Topic: When is a game "Too Long"?

@NintendoByNature It's been so long since I've played it that I don't remember a ton of specifics, but I recall what I perceive as the shift in the game mostly corresponds with a setting change, so you're probably correct with one of those things(I think it's after the castle). When I replayed it, I was able to persist until around the QTE knife fight, which is one of my least favorite things in the game(or, perhaps, any game). RE4 is definitely well made in a lot of ways and I can understand why people like it. I was always a bit surprised that it was held up by many as the Gamecube's best game. I think a lot of that came from people's relationship with the franchise, as Resident Evil got popular pretty quickly. What I think is the Gamecube's best game, Metroid Prime, I had no issues revisiting multiple times. But I get that it's a matter of taste. Cool for you that you had a better experience with the game this time around. It's always a nice feeling to finally "get it" with some games that don't necessarily click right away.

In general when the pacing is bad. I like side quests if they make me feel immersed in the game. So they aren’t necessarily padding.

Disgaea (any of them). Not because of the grind, but because the number of paths are so overwhelming. Its strength in depth is also its problem. But if I only could have 1 game on a desert island it would be that.

A game is too long when it makes you do busywork, or grinding, or arena battles, or something similar as a progress stopper for the main story. Xenoblade Chronicles 2, with its endless resource collecting, is guilty of this. Someone who just wants to play through the main story is occasionally going to get stymied. That’s going to kill the pacing.

(I’ll add it wasn’t an issue for me, as I thoroughly enjoyed exploring every corner of the game. By the time I was ready to finish the main story, I breezed through it all. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t see the issue with the game design. It’s not for everybody.)