Multiplayer is an Art

I spent most of my day today playing multiplayer. I started with a good 3 hours of Final Fantasy XI that allowed me to jump from level 5 to level 7 and obtain some pertinent information and items. After that, I moved on to playing Call of Duty 4 for a good 3 or 4 hours with my roommate. This is actually my second time playing COD4 online but the first time, the game didn't last very long. Todays excursion however, allowed me to jump from level 3 to level 11. COD4 has really got me to start thinking about multiplayer as an art form. Let me say this, Halo is ok... but Call of Duty 4 is an example of what a good, wait... make that great, multiplayer experience should be. Most games stick with the normal deathmatch and team deathmatch but COD4 makes those very basic modes so fresh and new that it is hard to dream of playing anything else. Infinity Ward did an amazing job of improving on a very old, tired formula. For those who haven't played, let me explain. COD4 allows the player to create their own classes by allowing them to select a primary and secondary weapon along with 3 perks. Perks are additional abilities and advantages such as claymores, faster reload times, deeper bullet penetration, etc. Some of them are really amazing such as the last stand which basically allows you to drop to the floor on your back and draw your pistol for a last chance at killing your attacker before you die. When I first started, I sucked but this game is crafted in such a beautiful way that after several games, you start to realize the importance of your radar and picking your shots. If you fire a gun without a silencer, you will actually appear on your enemies maps as a red dot so it is wise to think before you shoot. Of course, IW also added more by allowing players who have achieved multiple kills to either unlock better radar or an airstrike which are incredibly satisfying considering the fact that you receive credit for every kill your helicopter or jet fighter gets. On one last note, IW did an absolutely amazing job at designing their maps. Their aren't too many right now but they are all awesome in their own way. Overgrown, Downpour, and Backlot are among the most detailed multiplayer maps i have ever seen. Anyone who wants a seemingly flawless multiplayer must play this game.

This leads me to one more topic. Multiplayer has become an art form now a days by challenging developers to bring as much originality to the table as they do in their single player modes. Eidos had something with Kane and Lynch despite the fact that the game turned out to be a flop. Their bank robber scenario was fresh and original and probably would have turned out to be a lot better had they left the game in the "proverbial oven" a little bit longer. Like I said before, Halo is good but why can't every game released have a multiplayer just as impressive as Halo and COD4? What lies ahead for multiplayer in the year 2008? This really makes me want online multiplayer for other games that so far show no signs of having any. Some games that I am really excited about seem like they could translate to really original, really cool, multiplayer modes. Games like Ghostbusters have great cooperative multiplayer potential. Another game currently in development is The Bourne Conspiracy, based on the character in Robert Ludlums famous spy novel and the big budget hollywood trilogy. The movies do an amazing job of creating intense chase and fight sequences which would could make for really cool multiplayer experiences. Imagine if one player was Bourne while the other 3 or 4 players were other assassins and the object was to chase Bourne through a detailed map until you finally catch him and engage in an intense hand to hand or fire fight. These kinds of original multiplayer modes would really take online gaming to whole new level and give me a profound new respect for multiplayer gaming in the future.

Peace!

-Nick