Games in the AAA space tend to be “forever games.” Almost demanding all of your free time to enjoy it. Even single-player ones, like Elden Ring and the new God of War(s), they have a story, but they want you to be in their worlds for as long as possible.
Don’t get me wrong, I love a good story, but can we get shorter games? Like, concise experiences that are free of bloat?
I find myself ignoring AAA announcements because I “know” they will be games that take forever.
Yup, look at things like Tetris. No story, no dialogue, no cut-scenes. Just a solid Core Gameplay Loop. Sure, I like a lot of the additional stuff, but if you make the Core Gameplay Loop fun, everything else is just window-dressing