10 Games You FORGOT Had Multiplayer
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VOICE OVER: Johnny Reynolds
WRITTEN BY: Johnny Reynolds
We always love it when single player games include multiplayer modes, though some have been forgotten. For this list, we'll be showcasing games that are better remembered for single player campaigns, but which also had multiplayer modes you may have forgotten about. Our list includes "Tomb Raider" (2013), “Spec Ops: The Line” (2012), “BioShock 2” (2010), “Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood” (2010), and more!
Script written by Johnny Reynolds
We always love it when single player games include multiplayer modes, though some have been forgotten. For this list, we’ll be showcasing games that are better remembered for single player campaigns, but which also had multiplayer modes you may have forgotten about. Our list includes "Tomb Raider" (2013), “Spec Ops: The Line” (2012), “BioShock 2” (2010), “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” (2010), and more! What game do you think had underrated multiplayer? Share your memories in the comments below.
The “Assassin’s Creed” franchise is beloved for chronicling the never-ending conflict between the Brotherhood and the Templars. For the most part, it’s fascinating seeing how Ubiosft adapts different historical eras. Beginning with “Brotherhood,” Ubisoft also tried to give the series a multiplayer aspect. Players controlled a Templar as they used the Animus to access old memories, unlocking new skills and perks in the process. With 8 modes and a variety of maps both new and from previous installments, it wasn’t just an additional, tacked-on feature. Unfortunately, the series moved away from multiplayer a while ago. It hasn’t been seen in a mainline entry since 2013’s “Black Flag.”
With “Tomb Raider’s” second reboot, we were given a much grittier take on Lara Croft. And since it wasn’t included in the two sequels, you may not remember that we were also given a PVP multiplayer mode. Naturally, there was Deathmatch. But it mostly focused on team-based missions, pitting survivors against scavengers. You had Team Deathmatch, though there was also Private Rescue and Cry For Help, both of which tasked survivors with completing certain objectives while being hunted by the scavengers. While there was some very light online functionality in the sequels, it was nothing like this. And it’s a bit of a shame it didn’t get to grow and thrive.
Whenever someone talks about “Conker’s Bad Fur Day,” it’s to giddily refer to the overwhelming amount of raunchy humor packed into its narrative. But a lot of the story’s missions were reworked to be multiplayer modes. You could be a bloodthristy raptor, hunting your caveman friends as they try to steal your eggs. Or you could just hop into some tanks and try to annihilate each other. It was a great way to bring your friends into the absurdly mature game. Rare’s N64 releases usually came with additional multiplayer modes, turning them into wonderful party games. We also spent hours battling it out in “Donkey Kong 64”.
Most multiplayer modes on our list deserve to be remembered, but everything about “Duke Nukem Forever” deserves to be forgotten. Famously in development for more than 14 years, the game was lambasted for outdated humor, controls, and graphics, among other things. While many likely remember the outpour of negative reception in regards to the single player mode, the multiplayer was pretty awful, too. It was developed by a different company than the campaign, Piranha Games, which would make you think they spent the needed time on it. But you’d be wrong. In addition to the tired gameplay mechanics and graphics from the base game, the multiplayer had significant lag, making it entirely unfun to play.
“Duck Hunt” is an NES classic. It brought a certain arcade-like quality home by letting players shoot ducks with a gun peripheral, the Zapper. However, while many of us think of it as a single-player endeavor, it didn’t have to be. While Player 1 used the Zapper to shoot down some birds, Player 2 could use a regular controller to make it harder for them. It was only available for the “Game A” type, which featured one duck at a time. But it was a neat way for friends and siblings to pass the sticks, one taking shots and one controlling the duck.
Jaw-dropping set pieces, charming characters, and the call of adventure. That’s what most of us think of when “Uncharted” comes to mind because each game has those elements in spades. The “Uncharted” stories are indeed great, but beginning with the second game, that wasn’t all you had to focus on. “Among Thieves” introduced six competitive modes, which were then altered and improved upon for its sequels. Unfortunately, neither “The Nathan Drake Collection” nor the “Legacy of Thieves Collection” includes the multiplayer. As of writing, “Uncharted 4’s” servers are still active, making it the only way you can experience this surprisingly awesome multiplayer.
Like we said, Rare has usually been great about including multiplayer in their primarily single-player games. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the great mini-games of “Banjo-Tooie”. But “Nuts & Bolts” isn’t remembered nearly as fondly. Since the multiplayer required bringing in your own custom vehicles made in the single-player mode, it wasn’t something you could immediately jump into. It would’ve been worth it though. Battling, racing, and playing something similar to “Rocket League” against the vehicles of others made matches a bit more diverse. However, you’d have to get far enough into the campaign for it to reach its full potential. These days, most people only talk about the N64 games.
The third “Dead Space” notably included co-op, but “Dead Space 2” gave players something more competitive. It was a bit bare bones, only including one mode called ‘Outbreak.’ But it was there to give the game a bit of longevity. In it, two teams of four competed, one controlling humans and the other playing as the Necromorphs. The humans would have certain objectives to complete while the Necromorphs naturally hunted them down. While human players unlocked new weapons to defend themselves with, Necromoprh players could choose different forms and improve that form’s abilities. All in all, it didn’t add much to the base game and clearly didn’t leave much of a mark.
This third-person shooter has appeared on countless lists about video game plot twists. And deservedly so; it’s a fascinating narrative. However, if players needed a break from the stressful horrors of war, there was an additional multiplayer mode to sink your teeth into. Set before the story’s events, players had six classes to choose from and six modes to enjoy. None of them went past the standard online shooter modes like Deathmatch and King of the Hill, but it was an appreciated inclusion nonetheless. Two player co-op was also added later so that you and a friend could battle waves of enemies together.
“BioShock 2” is already the least-talked about entry in the series. And when its multiplayer wasn’t brought over to “Infinite,” that essentially sealed its fate to be forgotten by most players. It consisted of your standard modes through a “BioShock” lens, like capturing a Little Sister instead of a flag. The most interesting aspect was how it played into the story. Players controlled Rapture citizens during the city’s Civil War. Not only could you unlock new weapons and Plasmids as you leveled up, but you could also unlock audio diaries that added to the world. It was an interesting experiment and one we wish had been continued and improved. There’s always hope for the next entry, whenever it gets here.
We always love it when single player games include multiplayer modes, though some have been forgotten. For this list, we’ll be showcasing games that are better remembered for single player campaigns, but which also had multiplayer modes you may have forgotten about. Our list includes "Tomb Raider" (2013), “Spec Ops: The Line” (2012), “BioShock 2” (2010), “Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” (2010), and more! What game do you think had underrated multiplayer? Share your memories in the comments below.
“Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood” (2010)
The “Assassin’s Creed” franchise is beloved for chronicling the never-ending conflict between the Brotherhood and the Templars. For the most part, it’s fascinating seeing how Ubiosft adapts different historical eras. Beginning with “Brotherhood,” Ubisoft also tried to give the series a multiplayer aspect. Players controlled a Templar as they used the Animus to access old memories, unlocking new skills and perks in the process. With 8 modes and a variety of maps both new and from previous installments, it wasn’t just an additional, tacked-on feature. Unfortunately, the series moved away from multiplayer a while ago. It hasn’t been seen in a mainline entry since 2013’s “Black Flag.”
“Tomb Raider” (2013)
With “Tomb Raider’s” second reboot, we were given a much grittier take on Lara Croft. And since it wasn’t included in the two sequels, you may not remember that we were also given a PVP multiplayer mode. Naturally, there was Deathmatch. But it mostly focused on team-based missions, pitting survivors against scavengers. You had Team Deathmatch, though there was also Private Rescue and Cry For Help, both of which tasked survivors with completing certain objectives while being hunted by the scavengers. While there was some very light online functionality in the sequels, it was nothing like this. And it’s a bit of a shame it didn’t get to grow and thrive.
“Conker’s Bad Fur Day” (2001)
Whenever someone talks about “Conker’s Bad Fur Day,” it’s to giddily refer to the overwhelming amount of raunchy humor packed into its narrative. But a lot of the story’s missions were reworked to be multiplayer modes. You could be a bloodthristy raptor, hunting your caveman friends as they try to steal your eggs. Or you could just hop into some tanks and try to annihilate each other. It was a great way to bring your friends into the absurdly mature game. Rare’s N64 releases usually came with additional multiplayer modes, turning them into wonderful party games. We also spent hours battling it out in “Donkey Kong 64”.
“Duke Nukem Forever” (2011)
Most multiplayer modes on our list deserve to be remembered, but everything about “Duke Nukem Forever” deserves to be forgotten. Famously in development for more than 14 years, the game was lambasted for outdated humor, controls, and graphics, among other things. While many likely remember the outpour of negative reception in regards to the single player mode, the multiplayer was pretty awful, too. It was developed by a different company than the campaign, Piranha Games, which would make you think they spent the needed time on it. But you’d be wrong. In addition to the tired gameplay mechanics and graphics from the base game, the multiplayer had significant lag, making it entirely unfun to play.
“Duck Hunt” (1985)
“Duck Hunt” is an NES classic. It brought a certain arcade-like quality home by letting players shoot ducks with a gun peripheral, the Zapper. However, while many of us think of it as a single-player endeavor, it didn’t have to be. While Player 1 used the Zapper to shoot down some birds, Player 2 could use a regular controller to make it harder for them. It was only available for the “Game A” type, which featured one duck at a time. But it was a neat way for friends and siblings to pass the sticks, one taking shots and one controlling the duck.
“Uncharted” Series (2007-17)
Jaw-dropping set pieces, charming characters, and the call of adventure. That’s what most of us think of when “Uncharted” comes to mind because each game has those elements in spades. The “Uncharted” stories are indeed great, but beginning with the second game, that wasn’t all you had to focus on. “Among Thieves” introduced six competitive modes, which were then altered and improved upon for its sequels. Unfortunately, neither “The Nathan Drake Collection” nor the “Legacy of Thieves Collection” includes the multiplayer. As of writing, “Uncharted 4’s” servers are still active, making it the only way you can experience this surprisingly awesome multiplayer.
“Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts” (2008)
Like we said, Rare has usually been great about including multiplayer in their primarily single-player games. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention the great mini-games of “Banjo-Tooie”. But “Nuts & Bolts” isn’t remembered nearly as fondly. Since the multiplayer required bringing in your own custom vehicles made in the single-player mode, it wasn’t something you could immediately jump into. It would’ve been worth it though. Battling, racing, and playing something similar to “Rocket League” against the vehicles of others made matches a bit more diverse. However, you’d have to get far enough into the campaign for it to reach its full potential. These days, most people only talk about the N64 games.
“Dead Space 2” (2011)
The third “Dead Space” notably included co-op, but “Dead Space 2” gave players something more competitive. It was a bit bare bones, only including one mode called ‘Outbreak.’ But it was there to give the game a bit of longevity. In it, two teams of four competed, one controlling humans and the other playing as the Necromorphs. The humans would have certain objectives to complete while the Necromorphs naturally hunted them down. While human players unlocked new weapons to defend themselves with, Necromoprh players could choose different forms and improve that form’s abilities. All in all, it didn’t add much to the base game and clearly didn’t leave much of a mark.
“Spec Ops: The Line” (2012)
This third-person shooter has appeared on countless lists about video game plot twists. And deservedly so; it’s a fascinating narrative. However, if players needed a break from the stressful horrors of war, there was an additional multiplayer mode to sink your teeth into. Set before the story’s events, players had six classes to choose from and six modes to enjoy. None of them went past the standard online shooter modes like Deathmatch and King of the Hill, but it was an appreciated inclusion nonetheless. Two player co-op was also added later so that you and a friend could battle waves of enemies together.
“BioShock 2” (2010)
“BioShock 2” is already the least-talked about entry in the series. And when its multiplayer wasn’t brought over to “Infinite,” that essentially sealed its fate to be forgotten by most players. It consisted of your standard modes through a “BioShock” lens, like capturing a Little Sister instead of a flag. The most interesting aspect was how it played into the story. Players controlled Rapture citizens during the city’s Civil War. Not only could you unlock new weapons and Plasmids as you leveled up, but you could also unlock audio diaries that added to the world. It was an interesting experiment and one we wish had been continued and improved. There’s always hope for the next entry, whenever it gets here.
