Summary
Many of the most popular games of recent years have been online multiplayer games. These games span a variety of genres, from survival games and battle royales, all the way to frantic cooperative experiences.
However, many multiplayer games are experienced by players from a first-person perspective, most likely due to the fact that first-person shooters are some of the most popular multiplayer experiences. Despite this, games such as the recentHelldivers 2, and evenFortnitehave proved that there’s still a market for third-person multiplayer games.
Despite some light controversies surrounding its microtransactions,Helldivers 2isa tremendously well-crafted sequelwith punchy third-person shooter combat and a tight multiplayer gameplay loop. The game revolves around players teaming up, dropping onto war-torn planets, and working together to take down aliens and complete missions.
Helldivers 2succeeds with its weighty weapons and solid game feel, as well as its stunning environments and variety of interesting enemies. Despite having little-to-no story,Helldivers 2is a surprisingly engaging cooperative experience, thanks in large part to its mission variety.
This tight third-person looter-shooter features RPG elements and well-crafted cover-based combat that make it a worthwhile experience.Tom Clancy’sThe Division 2lives and dies on its satisfying gunplay, as well as its detailed open world.
WhileThe Division 2’slooter-shooter gameplayloop can be somewhat repetitive, its enemy variety and interesting post-apocalyptic world help keep things engaging. Most of the gameplay revolves around PvE encounters, though the “Dark Zone” adds an exciting element of PvP to the experience.
This asymmetric multiplayer PvP game aims to condense the gore-fests of low-budget slasher movies into short, exciting matches. InDead By Daylight, one player takes control of the Killer, maneuvering around the map from a first-person perspective. The Survivors, on the other hand, move about in third-person.
There’s plenty of strategy to be had before a match even starts inDead By Daylight, with players building their characters and selecting consumable items to bring with them every match. In-game, the success of the Survivors is almost entirely revolved around working as a team as they try to escape.
This third-person shooter takes place in a post-apocalyptic world overtaken by deadly creatures. Much like its predecessor,Remnant 2takes inspiration from the Souls-like genre, featuring mysterious NPCs, challenging boss fights, and an interesting world to explore.
What makesRemnant 2unique is how it combines its Souls-like inspirations with third-person shooter gameplay, effortlessly blending genres to create a distinctive experience. Furthermore, the game can be played fully in cooperative multiplayer, and it’s arguably more fun when played this way.
Grand Theft Autohas always been a popular franchise that features relatively strong single-player narrative experiences in open-world cities.Grand Theft Auto Online,GTA 5’s multiplayer mode, was no different, but it was released with a stronger focus on creating a well-rounded multiplayer experience.
GTA Onlineis a tremendously popular third-person multiplayer game, thanks in large part to its sandbox nature and player agency. The game’s online features are, however, best enjoyed with friends, as its open-world sandbox lends itself well to cooperative shenanigans.
This action-RPGthird-person shooter takes place in a truly unique science-fiction world and features deep levels of customization.Warframecenters around hallway-shooter gameplay and larger, objective-based missions that can be played in solo or in online co-op.
AlthoughWarframeis a perfectly serviceable single-player experience, it’s arguably best when played with other players. Furthermore, playing in online co-op can yield a variety of rewards, and the objective-based gameplay of the missions frequently encourages collaboration.
TheGears Of Warfranchise was a large part of the third-person shooter golden age, and this third entry was a landmark title for many fans of the iconic series. ManyGearsfans stayed for the cheesy melodramatic narrative and innovative cover-based shooting, butGears Of Waralso had a thriving multiplayer scene for a good while.
This was especially true ofGears Of War 3, and while it certainly had its flaws by way of technical issues,Gears 3provided some fantastic third-person multiplayer chaos. Furthermore,Gears Of War 3featured a “Beast Mode” that put players in control of the Locust, as well as an improved multiplayer Horde mode.
This sequel to the wonderfullycharming and colorfulthird-person shooter,Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, took everything about what made the original so fun and arguably made it better.PvZ: Garden Warfare 2is a fast-paced, colorful, and light-hearted multiplayer shooter that focuses on fun over competitive balancing.
Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2features two asymmetric teams, the titular Plants and Zombies, each with their own set of unique classes. Each class feels fun and unique to play, and each featuring their own variants. These classes and their variants add a huge amount of variety to the game and quickly turnGarden Warfare 2’stranquil environments intochaotic battlegrounds.
Arguably one of the most influential online shooters of all time, the originalStar Wars: Battlefront 2features a solid single-player campaign as well as massive online battles set in theStar Warsuniverse.Star Wars: Battlefront 2is perhaps most beloved for allowingStar Warsfans to do battle in iconicStar Warslocations, and occasionally giving players control of iconic characters such as Yoda and Darth Vader.
AlthoughStar Wars: Battlefront 2allows players to switch freely between first and third-person perspectives, players will most likely spend their time in third-person in order to see more of their surroundings. Despite its increasing age, the innovations and pure-fun gameplay of the originalStar Wars: Battlefront 2still manage to shine through.
Thiscooperative rogue-litefeatures frantic third-person shooter action and classic rogue-lite elements that lead to fun, often chaotic moments.Risk Of Rain 2’svariety of playable characters, impressive bosses, and abundance of unique items make it a chaotic multiplayer experience that’s great with friends.
Risk Of Rain 2may get a little messy towards the end of a run, thanks to the plethora of projectiles flying in all directions, but this chaos is part of what makesRisk Of Rain 2so enjoyable. Those looking for a serious and strategic experience may bounce off this title, but players looking for an action-packed experience are likely to get a kick out ofRisk Of Rain 2’sthird-person chaos.
