This Video Game Has The Longest Cutscene Of All Time
When properly used, cutscenes give games context, providing both character development and exposition. Cutscenes get gamers hyped up for the game to come or get them emotionally invested in the story. Gamers of a certain age will recall Final Fantasy 7's infamous Aeris cutscene, which raised the stakes for the entire game, proving that cutscenes can provide storytelling in ways that in-game actions often can't.
But there are also some terrible cutscenes; scenes that are badly animated, boring to watch, or just pointless. When game developers become overly enamored with their story, overly-long cutscenes may ensue. And sometimes, it can feel like game developers would rather just be directing movies.
This phenomenon has led to a few ridiculously long cutscenes over the years — so much so that they can even compete for the title of "world's longest." In fact, there are two contenders for the throne of "world's longest cutscene" — a title of dubious merit.
Still, if you're the type of gamer who loves to play mostly for the plot, these cutscenes may be perfect for you.
Metal Gear Solid 4 holds the Guinness World Record
According to Solid Snake voice actor David Hayter and multiple game forum posts, Metal Gear Solid 4 holds the Guinness World Record for the longest sequence of cutscenes in a video game, one after another, at a whopping 71 minutes. The game further holds the world record for the longest individual cutscene, which clocked in at 24 minutes.
The entire Metal Gear Solid series has a history with wildly long cutscenes: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty had a 20-minute ending and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater had a 25-minute debriefing.
Likewise, the creator of Metal Gear Solid, Hideo Kojima, is somewhat infamous for his lengthy cutscenes. The cutscenes from 2020's Death Stranding can be compiled into a seven-and-a-half hour movie.
But wait, the Guinness World Record referenced by articles and forum posts is now a dead link. And that could be because it's not actually the undisputed world record holder.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope has a cutscene that's 46 minutes long.
While Metal Gear Solid 4 may have held the record for the longest individual cutscene, Star Ocean: The Last Hope has one that's nearly twice as long. In fact, Star Ocean's cutscenes could be so long that it allegedly made some players' controllers shut off while watching.
All told, Star Ocean: The Last Hope's ending cutscene is a total of 46 minutes. So, why the discrepancy with the record-keeping process?
It likely has to do with the Guinness World Record application — namely, that there is one. To get into a Guinness World Record, a person must first apply. So, if no one ever applied on behalf of Star Ocean: The Last Hope, it would never get listed. However, it may also be an issue with the record itself, as the Metal Gear Solid 4 record no longer shows up on the official Guinness site.
Regardless, most gamers agree that either Metal Gear Solid 4 or Star Ocean: The Last Hope has the longest cutscenes — the only difference is that Metal Gear Solid 4's 71 minutes of cutscenes are broken into pieces while Star Ocean: The Last Hope's cutscene is a solid 46-minute chunk.