Short but brilliant trilogies you can beat without a huge time commitment

While players wanting a shorter time between the beginning, middle and end of a game have softened considerably in recent years, the rise of open-world games has had a major impact on how modern releases are designed, even relatively linear, story-driven games often have free roaming, side quests or extra activities.

Thankfully, some franchises have complete trilogies of games that offer short and sweet experiences, allowing players to progress through an overarching story or enjoy the flow of expanding gameplay mechanics as sequels attempt to improve upon their predecessors. The complete trilogy playtimes on this list are taken from the combined main story completion times on Howlongtobeat.com.

Jack and Daxter (Prequel Trilogy)

Complete Trilogy Playtime: 38.5 hours

Games:

Available in a package?

• yes – Jack and Daxter Trilogy

Jack and Daxter's Precursor Trilogy is an unusual example of each game in the trilogy offering a unique experience. Jack and Daxter: Legacy of the PrecursorThe first game in the franchise, was released in 2001 and is a 90s-style mascot platformer with Kallethon gameplay. Jack 2On the other hand, decided not to offer another cutsey collectathon and instead moved to a creepy cyberpunk setting, with lots of weapons to use and a range of diverse missions to complete.

Jack 3 Like the previous game, with a combination of platforming, shooting, and racing, the dark setting went even further. The franchise has had a few spin-offs over the years, notably Jack X: Battle RaceBut the prequel trilogy remains the franchise's only main series entry.

Tomb Raider (Survivor Trilogy)

Complete Trilogy Playtime: 37.5 hours

Games:

Available in a package?

• yes – Tomb Raider: The Definitive Survivor Trilogy

Recently released remasters of the first two Tomb Raider Trilogy could have easily fit on this list, but there have been a few other remasters of older games, the most recent being the Survivor Trilogy that gets the nod.

of 2013 Tomb Raider It was a reboot of the franchise that fans weren't quite sure what to expect upon release given the franchise's up and down history, though fans and critics alike were pleasantly surprised. unknown– Inspired Set pieces and fun gameplay loops. Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider Build on what was originally created, offering a consistent story and gaming experience that can be purchased at a great price. Tomb Raider: The Definitive Survivor Trilogy.

Spyro the Dragon (Reigned Trilogy)

Complete Trilogy Playtime: 30.5 hours

Games:

Available in a package?

original Spyro the dragon The trilogy is an iconic set of games released exclusively 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 rebuilt in 2018 Spyro Reignited TrilogyWhich is the best and most accessible way to play the trilogy today.

The first two Spyro The games offer the same Callathon platforming gameplay that probably inspired the aforementioned Jack and Daxter: Legacy of the Precursor. In the third game Spyro: Year of the DragonThose were the basics, it offered a lot more gameplay variety with the addition of playable characters like Sheila the Kangaroo and Sergeant Byrd, and letting Spyro hop on a skateboard for some unique challenges.

Sly Cooper (Original Trilogy)

Complete Trilogy Playtime: 30 hours

Games:

Available in a package?

With mascot platformers in decline in the early 2000s, Sly Cooper and Thevious Raccoon Reinvigorated the genre by combining platforming with stealth – two genres that seem like polar opposites. Sucker Punch Productions found a winning formula Sly Cooper and Thevious RaccoonAnd kick-start one of PlayStation 2's most beloved trilogies.

After the success of Sly Cooper and Thevious RaccoonSucker Punch Productions leaned more on the stealth aspects of the original in the sequels and introduced more playable characters to vary the gameplay. All three games are, at the time of writing, available through Sony's PS Plus Premium service.

Max Payne

Complete Trilogy Playtime: 24 hours

Games:

Available in a package?

• No – even if it's a remake Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall Work in progress and will be sold together.

Max Payne A unique trilogy in the sense that its first two entries were only a few years apart, before the nearly decade-long gap for the next entry, with no spin-offs in between, nor have there been any to date.

The Max Payne The trilogy offers over-the-top action-packed fun, clearly inspired by third-person shooters. matrix With bullet time slowdowns that feel cinematic every time. With a total runtime of just 24 hours, the trilogy can be completed within a week, and if old-school shooters are your thing then this is guaranteed to be one of the funnest weeks of your gaming life.

Crash Bandicoot (N.Sane Trilogy)

Complete Trilogy Playtime: 15 hours

Games:

Available in a package?

original Crash Bandicoot The trilogy managed to provide worthy competition to Mario and Sonic, making the PlayStation a must-buy for platforming fans who had to give it a try. Crash Bandicoot and mentioned above Spyro. The Corridor platforming style is, surprisingly, still unique to this day, with few other platforming franchises attempting to replicate the level design that is synonymous with the orange marsupial.

Like many great platformers, the main story of the while an accident While the games only take 15 hours, there are many things to collect in each level, such as boxes, gems, and relics, greatly extending the possible runtime. Relics are especially good for those wanting replayability, as they give players an excuse to endlessly replay tightly designed levels. Basically, only Crash Bandicoot : Perverted The test of time remained, however N Sane Trilogy They were also added to the first two games.