10 Live Service Games That DON'T SUCK

10 Live Service Games That DON’T Suck

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at 10 of the best live service games around. With such a negative connotation surrounding the format, deservedly so, it can be easy to forget that some of those games are actually quite good.

“Helldivers 2” (2024)

Arrowhead’s “Helldivers 2” is one of the latest games to successfully take on the games-as-a-service model. Players fight to protect Super Earth against a universe full of deadly bots and giant bugs. The game excels in being overwhelming, a positive as the PvE battles build great comradery between you and your teammates. It’s a satisfying gameplay hook, to be sure. But what impresses us most is how Arrowhead uses the live service format. Players gain or lose ground in real-time. The game master, an Arrowhead employee known only as Joel, reacts to the progress of player forces with strategic enemy spawns and attacks. Additionally, the satirical tone running through the game has been enhanced by Arrowhead’s own responses to its playerbase’s reactions to new additions.

“Genshin Impact” (2020)

MiHoYo’s free-to-play action RPG is a combination of fantastic influences, from the “Breath of the Wild” inspired world to its anime visuals. Set in a huge fantasy world with seven kingdoms, all of which worship a different elemental deity, there’s a lot to dig into, both in terms of gameplay and lore. Although not all of the kingdoms are in the game at the time of writing, each one has brought a wealth of content for fans to enjoy. There’s even co-op multiplayer, so you don’t have to venture into it all with only your scripted companions to keep you company. “Genshin Impact’s” fanbase has grown impressively large since launching in 2020, prompting the developer to follow a similar format with 2023’s “Honkai: Star Rail.”

“Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege” (2015)

While it may not have been released as such, Ubisoft’s decision to turn “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege” into a live service title was a great idea. The game reviewed well at launch, but it didn’t sell well. Instead of writing it off as another loss, Ubisoft buckled down, releasing a treasure trove of updates and free DLC for all players. Over the years, the game’s player base grew exponentially thanks to a constant stream of new playable characters, maps, weapons, and fixes for balancing gameplay. This also turned “Siege” into an esports juggernaut, and a very positive far cry from what it started as. It’s slowed down in recent years, but it’s a comeback still deserving of praise.

“Sea of Thieves” (2018)

One of the best things about the live service model is that it can take a game that was mediocre at launch and turn it into something far greater. That’s what happened with Rare’s “Sea of Thieves,” which was criticized for repetitive gameplay and missions, of which there weren’t even enough of. If you’ve played the game in the last five years, you know that to be untrue. These days, it’s a fantastic pirate adventure simulator with an astonishingly large fanbase. Rare applied the games-as-a-service model beautifully, and earned a ton of goodwill back through multiple improvements to gameplay and free expansions, including crossovers with “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Monkey Island.”

“Valorant” (2020)

Riot Games already knew how to keep a rabid fanbase thriving through its MOBA, “League of Legends.” Unsurprisingly, the studio produced an addictive FPS in 2020’s “Valorant,” and have supported it strongly ever since. Like a love child between “Overwatch” and “Counter-Strike,” it pits groups of heroes with varying weaponry and abilities against each other in tactical firefights. Riot picked the best elements of its influences, making for an exceptionally fun shooter. Its roster has nearly doubled in size since release, with new heroes, as well as tweaks to gameplay, keeping “Valorant” at the forefront of competitive, team-based experiences. Naturally, it’s also become a huge esports game.

“No Man’s Sky” (2016)

In a similar vein to “Sea of Thieves,” Hello Games’“No Man’s Sky” in no way resembles the disappointing experience it was at launch. But with so much hype behind it, and the fact that it comes from a much smaller developer, its comeback is a bit more impressive. Despite the backlash from missing promised features, Hello Games retained a passionate fan base through commitment to improve. And improve, it did. Years of free updates and expansions, as well as patches and gameplay improvements, have turned “No Man’s Sky” into a spacefaring adventure worthy of any player’s time. After all, there’s a whole universe to discover.

“Fortnite” (2017)

Maybe this is the point where some of you click off the video; anything this popular is bound to draw hatred from somewhere, and calling “Fortnite” ‘popular’ is a major understatement. But the fact remains that, as a live service experience, Epic delivers. As soon as it pivoted towards the battle royale mode, “Fortnite” skyrocketed into the stratosphere and has yet to come down. The huge player base has led to multiple crossovers, events, new modes, and even concerts over the years. While players still need to spend money on skins and such, you can experience the majority of its live service features for absolutely no cost. Plus, it’s the only game where I, as Omni-Man, can team up with Goku and a Ninja Turtle to take down Midoriya, Daredevil, and a Storm Trooper, and that’s pretty cool.

“Final Fantasy XIV” (2013)

“Sea of Thieves” and “No Man’s Sky” are excellent comeback stories, but the original version of “Final Fantasy XIV” was actually shut down due to how negatively it was received. Thankfully, the series has a huge fan base that was willing to give it another chance. The second version of this MMORPG installment was an extreme improvement on what came before in every conceivable category. The story was far more engaging, its user interface wasn’t a convoluted mess, and the gameplay system far less a grindy chore. And talk about a wealth of content. Square Enix has kept a tight lock on its release schedule of updates, patches, and expansions that have all only made “XIV” better.

“Destiny 2” (2017)

Like “Rainbow Six Siege,” “Destiny 2” adapted the live service model later in its life. And it was also better for it. The blend of FPS gameplay with a dash of RPG and MMO elements, courtesy of original “Halo” titans Bungie, has always had a passionate following. However, it went free-to-play in 2019, including its first two expansions, and expanded the player base even further. Since then, players and their Guardians have enjoyed frequent updates, including fantastic new modes, as well as paid expansions. While not everything has been a home run, it has all at least been a testament to Bungie’s desire to give us an ever-evolving world to defend.

“Apex Legends” (2019)

With its expertise in first-person gunplay, Respawn built off of its “Titanfall” universe with a battle royale spin-off. While it wasn’t what was expected, “Apex Legends” is now a prime example of live service done right. The developer took what it did with “Titanfall,” and injected a bit of hero shooter DNA into it, within the structure popularized by “PUBG.” And honestly, it was a pretty alluring concoction. Since then, we’ve gotten a ton of unique new characters, which you can play to unlock for free or buy, plus new maps and modes. While with every seasonal-based game, there have been ups and downs, “Apex Legends” remains a worthy endeavor in an increasingly crowded market.

What’s a live service game you defend? Share it with us in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!