Every real gamer out there has discovered "that game" where the multiplayer is so addictive that you play it every night for four months. Perhaps "that game" is an epic RPG (you know the one) where you are planning your second playthrough before you even finish the first one. These are not those games. The games on this list don't necessarily suffer from a lack of quality or appeal, we just didn't play them very long. These are the top ten games, in fairly recent history, with a dubious lack of longevity.
10. Payday 2
The premise for Payday 2 is a pretty good one: indulge in some truly criminal shit with a group of friends. I played through this game one night with a former 2o2p writer and another friend and had a fucking blast! We robbed banks, cooked up some meth while the FBI was raiding the lab, and pulled off an unlikely string of jewelry store smash and grabs. Payday 2 was great for a single night of gaming and I haven't had the desire to ever play it again. The gameplay was fun, but even in a single night the game had become repetitious. Payday 2 is the textbook example of a one and done game.
9. Portal 2
Portal 2 is an enigma of sorts. While the single player story was pretty damn good, once I had beaten the game I didn't want to go back and do it all again. What is the point of replaying a puzzle that you have already beaten? The co-op gameplay, which was also very good, suffers from the same lack of replayability.
8.Splinter Cell: Blacklist
I am a huge fan of stealth games, especially stealth games starring Sam Fisher. While there isn't anything specifically terrible about Blacklist, the thought of going back and playing through it again, either single or multiplayer, has zero appeal. I went through Double Agent, Conviction, Chaos Theory, Pandora Tomorrow and the original several times, Conviction was especially good, but once I finished my playthrough for the 2o2p review for Blacklist it was adios Sam, see you next time.
7. Need For Speed Rivals
EA is notorious for making amazing racing games that nobody plays for very long, and NFS Rivals is the best example of a great racing game with stubby legs. Rivals allows the player to pursue both a racer and cop career, features some fast and exciting gameplay, and boasts a decent car list with the best models from Pagani, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Ferrari and Porsche. That being said, the game is good for a five-night rental and you're back to playing Forza or Gran Turismo.
6. Saint's Row the Third
All of the Saint's Row games suffer from this malady, but the third entry is the worst offender. Perhaps it was the move to Steelport, maybe some of the humor fell flat or the Third Street Saints had strayed from their roots, or maybe there just wasn't enough Johnny Gat in this game. Whatever the reason, despite the similarities between GTA and Saint's Row, GTA is the clear winner in the longevity department. PS...fuck those wrestling guys.
5. FEAR/FEAR 2: Project Origin
FEAR Files and FEAR 3 don't qualify for this list: they were genuinely shitty games, not good games with short legs. The first and second installments of this pshchological horror shooter were genuinely fun, yet exhausting. Like most horror games, the shock value only lasts through the first run and the thought of going back, even for cheevos, seems like a chore and not an adventure.
4. Forza Horizon
Forza Horizon was a bit of a disappointment due to its lack of structural similarities to the numbered games, but it did break some new ground. The cars looked fantastic, the physics weren't terrible, and the Colorado setting gave us miles and miles of changing terrain to explore. However, despite the Forza branding and initial positive reception, this racer was back in the garage after a couple of weeks. Forza Horizon 2 also suffers from short legs, but not to the extent of its predecessor.
3. Project Spark
There isn't anything particularly horrible about Project Spark. I love the idea of being able to create your own world and make a game out of it. The problem is I don't want to. After playing through the tutorials and being introduced to the concepts of creation and game crafting, I discovered that learning the ropes was enough. I had always intended to go back and create something, but I prefer to put that creative energy into something like Minecraft and eventually deleted Project Spark to make room for something I would actually play.
2. The Walking Dead
Telltale's take on The Walking Dead has resulted in the most compelling episodic adventure ever made, hands down, as well as an excellent example for the "video games as art" argument. That being said, there is very little reason to go back through the game: the achievements can easily be picked up on the first pass, changing your original decisions doesn't gain you anything, and the emotional impact feels cheapened on the second pass. Maybe it's too much story and not enough game.
1. Titanfall
I never did like this fucking game, but a lot of folks here at 2old2play played the living shit out of it...for a very short time. What happened? When was the last time I saw someone playing this game on my activity feed? It's been a while. Titanfall had some decent action, it looked good, and the combat seemed solid: it was all ready to be the next big thing, until everyone dropped it to go play Destiny (which is still trending heavily on my activity feed) or MCC.
Keep in mind that this is strictly an opinion piece and not a definitive review of any game. Let me know in the comments if there is a good game with short legs that should have been on this list but was stupidly overlooked by the author: We love feedback.
