2012 Review Team Game of the Year Awards: Best Multiplayer Game of 2012

[Nagflar]

As 2012 comes to a close, the Review Team took a look back at all the great games of 2012 and decided to bring PS3Trophies.com our selection for:

Best Multiplayer Game of 2012

We define a game's multiplayer experience as the overall game that can be experienced with more than one player, local or online. Each member of the RT voted on a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place game and the results below were based on the results of each members' votes. Eligible titles were released between 12/1/2011 and 12/1/2012.

This year, we decided to add a "Legacy Vote", which consists of asking previous note-worthy RT members to have a say in these awards, with the purpose of trying to take into account a bigger list of games than those only 6 of us played.

Come back tomorrow as we will award Best Singleplayer Game of 2012.

First Place

Borderlands 2

Guns, guns, guns, guns, and more guns. That sounds awesome enough, but when you combine that with three other mates, all of you choosing your own classes and abilities and unleashing a storm of lead down on your foes you'll wish you could play this game non-stop. It builds upon the last game so well and constructs a much better, and funner experience.

Second Place

Mass Effect 3

When BioWare and EA first announced that Mass Effect 3 would have a multiplayer component, the gaming community collectively clenched their sphincters. Yet another acclaimed singleplayer franchise was being given the multiplayer treatment, despite very mixed reaction to it in games like BioShock and Dead Space.

Thankfully, ME3 does it so well you almost wonder why it wasn't there in the first place. No competitive modes, no sudden morph into a first-person shooter: just lots and lots of co-op fun. Couple that with four very good, and very free, add-ons, and you've got a real winner of a multiplayer experience.

Third Place

Assassin's Creed 3

ACIII's multiplayer is unique and deep. Hunting down your target whilst simultaneously being hunted by your pursuer keeps matches intense and satisfying, and there truly is nothing like it. The deep customization options keep me coming back for more, and will continue to do so for quite some time.

[Aboelsas]

couldn't agree more i should really get myself together and go buy the mass effect series looks amazing !!

[DRAGON1NINJA]

I only played AC3 out of the three and I have to agree with Jack 100%
I really like the MP in all AC games and I think it just keeps on getting better.. Although AC:B online trophies were a bit too much but you can't blame a few bad trophies on the game itself.

[Kerwan_Ratchet]

I only played AC3 out of the three and I have to agree with Jack 100%
I really like the MP in all AC games and I think it just keeps on getting better.. Although AC:B online trophies were a bit too much but you can't blame a few bad trophies on the game itself.

Yeah, trophies are just a bonus. You can't fault a game for having annoying trophies

[Larrydavidsavatar]

Borderlands 2 was terrific fun in Multiplayer, didn't play online til i'd finished the story first time out but some of my favourite gameplay moments came once i joined forces with friends. A worthy winner.

I'd give Journey a nod too though, that's how you do grief free Multiplayer.

[Nagflar]

Borderlands 2 was terrific fun in Multiplayer, didn't play online til i'd finished the story first time out but some of my favourite gameplay moments came once i joined forces with friends. A worthy winner.

I'd give Journey a nod too though, that's how you do grief free Multiplayer.

Journey was mentioned as well, but ultimately, it didn't get as many nominations as these 3, so it didn't make the final list.

[Digitalman123]

I haven't played Borderlands 2, but the first's multiplayer was tons o' fun. Glad to see AC III get nominated, I've always enjoyed the suspense and excitement the AC MP brings.

[Rubicant81]

I wonder if people had the additional time to delve into Farcry 3's multiplayer if it wouldn't have had a stronger case of making it up on there. Considering most of the people are still kind of still getting their fill with the single player campaign, I don't know how much of a fair shake it's been given yet.

My biggest surprise for multiplayer was Mass Effect 3, which I had an enormously fun time with. It was unique to see what a lot of people's play styles were, and I had some good laughs in discovering how few people really had any freakin' clue how to play Mass Effect. So many of the people online would just run and gun it, and not use their biotic/tech at all, or only sparingly, and hardly used the cover system. It made me shake my head at the realization to why so many people thought Insanity was so hard.

I know a lot of people hated Resident Evil 6, but that game had a better multiplayer experience all around, and was much more fun with a buddy than alone. It's especially fun as you progress through the story and the over the top set pieces often set up situations that make you or your co-op partner yell out, "What the hell did you just do?" or "Why won't this thing just... DIE!" With the improvements to the multiplayer and the inclusion of Agent Hunter mode, the multiplayer aspects did bring a lot to the table, but too many people get fixated on the stretched out plot and lacking singleplayer to acknowledge the many improvements that everything multiplayer had this time.

[Larrydavidsavatar]

Journey was mentioned as well, but ultimately, it didn't get as many nominations as these 3, so it didn't make the final list.

Still, nice to know it was mentioned, it was a refreshing change of pace for MP gaming, non intrusive and natural.

[glogantn]

I never was a big fan of AC Multiplayer so little shocked its on the list of best of the year but I guess I will have to check out the newest and see what it has to offer! Thanks for the list!

[Daddys_Corpse]

AC and mp just dont mix.
AC doesn't work as a mp game.