GameCentral readers reveal the games they’ve spent the most time on, with thousands of hours spent on World Of Warcraft and Halo.
The subject for this week’s Hot Topic was suggested by reader Tom Meadows, who asked what single game have you put the most hours into? Some games actually list the number of hours (and days) you’ve played them for, but even if you have to estimate what one would you say you’ve played the most and over what kind of time frame?
As you’d expect it was multiplayer games that claimed the biggest numbers, with one reader admitting to have spent five years playing World Of Warcraft. Skyrim and other role-players also claimed hundreds of hours of people’s time, along with the likes of Darks Souls and Zelda.
Regular match
I usually try not to look, but how awful is it to admit that I’m over 1,000 hours on Rocket League? Well, not that awful really because I’ve enjoyed every second of it. But I’m pretty sure that’s got to be the longest I’ve ever played it.
I used to be pretty into Pokémon when I was younger and I’ve probably done several hundred on Gold and Ruby but my interest eventually always petered out. With Rocket League though I still play it several times a week, even after all this time. Just half an hour here or there but it’s quality time and I don’t regret it all.
I even bought the Switch version just to have it on the go, so that added even more time to it. Fantastic game.
Ishi
Once a day
Inevitably it’s mostly role-playing games. I spent well over a hundred hours on Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, then Skyrim. Also, each of the Fallout series.
The dark Souls games too, due to multiple playthroughs. Recently I played Persona 5 twice in a row, racked up 150 hours doing that due to skipping all the text the second time around.
However, I think the champion must be the old Capcom SNES arcade conversion wrestling game Saturday Night Slam Masters. I played that for at least an hour a day, with few exceptions, over the space of two years. I loved it that much. The original Street Fighter II on the SNES must rank up there too.
dsb
Years not hours
The game I’ve put the most time in is World Of Warcraft. Five years on and off. Something always kept me coming back and it really is amazing it’s still going after all these years. I haven’t played for a long time now. I’m three expansions behind I think. But I still get that wonder and urge to visit Azeroth again and go on an adventure.
Second is most likely Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, I replay the game every few years and must put 100 hours into every playthrough. Trying to remember all the frog locations and get a no kill run. I still watch the cut scenes and a wave of nostalgia washes over me every time. The boss fights are some of the best ever made (don’t shoot me Souls fans, I’m too much of a noob to git gud).
I thought that was a huge missing element in The Phantom Pain. The boss fights were just meh. I kept hoping for one challenging aspect or a sixth wall breaking moment but it seems Kojima was a bit wiped.
Anthony Daniels
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Squids in
I always dread looking at these records but I think it may well be Splatoon 2. According to the game I’ve got 410 hours logged on it, which seems impossible even to me. Zelda: Breath Of The Wild is just over 300 hours but while that was something that absorbed me for months and then I completed Splatoon 2 is something I dip into constantly, no matter what else I’m playing.
It really is a hugely underrated multiplayer game, so original in concept and yet very easy to get into. Salmon Run is my absolute favourite though and more than half of that time must’ve been spent on that.
Needless to say you can imagine how excited I was about the Nintendo Direct announcement. Although it doesn’t seem to get talked about that much in the West the games are huge in Japan and I couldn’t be happier with the support the game’s got and how the Inklings are turning up in more and more other Nintendo games. Here’s to the next 100 hours!
Chad
You never forget your first time
My answer to this question is a topical one: Bloodborne. According to the console I’ve spent over 450 hours on it overall, including multiple New Game+ goes. It was my first SoulsBorne and I was very wary about playing it. I went through all the usual stages of frustration, confusion, and almost giving up after getting nowhere for days. Then it all started to click and, well… you’ve already seen the number.
I’m super envious of all those people who will be playing it for the first time now, as it’s free on PS Plus, because that’s something I can never do. But those New Game+ goes have been great too, uncovering secrets I never even dreamed were there on the first, or even second, go through.
It’s just a fantastic game, that I can’t believe was put together but such a relatively small team on a medium budget. I’m almost tempted to start playing it again after all this, even though I’m pretty sure I’ve finally seen everything.
Buster
Time perception
This is actually a difficult question to answer because I would’ve thought it would be a game when I was younger and had all the time in the world to play. So something like Gran Turismo or one of the GTAs. But your perception of time changes as you get older and since most of those old games don’t track your time (and I’ve lost the memory cards anyway) I really couldn’t see.
I do know that recently Zelda: Breath Of The Wild has engrossed me like no other game since my childhood. The Switch being portable helps a lot, but I remember looking at the record log and realising I’d spent 200 hours on it and still hadn’t even been to two of the provinces. Just a staggering game that deserves every ounce of praise it’s been given.
I never would’ve believed I could spend so much time on a single-player game or that it would still have so many more secrets to hide. I don’t even understand how Nintendo made it. If it takes that long to play it how many man hours did it take to make it!
Pinky
Once is not enough
Tales Of Symphonia on the GC. Seem to remember 250+ hours between first playthrough and New Game+. Did all the side quests, secret boss, etc.
Graham Wade
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Putting in the hours
Easily the game I’ve spent most hours playing is Rayman Legends, specifically the online challenges, more specifically the Neverending Pit challenges. I’ve been playing it for over two years but as the sessions are short, 30 minutes to an hour and not every day, the total won’t be anything close to some but I imagine is probably about 300 hours.
Being in my 30s I get a bit of stick from friends when I say my favourite game is one that is mostly enjoyed by kids, the top player at the mo’ is a 15-year-old Polish lad. But it’s such a well-made, enjoyable game and the nuance of the controls is really shown off in the online challenges which are immensely hard to master. I’m genuinely quite chuffed with myself in becoming one of the best players in the Neverending Pit Challenges.
I enjoy playing a variety of genres but have a real liking for skill-based games that take time to master. I find the whole process of learning and becoming better or even good to be a very satisfying endeavour in itself and reward enough for the time spent. I often think of selling all my computer bits, get an Xbox and spend my available time getting good at Halo and just play the odd single-player game here and there.
I don’t because I don’t have the time you need to become really good, Pros have thousands of hours logged for a game. It probably took me a year of regularly play at my available amount of free time to get as good as I am at Rayman. So as much as I enjoy the process I don’t really ever have the time to immerse myself in it as fully as I’d like.
Simundo Jones
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