10 Video Game Franchises That Keep Making The Same Mistake
4. The Bloated, Padded Gameplay - Final Fantasy
Nobody goes into a Final Fantasy game expecting a brisk 8-10-hour romp you can get through over a relaxing weekend - even sticking to the critical path, most of these games will clock in at at least 25-30 hours.
Even so, as of late Square Enix has dropped any pretence of trying to hide the blatant, egregious padding that runs rife throughout the series.
Final Fantasy XV had the infamous late-game Chapter 13 debacle, where players were largely stripped of their weapons and forced through a dull, labyrinthine, stealth-centric slog.
Though Square Enix released a patch to lighten the load after vocal fan outcry, that didn't deter them from repeating their crime in Final Fantasy VII Remake, distending Hojo's Lab out into an exhaustingly boring mess of repetitive combat and switch-throwing. Yawn.
These games are long enough already, they really don't need added "value" piled on top. There is nothing wrong with a 20-hour critical path while saving all the bloated nonsense for optional side content.