10 Best Multiplayer Games (That Aren't Multiplayer Games)
Just because a game is single player doesn't mean it's best enjoyed alone.
It's an obvious understatement to say that watching other people play video games has become popularized in recent years, thanks to streaming. But it's a complete misrepresentation to suggest that watching a single player game is somehow a recent development or phenomenon.
People have been gathering around to watch their friends play video games since video games were invented. Those of us of a certain age can fondly remember the days where an audience of strangers would gather around an arcade cabinet because someone was having a perfect game of Ms. Pac-Man, or unlocked and was about to beat Reptile in Mortal Kombat.
And that experience didn't die with arcades.
From Super Mario Bros. to Crash Bandicoot or the original Resident Evil to Five Nights At Freddies, the appeal of spectating or contributing to a single player game hasn't gone anywhere. There are always going to be challenges, puzzles, thrills and cheer-worthy spectacles best enjoyed as a group.
Here are ten games that, like many things in life, are more fun with friends. Even if only one person is in direct control of the action.
10. Uncharted Series
Naughty Dog's iconic action/adventure series, Uncharted, has set the modern standard for cinematic storytelling in video games. From the massive action set-pieces to the snappy dialogue and stunning environments, Uncharted tops the kinds of blockbuster movies that inspired it.
It's precisely that summer blockbuster aesthetic that makes Uncharted so immediately accessible. Even if someone can't enjoy playing the game themselves, watching it is every bit as entertaining as watching a movie, if not more so.
The platforming and gun play are fast and dynamic by design, ensuring others won't have to sit and watch you turtle behind cover while slowly taking out enemies one at a time. If anything, the actual gameplay sequences outshine the spectacle-laden cutscenes.
The pace remains consistent thanks to the balance of action sequences, puzzles and cutscenes. And the puzzles are especially fun to solve as a group - just challenging enough that the player can appreciate others chiming in, but not so tough as to grind the pacing of the story to a halt.