The Best Multiplayer Experience of 2016

Honorable Mention: Overcooked

It’s award season here at Twinfinite! Starting with a few runner ups, let’s look back at the games that had some of the best multiplayer experiences this year and our 2016 winner! 

Chaos is the best way to describe what almost every multiplayer game of Overcooked devolves into by the end. In an era where more titles are pushing for the best online features, developer Ghost Town Games keeps it old school with this couch co-op only title. Players are placed into the role of four adorably different chefs that are tasked with creating everything from burgers to salads to fish and chips. Users need to manage everything from frying times to making sure the food is delivered while it’s still hot.

Each kitchen has its own unique personality and design, making almost every culinary experience a unique one. It’s these levels that truly allows Overcooked to excel, as each one offers their own challenges for cooking teams to overcome such as trying to transport food across a slippery glacier. This not only allows for the gameplay to keep from becoming repetitive but it fully embraces the wacky sensibility that Overcooked prides itself on.

Playing side by side with others is reminiscent of the Mario Party titles, where every little mistake is met with laughs, blame, and yelling. The maps are specifically designed to create such moments as they often limit you to a small amount of fryers, burners, and plates to use. Overcooked is a title that is built on creating memorable experiences thanks to its design and reliance on working with others in order to complete their goals. Even though it lacks an online component, if you are able to play this title with friends it’s one you’ll want to break out during parties often.

Honorable Mention: Battlefield 1

DICE’s answer to the ever growing futuristic FPS setting is going back to The Great War. This World War I shooter embodies everything that has made the Battlefield franchise so successful. However, it goes beyond just polishing the mechanics already in place and adds some new twists to an existing formula that helps creates some truly memorable multiplayer game experiences . The shooting has never felt better with each gun having a sense of weight and impact, their models rendered with an excruciating amount of detail.

While this title has less weapons than previous entries, they all feel balanced and suit a variety of different playstyles. Each of which are tied to one of four classes that serve a variety of different tasks during matches, such as Support’s ability to repair armor or a Scout’s talent to shoot up a flare and spot multiple enemies.

All the levels are gorgeously rendered and masterfully designed, with every map feeling far different from the other. No map feels like it forces a specific type of play, but instead encourages users to get creative and play around the different architecture offered. As usual, the environment is destructible (as it should be in a game about the first world war) and it’s fascinating to watch how much a map changes from beginning to end. The destruction is amped up by the inclusion of the new Behemoth vehicles, massive war machines that can turn the tide of an entire match alone. Taking down your first zeppelin and watching it crash in a blaze of fiery glory will forever be cemented as one of the most memorable moments in the series.

Yet, by far the best addition to this series is the new Operations game mode, which drops small 30 minute excursions in favor of matches that can last well over an hour. Set across multiple maps, this attack/defense mode sees waves of soldiers crash against each other in an attempt to capture and hold various positions. Each of the different Operations offers an interesting historical context that can add more depth beyond a bunch of people fighting over arbitrary flags. It’s one of the best, if not the best multiplayer mode introduced in 2016, and is worthy of recognition.

Second Runner Up: Gears of War 4

Gears of War 4 being second runner up on this list is just crazy because it’s such a great game with an incredibly deep and varied multiplayer experience; the competition this year was seriously brutal.

Some credit for Gears of War 4’s success needs to be given to Microsoft for once again choosing the right people to handle their precious first party IPs. No polish was lost in the transition from Epic Games to The Coalition. The latest Gears game’s combat is just as crisp as its always been from previous titles. Running at 60 FPS, there are few games that run as smooth in hectic situations as Gears of War 4. All of the popular weapons are back, and a few new additions such as the Dropshot can dramatically mix up the familiar game when in the hands of a strong player.

Gears of War 4’s biggest strength though is its aforementioned variety, something that is unmatched by any other game on this list. All of its game modes are different and enjoyable. If you like PvE gameplay, you have a solid co-op campaign to run through along with a super deep and replayable horde mode. If you’re the competitive type, of course you have the classic Gears of War PvP experience with a fleshed out ranking system.

Not only is there something for everyone in Gears of War 4, all of its game modes are exceptional, and that’s what makes it such memorable multiplayer experience from this year.

First Runner Up: Titanfall 2

Titanfall 2 had the poor luck of releasing between two of the biggest online focused titles in 2016, yet it’s a game that shouldn’t be overlooked. Taking the momentum based formula of the original 2014 game, Titanfall 2’s multiplayer surpasses its predecessor in every regard. With a plethora of different modes, weapons, and equipment, developer Respawn Entertainment offers players a unique suite of weapons to deal death with. From the suicidal Tick robots to a ninja star that creates a mini black hole, there is always something new to experiment with and utilize.

However, the real stars of this game are the six selectable and customizable Titans that players can call down from orbit. Each one has their own strengths and weaknesses, with their weaponry offering game-changing effects. Titans like Scorch can wall off entire areas with lakes of fire while the nimble, sword using Ronin can phase between realities to close the distance in combat. No Titan feels better than others and each one has an exploitable weakness that smart Pilots can take advantage of.

All of this is built upon the movement system for Pilots that pushes players to wall run, climb, and double jump to their heart’s desire. Every level offers unique and interesting paths that snake throughout the map, yet the brilliance in Titanfall 2’s movement system is the freedom it allows. Each level and city is a playground waiting to be explored, with no real predetermined routes for users to follow, giving its combat a truly organic feeling. Battles take place at high speed and can result in some truly fast and furious chases.

There hasn’t been a multiplayer game released this year that masters momentum and speed better than Titanfall 2.

Winner: Overwatch

Overwatch is a game that embraces the concept of easy to play but hard to master thanks to its colorful roster of 23 characters. This class based shooter offers some of the best gameplay you can find all year, with every single aspect of this title polished to a near-perfect finish.

Maps are colorful and unique offering multiple different routes, while also giving insight into the world and characters that inhabit it. While Overwatch is limited on game modes, each one focuses on the core aspect of working as a team to achieve victory. This is reinforced by the four different roles that each of these heroes fall into.

All of the different characters offer a different style of play, with their own positives and negatives factoring into each pick. Heroes such as the shield bearing Reinhardt are fantastic for holding off chokepoints, however he can be easily flanked or destroyed due to his large hitbox. Blizzard has done a remarkable job of not making any one character feel significantly more powerful than the rest and while the title’s meta is constantly shifting, especially at the pro level, there has never been one hero above them all. Each hero has a place and they can use their abilities to create some truly unique synergies that can alter the course of an entire match.

Every hero also has unlockable skins, emotes, sprays, and highlight intros, giving players something to strive for if they want to trick out their favorite character. Along with this are the fantastic personalities and voices that Blizzard has given each one, which has allowed them to become instantly memorable. Couple this with their wonderful character models and you have perhaps one of the most recognizable video game casts of the decade.

Yet, all of this would be for naught if it wasn’t for the incredibly fun gameplay and mechanics that are at the heart of Overwatch. Whether you’re launching magic infused orbs or open firing with a six shooter, all of the weapons feel solid and enjoyable to use. Every hero has a counter, but there is enough room for skilled players to take down their would be aggressors looking to slay them. Almost anyone can jump into this title, which makes it half the fun as Overwatch never feels like a title that is reserved for those with pinpoint accuracy.

In the end, a good multiplayer game needs to not only be accessible, but fun and balanced as well. Overwatch achieves all of this and more, with some of the best character designs and abilities to enter the medium. While all of our nominees are fantastic multiplayer titles, Overwatch is one that will be remembered as a milestone for the genre.

Congratulations to Overwatch, the winner of our Best Multiplayer Experience of 2016 award! Be sure to visit back this week more award announcements including the big one, our game of the year for 2016!