Best Multiplayer Games of 2015
By Boston Blake 26 December 2015
This year was saw the release of many impressive multiplayer games that are immersive, engaging, and challenging. Here are our top picks for the year.
This year was a big one for gaming, with numerous highly anticipated games living up to or exceeding the hype surrounding them. While there were many single-player games that grabbed and held players’ attention – like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Fallout 4 – there were also some impressive multiplayer games released this year.
When it comes to multiplayer games, there are a few that immediately come to mind as the best of 2015. We polled our writers to see what their favorite and most memorable multiplayer games were for the year and, interestingly, two of the biggest shooters, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and Star Wars Battlefront, struggled to get any votes. So which games did make the list? Read on to find out.
Rocket League
One of the biggest surprises in gaming this year was the vehicle soccer (football for our European readers) game Rocket League. The game launched to little fanfare, but quickly became one of the most popular games on Steam and PlayStation 4. Even now, six months after its original release, Rocket League continues to garner massive attention from gamers and produce impressive, shareable gameplay moments.
Rocket League also received two awards this year, nabbing an award for Best Independent Game at the Independent Games Festival and Best Sports/Racing Game at The Game Awards. Thanks to the fast pace, developer support, and intense competitive nature of Rocket League, the game will undoubtedly continue to dominate into 2016.
Halo 5: Guardians
The latest installment in Microsoft’s iconic Halo series launched to strong reviews from both gamers and critics. One of the highest praised features has been the new Warzone game mode, which offers players new competitive opportunities outside the franchise’s well-known multiplayer modes. By incorporating NPC enemies and opening up the landscape a bit, Halo 5’s Warzone mode is a great playground for both new and seasoned players.
The marketing campaign leading up to the release of Halo 5: Guardians was very well conducted by the folks at Microsoft, and helped the game grab millions of sales. Unfortunately, many players felt the single player campaign story was shallow and it felt dry compared to previous Halo games. Despite that, most have been pleased with Halo 5’s multiplayer experience.
Splatoon
Who knew Nintendo’s brightly-colored third-person shooter Splatoon would be one of the year’s biggest hits? The fun, fast-paced game put the Wii U back on the map for shooter fans and helped Nintendo push Wii U sales to a wider audience.
Splatoon wasn’t without its year-end accolades either, claiming trophies for Best Shooter and Best Multiplayer at the Game Awards and beating out juggernaut games like Call of Duty: Black Ops 3, Star Wars Battlefront, and Halo 5: Guardians in the process. With how successful Splatoon has been on Wii U, It wouldn’t be surprising if Nintendo launches Splatoon 2 alongside its upcoming new console.
Rainbow Six: Siege
Ubisoft tried something new with their cops-and-robbers shooter, Rainbow Six: Siege, and it has paid off well for the developer. The methodical shooter demands players work together or face quick destruction. Despite the self-contained maps and smaller player count, matches quickly become hectic and exciting thanks to the myriad of weapons and gear, and the destructive nature of the environments. Despite only offering a few maps and game modes, Rainbow Six: Siege succeeds in capturing players’ attention and focus.
Heroes of the Storm
Multiplayer online battle arena (or MOBA) games have gained a lot of traction among gamers over the last few years. Not to be left out of the action, World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment launched Heroes of the Storm.
It didn’t take long for Heroes of the Storm to build a massive following, and for good reason. It seems the folks at Blizzard learned a lot from their competition and implemented the best features in their entry to the genre.
Do you agree with the entries in our list? What other 2015 multiplayer games have you enjoyed? Let us know your picks in the comments.
