As western developers start to get more and more involved in making RPG titles, (Lionhead, Bioware, Liquid Entertainment, etc) the genre seems to be taking on a more colorful role. Skipping the traditional turn-based format, some recent games have featured combat styles such as third person shooter and action mechanics. However, I've noticed that the games' runtimes are dipping under the 20 hour mark: Fable 2 (8 hours), Mass Effect ( 14 hours), Rise of the Agronauts ( 10 hours). So is this acceptable for some RPG purists, those who get engrossed in a 50+ hour long campaign?

It depends. The appeal of RPGs is usually with JRPGs' magnetic storyline (sometimes) flamboyant characters, and the experience that your getting much more for your 50 or 60 dollars spent, easily killing well over a month with a single play-through. This is what many look forward to when a new Tales and especially Final Fantasy game is announced. On the western side of this topic, western titles haven't really delivered the appeal that traditional JRPGs go for. Fable 2 has a short campaign and isnt well know for its story. Mass Effect, one of the best RPGs this gen, can be killed in less than twenty hours. Even the most recent Rise of the Agronauts has an estimated 10 hour campaign. Could this be due the design choice taking out a turn based oriented combat system and avoiding forcing players in having to sit through long scenes and having to talk to every NPC in the town in order to make progress?

Despite all this, most can argue that its not the campaign that's the main focus in games such as Fable and Mass Effect. Fable employes a dynamic system allowing you to fully customize your character which impacts the world of Albion. Get married, kill your wife, get married again, have a kid. Buy some property, start a business, the extracariculars are extensive. Mass Effect featured a deep relationship based element in which you can get involved with the many characters in the Mass Effect universe. Not only that, but this game encourages multiple play-throughs as major events in the story vary from player to player based on the choices each has made.

But are some gamers let down by these runtimes, craving for a campaign that holds your hand for over 50 hours? Or has everyone accepted the developers' offer of leaving the game in your hands so its up to you to make of the game?