with it. It’s a very simple but very satisfying combat system and the whole game can be finished in 5-8 hours. Shinobi has only ever been released for the PS2 but if you’re a subscriber of Under the Mangrove, you should know how to use emulators by now.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Uncaged Edition
PS3, X360, PC
Wolverine’s a violent hack and slash that unlike the PG-13 movie it’s based off of is very fun. It deviates from the source material heavily and at some points completely goes off the rails in a good way. The combat is pretty simple God of War style button mashing though it has enough weight behind it that it still feel satisfying. The biggest downside to Wolverine is there’s not much enemy variety and the last couple levels start to feel repetitive, though the game is only 9 hours long and you’re almost done by that point. I specifically recommend the Uncaged Edition (PS3, XBOX 360 and PC) version as the other one for PS2 and Wii is a completely different game that doesn’t look good at all.
Vanquish
PS3, PS4, X360, XONE, PC
Platinum Games needs absolutely no introduction, if you liked Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising you’ll love Vanquish. If you didn’t like those two games you’ll still like it. Vanquish is a third person shooter that instead of using cover you boost around in a powered suit and shoot at big robots. It’s often referred to as the DMC of third person shooters and I’d be inclined to agree if it wasn’t better than what it’s being compared to. If you’re in a “I just want to shoot things” mood, give Vanquish a try. I highly recommend playing on PC if possible.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner
PS2, PS3, X360
Most people only know ZOE because the first game was packaged with a demo for Metal Gear Solid 2 and while I haven’t played the first, the 2nd Runner has the perfect length for a video game that’s purely action. ZOE2 is a hack and slash where the combat is almost entirely airborne and you can dodge, attack, and shoot at any time. It’s very fast paced and there’s a variety of different weapons and setpieces to use them all in. ZOE2 is in my opinion one of the most underrated action games ever made and it’s a perfect bite sized game. The only caveat is the XBOX 360 version is known to have more bugs and framerate issues than the other two versions.
Onimusha: Warlords
PS2, PS4, XONE, SWITCH, PC
The easiest way to summarize Onimusha is it’s Sengoku Resident Evil. You play as a Samurai slicing up demons in feudal Japan. The combat is fairly simple but you’re given enough enemy variety to keep it fresh the whole way through. It may feel rigid at first given that the game uses fixed camera angles, pre-rendered backgrounds and you can only move the player character with the DPAD but the attack and movement speeds are quick so it doesn’t feel restrictive at all. Even if you dislike tank controls I suggest you give Onimusha a look anyway.
If there’s anything you take away from this post. It should be that you don’t have to play new games if you don’t want to. There’s hundreds of classics you haven’t played and you never know what’s gonna be your next favorite.