5 RPG Speedruns to check out during this years Summer Games Done Quick
When the days grow long and the temperatures rise, I know that one of my favorite times of the year is almost upon us - Summer Games Done Quick. This special week-long event showcases some of the best speed runs (beating games as fast as possible, sometimes with other restrictions in place) out there, highlighting tight frame-perfect executions and glitches that will make your head spin, all for a great cause. This year's marathon will benefit Doctors Without Borders and takes place Sunday, July 6 through Sunday, July 13.
In addition to featuring runs of beloved classics like Sonic the Hedgehog 2, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, and Super Metroid, or modern marvels including Doom: The Dark Ages and Monster Hunter: Wilds, a number of RPGs will be showing up too. Seeing as we are RPGSite and all, here are five RPG speedruns that viewers should tune in for as they stay cool during these hot summer days.
A full schedule for SGDQ can be found HERE, and all runs can be viewed live on Twitch. Additionally, after the fact, you can watch previous runs on their YouTube Channel.
If you'd like to donate to any of the various incentives, bonus runs, or rewards, click here to be taken to their donation page to support Doctors Without Borders.
Avowed - Any% (PC)
Sunday, July 6 @ 7:30 pm ET
Estimate: 50 minutes
Runner: MikeWave
Avowed is one of the newer games being run during the event, originally released back in February of this year. Developed by Obsidian and taking place in the same universe as the CRPG Pillars of Eternity series, but from a new first-person perspective. Kind of (but not really) Obsidian's take on Oblvion (which is also being run at SGDQ), and a we really quite liked, with our reviewer saying "Avowed is exemplary of the sort of game where the more I put into it, the more I get out of it.".
Octopath Traveler - H'aanit Single Story (Cait Mod) (PC)
Tuesday, July 8 @ 7:50 pm ET
Estimate: 57 minutes
Runner: MochaJones10
Octopath Traveler was Square Enix's first release to adopt its HD-2D pixel art style, delivering a mechanically rich RPG title with one of the best Job systems available. This run will highlight the hunter character H'aanit, who captures and uses monsters that she traps in the wild for devastating results. The Cait mod in this run will increase the likelihood of encountering the Cait enemies, which, if beaten, give a ton of experience. In our review, we noted that while we loved the gameplay, its lack of a cohesive story was a drawback, which was thankfully addressed to some extent in its sequel. That said, this original title is still good fun, and this should be an exciting run!
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep Final Mix HD - Critical Lvl 1 Character Choice Any % Race (PS5)
Tuesday, July 8 @ 9:10 pm ET
Estimate: 1 hour
Runners: KirbySora, SonicShadowSilver2
Speed Run Races are a special sort of excitement at these events, as multiple runners of a game pull out all the stops and all of their tricks to show off not only the game they are playing but also their skill in it. With Birth by Sleep, the racers won't know which of the game's protagonists they will be playing through the game, as the final decision comes down to whether Aqua, Terra, or Ventus receives the most donations. This will be a good one to watch!
Xenoblade Chronicles: Future Connected - Any% (Casual Mode) (Switch)
Friday, Jul 11 @3:20am ET
Estimate: 40 minutes
Runner: NewAmber
This special epilogue chapter, taking place after the conclusion of the original Xenoblade Chronicles, sets in place and gives players teasers of what was to come in Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and now it's being finished in under an hour. For folks in the west, this run will be taking place pretty early in the morning on Friday, but for fans overseas, this run will be a great one to catch and unwind with after a long week.
Final Fantasy IX - HD PC Cutscene Remover (PC)
Saturday, Jul 12 @ 9:45 am ET
Estimate: 3 hrs 45 min
Runner: Selleath
It feels appropriate that this year, the lone Final Fantasy representative is Final Fantasy IX on the same week as the game's 25th anniversary (taking place on July 7). This particular run takes place late in the SGDQ line-up on Saturday morning, with the runner using the PC release with a mod that removes the cutscenes. This is a common type of mod for runners to use, as watching cutscenes hundreds of times can, surprising no one, can get stale, and it takes viewers out from the excitement of the run. This will be a great run to watch and celebrate an RPG beloved by so many, so be sure to start your weekend off the right way with Zidane and crew!