Top 10 Multiplayer Games – 2021 Edition

As we head into the twilight years of the PS4 and the new beginnings of the PS5, I thought it would be worth taking a look at my favourite multiplayer games, the titles that still pull me in regularly for a few rounds of immersive gameplay. Here’s my top ten games to play, if you haven’t given them a spin already.

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10. THE LAST OF US REMASTERED

My love of The Last Of Us is no secret and I’m super excited to see what the new multiplayer offering will be when it lands (hopefully this year!) but there is still a solid (albeit highly skilled) community playing the original title’s multiplayer component. My favourite mode is Survivors, a 4v4 game played over numerous rounds in which you don’t respawn when killed. The tension is unreal and leads to some fantastic fights. The gameplay is as strong as the single player game and the online is also quite dark and brutal. It’s like no other online offering so I highly recommend it.

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9. UNCHARTED 4: A THIEF’S END

The Uncharted series is, quite rightly, known for it’s great single player story mode but over the numerous titles in the series the multiplayer offering has been much improved. The online brings in the supernatural element that the series is known for by including mystical abilities, such as the healing Cintamani Stone (that originally featured in the Uncharted 2 single player story), along with interesting climbing and rope swinging mechanics to really make the game feel different to other online titles.

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8. STAR WARS: BATTLEFRONT II

I’m not the biggest Star Wars fan in the world but the appeal of a shooter in that universe is something that could pull in even the most casual of gamers. The cool thing about this title is that you play mostly as a low level soldier but can cash in points you’ve earned during the round to take control of a well known hero or villain that has special abilities, for example Princess Leia or Darth Vader, for a short time. The shooting feels great and the game can be played from a first person or a third person viewpoint, depending on which you prefer. Also it looks glorious and the attention to detail in level design and style is fantastic.

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7. RED DEAD ONLINE / GRAND THEFT AUTO ONLINE

I’ve been a bit cheeky here and included both of these massive titles in one entry. The reason for that is I suspect your choice will be based more on the setting than the gameplay. Both of these feature huge, living, breathing worlds for you to explore – with different missions to take on, characters to meet and a huge variety of activities to take part in. So the question really is do you want to take on heists, armed robberies and car races in Grand Theft Auto? Or would you prefer to track down errant stage coaches, shoot down rival wild west gangs and maybe hunt down animal pelts in Red Dead Online. I’ve enjoyed both titles and would certainly recommend giving them a shot if you want to get lost in a massive game world, whether that’s the urban sprawl of San Andreas or the open vistas of West Elizabeth.

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6. FORTNITE

Fortnite continues to be a goalith in the gaming space and for good reason. Aside from some very clever marketing and promotion outside of the actual gameplay, the reason is that the on screen action still holds up really well. It’s one of those games that you can not play for weeks, then jump back in and it’s like you’ve never been away. The shooting feels great and the ability to traverse terrain via building/construction is as strong as ever. Fortnite remains the best Battle Royale out there – jumping out of a plane and fighting to the death for victory remains a thrilling prospect and map updates and in game events help to keep things from ever feeling too stale.

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5. DESTINY 2

Destiny 2 has had plenty of issues across its life cycle so far but one thing that has never been in doubt is just how glorious the moment to moment shooting/traversal gameplay feels. For a lot of people the story quests and cooperative modes are where they spend the most time but I love the player vs player Crucible modes. I’ve had some thrilling rounds of Control and its great to see the different abilities and classes playing off each other. Whether you’re chaining lighting attacks or hitting people with void energy, the abilities combined with the amazing gunplay makes for a brilliant online experience.

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4. BATTLEFIELD V

For all the missteps that the Battlefield series makes, often a necessary evil for online focused titles, there is a time in every title’s life where it just feels… truly fantastic to play. When you get into the flow of Battlefield its pull is immense. While I’m ready to move back to a current day setting, Battlefield V’s version of World War II was a brilliant sand box that really stands out when it works. Dodging incoming fire and taking enemies out before jumping into a jeep and speeding to the next objective is exhilarating but the freedom of play does come with a downside. Being repeatedly killed by the same plane pilot over and over again can be an issue if you come up against an expert plane player and sometimes matches can be very one sided. Having said that, as I mentioned above, when it works there really isn’t anything else like it, certainly in terms of scale.

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3. ROCKET LEAGUE

Speaking of games there isn’t anything else like… in Rocket League you play football with turbo charged cars! It’s a lot more nuanced than it sounds and can be a highly skilled game but even if you’re a more basic player like me this is an extremely fun game to play. Whether you’re playing solo or with friends, Rocket League brings some much needed hilarity to the table as crazy or unusual things happen throughout the game. It’s also wildly competitive and very addictive. The games are short so it’s definitely a title you can pick up and play in smaller bursts and the skill level is insanely high if you want to get more into the mechanics of play. Added to that the game is now free to play so there’s no excuse not to check it out.

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2. RAINBOW SIX: SIEGE

Rainbow Six: Siege continues to go from strength to strength, after a shaky start following release back in 2015. This online shooter is grounded in reality, despite some outlandish near future technology, and if you get shot you are more than likely dead. The game is 5v5 with one team holding a section of a building (usually a room or two) and the other side infiltrating/attacking the space. Each character has their own special equipment, things like toxic gas grenades or proximity alarms that trigger when enemies are nearby. With a whole host of characters this leads to a meta-game of who has picked which characters, which definitely plays a part but as I said earlier if you get shot no grenade or alarm will help you out. At times it does feel brutal, you can be shot and killed with no warning and this is a game in which you have to think about every step you make. The fact it is so good is what pulls me in for Just. One. More. Round.

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1. OVERWATCH

Anyone who has read my blogs previously will know what a huge fan of Overwatch I am. It is without a doubt the game I’ve played the most in my gaming life and I still play every season competitively, as well as copious amounts of the other regular modes. Overwatch is a 6v6 objective based game in which each team tries to achieve something, or stop the other team getting to their goal. Every character has different abilities and there is a large selection of colourful heroes to choose from. Not every character shoots weapons, some are healers and some are tanks – large stocky characters used to shield the rest of the team. While you have two ‘regular’ abilities that can be used every few seconds you also build up an ultimate ability which can be devastating when triggered and turn the tide of a fight. This can be something offensive, like a large explosion but just as easily something defensive like a shield or increased healing for your team. The mix of heroes and abilities is what drives the game and keeps people playing – it helps that the characters are well designed and memorable as well. Think 80’s/90’s Saturday morning cartoons and you’re in the right ballpark. For me, Overwatch makes it really easy to get into a flow state but even for new players the game does a good job of getting you on board quickly – trust me, you’ll be landing the coveted ‘Play Of The Game’ highlight reel in no time!

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So there you have it, as always interested to hear what games you’d have on your list or which titles I’ve missed that are still active. Shout below or on Twitter.

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Rise Of The Tomb Raider – Review (PS4)

I was quietly confident that Crystal Dynamics would be able to deliver a strong follow up to their 2013 reboot of Square Enix’s beloved franchise. The sequel arrived on XBox One a year previously as a console exclusive and it got great reviews so I was excited to get a chance to play it. The initial reboot provided a good story paired with familiar but fun gameplay. So did they manage to better this with Rise Of The Tomb Raider?

Graphically the game is stunning and while it can’t match Uncharted 4 it certainly has some sections I thought were beautiful to look at. The level design and more open ended areas give the game some nice spaces to explore, although it suffers from that age old open-world issue of giving you ludicrously low stakes side quests while the end of the world approaches.

In this instance Lara is chasing an artifact that can grant immortality but the supernatural side of things doesn’t really come into play before the final third. Until then you are taking out an army of mercenaries and trying to beat their leaders to the artifact. The story is so-so to be honest and I saw the main twist coming a mile off but overall it’s an enjoyable campaign to play through.

In addition to the main missions there are also bigger open world parts of the game which contain the optional side missions I mentioned above. The return of puzzle based Tombs is welcome as the ones I completed were a nice distraction from the main path but didn’t take too long to finish.

There are robust skill and crafting trees, which is cool and lets you build your own version of Lara that can play to your own gameplay strengths. Likewise Lara has a selection of different outfits that each come with a stat boost, 10% more melee damage for example, so you can really shape the character to your playstyle.

While Rise of The Tomb Raider doesn’t have the impact of the original, it builds on what came before and delivers a really good experience with amazing graphics. Unfortunately it suffers a little from hitting the PS4 after Uncharted 4 and can’t quite match the heights of Nathan Drake and co. Nevertheless it’s a strong title which I’d recommend checking out.

Rating 8/10

GregHorrorShow: Game Awards 2016

So another stellar year done and a lot of games played, there have been some great releases and so many that I simply didn’t have time to get to them all. So apologies to Doom, Watch Dogs 2, Mafia III and Dishonored 2 (among others)… I will get around to playing you soon I promise!

Anyway, for 2016 – here we go:

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MISSED GEM OF 2015

WINNER: Telltale’s ‘Tales From The Borderlands’

I’m seriously considering changing the name of this award to ‘Telltale’s Missed Gem’ because once again they take this with ‘Tales From The Borderlands’, an episodic adventure set in the Borderlands universe with a (mainly) new cast of characters. Telling the story of Rhys and Fiona from both viewpoints and with what can only be described as unreliable narration of both sides, it’s good fun. Great writing and some awesome set up in terms of vibe and atmosphere made this a whole lot better than I expected – heartily recommended.

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BEST DLC (CONTENT)

WINNER: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate didn’t get the props it deserved in last year’s awards as I hadn’t finished it. So let the record state I thought it was the best AC game since Brotherhood. In addition to that we also got a great chunk of DLC based around the mythology of Jack The Ripper in which, playing as an older version of Evie, you have to track down London’s most notorious serial killer. Good fun and a rare chance to play as an older incarnation of a character, its well worth checking out. In terms of online DLC support both Uncharted 4 and Overwatch provided their players with free maps and new modes along with, in the case of the latter, new characters. Great stuff.

RUNNERS UP:

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• Destiny
• Overwatch

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THE JOE DANGER AWARD

WINNER: Skullgirls – 2nd Encore

I put a whole host of, unexpected, time into Skullgirls upon it’s release for Vita in April. I had been looking for a fighter to get into and while I did consider the latest Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, in the end Skullgirls cartoon style won me over. What I wasn’t prepared for was how enjoyable the game would be to a newcomer. Playing through the character stories was great fun, though I did get repeatedly beaten online!

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MOST ANTICIPATED GAME OF 2017

WINNER: Mass Effect Andromeda

This was a pretty close run thing, truth be told and Mass Effect ends up taking it by virtue of the fact I’m confident it’ll actually come out this year, unlike Red Dead Redemption 2! Both are highly desired though and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. I loved the original Gravity Rush so it makes sense the sequel is up there and Horizon: Zero Dawn looks set to be the most exciting new IP of 2017. I did want to put Persona 5 on here but I’m a bit nervous about it, just in terms of having had a connection with the characters of the previous game. New characters, new location… same magic? Fingers crossed.

RUNNERS UP:

• Red Dead Redemption 2
• Gravity Rush 2
• Horizon: Zero Dawn

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BEST GAME TRAILER

WINNER: Red Dead Redemption 2

What can you say about Red Dead Redemption 2? Rockstar dropped a logo on Twitter and the world went crazy. When they dropped the trailer the gaming world pretty much unanimously stopped for 1 minute and 8 seconds. The piano, the graphics, the feel of the Wild West. It’s all there and showed us a brief glimpse of what might be on the horizon. Battlefield 1 dazzled us with amazing graphics and Gravity Rush 2 maintained the awesome style of the first game. Meanwhile Blizzard delivered a near Pixar-quality short as a trailer for Overwatch.

RUNNERS UP:

• Battlefield 1
• Overwatch
• Gravity Rush 2

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BEST VITA GAME

WINNER: Skullgirls – 2nd Encore

As noted above I hadn’t thought Skullgirls would grab me the way it did, especially as someone that doesn’t really play many fighting games. But it definitely did and the game does a great job of teaching you as much as you want to learn with a really in depth tutorial system. The characters and art style are cool and the music is fantastic. The Vita port is solid as well and the game controlled really well. I’d definitely say to pick this up if you’re interested in getting into a fighting game.

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BEST GRAPHICS

WINNER: Battlefield 1

DICE have a history of nabbing this award with previous wins for Battlefield 3 (2013) and Star Wars: Battlefront (2015) and this year the competition was even fiercer with both Uncharted 4 and The Division delivering awe inspiring worlds and Overwatch bringing a stylised vibe to the party as well. Having said that, Battlefield 1 is a stunning looking game – one of those games you’ll show to people on the edge about buying a new console… ‘But look at this!’

RUNNERS UP:

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• The Division
• Overwatch

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BEST STORYLINE

WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

I expect this one will come as no surprise to anyone as my love for Uncharted is well documented on these pages but after the departure of Amy Hennig I wasn’t entirely convinced that the heart of the game would still be there but thankfully Naughty Dog delivered everything we wanted story-wise. Sure, Nathan Drake now has a brother we’ve never heard about previously but the story here is well paced, enjoyable and uses the characters to great effect. Titanfall 2 has a claim on best level of 2016 with one mid level (pleasant) surprise and I thought the Infinite Warfare campaign was one of the best in Call Of Duty history. While Battlefield 1 tailed off in the last couple of story missions it started really strongly and Black Bess in particular was fantastic.

RUNNERS UP:

• Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Titanfall 2
• Battlefield 1

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BEST MUSIC (SCORE)

WINNER: Overwatch

Skullgirls has a wonderful score that compliments it’s crazy outlandish aesthetic perfectly. Uncharted 4 and Battlefield 1 have amazing, soaring scores that do a great job to match the on-screen action throughout. But Overwatch… That theme when you load the game up, the swell as it reaches a crescendo. The ‘Play Of The Game’ theme is such a cool, heroic riff that does a super job of conveying that sense of heroism. Even the smaller parts like the music that accompanies the end of a round hit the mark. Really impressive stuff.

RUNNERS UP:

• Battlefield 1
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• Skullgirls – 2nd Encore

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BEST MUSIC (LICENSED)

WINNER: Gone Home

Despite some misgivings over the game itself there is no doubt that Gone Home had a killer soundtrack, with songs from Heavens to Betsy, Bratmobile and The Youngins (as GirlScout). With the game set in 1995 the developer did a great job of nailing that feel with the music. FIFA 17, as usual, delivered an eclectic mix of new artists for players to discover like Bishop Briggs and Barns Courtney alongside heavy hitters like Beck and Two Door Cinema Club. Special shout out to Tales From The Borderlands as well, I know it came out last year but as it wasn’t featured I felt a mention was in order for first class use of stuff like James Blake, The Rapture and First Aid Kit. Also apologies again to Watch Dogs 2 and Mafia III, who I suspect may have featured here if I’d played them.

RUNNERS UP:

• FIFA 17
• Tales From The Borderlands

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BEST VOICE ACTING

WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

Uncharted once againtakes home the best voice acting award – adding the irrepressible Troy Baker (Sam) and amazing Laura Bailey (Nadine) to the already stellar cast of Nolan North, Emily Rose and Richard McGonagle. The game itself is so full of graphical prowess and little touches that give the characters personality that it’s easy to forget the stunning job the cast of Uncharted consistently delivered. Unparalleled in gaming. I enjoyed the cast’s performance in Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare as well, with Ethan the robot shining alongside David Harewood as Sgt. Usef Omar. Camilla Luddington was spot on as Lara Croft in Rise Of The Tomb Raider and while I loved the voices in Overwatch I didn’t feel there was enough voiced content in the game for it to take the award.

RUNNERS UP:

• Overwatch
• Call Of Duty: Infinite Warfare
• Rise Of The Tomb Raider

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SINGLE PLAYER GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

What a way to round out the series! Uncharted 4 excels in so many areas it’s difficult to know where to start. Graphically it’s a powerhouse, with a great story and excellent voice acting. It controls really well and Naughty Dog also managed to keep a more gritty tone while retaining the original trilogy’s sense of swagger and humour. A fantastic achievement and a bench mark for single player campaigns. Rise Of The Tomb Raider continued the series high quality revival, expanding on several elements to give the player a host of customisation to their playthrough. Considering the original Titanfall didn’t have a campaign, it’s surprising that the sequel’s turned out so well. But it did and had lots of memorable moments that set you up nicely for the multiplayer. Hitman was a delight this year, split into episodic chunks that you could consume at leisure, basking in each level’s quirks and areas. Similarly to the excellent Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, I really felt like if I made a mistake in Hitman I had a chance to recover or at least try something different. A real triumph and I look forward to Season 2.

RUNNERS UP:

• Rise Of The Tomb Raider
• Titanfall 2
• Hitman

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MULTIPLAYER GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Overwatch

I put quite a bit of time into both The Division and Uncharted 4’s online components this year and really enjoyed both of them. The Division’s cooperative online set up meant it was fun to play with friends and I’ve always enjoyed Nathan Drake’s multiplayer adventures so Uncharted 4 was no different. Probably the best ever offering in my opinion and while I didn’t play as much Titanfall 2 I thought what I did play was great fun. Despite all that only one game captivated me since it’s release back in Spring, of course, it’s Overwatch! With so many characters and classes (and sub classes) on offer (23 at last count with more coming) there is something here for everyone. Not great at shooters? Go with a healer instead, or maybe a defender like Mei, who can pop up ice walls to block off the opposition. Coming across like the best Saturday morning kids show ever, Overwatch might be the best multiplayer game I’ve ever played, and that’s saying something!

RUNNERS UP:

• The Division
• Titanfall 2
• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

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GAME OF THE YEAR

WINNER: Overwatch

I was really looking forward to Overwatch, I thought the Beta was neat and wanted to get my hands on it. It wasn’t even mentioned in my most anticipated games last year but it was the first game in a long time that I actually hit the level cap for. As discussed above there simply isn’t another shooter, or game, like it. The team based nature of it and the positive feedback loop of having good things during the match being the focus of end game round ups is awesome. Add into that the gender, and race, diversity that flows through the cast of colourful characters and you have a winning formula. Yes it can be frustrating, especially in competitive mode, but to win a closely fought match is one of the best feelings in gaming.

RUNNERS UP:

• Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End
• The Division
• Hitman

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So there we go, another year down and lots of amazing games on the horizon for 2017!

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Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End – Review (PS4)

Anyone who has read this blog for a while will know about my love for the Uncharted series. Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan remains one of my favourite game characters of all time and the dynamics of the relationship between Nate and Elena, among others, keep me coming back title after title. But after the release of Uncharted 3 and a teaser trailer for the fourth instalment, it was all change at developer Naughty Dog – the driving force of the series Amy Hennig left and The Last Of Us team took over the reigns. The game was rebooted and reimagined. So could they continue the good work laid out in the previous games?

The Last Of Us had a huge impact on the gaming landscape both in terms of design and character development in games. The concern from some corners was that the devs might make Uncharted too ‘serious’. I don’t feel that happened and, actually, I believe toning down a few sections really helped the characters shine. Uncharted 4 still has the bombastic, action filled set pieces I’ve always loved but now includes a few options to use stealth for battles if desired. There are still plenty of one liners and quips but also real conversations and moments of downtime. It’s a slow start compared to other Uncharted games but I think it benefits the game in the long run.

The story this time is your typical ‘one last job/coming out of retirement’ fare, all based around the reappearance of Nate’s long thought dead brother, Sam. For me, Sam was an interesting character but led to a few issues with the overall Uncharted universe. I don’t recall him having been mentioned much previously but if you ignore the ‘retcon’ of back story and just enjoy the plot it isn’t too much of an issue.

Graphically the game is a powerhouse, I’ve not seen anything like it and it’s definitely one of those games (like Driveclub or Star Wars: Battlefront) that you can use to show off what a PS4 can do. Gameplay remains largely the same, lots of climbing and firefights, although the addition of the grappling hook also gives you a lot more freedom of movement to escape from (or rush to) enemies. The AI of the enemies seems much improved and there were a few occasions that felt genuinely challenging on the Normal setting.

I was a little disappointed that Greg Edmonson didn’t return to score but I guess the new Uncharted Naughty Dog team wanted to put their own stamp on things. Henry Jackson’s score does the job and the opening theme does hit home as expected. The voice acting is, as always, truly superb. Additionally the facial capture is among the best I’ve seen, able to capture subtle expressions of thoughtfulness or glee. Newcomers Laura Bailey and Warren Kole (as Nadine and Rafe, respectively) delivered two more great characters to the series. Rafe might actually be one of my favourite all time videogame villains.

I’ve always enjoyed the shooting in these titles and Uncharted 4 delivers again, with various weapons all feeling different to handle and having a decent heft to them. Unfortunately the same can’t be said for the hand to hand combat. Taking a more Last Of Us direction meant that close quarters fistfights became a mess of button mashing and hoping for the best. There were also a few sections when climbing that weren’t immediately clear on direction and I ended up falling to my death. Having said that, at least it added some (small) stakes to climbing, which hadn’t happened in previous instalments.

Multiplayer is back and bigger than ever, with fast paced action set around a few core modes. Uncharted multiplayer has always been a bit ‘Marmite’ but I’ve always enjoyed the fun nature of it and this game really ramps things up by introducing computer controlled side kicks and mystical abilities based on items from the series. This feels like a good move to me, the game thrives on the magic artefact theme so why not lean into it for multiplayer? Players remain a touch bullet-spongy, again not an issue for me but others may not like that style of combat. The grappling hook also comes into its own here and it’s very satisfying to take out a human opponent from up high!

I don’t want to go into detail about the story but I will say it was the most enjoyable one in the series for me. Uncharted 2, with its triple-crossing, pulp action comes a very close second but the character development in 4 is truly great. They have the benefit of this being the final game, which allows them the luxury of tying up some loose ends and I’ll finish this short section on the story by saying, as someone heavily invested in the series and characters, that I was really pleased as the credits rolled – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a great way to wrap up the series.

Another stellar title in the series then, as Naughty Dog continue their amazing run of games on PS4. With the increase of players on Playstation this generation lots more people will get a chance to experience Uncharted’s special brand of treasure hunting. If you haven’t already picked this up, I’d really recommend you do.

Rating: 10/10