Square Enix and developer Luminous Productions' Forespoken has finally been released after a long wait, and the game has shown how even with modern technology in the industry, these triple-A games can demand some massive file sizes on a system's storage. The GB toll some modern video games demand isn't entirely unwarranted, as the sophistication to make them run will sometimes accurately reflects in the file size.
However, there are also cases of games being poorly unoptimized and requiring space they shouldn't normally need. Nonetheless, a combination of sizeable compilations like Halo: The Master Chief Collectionand gargantuan original games like Call of Dutymake up a mix of reasonably and unreasonably large video game file sizes.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection (137 GB)
The Halo franchise has arguably been the flagship franchise for Xbox exclusives since Combat Evolved on the original console. It was highly influential in pushing the first-person shooter franchise forward, and The Master Chief Collection is essentially the "greatest hits" of the best games. But that doesn't come without a hefty storage cost, of course.
After everything is accounted for, Halo: The Master Chief Collection requires approximately 137.83 GB of storage, per the Microsoft Store. That may not be what the collection requires initially, especially since players can choose to install any amount of games at a time. But after accounting for the campaign, multiplayer, updates, etc. this is a fairly reasonable file size for what's been regarded as a worthwhile package.
Final Fantasy XV (100 GB+)
Square Enix is expectedly known for its sweeping Final Fantasy JRPG franchise. Since its inception, it spawned several superb Final Fantasy titles -- mainline and spinoffs -- but XV is famous for how long it needed to release. Likewise, Final Fantasy XV has become rather infamous for its sheer file size on PC.
It's not as big on consoles, but the Windows Edition requires a meaty 100 GB of storage space, per the Steam store page. However, as can the case with some PC games, that doesn't take into account the graphics enhancements for playing at higher resolutions after the fact. Taking that into account, Final Fantasy XV could balloon beyond that on PC.
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition (120 GB)
EA and BioWare had something of a golden era in the 2000s, and the original Mass Effect trilogy made for some of the most immersive sci-fi games in general, RPG or otherwise. And while that chapter of the story has long since closed -- at least for now -- the recent Legendary Edition collection proved to be a worthy remaster in one package.
But, like with the Master Chief Collection, that means it'll require the storage space to match. According to publisher EA's specs page, Mass Effect: Legendary Edition needs at least 120 GB of space for all three games. Players can accommodate somewhat by installing one game at a time, but it's a fair file size considering the scope.
Red Dead Redemption II (150 GB)
Even though there aren't that many high-profile titles of this setting, Red Dead Redemption II easily goes above and beyond to be among the best Wild West-themed games available. It's Rockstar Games' most recent triple-A endeavor, telling a sweeping story set in the western frontier in a dynamic open world.
And it doesn't come without a sizable price on a PC or console's hard drive or solid-state drive, as Red Dead Redemption II needs at least 150 GB of space dedicated to it (per Steam). The game features a sprawling and lively open world, with this file size automatically taking into account the high-resolution textures for systems capable of running it at a higher graphical fidelity. While 150 GB is a daunting amount of space for one game, it makes some sense in this case.
Microsoft Flight Simulator (157 GB)
As far as technical achievements go, the Xbox console exclusive/PC game Microsoft Flight Simulator has often been used as a benchmark for testing the power of computer hardware. The game was critically acclaimed for what it aimed to accomplish, with praises going to its stunning graphical fidelity and Flight Simulator's impressive level of realism in locales.
Naturally, this level of raw power demands significant storage drive space to be allocated for it -- namely on a PC. Downloading Microsoft Flight Simulator requires around 157 GB of space, which makes sense considering how especially demanding the visuals can get in adapting that level of complex realism (per Microsoft Store).
Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare (175 GB)
For FPS games, Golden Eye 007 and Doom 64 were crucial for pushing the genre forward, followed by the aforementioned Halo, but Call of Duty has been another leading franchise. However, recent entries in the series has often been criticized, in part, for their increasingly unoptimized file sizes.
One such example is the reboot Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, released in 2019, standing at 175 GB, (per Battle.net). This could be somewhat remedied by downloading the base game and Warzone separately, but it's disappointing its demands aren't more efficient. Nonetheless, Modern Warfare manages to become among the best-selling Call of Duty games all the same.
Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War (175 GB)
The Modern Warfare reboot certainly wasn't the last game in the series to make headlines for its file size alone. Other games in the franchise suffered similar problems, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War being another recent example just one year later.
As with the former Call of Duty title, Black Ops Cold War takes up a massive 175 GB of storage space. And also like Modern Warfare before it, this depends on how much of the game players install at a time. PC specs page, the multiplayer mode alone takes up 50 GB, but everything installed at once is what skyrockets things to 175 GB (per Battle.net).
Quantum Break (178 GB)
Quantum Break, if nothing else, was seen as an inventive effort in the video game medium. Developed by Remedy of Alan Wake and Control fame -- the latter being a secret video game sequel to the former -- this mind-bending sci-fi thriller received a positive reception on Xbox One but was divisive on PC.
Part of the divisiveness of the game, in general, was the file size, which stemmed from the ambitious mixing of a TV with a video game all in one. It's important to note that the base game, while still rather large, takes up 102.5 GB. But what makes it inflate to a daunting 178 GB is the optional TV pack patch for those that want to play it at the highest visual quality (perGame Informer).
Ark: Survival Evolved (200 GB+)
Ark: Survival Evolved is another game with a bombastically fun concept that is partly held back by its system requirements. The game pits players in servers -- alone or with others -- to build settlements and tame dinosaurs to help them. And there's more to come from this gameplay formula, as the sequel is among the most anticipated Xbox games of 2023.
However, aside from technical issues, one common criticism is how egregious its file sizes can get. The Steam page notes that it just needs 60 GB for the base game, but Prima Games notes that number quickly climbs up. The base game plus the free DLC takes that to around 125.95 GB, but downloading all the DLC expansions can take it over 200 GB.
Destiny 2 (106 GB)
Once known for its acclaimed work on Halo, developer studio Bungie has since shifted its full gears to work on the original IP Destiny. The team has been active in the development of post-launch content on Destiny 2 since the launch, making it one of the biggest recent multiplayer games due to its many updates and DLC expansions.
Being a regularly updated game-as-a-service model title and first-person shooter, the latter elements are what bolster its weight in storage. The game needs a good deal of storage across all platforms, with the lowest being 79.1 GB on PS4 (per Bungie). But the game gets notably big on PC, demanding 126.3 GB of space allocated before the installation, which results in a final file size of 106.3 GB.
Source:gamerant.com