Players who want a shorter time between a game's beginning, middle, and end have been largely shafted in recent years, with the rise of open-world games having a huge influence on how modern releases are designed, with even relatively linear, story-driven games often having free roaming, side quests, or additional activities these days.
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Thankfully, some franchises have a full trilogy of games that offer short and sweet experiences, letting players progress through a comprehensive overarching story or enjoy the flow of expanding gameplay mechanics as sequels try to improve upon their predecessors. The Full Trilogy Playtimes on this list have been taken from the combined Main Story Completion times on howlongtobeat.com.
Jak and Daxter (Precursor Trilogy)
Full Trilogy Playtime: 38.5 Hours
Games:
Available in One Package?
- Yes - The Jak and Daxter Trilogy
Jak and Daxter's Precursor Trilogy is an uncommon example of each game in a trilogy offering a unique experience. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, the first game in the franchise, was released in 2001 and is a 90s-style mascot platformer with collectathon gameplay. Jak 2, on the other hand, decided against offering another cutsey collectathon and instead shifted to a gritty cyberpunk setting, with numerous weapons to use and a range of diverse missions to complete.
Jak 3 leaned even further into the darker setting, with a combination of platforming, shooting, and racing like the previous game. The franchise has had some spin-offs over the years, most notably Jak X: Combat Racing, but the Precursor Trilogy remains the franchise's only main series entries.
Tomb Raider (Survivor Trilogy)
Full Trilogy Playtime: 37.5 Hours
Games:
Available in One Package?
- Yes - Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy
The recently released remasters of the first two Tomb Raider trilogies could have easily fit into this list, but as there are a couple of other remasters of older games, it's the more recent Survivor Trilogy that gets the nod.
Every Tomb Raider Game, Ranked
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2013's Tomb Raider was a reboot of the franchise that fans weren't too sure what to expect from when it released given the franchise's up and down history, though fans and critics were pleasantly surprised with the Uncharted-inspired set pieces and enjoyable gameplay loops. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider build upon what the original created, offering a cohesive story and gaming experience that can be purchased for a good price thanks to Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy.
Spyro the Dragon (Reignited Trilogy)
Full Trilogy Playtime: 30.5 Hours
Games:
Available in One Package?
- Yes - Spyro Reignited Trilogy
The original Spyro the Dragon trilogy is an iconic set of games exclusively released on the PlayStation. Along with Crash Bandicoot, Spyro was a mascot platformer designed to take on Mario and Sonic. The games didn't disappoint, and were remade in 2018's Spyro Reignited Trilogy, which is the best and most accessible way to play the trilogy today.
The first two Spyro games offer similar collectathon platforming gameplay that likely inspired the aforementioned Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. While the third game, Spyro: Year of the Dragon, had these same fundamentals, it offered far more gameplay variety thanks to the addition of playable characters like Sheila the Kangaroo and Sergeant Byrd, and also let Spyro hop on a skateboard for some unique challenges.
Sly Cooper (Original Trilogy)
Full Trilogy Playtime: 30 Hours
Games:
Available in One Package?
- Yes - The Sly Collection
With mascot platformers on the downturn in the early 2000s, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus reinvigorated the genre by combining platforming with stealth - two genres that seem to be polar opposites. Sucker Punch Productions found a winning formula with Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, and kick-started one of the PlayStation 2's most beloved trilogies.
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Following the success of Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Sucker Punch Productions leaned further into the stealth aspects of the original in the sequels and introduced more playable characters to vary the gameplay. All three games are, at the time of writing, available via Sony's PS Plus Premium service.
Max Payne
Full Trilogy Playtime: 24 Hours
Games:
Available in One Package?
- No - Although a remake of Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall is in the works and will be sold together.
Max Payne is a unique trilogy in the sense that its first two entries were released a couple of years apart, before a near-decade-long gap to the next entry, with no spin-offs in between, nor have there been any to this day.
The Max Payne trilogy offers over-the-top action-packed fun, with the third-person shooters taking clear inspiration from The Matrix with bullet time slowdowns that feel cinematic every time. With a total runtime of just 24 hours, the trilogy can be completed within a week, and it's guaranteed to be one of the most fun weeks of your gaming life if old-school shooters are your thing.
Crash Bandicoot (N.Sane Trilogy)
Full Trilogy Playtime: 15 Hours
Games:
Available in One Package?
The original Crash Bandicoot trilogy succeeded in providing worthy competition to Mario and Sonic, making the PlayStation a must-buy for platforming fans who had to try Crash Bandicoot and the aforementioned Spyro. The corridor platforming style is, surprisingly, still unique to this day, with few other platforming franchises even attempting to replicate the level design that is so synonymous with the orange marsupial.
Like many great platformers, while the main story of the Crash games only takes 15 hours, there are numerous things to collect in each level, such as boxes, gems, and relics, greatly extending the potential runtime. The relics are particularly good for those who want replayability, as they give players an excuse to endlessly replay the tightly designed levels. Originally, only Crash Bandicoot: Warped had the time trial relics, but the N.Sane Trilogy added them to the first two games as well.
Best Crash Bandicoot Games, Ranked
Everyone's favorite spinning marsupial, Crash Bandicoot, has featured in dozens of his own video games, but which of them can be considered the best?