Must play 360 games that aren't too long

chuck steak

I'm borrowing my brother's 360 for the next two and a half weeks (just got an HDTV, woo!). I want to make the most of it, since I won't be able to afford one of my own for quite some time (and may get a ps3 instead for blu-ray).

I'm looking for games that take around 10-20 hours or less to complete, or are worth just putting that much time in. So no Mass Effect or Oblivion. Also, I really don't like FPS controls with a controller. I tried COD4 but turned it off in frustration after 20 minutes of fighting with the controller. However, I'm playing Bioshock right now and am loving it a lot, so if the gameplay isn't too twitch based and the game is good enough I can suffer through the frustrating controls. I'm going to try Burnout next, but aside from that I'm not interested in racing games, and I have all of the sports games I'm interested in.

So, once I'm done Bioshock, what should be next on my list? I want to get through (or mostly through) at least 2-3 more games.

MarvellousM

Dead Rising and Lost Planet. Many are going to disagree with me but I'm sticking to recommending these two.

Willeth

Gears of War, Portal in the Orange Box, and Dead Rising.

Lunker

Actually, you can push through Mass Effect in about 15 to 20 hours—skip the sidequests and just do the main stuff. I clocked in about 19 and that was after giving up on hours and hours of side missions, and frankly I wish I had abandoned them way earlier. A friend of mine got through it in 14 hours and loved every second of it; all killer, no filler.

If you've any interest in it, you should check out Gears—I think even PC FPS people agree the game just feels built for a controller and works well around it, and that's easily doable in 8-10 hours on the Casual setting.

chuck steak

Lunker wrote: »

Actually, you can push through Mass Effect in about 15 to 20 hours—skip the sidequests and just do the main stuff. I clocked in about 19 and that was after giving up on hours and hours of side missions, and frankly I wish I had abandoned them way earlier. A friend of mine got through it in 14 hours and loved every second of it; all killer, no filler.

If you've any interest in it, you should check out Gears—I think even PC FPS people agree the game just feels built for a controller and works well around it, and that's easily doable in 8-10 hours on the Casual setting.

I'm a bit OCD with games though, especially RPG's (which is why I don't play them much, I get overwhelmed and then bored). I have to explore every bit of a game and I can't stand knowing I missed stuff in a game.

I've played Gears for about five minutes, and I do remember being suprised by how well the controls worked. I'll have to beat that for sure. And I completely forgot about Dead Rising. I wanted to play that so bad when it came out, I'll have to pick that up for sure.

Nitsuj82

CoD4 will take up about 5 or 6 hours, and then the multiplayer will take up the other 13 days that you have the 360 in your possession.

ChewyWaffles

Condemned

Samphis

Crackdown. A thousand times Crackdown.

Gig

Devil May Cry 4...


...assuming you haven't already played it for the PS3. >_>

chuck steak

Nitsuj82 wrote: »

CoD4 will take up about 5 or 6 hours, and then the multiplayer will take up the other 13 days that you have the 360 in your possession.

Already said I tried it, can't stand the controls. But if it's that short, maybe I should give it a run through on easy just for the experience. Would it be worth it for that?

Also, I have Orange Box for PC.

TychoCelchuuu

Assassin's Creed? I think that's short.

PolloDiablo

Honestly, I thought Army of Two was a blast. It wasn't too long, either.

Just try to find a human partner. I haven't tried it with the AI one.

ben0207

Halo 3 is wickedawesomesauce.

Trevor

Condemned and Condemned 2 are both fairly pretty and shiny and short and fun.

Moorening

Samphis wrote: »

Crackdown. A thousand times Crackdown.

I second this. The first game I played on my 360...I had to borrow it, now I want it back just to tear ass through the city as the badass super agent.

Xenogears of Bore

Oblivion.

Igort

MarvellousM wrote: »

Dead Rising and Lost Planet. Many are going to disagree with me but I'm sticking to recommending these two.

Yeah, pretty much these.

Zercof

My god! Crackdown is an amazing choice!

Oblivion?... he said he's OCD with RPGs, and I think this is a bad choice :?
I'm a HUGE morrowind fan, but theres no way you should get into Oblivion in just 2 weeks...

Dissociater

I'd recommend Saint's Row.

FaceballMcDougal

Halo 3 on newb mode or whatever is pretty fun, and shouldn't be too bad if you suck at using a controller. Hell my wife beat it solo and she doesn't play many games at all.

RainbowDespair

Pac-Man: Championship Edition. I was never a big fan of the original Pac-Man, but Pac-Man:CE blows it away in fun and playability. IMO, it was one of the top 3 games for any system in 2007 and since a game only takes 10 minutes max, it certainly meets the not too long requirement.

Ashendark

CoD4 (after you get used the controller it controls perfectly)
Crackdown
Condemned 1&2
Assassin's Creed
Portal in the Orange Box
Gears of War

None of those should take very long to beat and are awesome.

Szechuanosaurus

Oh God. i knew there were reasons besides GTAIV to buy a 360. Now...can I fit Mass Effect, Crackdown, Dead Rising, CoD4, Halo 3 and Assassins Creed in before April 29th?

Nitsuj82

chuck steak wrote: »

Nitsuj82 wrote: »

CoD4 will take up about 5 or 6 hours, and then the multiplayer will take up the other 13 days that you have the 360 in your possession.

Already said I tried it, can't stand the controls. But if it's that short, maybe I should give it a run through on easy just for the experience. Would it be worth it for that?

Also, I have Orange Box for PC.

Shows what I read.

But yes, it's worth it.

chuck steak

I don't think it's a matter of me getting used to the controller for FPS's. I've played a whole lot of halo back in the day and various other shooters since, and I've just come to realise that I suck at using a controller to shoot things. And I've tried Halo 3, it's just not my thing.

Are Crackdown and Assassins Creed pretty short? I'm getting Gears and Dead Rising for sure, so I can probably fit one more game in. If you guys had to pick between AC and Crackdown, which would you pick?

I might have to just not give this damn thing back... way too many games I want to play.

Jebral

chuck steak wrote: »

I don't think it's a matter of me getting used to the controller for FPS's. I've played a whole lot of halo back in the day and various other shooters since, and I've just come to realise that I suck at using a controller to shoot things. And I've tried Halo 3, it's just not my thing.

Are Crackdown and Assassins Creed pretty short? I'm getting Gears and Dead Rising for sure, so I can probably fit one more game in. If you guys had to pick between AC and Crackdown, which would you pick?

I might have to just not give this damn thing back... way too many games I want to play.

Neither of them have a very focused single player, and while Assassin's Creed is cool, there just aren't as many opportunities for pure awesome fun as in Crackdown. Especially with Crackdown's DLC.

Ganluan

Dead Rising's story mode takes (literally) 6 hours, since it's based on real time. You could play it through 2-3 times (which is the best way to play it, in my opinion) and still put in the amount of time you specified.

I just saw you mentioned you're getting it though, good move I just picked up Crackdown myself so I'm interested to see how it plays out.

Uncle_Balsamic

Dead Rising, Crackdown, Condemned, Condemned 2, Assassins Creed, Saints Row, Gears of War, PGR3/4, The Darkness (if you can get used to the controls, it's not twitchy).

DeathPrawn

Get a bunch of MS Points and go crazy on XBLA. There are TONS of shorter games worth playing... N+, Rez, Geometry Wars, Carcassonne, Catan, Poker Smash, Puzzle Quest, and Bomberman, just to name some favorites, and that's not even getting into the classics you might not have played (Symphony of the Night, etc) with tons of amazing games at $5-$15, if you spend the the $50-$60 you'd spend on a full game on XBLA titles, you can get a half-dozen games that are well worth your time.

fragglefart

Earth Defense Force 2017!

Also Project Gotham Racing 4.

Brym

I'll put in a vote for Assassin's Creed. If you play it just to complete the story, and not to get all the achievements, it is quite short. And if you're ignoring all the optional missions, then the main criticism against the game--repetitiveness--won't apply.

Also, I'd advise against too many XBLA games. Many of them are of the type where you don't just play through them and are done. Instead, they're the type that you keep coming back to for mulitplayer, or to get a high score. A game like Pac-Man CE or Geometry Wars may be "short" in theory, but I've spent more time playing them than I have most of my retail games. I think if you loaded up on a bunch of games like that you just wouldn't have enough time to really dig into them and "get" what makes them so great.

corin7

The Darkness.

Ramen Noodle

Mass Effect really isn't too terribly long. I beat it last weekend and clocked in at around 12 hours. It was also one of the best gaming experiences I've had in a long time and I'm already playing through again.

Mr_Grinch

You could finish Assassin's Creed AND Crackdown extremely quickly. Both are astounding games and both can be obtained cheap-ish nowadays.

I'd recommend Dead Rising too, N+ from the XBLA and, if you haven't played the xbox version and I know it's an odd suggestion, I'd recommend downloading Psychonauts too. It's relatively short and enjoyable.

wenchkilla

I rented Army of Two for my friend's 360 yesterday and we beat it together in one day. Co-op is a blast, we loved every minute of it, and it had the perfect length - let us do everything we expected but did not overstay its welcome. Great two person rental. But if it's just you, one controller, and the 360, pick up something else.

Ohio

Off topic a little but when you played Army of Two with your friend, it sounds like you did it split-screen.

In the age of Xbox Live, I've grown to hate playing split-screen since, well, it takes away half my screen. I'm more used to having my own screen and playing with others online.

That said, it sounds like Army of Two is really fun playing with someone in the same room. Can you tell me how it handles the split screen (vertical or horizontal?) and if you felt like you could see enough of what was going on when you were playing that way?

SnakeDoctor

Crackdown is a MUST play for any 360 owner. It can drag out if you're anal about agility orbs but you'll probably be having too much damn fun to notice.

desperaterobots

Crackdown. Forever Crackdown. And Mass Effect for sure; it needn't be long if you focus on the main storyline only and avoid the side quests. The main story line is where all the omg is located anyway.

Lunker

desperaterobots wrote: »

Crackdown. Forever Crackdown. And Mass Effect for sure; it needn't be long if you focus on the main storyline only and avoid the side quests. The main story line is where all the omg is located anyway.

Seriously, I can't stress this enough. The last four or five hours of the game are pure, uncut heroin injected straight into your eyeballs.

shutz

DeathPrawn wrote: »

Get a bunch of MS Points and go crazy on XBLA. There are TONS of shorter games worth playing... N+, Rez, Geometry Wars, Carcassonne, Catan, Poker Smash, Puzzle Quest, and Bomberman, just to name some favorites, and that's not even getting into the classics you might not have played (Symphony of the Night, etc) with tons of amazing games at $5-$15, if you spend the the $50-$60 you'd spend on a full game on XBLA titles, you can get a half-dozen games that are well worth your time.

In all the time I've had my 360, I have to say at least 90% of the time I've played games on it has been spent on XBLA games.

It all depends on what you want or like to play, but you really MUST try at least these games:

PacMan C.E. Trust me.
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, unless you've already beaten that in some other form and didn't like it enough to beat it again (although, if you're good at it, it means a bunch of cheap achievements... a few of which are fun to get.)
Catan: yes, it's a board game. But it's much deeper than it looks, while being easy enough that you'll pick it up within less than an hour. Online play is lots of fun.
Rez HD: this game is BEAUTIFUL! And it's SO good!

Another one I've been playing a lot of, but I don't consider it unavoidable: E4 (Every Extend Extra Extreme).
I would recommend Puzzle Quest, but I have that on the DS, and to me, it works better as a portable game. Regardless, it's a great game that you won't be able to finish in two weeks unless you skip a lot of it (or play it full-time.)

But with just the four I mentioned first, you would be covered for the period you say you'll have the 360.

Dyson

Halo 3
Call of Duty 4
Gears of War
Mass Effect -- just the main story line

Average length of around 8 hours (more for ME, around 12), but all very good.