The Rise Of Double-A Video Games
7. A Refreshing Lack Of Bloat
Another big complaint about modern AAA games is how bloated they are - that in order to justify their high asking price, developers feel compelled to pack them with tedious busy-work content in order to elongate the experience.
This is especially true of open-world games like most of the more recent Assassin's Creed titles, which simply suffocate the player in dozens of hours of repetitive task-doing rather than offering up a more curated experience with less but more meaningful material.
Thankfully AA feels no such burden, and while there are of course AA collect-a-thon grind-fests out there, developers are evidently far more comfortable delivering a shorter, more concise end product when they're putting up a lower price tag.
Even otherwise great AAA games can end up feeling like time sinks - many felt that both Final Fantasy VII Remake and The Last of Us Part II outstayed their welcomes in the pursuit of conveying "value," whereas AA fare typically doesn't devour all your free time for weeks on end.