Multiplayer Games

Believe it or not, I'm on my third copy of Sonic Shuffle. It’s a game I've played so much that the discs show their wear, back when review scores didn't influence purchases as persuasively as rentals and when game reception wasn't trapped in bubbles enforced by online commentary. When I later discovered that this game I loved got hammered with criticism, I was puzzled by negativity I felt was unwarranted. Some insist Sonic Shuffle is a Mario Party rip-off, unoriginal and dominated by fault-ridden gameplay. I see things differently.

2016 is fixing up to be an amazing year for player vs player team-intensive titles. Major publishers abound are taking to this model that's almost MOBA-ish (like Defense of the Ancients or League of Legends) and infusing it with a much more action-intensive feel, such as being set in the skeleton of a first-person shooter. Some seem to be going the direct route of a 3rd person MOBA, not unlike Smite while others have a feel that reminds of the chaotic fun of Team Fortress 2, but each of them is bringing their own flavor and flair to the table in attempts to set themselves apart from the things that have been done before.

Seven years after the release of the last Rainbow Six game, we've seen a multitude of strictly online-only FPS games come and go as the focus on blockbuster solo campaigns have started to dwindle. It takes a lot for a predominantly multiplayer FPS game to entice players to keep coming back for the long haul. Luckily, Rainbow Six Siege's unique brand of intense, tactical shootouts are unlike anything else in the first-person shooter scene.

I've often thought about what it would be like to actually take part in the Battle of Hoth. In The Empire Strikes Back, we saw only a glimpse of the chaos that ensued once the Imperial Army found the Rebel base on the icy planet, and didn't truly get an idea of the conflict that broke out. It makes sense considering the films follow such a small cast of characters, and can't just spend hours on showing the ins and outs of one space battle. That's why I was excited to dive head first the galactic civil war with Star Wars Battlefront later this year. At least, until I played a little bit of the beta this week at New York Comic Con. Now, don't take that to mean that I've lost all my interest. Quite the opposite, in fact. I'm just not all that interested in living out the Battle of Hoth from the Rebel perspective anymore. While the films and comics and books have always talked about the strength and power of the Imperial side of the conflict, you don't truly grasp how daunting a task it must have been for the Rebel Alliance to pull out such tremendous victories until you're planted firmly in their boots. It's impressive that any of the ships escaping Hoth made it out of there alive, especially if any of those Rebel troopers fought as poorly as I did.

Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Siege is joining the growing list of first-person shooters that have forgone solo story campaigns to focus on multiplayer.

We're just a few weeks away from being able to participate in the highly-anticipated open beta for Star Wars Battlefront.

We've got some bad news for those hoping to return to Albion in Fable 4.

Konami unveiled a new video featuring a breakdown of Metal Gear Online's upcoming multiplayer gameplay.

EA and DICE have unveiled some new details about Star Wars Battlefront's anticipated open beta launching next month.

Nothing says happy 20th anniversary to Resident Evil like a Ghost Recon-esque online shooter... right?