10 Intense Video Game Multiplayer Modes You Won't Survive

5. Spies Vs. Mercs - Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

A list about excellent, intense multiplayer modes would never be complete without Spies Vs. Mercs from Splinter Cell. As you might have guessed, this suite pitted the stealth-based spies (which played pretty much like copies of Sam Fisher from the main game) against gun-toting mercenaries (which were controlled from a first-person perspective, and were more about raw firepower than sneaking) in a game of cat and mouse where coordination was key.

The 2v2 mode forced you to rely on your partner as much as your gadgets and weapons, and coming up with inspired solutions to get the drop on your enemy was often the easiest way to victory. Playing with their psychology was imperative, forcing opponents out into the open so your partner could jump in for a surprise attack.

While all games in the series championed this interplay, it was perhaps the suite included in Chaos Theory that was the most intense and hardcore, as it relied on light and shadow in the environment to control the flow of which team was the prey, and which was the predator.

It's awesome, and it's a shame fans have been deprived of a new take on it for so long now.