Let's keep on the topic of video games, if only for my sake. But before we get to that, the mildly related intro. With the release of Skyrim last week, it shouldn't come as a surprise that many people have taken to their single player campaigns and decided to leave the multiplayer games behind. I support this strongly, single player games have amazing stories and offer unique experiences, but let us not forget the team games.
Multiplayer games can offer an amazingly different experience.
Games are a big part of bonding on my floor. There have been numerous nights when we have been up until that late hours playing whatever games we could play together. Playing with others is one of the most integral part of a lot of games. I don't think that Call of Duty would be as popular as it is now if they hadn't put so much effort into the multiplayer. A game that requires team work is one that offers a brief look who we are when times call for support.
Two games I'm going to look at today offer some simple but interesting looks at teamwork in games. First up is a popular game i my dorm, Killing Floor. Killing Floor is a wave by wave first-person shooter where you and a group of five others shoot zombies, not exactly original, but the gameplay makes it amazing. The main idea is choosing a class, and playing to those strengths. The commando shoots lots of bullets, supports get shotguns and can weld doors quickly, demolitions help take down big targets, and so on. Ideally, each player chooses a class they are good with and that helps the team survive. I like the support class. I tend to hold a door welded so that nothing can come through, and the other guys shoot everything. Sounds fun right, sit and weld a door. Yet, I like this part. I enjoy the supporting role in these kind of games, and it neer feels as if what I am doing does not add to the overall well-being of the team, and the mutual drive for success. Killing Floor also backs up the idea that every player is valuable by letting you level classes without being them. Damage you do with a different class's weapon adds into the numbers for that class. A game where everyone is the same class doesn't usually end in a successful game. Killing Floor requires communication and diversity in play.
The second game is Monster Hunter. While this game has never really caught on in America, it is a favorite of my brother and I. The premise of this game series is to hunt smaller monsters, get some equipment, then hunt progressively bigger and more destructive dragons. Teamwork in this game is more rewarding than in most games I have played. Working with a group to take down monsters the size of mountains requires a lot of effort. Communication and planning are key. We tend to pick complementory weapon styles when we play together. Taking turns, drawing the monster away so the other could heal, and working tandem to find the best way to get some strikes in and stay safe. There is something about working together and fighting something like those monsters that is an unparalleled gaming experience.
What multiplayer games offer is a different chance to interact with players. Many games have the standard death match, free-for-all, and team game modes. These typically do not make for the deep kind of player-to-player interactions that we see in the games I mentioned. A good player on one server can completely dominate some games, and leave their team without any sense of accomplishment. Good multiplayer games are the ones that encourage those skilled players to help the newer players learn. It becomes beneficial to both sides. Cooperation is an idea that takes a good game to a great game.
I bet you're surprised I didn't mention Team Fortress 2 in this.
Just something to chew on.
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