Players who want less time between the beginning, middle and end of the game have been largely shaken 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-based games often having free roaming, side-quests or other activities these days.
30 cooperative games that parents can play with their children
Parents looking to play kid-friendly video games with their kids should check out the following great co-op games.
Fortunately, some franchises have an entire trilogy of games that offer short and sweet experiences, allowing players to progress through a complex overarching story or enjoy the flow of expanding gameplay mechanics as the sequels try to improve on their predecessors. The playing times for the entire trilogy on this list were taken from the combined main story completion times on howlongtobeat.com.
Jak and Daxter (Precursor Trilogy)
Running time for the entire trilogy: 38.5 hours
Games:
Available in one pack?
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yes – Jak and Daxter Trilogy
Jak and Daxter's Precursor Trilogy is an unusual example of each game in the trilogy offering a unique experience. Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacythe first game in the franchise, it was released in 2001 and is a 90s-style mascot platformer with collectathon gameplay. How 2on the other hand, it decided not to offer another cutsey collectathon and instead moved to a gritty cyberpunk environment with numerous weapons to use and a variety of diverse missions to complete.
How 3 leaned even more towards a darker setting, with a combination of platforming, shooting and racing like the previous game. The franchise has had some spin-offs over the years, notably How X: Combat Racingbut the Precursor Trilogy remains the only major series in the franchise.
Tomb Raider (Survivor Trilogy)
Running time for the entire trilogy: 37.5 hours
Games:
Available in one pack?
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yes – Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy
Recently released remasters of the first two Tomb Raider trilogies could easily fit on this list, but since there are several other remasters of older games, it's the more recent Survivor Trilogy that gets the nod.
Every Tomb Raider game, rated
Tomb Raider is an all-time great franchise with many great games, but not all Lara Croft adventures are the same.
2013 Tomb Raider was a franchise reboot that fans weren't too sure what to expect from the release given the franchise's history, although fans and critics alike were pleasantly surprised Uncharted-inspired sets and enjoyable game loops. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider building on what the original created, offering a well-rounded story and gameplay experience that can be purchased at a good price Tomb Raider: Definitive Survivor Trilogy.
Spyro the Dragon (Reignited Trilogy)
Running time for the entire trilogy: 30.5 hours
Games:
Available in one pack?
original Spyro dragon trilogy is an iconic set of games exclusively released on PlayStation. Along with Crash Bandicoot, Spyro was a mascot platformer designed to take on Mario and Sonic. The games did not disappoint and were redesigned in 2018 Spyro Reignited Trilogywhich is the best and most affordable way to play the trilogy today.
The first two Spyro the games offer similar platforming gameplay to Collectathon, which likely inspired the above Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy. While the third match, Spyro: Year of the Dragonit had the same basics, offered a lot more gameplay variety with the addition of playable characters like Sheila the Kangaroo and Sergeant Byrd, and also had Spyro hop on a skateboard and go on some unique challenges.
Sly Cooper (Original Trilogy)
Running time for the entire trilogy: 30 hours
Games:
Available in one pack?
With mascot platformers on the decline in the early 2000s, Sly Cooper and Thievius Raccoonus revived the genre by combining platforming with stealth – two genres that seem to be polar opposites. Sucker Punch Productions has found a winning formula Sly Cooper and Thievius Raccoonusand kicked off one of the PlayStation 2's most popular trilogies.
Great games where your decision really matters
The following games excel at forcing the player to make tough decisions that can drastically change the story.
After success Sly Cooper and Thievius RaccoonusSucker Punch Productions leaned even more heavily on the stealth aspects of the original in the sequels, introducing more playable characters to vary the gameplay. All three games are available through Sony's PS Plus Premium service at the time of writing.
Max Payne
Running time of the entire trilogy: 24 hours
Games:
Available in one pack?
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No – Although a remake Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall is in the works and will be sold together.
Max Payne is a unique trilogy in that its first two entries were released several years apart, nearly a decade apart from the next entry, with no spin-offs in between, nor have there been to this day.
The Max Payne the trilogy offers over-the-top action-packed fun, with third-person shooters taking clear inspiration Matrix with a bullet slow down that feels cinematic every time. With a total runtime of just 24 hours, the trilogy can be completed in a week and is guaranteed to be one of the most fun weeks of your gaming life if you're into old school shooters.
Crash Bandicoot (N.Sane Trilogy)
Running time for the entire trilogy: 15 hours
Games:
Available in one pack?
original Crash Bandicoot the trilogy managed to give Mario and Sonic some decent competition, making the PlayStation a must-try for platform fans. Crash Bandicoot and the above Spyro. The corridor platformer style is surprisingly unique to this day, with few other platformer franchises even attempting to replicate the level design so synonymous with the orange marsupial.
Like many great platformers, while the main story Fall games only take 15 hours, there are many things to collect in each level such as boxes, gems and relics, which greatly extends the potential run. Relics are especially good for those who want replayability, as they give players an excuse to endlessly replay carefully designed levels. Originally just Crash Bandicoot: Deformed had time trial relics but N.Sane trilogy they also added them to the first two matches.
The best Crash Bandicoot games, ranked
Everyone's favorite spinning marsupial Crash Bandicoot has appeared in dozens of his own video games, but which one can be considered the best?
