While Brotherhood’s multiplayer mode was replicated – and improved – in Revelations, Assassin’s Creed III, and Black Flag, it seems that Ubisoft has since elected to abandon this concept entirely. That element of mystery and the game’s various evasion options result in a multiplayer experience that successfully emulates the spirit of the single-player game. The catch is that nobody ever knows which player is currently trying to kill them. Along with perfecting the refined Assassin’s Creed gameplay that made Assassin’s Creed II such a hit, Brotherhood introduced a multiplayer mode that remains one of the most inventive and enjoyable competitive experiences in modern video game history.īrotherhood’s multiplayer sees each player assume the role of an assassin who is tasked with killing another player’s assassin.
Assassin’s Creed: BrotherhoodĪssassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is arguably the franchise’s finest hour. If LawBreakers had been released a little earlier and were a little more refined, it might just have found the audience it needed to survive. It flew a little too close to the sun by trying to blend the best of class-based multiplayer with arena shooters, but the average LawBreakersmatch is surprisingly chaotic and, at worst, showcases the potential of this concept. Not many people played LawBreakers, but that doesn’t mean that it wasn’t a fun game. There’s a reason why the Academy Awards aren’t based on CinemaScore ratings. However, commercial success isn’t always a good indication of artistic merit.
We are well-aware that LawBreakers is one of the most infamous commercial failures in recent video game history. The game’s best competitive modes utilized single-player elements like augments and hacking to add just enough role-playing to the deathmatch fray.įor a concept that was likely only ever developed so that someone could add another feature to the Deus Ex GOTY box, this game’s multiplayer came surprisingly close to getting it right. However, Deus Ex’s multiplayer is nothing if not fascinating. It’s clunky, it was only included in the title’s game of the year edition, and it features some bizarre arena deathmatch elements that border on parody. On the one hand, there are many reasons why you’ve never heard of Deus Ex’s multiplayer mode. We’re a little torn about whether or not this mode is underrated or rightfully overlooked. It’s incredibly hard to find people to play with unless you do your own matchmaking. Sadly, as is the case with most of the games on this list, Monday Night Combat’s community isn’t nearly as large as it should be. It’s rare that you find such a rich competitive game that is wrapped in a fundamentally fun atmosphere. Monday Night Combat’s blend of third-person deathmatch action and MOBA-esque strategies is satisfying, but the true star of this experience is its almost Running Man-like game show atmosphere.
Get past the meme marketing materials, though, and you’ll find a competitive shooter with an identity of its own. Other times, a multiplayer game was just too ahead of its time, too weird, too niche, or otherwise attached to a single-player campaign that just didn’t make it.Īt first glance, Monday Night Combat looks like a flash game quality rip-off of team-based shooters like Overwatch and Team Fortress 2. There are so many multiplayer games out there that sometimes it’s a simple matter of probability that some of them will not make it. However, we bet that many people’s best video game memories are tied to the joy of playing a game with someone else, whether it be together on a couch or online.įor some of those gamers, the multiplayer experience they so fondly remember wasn’t one that turned out to be a global phenomenon. The overwhelming success of some multiplayer games can lead to some animosity from gamers who just aren’t that into them or feel that they hinder a developer’s enthusiasm to pursue other types of projects. Indeed, it’s often that communal experience that elevates multiplayer games and turns them into a sensation. From Counter-Strike and Call of Duty to Halo and Fortnite, some of the biggest gaming phenomena of all-time have involved playing with other people in some capacity. When a multiplayer game is successful, it tends to be incredibly successful.