Best 2025 Video Games for pacing

#1 Absolum
5.0

Pacing was praised by some for compact run lengths and momentum once the systems clicked.

Pros: mission design, world interactivity

Cons: quest design, endgame content

#2 Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
4.5

Most reviewers praised the focused pacing and lack of filler, while one found some areas padded.

Pros: monetization fairness, microtransaction impact

Cons: platforming precision, menu usability

#3 Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4
4.3

Pacing usually benefited from the traditional timer and quick restart loop, though that same choice was controversial for the THPS4 half.

Pros: core gameplay loop, controls responsiveness

Cons: crash stability, cross-save support

#4 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment
4.2

Pacing was generally positive when story breaks and ability unlocks were praised, but sidequest padding disrupted some narrative momentum.

Pros: animation quality, multiplayer design

Cons: save system reliability, companion AI

#5 Split Fiction
4.2

Pacing was one of the most praised areas, though a minority felt certain ideas lingered too long or were not flawless.

Pros: puzzle design, level design

Cons: exploration quality, side character depth

#6 Marathon
4.1

The pace swings between careful, slow movement and explosive, very short firefights. That contrast can create terrific tension, but it also makes the game feel abrupt or uneven for players...

Pros: world interactivity, voice acting

Cons: menu usability, HUD clarity

#7 Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
4.0

Pacing was the clearest tradeoff: many liked the slow-burn structure, while several warned about long dialogue or cutscene-heavy stretches.

Pros: protagonist appeal, art direction

Cons: camera behavior, tutorial quality

#8 South of Midnight
3.9

Pacing was often praised for momentum and concise runtime, though some reviewers criticized a slow start, rushed ending, or underwhelming finale.

Pros: atmosphere, voice acting

Cons: world interactivity, camera behavior

#9 Death Stranding 2: On the Beach
3.9

Pacing is mixed: many reviews praise improved mission or story momentum, while others call the narrative slow, muddled, or filler-heavy.

Pros: animation quality, facial animations

Cons: quest design, AI behavior

#10 Kirby Air Riders
3.8

Road Trip's forward momentum helped the package feel brisk, though one review thought the separate modes lacked cohesion.

Pros: flying mechanics, exploration quality

Cons: AI behavior, boss design

#11 The First Berserker: Khazan
3.8

Pacing splits opinion, with one review praising its momentum and another calling the campaign laborious and rehashed.

Pros: core gameplay loop, controls responsiveness

Cons: mission design, learning curve

#12 Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
3.7

Pacing opinions varied: some praised the sustained momentum, while others complained about indulgent cutscenes or late-game pacing issues.

Pros: soundtrack quality, fun factor

Cons: checkpoint system, family friendliness

#13 Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake
3.7

Pacing was one of the more mixed areas: some found the flow excellent, while others felt added content created bloat or uneven late-game stretches.

Pros: visual effects quality, environmental detail

Cons: AI behavior, level design

#14 Goodnight Universe
3.6

Pacing was one of the most split areas: some reviewers thought the short runtime was well used, while others cited side-tracked sections, slow stretches, abrupt movement, or rough emotional timing.

Pros: side character depth, visual effects quality

Cons: user interface design, handheld play suitability

#15 Ghost of Yōtei
3.6

Pacing is divisive: Game Informer praises it as a triumph, while several reviewers cite predictability, prolonged beats, or odd act structure.

Pros: movement feel, environmental detail

Cons: puzzle design, age appropriateness

#16 Pokémon Legends: Z-A
3.6

Pacing ranged from tight and breezy to repetitive or slow, depending on whether reviewers focused on the start, Royale loop, or full campaign.

Pros: crash stability, gameplay mechanics

Cons: AI behavior, monetization fairness

#17 Shinobi: Art of Vengeance
3.6

Pacing is mixed: several reviewers like the length and steady tool rollout, while others say long stages, revisit loops, or samey rhythm weaken momentum.

Pros: graphics quality, environmental detail

Cons: bug frequency, dialogue quality

#18 Donkey Kong Bananza
3.5

Pacing was mixed: reviewers liked fast clips and breather layers, but several flagged uneven layers, early sluggishness, or filler.

Pros: gameplay mechanics, world interactivity

Cons: economy and resource balance, enemy variety

#19 Lego Voyagers
3.5

Pacing was mixed: some felt the short runtime kept momentum brisk, while many felt the adventure ended just as it was getting going.

Pros: writing quality, checkpoint system

Cons: menu usability, user interface design

#20 Arc Raiders
3.4

Pacing was divisive, ranging from fast and tense to slow, sleepy, or bogged down by between-run chores.

Pros: frame rate stability, platform-specific feature support

Cons: voice acting, writing quality

#21 Assassin's Creed Shadows
3.4

Pacing ranges from brisk or even immaculate in favorable reviews to slow, padded, or flow-breaking in more critical ones.

Pros: environmental detail, cross-save support

Cons: writing quality, enemy variety

#22 Doom: The Dark Ages
3.4

Pacing was split: some liked the measured rollout and breathless campaign, while others disliked the ending, reduced momentum or open-map slowdown.

Pros: environmental detail, polish

Cons: camera behavior, value for money

#23 Silent Hill f
3.4

Pacing opinions were mixed: some liked the compact survival-horror length, while others criticized abrupt arcs, drawn-out final hours, or disjointed world transitions.

Pros: voice acting, emotional impact

Cons: family friendliness, menu usability

#24 Atomfall
3.3

Pacing opinions were mixed: some liked the short, focused runtime, while others complained about trudging, busywork, repetition, or inconsistent momentum.

Pros: art direction, frame rate stability

Cons: boss design, camera behavior

#25 Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
3.3

Pacing was mixed: several reviewers liked the compact storytelling, while others wanted skip options or more time with twists and characters.

Pros: emotional impact, polish

Cons: bug frequency, crash stability

#26 The Alters
3.3

Pacing was mixed, with praise for quick days and well-timed beats offset by complaints about cyclical acts, clocks, and difficult bad-end pressure.

Pros: controls responsiveness, onboarding experience

Cons: crash stability, grind level

#27 Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
3.3

Pacing is mixed: the game can drag or feel busier than its slow-life label, but the breadth keeps many players engaged.

Pros: load times, crash stability

Cons: originality, voice acting

#28 Hollow Knight: Silksong
3.2

Pacing has a notable concern around long checkpoint placement that interrupts practice and repetition in challenging sequences.

Pros: core gameplay loop, world interactivity

Cons: loot system, accessibility options

#29 Cronos: The New Dawn
3.2

Pacing was mixed: several reviewers admired the slow-burn structure, while others felt the campaign dragged, repeated sections, or delayed its strongest story material.

Pros: core gameplay loop, emotional impact

Cons: checkpoint system, bug frequency

#30 Elden Ring Nightreign
3.1

The pace was one of the biggest tradeoffs: many found it thrilling and fresh, while others found the constant rush stressful or exhausting.

Pros: emotional impact, visual effects quality

Cons: crash stability, cross-play support

#31 Civilization VII
3.1

Pacing was highly divisive: some liked the three-act structure and reduced late-game drag, while others disliked abrupt transitions, short ages, or weak modern/endgame momentum.

Pros: animation quality, controls responsiveness

Cons: matchmaking quality, user interface design

#32 Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
3.0

Pacing receives a campaign-side caveat from one review that says the PvE side ends too quickly.

Pros: emotional impact, animation quality

Cons: enemy variety, server reliability

#33 Avowed
3.0

Pacing was mixed, with slow starts, downtime, filler quests, and late-game repetition weighing against an otherwise easy-to-follow story.

Pros: tutorial quality, level design

Cons: stealth mechanics, endgame content

#34 The Outer Worlds 2
2.9

Pacing was the most consistent caveat, with slow first acts, uneven zones, or late-game drag appearing in several reviews.

Pros: world-building, mission design

Cons: mission variety, enemy variety

#35 Digimon Story Time Stranger
2.8

Pacing was the most repeated caveat: many reviewers said the story starts slowly, drags in the middle, or takes time before its stronger payoffs.

Pros: atmosphere, world-building

Cons: HUD clarity, fast travel convenience

#36 Little Nightmares III
2.8

Pacing was divisive: some reviewers liked the tight or smoother flow, but many cited repetition, a weak first half, abrupt ending, or hollow stretches.

Pros: load times, haptic feedback integration

Cons: save system reliability, aiming precision

#37 Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
2.7

Pacing was the clearest repeated concern, with many reviews calling the game slow, glacial, rushed in Tape 2, or uneven despite some praise for deliberate buildup.

Pros: character roster, animation quality

Cons: core gameplay loop, polish

#38 Borderlands 4
2.7

Pacing is mixed to negative: several reviewers mention slow starts, overlong fights, drawn-out structure, or content stretched too thin.

Pros: sandbox freedom, art direction

Cons: polish, save system reliability

#39 Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
2.5

Pacing has a notable early-game complaint, with one reviewer saying the game takes too long to start.

Pros: world interactivity, sandbox freedom

Cons: crash stability, learning curve

#40 Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
2.5

Pacing suffered whenever desert traversal, crystal collection, or upgrade trips slowed the stronger dungeon rhythm.

Pros: world-building, frame rate stability

Cons: companion AI, upgrade system

#41 Monster Hunter Wilds
2.3

Pacing was a common complaint, especially story drag, long-winded sections, and a campaign that felt too short or too guided.

Pros: art direction, cross-play support

Cons: dialogue quality, monetization fairness

#42 Mario Kart World Review
2.2

Race pacing drew repeated criticism because intermission highways and route segments often interrupt time spent on the strongest courses.

Pros: animation quality, sound design

Cons: difficulty balance, AI behavior

#43 Battlefield 6
1.5

campaign pacing was criticized as nearly nonexistent.

Pros: haptic feedback integration, performance optimization

Cons: pacing, microtransaction impact