Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Ghost of Yotei, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows are three of the best open-world games of 2025, with hours of content waiting for players to enjoy. As great as it is to play a game that will last for weeks, it can also be nice to have a cozy weekend experience to get through a game and scratch it off the to-do list in one go.
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Technically, any game can be completed in a weekend if players don’t sleep between the afternoon on Friday and Sunday evening, but that's not recommended. Taking into consideration sleep and other facts of life, a weekend’s worth of game time for most people runs probably somewhere in the twelve to maybe twenty-hour range. With that in mind, let’s look at some games to complete in a weekend easily, across many different genres.
Resident Evil 3 (2020)
STARS…
Resident Evil 3
- Released
- April 3, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- How Long To Beat: About 6 Hours
Resident Evil 3, in either the original PS1 or remake format, is one of the scariest mainline games in the series. It’s more action-oriented, with star Jill Valentine going through the ruins of Raccoon City and avoiding zombies and a big brute chasing her called Nemesis.
For horror fans who want something more breezy and linear with plenty of tension and not many puzzles, this is the Resident Evil game to play through. The campaign is relatively grind-free, but if players love it, they can replay the game on New Game+ and unlock new gear with every subsequent playthrough.
Titanfall 2
An Underrated FPS Classic
Titanfall 2
- Released
- October 28, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- FPS
- How Long To Beat: About 6 Hours
Titanfall 2 didn’t get the love it deserved in 2016, and it certainly needs some more love now to perhaps drum up some more support for a sequel. Players will swap between their trained human soldier, Jack, and his AI-driven mech, BT, through some of the best-designed levels in FPS history.
In typical shooter fashion, the whole campaign is streamlined and there aren’t many diversions in levels, and all players have to worry about is aiming, firing, and surviving. Thankfully, despite being almost a decade old, Titanfall 2 is widely playable on most systems. It is short, linear, free of any grinding, and often goes on sale for dirt cheap, so there are no excuses not to give this mech-infused shooter a shot.
Gears Of War: Reloaded
Cover Shooting At Its Best
Gears of War: Reloaded
- Released
- August 26, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- The Coalition
- Genre(s)
- Action, Third-Person Shooter, War & Military
- How Long To Beat: About 7 Hours
For shooter fans who prefer cover-fire instead of first-person perspectives, Gears of War is a must-play. It is the cover shooter to check out even all these years later, and Gears of War: Reloaded is a remaster that tightens things up and streamlines the campaign, plus it is now playable on a PlayStation console for the first time.
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All the levels are linear, providing players with squads of allies to clear out enemy hives, be it with guns, chainsaws, or grenades. There are secrets to uncover if players like unlocking bonus content, like artwork, and there’s co-op as well if they want to share their experience with a friend online or on the couch.
Until Dawn
Survive The Night
Until Dawn
- Released
- August 25, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Supermassive Games
- Genre(s)
- Horror
- How Long To Beat: About 8 Hours
Until Dawn is another horror game, but this one mostly plays itself. It’s narrative-driven, meaning that players simply have to move their characters around in each chapter, without much in the way of puzzles and no combat or grinding to speak of.
The cool thing about U ntil Dawn, besides the spooky vibes, is that every playable character has a chance to die if they make the wrong decision, like going down the wrong path or saying the wrong thing. If they do meet their end, that will change the narrative accordingly, but there is a way to keep everyone alive if players are smart and quick with their decisions. One playthrough could be finished in a long day, or two at most, and with multiple endings, there are reasons to replay it if players want.
Devil May Cry 5
An Action-Based Threeway
Devil May Cry 5
- Released
- March 8, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- How Long To Beat: About 11 Hours
Devil May Cry 5 is a tight action game that is flashy, funny, and offers plenty of replay value. Each level is straightforward and completely linear, with players running into arenas to fight monsters before moving on to the next challenge. There are three playable characters in total, Nero, V, and Dante, all of whom play differently, and the game switches between them often enough so that no one character will ever dominate a playthrough.
There are secrets in each level if players care about extras, but they aren’t necessary if players just want a cool action game to check out on a weekend and never think about again. There's no grinding necessary to reach the game's conclusion, although there are a couple of tough boss fights, but the dynamic combat encourages creativity and experimentation, and it is ofter rewarded with unique animations and some incredible enemy kills.
Astro Bot
Beyond Whimsy
Astro Bot
- Released
- September 6, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Crude Humor, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- Team Asobi
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
- How Long To Beat: About 11 Hours
Astro Bot is a great PS5 exclusive that has everything a player would want in a modern 3D platformer. The levels are inventive and quick, the controls are tight, and the powers are imaginative. Players will take their titular Astro Bot into several themed galaxies, with the main levels unlocking as players progress.
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There are side levels too, which often have two- to three-minute challenges if players want to test themselves, but they aren't mandatory. There are also plenty of collectibles in the main levels that players may need to track down by repeating a level or two, but that's as close to grinding as Astro Bot gets. Otherwise, the handful of levels in each galaxy are fun enough to make a weekend feel cozy and nostalgic, thanks to all the PlayStation Easter Eggs hidden around the worlds.
Tomb Raider (2013)
An Adventurous Reboot
Tomb Raider
- Released
- March 5, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Crystal Dynamics
- Genre(s)
- Action
- How Long To Beat: About 11.5 Hours
The 2013 Tomb Raider reboot is the perfect entry for newbies to the franchise, and a meatier experience if players want it to last all weekend. As a younger Lara Croft, players will shipwreck on an island teaming with pirates, all of them looking for the same treasure that she is. Lara starts defenseless, but eventually she will upgrade her gear, like a grappling hook that can break barriers and let players swing around, and a bow that can kill enemies with ease.
It’s sort of like a 3D Metroidvania, where keys and tools will unlock new paths, many of which are optional. Following the linear main route is easy enough, and fairly well detailed too, if players don’t want to soak up everything this action-adventure reboot has to offer.
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
Big Boss Begins
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater
- Released
- August 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
- How Long To Beat: About 12 Hours
Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is a full one-to-one remake of the PS2 original, preserving the story while tweaking the gameplay just a bit to make it easier to control for modern players. Even though the jungle setting is sprawling, and players can backtrack to previous rooms or areas if they want, it’s mostly a linear experience.
Players will sneak their way through the jungle or research bases, using camouflage to disguise themselves and non-lethal weapons to keep things quiet and less bloody. Players can go through the game quickly if they run and use louder and deadlier guns, which does streamline the experience, but that would defeat the purpose of this origin story for Big Boss, an important Metal Gear character. It’s the longest game on the list, but it’s also the richest thanks to both the story and gameplay loop.
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