9 Games With Terrible Pacing That Are Absolutely Worth Playing

Pacing in video games is a fickle beast. When it clicks, everything flows like a perfectly scored symphony. When it doesn’t, even the most stunning worlds can feel like a slog. Some titles open with a thunderous bang only to fizzle into a long lull; others test your patience for dozens of hours before revealing their true brilliance. The games on this list are the latter—masterpieces marred by pacing that drags harder than a dark souls boss fight. Yet, ask anyone who pushed through and they’ll tell you the same thing: the payoff is monumental. In 2026, these adventures still shine, if you can stomach the slow burn. Let’s dive into nine incredible titles that make you earn every ounce of their greatness.

9. Red Dead Redemption 2

Rockstar’s western epic is a staggering achievement in narrative design, but its commitment to realism often becomes its own worst enemy. The first two chapters creep along at a glacial pace, teaching mechanics through heavy-handed tutorials and sending Arthur Morgan on errands that feel like chores. Chapter 5, set on the island of Guarma, is a particular low point where the story grinds almost to a halt. Add to that the sheer emptiness of the landscape—beautiful, yes, but traversing it on horseback can feel like a horse-riding simulator. Players frequently spend more time commuting than shooting. Still, once the emotional threads tighten and the Van der Linde gang’s descent begins, Red Dead Redemption 2 transforms into an unforgettable tragedy. Those who abandon it early miss out on one of gaming’s most heartfelt conclusions. 🐎

8. God of War: Ragnarök

The reunion of Kratos and Atreus should have been a nonstop thrill ride, yet Ragnarök mimics its 2018 predecessor’s structural hiccup: a slow, exposition-heavy opening that takes ages to ignite. The real culprit, however, is the Atreus sections. Taking control of the boy during his trek through Ironwood in Jotunheim is an exercise in tedium—long, meandering, and punctuated by fruit-picking tasks that break all momentum. There are multiple such segments, each prompting the same internal scream: “Let me be Kratos again!” The second half delivers some of the finest set-pieces in modern action games, but getting there demands a tolerance for downtime that will test even loyal fans. 🪓

7. Yakuza 0

Yakuza 0 is often hailed as the crown jewel of the franchise, yet its introductory hours are a masterclass in how not to pace a prequel. Chapter 2 stands as one of the dullest stretches in series history, drowning players in dialogue and repetitive brawls before the plot finds its footing. Survive that, and you’re “rewarded” with an almost hour-long cutscene at the start of Chapter 3—a film-school nightmare disguised as storytelling. Once Kiryu and Majima’s dual narratives gain steam, though, the game explodes into a whirlwind of ’80s charisma, heartfelt drama, and the kind of side activities that define Kamurocho. It’s a classic, but you’ll need to strap in for a bumpy lift-off. 🐉

6. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

Insomniac opens Spider-Man 2 with a spectacular Sandman boss fight that feels like a promise of relentless energy. Then the story does exactly what its predecessor did: it settles into a leisurely neighborhood patrol. The middle stretch becomes a blur of uninspiring side content—mostly collectible hunts—and a main plot that spins its wheels while teasing Venom’s arrival. Swinging through Manhattan never gets old, but the narrative spine lacks urgency, making it surprisingly easy to set the controller down. Only in the final act does the game regain its fangs, delivering a powerful emotional payoff that justifies the patience. 🕷️

5. Persona 5 Royal

Persona 5 Royal begins with a heist gone wrong, one of the strongest cold opens a JRPG has ever had. Then it backpedals into dozens of hours of setup. To reach that very same heist in the “present” timeline, players must clear five story dungeons, each stretching at least four hours, while simultaneously managing social links, Mementos expeditions, and daily life. The wait for the narrative to truly pick up can exceed 40 hours—a staggering investment even by Persona standards. Yet, Atlus’s craftsmanship is undeniable: once the engine roars, the game’s fusion of style, strategy, and heartfelt character arcs creates an experience few titles can match. 🎭

4. Death Stranding

Hideo Kojima’s postal simulator is oddly captivating, but its gameplay pacing can feel like a deliberate endurance test. The story itself is well-timed, unraveling layer by layer, yet the act of delivering cargo across treacherous terrain forces repetition. Same routes, same BT zones, same resource loops. Building roads and establishing ziplines helps, but the first 20 hours are a grueling tutorial in patience. Many adore Death Stranding for its meditative qualities and breathtaking cinematic moments—especially when music kicks in after a harrowing trek—but the grind keeps replays out of reach for even devoted fans. It’s a beautiful paradox: a game as tedious as it is transcendent. 📦

3. NieR: Automata

Yoko Taro’s masterpiece is beloved for its existential themes and haunting soundtrack, but its moment-to-moment combat rarely matches that depth. The hack-and-slash mechanics, while fluid, grow repetitive and lack the challenge needed to sustain interest across multiple playthroughs. Worse, the story takes its sweet time to grip—early routes feel like mundane fetch quests dressed in philosophical jargon. It’s a common tale: many players drop Automata during the first or second attempt, only to return months later and become utterly consumed once Route C kicks in. The final act is a tour de force that recontextualizes everything, rewarding those who persist with an unforgettable finale. ⚔️

2. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Ancient Greece is vast, gorgeous, and packed with so much bloat that even the most enthusiastic misthios can drown. Odyssey’s main quest is egregiously padded, with mandatory level-gating that forces hours of side content—much of it generic fetch quests. The expansions only worsen matters, stretching an already overlong journey to breaking point. Yet, when judged purely as an open-world RPG, Odyssey shines with its naval combat, build diversity, and the genuinely engaging choices of its dialogue system. It’s a great game, not necessarily a great Assassin’s Creed, and one whose pleasures are buried beneath a mountain of filler. 🏛️

1. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Splitting a single 40-hour story into a trilogy was always going to cause pacing issues, and Rebirth leans gleefully into them. What made the 2020 Remake feel stretched is here multiplied across an entire open world: endless mini-games, repetitive map activities, and a mandatory engagement with side content just to stay leveled. You can’t focus on the narrative without grinding—it’s built into the progression. Clocking 100 hours to experience a sliver of the original plot feels indulgent, yet the character work is superb, the combat system a slick hybrid that rewards strategy, and the set-pieces astronomically charming. Love it or hate it, Rebirth is an extravagant, exhausting spectacle that somehow still manages to enchant. 🗡️

All nine of these games share a common truth: their reputations survive, and even thrive, despite pacing that would sink lesser titles. Whether it’s an overabundance of empty fields, a deluge of exposition, or mandatory fluff, each one demands a leap of faith. With 2026’s abundance of instant-gratification titles, returning to these demanding gems might feel counterintuitive—but for those who do, the reward is a reminder that patience in gaming isn’t just a virtue, it’s the key to some of the most remarkable stories the medium has ever told.