Summary
There’s nothing that gets theadrenaline flowing and heart racingquite like a creepy horror game. For a horror experience to really stick with the player though, it needs to be long enough to give them a chance to experience as many weird and unique scares as possible, since otherwise, it can come off as a little bland or forgettable.
In the case of horror remakes, of which there have been many recently, sometimes developers implement a few extra missions, areas, or even just more enemies to make the game a little longer. Rather than cutting corners, the developers of these remakes listed below decided to go the extra mile by lengthening the story to make players feel like they really have been suddenly thrust into a living, inescapable nightmare.
Though the R.P.D was already fairly big in the originalResident Evil 2, there are a few more items and puzzles inserted into the remake which will keep players inside the walls of this iconic building for just a little longer. The sewer and laboratory sections are quite a bit shorter than the R.P.D, but they still feel just long enough to get through thanks to the tricky riddles that need to be solved, and the tanky enemies who show up to make things difficult for the player, especiallyMr X.
One playthrough with either Leon or Claire will take players roughly 9 hours to beat, but there’s also the option to try the B scenario with the opposite character after the credits roll. These B scenarios are only about half the length of the original campaign, but they still provide a fresh experience thanks to a few items and enemies being shuffled around.
Admittedly, developersTecmo Koeididn’t change around all that much for the remake ofFatal Frame 2, but this Wii remake is still more than long enough to keep players immersed in the experience. The game follows Mio and Mayu, twin sisters who wind up in a haunted village full of ghosts and evil spirits.
By using the Wii’s motion controls, players are able to aim their Camera Obscura at any ghosts who get a little too close to comfort to keep them away. However, since there’s no telling where a ghost can appear, players are encouraged to scope out each and every area to ensure they don’t get ambushed. The remake also has 6 endings altogether, so while one playthrough will amount to about 10 hours of playtime, players who are going for that 100% can expect to rack up much more time.
TheResident Evil Remake, released back in 2001, is often cited as the blueprint for all horror remakes to follow. Capcom managed to retain theeerie and unnerving atmosphereof the original game, while also expanding the Spencer Mansion with a few extra rooms and areas to surprise veterans of the series, making the game quite a bit longer in the process.
Another new addition which undoubtedly ends up adding an extra hour or two to a playthrough is the Crimson Heads; terrifying zombies who will reappear and chase the player down if they don’t burn their bodies in time. Trying to navigate around the mansion is a much more difficult task with these guys running around, forcing players to be extra careful about their strategy in reaching the next area.
On the surface, theDead Space Remakecan seem more or less identical to the original, albeit with astaggering graphical upgrade. However, Motive Studio implemented a handful of extra areas and systems to create something that stands entirely on its own. For one,Dead Space Remakehas a few side missions players can choose to pursue if they want to learn more about the Necromorph outbreak, and the whereabouts of Isaac’s girlfriend, Nicole.
Dead Space Remakealso has a unique system that works in the background known as the Intensity Director. This essentially acts as a difficulty modifier that will detect whether or not the player is having a hard time, and if they’re not, the game will make it so Necromorphs spawn much more frequently. This automatically makes the game quite a bit longer than the original, since being able to reliably run through areas without getting ambushed is never a guarantee in the remake.
Bloober Team managed to blow away everyone’s expectations with their ground-up remake of the classic survival horror game,Silent Hill 2. The original game was already known for being a fairly lengthy experience, especially due to the tricky puzzles, and the same can be said for the remake. Areas like the apartment complex and Brookhaven Hospital will see James backtracking more than a few times in order to seek out keys and items needed to progress.
This actually led to some people criticizing the latter portions of the game for being just a tad too long, though thankfully, there are still plenty of surprises and a compelling story to keep players engaged from beginning to end.Silent Hill 2 Remake, just like its inspiration, containsa few unlockable endings, so while an average playthrough can be a little over 15 hours on average, seeing everything the game has to offer can take a lot longer.
Leon’s journey to rescue the president’s daughter inResident Evil 4will take him through 3 major areas; the village, the castle, and the island. While each of these locations was also seen in the original game, Capcom has expanded them all by quite a considerable amount this time around. Whether it’s the Ganado-infested fish market in the village or the castle ballroom which is crawling with Novistadors, there are a lot more challenges here that players will be tasked with taking on than there were previously.
The remake also features some extra side activities which incentivize backtracking through areas to receive extra goodies from the Merchant. A lot of theboss fightshave also been extended, such as the duel with Krauser where players must now navigate their way through a deadly obstacle course to reach him. Despite the length,Resident Evil 4’senemy and level variety ensures that it never feels like it outstays its welcome.
The Citadel, a kind of science-fiction dungeon that players will be dropped into at the beginning ofSystem Shock, very much feels like one giant maze. It’s a space station packed full of hidden rooms and secret weapons which encourages players to pay close attention to their surroundings and take it slow rather than running-and-gunning through each floor.
Since players will be tasked with taking on a wide range of cyborgs and mutants throughout the game, a good chunk of a playthrough will be spent scavenging for ammo and health while the evil AI SHODAN barks creepy commands to her servants in the background. Though an average playthrough ofSystem Shockcan take around 20 hours to beat, there is an achievement for completing the game in only 5 hours, though this tends to be restricted to onlyspeedrunnerswho know the layout of the Citadel like the back of their hand.
