For action RPG fans who aren’t exactly into the open-world subgenre, campaign length is usually secondary, but it can still be a huge plus. Depending on how great a game’s combat feels and how much depth and variety its skills, weapons, and enemies offer, sometimes you just wish it would never end. While most action RPGs typically take around 30 to 40 hours to finish, which is already quite substantial, a select few pack in so many places to visit, things to do, and bosses to defeat that they can last as long as your average open-world title, albeit within a more curated structure.
For this list, the focus is on action RPGs that can easily take around 60 hours or more for a normal playthrough, following the main path while tackling some distractions along the way. Of course, you can get much more playtime from these games if you aim to see and complete absolutely everything, yet even by sticking to the most obvious objectives, there’s still plenty to chew on.
This isn’t a ranking of the best action RPGs, but rather a selection of solid combat-focused non-open-world games that can still occupy you for a month or more of regular play, ranked by how long they might take an average player. Whenever possible, I’ll be using each game’s complete edition, including all add-ons.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard could be a divisive pick here, especially when approached as a direct continuation of what came before. However, for relative newcomers simply looking for a sprawling RPG with a clear emphasis on action, The Veilguard delivers. Its combat is deep and flashy without becoming too difficult to approach, while balancing Rook’s abilities with those of their companions and hunting for legendary gear capable of defining an entire build remains exciting throughout the game’s 60-to-80-hour runtime.
The Veilguard often feels more like God of War than Dragon Age, with a strong balance of narrative beats and action. Its varied, layered levels blend puzzles with traversal abilities, encouraging you to gradually uncover every secret, while the stunning visuals and production values remain consistent throughout. The Veilguard also saves the best for last, with final missions that are true standouts, packed with spectacular set pieces, epic boss fights, and earlier choices shaping the outcome in true BioWare fashion.
In many ways, Final Fantasy 16 mirrors Dragon Age: The Veilguard. It could feel disappointing as a full-fledged entry in the legendary series for longtime fans, but it can absolutely knock your socks off as a sprawling, action-packed, cinematic journey. The developers clearly aimed to deliver set pieces and boss fights for the ages, and they largely succeeded. FF16’s combination of truly epic spectacle, outstanding visuals and music, and creative gameplay sections during key moments can feel like a well-earned reward, and sometimes like the genre operating at its absolute peak.
Even outside these intense but carefully spaced-out moments, Final Fantasy 16 can really hook you with its highly dynamic combat system. Devil May Cry 5 is perhaps the best comparison, so prepare for outstanding combos, flashy abilities and finishers, and unique transformations mid-fight. With so much ground to cover and such a lengthy story, even the base version of Final Fantasy 16 can easily offer 60 to 80 hours of action, depending on how much side content you tackle. The Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide expansions can keep it going for another 10 hours or so.
Elden Ring aside, Dark Souls 2 stands as the longest action RPG among FromSoftware’s soulslike offerings, built around tense exploration and an unusually flexible approach to combat. While no entry in its series is short, Dark Souls 2, especially in its refined Scholar of the First Sin edition with three sizable DLCs, can easily take over 100 hours to complete. Given that death is a core part of the experience, visiting every location and overcoming every possible challenge could take some players much longer.
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