Multiplayer games have increasingly established themselves as one of the driving forces behind the gaming scene, ever since the first Xbox came out with Xbox Live. Nowadays, we are used to logging onto games that are exclusively multiplayer, like Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone.
As a matter of fact, this generation has been especially characterized by battle royale titles, aside from more traditional multiplayers found in recurring and new franchises. We finally got to experience cross-play for a significant proportion of games — a dream come true. Never before has there been a time that facilitated and bolstered multiplayer games as much as in this generation.
10 Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
The prequel to the Modern Warfare series breathed new life into the franchise, which at the time of this game's release was heavily focused on futuristic elements — sometimes for the worse. However, this title brought Call Of Duty back to its days of old, thanks to its focus on realism. In fact, Infinity Ward completely reworked the engine for this game, producing graphics that will take up most of your memory.
The multiplayer for this game had some balancing issues at lunch, with some weapons being much more viable than others. The addition of Warzone introduced the best battle royale in any Call Of Duty game. Crossplay was also introduced to finally bridge the gap between consoles. After many updates since its release, this title became one of the best FPS multiplayers out there, especially for players who love the Call Of Duty formula. The game received an 80 on Metacritic for Xbox One and PS4, and an 81 on PC.
9 Fortnite
Though its lifespan experienced some ups and downs, chances are this title has been through most gamers' libraries at one point or another. Fortnite dominated the gaming scene with its iconic battle royale, inspired by PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (which came out only a few months prior).
Fortnite also affirmed battle passes as the new season passes found in multiplayer games, proving how free-to-play games can monetize their fame. Overall, this battle royale is different from others due to the building ability players have, putting a focus on something more than just shooting or hiding. The game obtained an 85 on Xbox One, a 78 on PS4, and an 81 on PC.
8 Rocket League
Not everyone knows that this game, which gained enough popularity to have its own esports events, was built on the ideas of Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars. Yes, Rocket League had a precursor that was much rougher around the edges, but Psyonix was already simmering the game's concept in the hoven for a while.
Soccer with cars that have acrobatic skills and a boost ability. This is the premise of the game in all its simplicity. What else do you need to know? This exhilarating title earned an 87 on Metacritic for the Xbox One, the PC version received an 86, and the PS4 obtained an 85.
7 Battlefield 1
Remember that time when you could not find a new FPS game that did not have jetpacks in it? Or other futuristic mechanics that let you run sideways on walls? Those dark times finally ended when Battlefield 1 came out, whose critical success demonstrated that gamers did not necessarily care to constantly have their boots off the ground.
The game was a success and sold copies like hotcakes at release. The World War I setting was the most exciting the gaming community had seen in a while, and gameplay's heavy focus on realism made it all the better. Other than that, it follows the traditional Battlefield formula, with different classes and a squads system that allows you to always be ready for action. Metacritic rated the PS4 version with an 89, while the PC got a 88, followed by the Xbox One at 87.
6 Titanfall 2
Not many games out there had the amount of bad luck as this stellar title, which was released between Battlefield 1 and Call Of Duty Infinite Warfare. Though this futuristic FPS received praise, its launch did not go so well because everyone was either playing Battlefield or waiting for the new Call Of Duty. However, the game earned an 89 on Metacritic for PS4, an 87 for Xbox One, and an 86 for PC.
Multiplayer has all the elements you could want from a shooter of this kind: players have traversal abilities whose mobility is unparalleled in other games, obtaining enough kills or completing objectives in matches fills your Titan meter, allowing you to use the game's iconic titan classes. There are over 10 game modes to experience, and you really should think about giving this game a try if you like weaponized mechs.
5 Apex Legends
This title was one of the most surprising and refreshing battle royale games to debut when everyone was playing Fortnite. You could not go in the gaming section of YouTube and not be showered with endless thumbnails about Fortnite how-to-win videos. Apex Legends earned an 89 on PS4, and an 88 on both PC and Xbox One, according to Metacritic.
This game quickly got to the forefront of the battle royale scene after it came out, letting players experience fluid, tactical gameplay that borrowed the best ideas from games like Overwatch and PlayersUnknown's Battlegrounds. Each character has a specific focus on assault, support, defense, or scouting, along with individual skills — but gameplay is all you would expect from an FPS shooter set in the future.
4 Overwatch
If you did not get a chance to play this title you should think about investing in the hours of fun that come with it. Overwatch revolutionized the way console multiplayers play out, introducing the idea that not every character needs to have primary and secondary weapons, with perks and grenades.
Rather, characters execute a precise function within a team, and victory is found in the balancing act that comes with team composition. The active and passive abilities each character has are what set apart Overwatch from traditional multiplayer shooters. The game had a whopping success when it first came out, earning a 91 on Metacritic for PC and Xbox One, while scoring only slightly lower on the PS4 with a 90.
3 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Though this title is also fun in single-player, it peaks when you are squaring off against real life people. Pick your favorite hero from a roster of 74 characters found in the Nintendo universe, master their abilities, and smash your way to first place. This title is a must-have for Switch owners — it earned a 93 on Metacritic.
The beauty of this game lies in its ability to bring people together, and subsequently ruin friendships. All jokes aside, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate enjoys the following of a huge community, which is always organizing tournaments in your local comic book shop when there isn't a global pandemic around.
2 Minecraft
The game that will never die proved how creativity and imagination are the core driving factors that keep players hooked. Minecraft keeps having critical success over success, and is the best selling game of all time with over 200 million copies sold. The formula this game has is familiar to most: explore, mine, survive — and if you can think it you can build it.
The multiplayer for this game simply amps its core values, allowing you to access worlds you never thought possible, or simply survive with friends in a cozy game that becomes like a second home. There are even multiplayer modes inspired by the Hunger Games, if that's your kind of jazz. This title earned a 93 on PC (the original platform where it was released), an 89 on PS4, and an 88 on Xbox One.
1 Grand Theft Auto V
This is the kind of game that made people line up outside GameStop at midnight when it was first released for the previous-gen. And it still holds up today. Grand Theft Auto V is even getting a re-release on PS5 and Xbox Series X in 2021, which is not the same as having backwards compatibility. Naturally, this game had a massive success and earned a 97 on both Xbox One and PS4, and a 96 on PC, according to Metacritic.
Every aspect in the single player of the game is expanded in the multiplayer: heists require much more planning, earning money is much (much) more time consuming, and danger lurks around every corner — you are not the only one trying to make money in Los Santos. The reason why the game keeps getting released is because of its undying multiplayer, which is still being updated with new content to this day.