Best local multiplayer games for the holidays

Christmas time is the dreaded time of year when you have to spend time with family and pretend you wouldn’t rather be gaming. For some though, it is a good chance to spend some time with family and friends and do some gaming at the same time! Surprising for sure, but also true for the lucky few. For those lucky few, here are some fantastic local multiplayer games that you might not have thought of.

Screencheat

Who’s it for: Fans of the olden days.

Easy to pick up: The systems aren’t complex, but wrapping your head around the concept can be.

Description: Screencheat is an FPS where everyone is invisible. The only way to spot each other is by paying attention to the screens of your opponents. The levels are all full of colour coded areas so that you can easily find each other. The array of weapons all leave a trail behind them to make spotting each other simpler if you don’t get hit straight away. This is a game for those who remember crowding around an N64 and hunting each other down in Goldeneye.

Crawl

Who’s it for: RPG players and those who like the eldritch.

Easy to pick up: Simple to play, hard to master.

Description: If you’ve ever wanted to journey into an eldritch dungeon and eventually possess a hydra then have I got a game for you. You and three other people have become lost in dungeon. Madness sets in and you all try and kill each other, and it’s here that the game begins. With three of you becoming spirits and one of you being an adventurer your aim is simple, either kill the adventurer to become them, or escape the dungeon while you are still alive. The feel of this game is fantastic, it has a wonderful soundtrack, and a round can go from five minutes up to several hours if you are all on equal footing.

Jackbox Party Pack

Who’s it for: Pretty much anyone with a phone and a sense of humour.

Easy to pick up: Incredibly easy.

Description: The Jackbox Party Packs have been around for a little while now, each one containing a selection of games designed to be easy to play. You simply use your phone to play along with the various mini-games and enjoy the weird sense of humour that you all share. The latest one is a lot of fun and contains a robot rapping game that is worth the price of entry all on its own. The games all scale up from family-friendly to don’t-show-your-parents based on how the group answers, so it is a very flexible choice.

Super Mario Party

Who’s it for: Fans of board games.

Easy to pick up: Definitely, plus each mini-game is explained beforehand.

Description: This is a classic series that is very much back to its best with the latest entry. There are a few different modes, but the main attraction is the board game mode where you and your family try to get as many stars as possible. You need to roll high and try to do as well as you can in the mini-games to get the coins you need to stay ahead. The each of the mini-games is easy to play and this is sure to be a winner at any post meal chillout.

Gang Beasts

Who’s it for: Everyone.

Easy to pick up: Nobody ever knows what they are doing… so yes?

Description: This game is what happens when you take a fighting game and cross it with trying to make silly string stand up straight. All you need to do is be the last beast standing, to do this you can either stay out of the way and hope for the best, or try to through the others into the sea, the fire, or off of a building. This game levels the playing field completely by being incredibly odd to play, and the better you get the funnier everything is.

Runbow

Who’s it for: Platformer fans.

Easy to pick up: Incredibly simple to pick up.

Description: Platformers are one of the earliest genres, and one that remains fun to this day when done well. This is a very colourful platformer that has you racing other players through obstacle laden courses that constantly change. The platforms can only be used when they can be seen, if the colour of the platform is the same as the background then the platform simply doesn’t exist. It is a fun take on an easy to play genre that leads to some pretty competitive moments.

These are just a few of the great games that you can play with your family and friends. Just be aware that no matter which game you choose, there’s always a high risk of sore losers and sore winners being insufferable, so plan accordingly.  Of course, you can always ignore everyone and play whatever gargantuan single-player jaunt you bought for yourself instead.

Why Batman Arkham Origins is All You Need This Christmas

Warning: minor spoilers for Batman: Arkham Origins.

Rocksteady’s Batman is constantly lauded as one of the best video games quadrilogies in existence, alongside one of the best interpretations of the Bat we’ve ever seen. What a lot of people forget about is the severely underrated Batman: Arkham: Origins, developed by WB Games Montréal. Sandwiched in-between the releases of Arkham City and Arkham Knight, we see a younger Bruce Wayne take on the mysterious Black Mask and eight assassins all out for blood, set to the backdrop of a midwinter Gotham on Christmas Eve.

For many of us, without the Rocksteady label attached combined with reviews not being as high as its predecessors, Origins was overlooked. No question, I’m guilty of this. However, once the holiday season approaches there are few non-traditional video games that can offer a Christmas experience like this. Origins provides an exciting outing, with many of Batman’s rogues gallery showing up for the party. Snow drapes the whole landscape presenting a chilling aesthetic that Mr. Freeze himself would be proud of, while goons patrol the streets wearing Santa hats before preparing to pulverize anything that gets in their way. It’s all wonderfully unsettling, considering it takes place on supposedly one of the happiest nights of the year.

Christmas itself is a busy time. Family, friends, parties, Netflix binge days devoted to the latest series of Black Mirror. I get it. You don’t want to put dozens of hours into a world only to find out you’ve barely made a dent. That’s why Origins is a sweet but satisfactory entry that can be played through in approximately 13 hours. Due to the numerous unexpected moments and quick shifts in gameplay, the game rarely offers a mundane moment. Taking the same perfected mechanical structure outlined by Rocksteady, WB were smart by not only utilising the firm’s formula but building upon it.

Thanks to this, there are an abundance of boss fights that will keep you entertained until the New Year. Deathstroke’s encounter is often polled as the best fight in the series, due to its refreshing take on hand-to-hand combat. Just straight up, heart-pounding, mano e mano. As exhilarating as this clash is, for me though, the stand out belongs to the bizarre dimension that the Caped Crusader finds himself in after a tussle with the Mad Hatter. Taking clear inspiration from Arkham Asylum’s Scarecrow segments, these freakishly haunting scenes sees you trying to rescue an innocent girl by the name of ‘Alice’ before her holiday spirit runs out. Literally.

Apart from this, there are little genuine heart-felt moments scattered throughout the story, helping to enrich the characters and world they preside in. Known for being the voice of Sonic, Roger Craig Smith does a fantastic job of bringing a younger, more inexperienced Batman to the foreground, while Martin Jarvis does an impeccable job of portraying the Dark Knight’s faithful butler, Alfred Pennyworth. These two help to cement the duo’s relationship and bring a strong sense of compassion and believability as to why both feel they must carry on to the bitter end. Their affection for one another is evident from the performances given, proving that the pair consider each other family, if not a dysfunctional one. Isn’t that what’s Christmas all about anyway?

Best Christmas Multiplayer Games

One of the best ways to bring people together at this time of year is through games. After all, there aren’t many things better than getting your headset on, nabbing a grab bag of snacks and some cans of fizz (cracker produced festive hats are optional), while you get some decent multiplayer gaming on the go.

So, with that in mind here are five online multiplayer offerings that will go down easier this holiday than a partially-basted turkey from Tesco, a handful of cheesy footballs and a bottle of discount plonk.

ARK: Survival Evolved

Though ARK: Survival Evolved has been in full release for over a year, its appeal has hardly dulled in that time. If anything, being a dinosaur owning (and breeding) overlord of your own personal utopia remains an attractive prospect, and one that absolutely needs to be indulged with friends and family this holiday season.

Starting from literally nothing and then building up your empire, brick by brick, will always be an enjoyable cornerstone of the ARK: Survival Evolved experience. Yet, ruling over that empire with friends and discovering everything that the world has to offer is an evergreen delight and one that is amplified by the massive, chimney-busting array of mods for ARK: Survival Evolved that currently exist. Just make sure you stock up on all the crisps, chocolate and fancy fizz you can find – you’ll be a while.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Ahh, nothing says love for your fellow man and woman quite like running along a wall at breakneck speed and emptying a cartridge of ammunition right into into their pie-eater. The best Call of Duty title in quite some time, this year’s effort chucked out the traditional, glitzy turkey shoot single-player campaign from previous years and has instead doubled down on the multiplayer side of things.

Evidently a wise move, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 caters ably for competitive folk by not only crafting the best iteration of the franchise’s regular multiplayer mode, but also by including Blackout – the series first stab at the Battle Royale genre that ably stands shoulder to shoulder with the best in the genre.

Finally, in channeling the spirit of working and playing together this holiday season, Black Ops 4 also fashions the most ambitious Zombies mode to date, allowing multiple players to wage war against a relentless undead menace across multiple varied stages and settings. So, if you like shooting things and want to shoot these things with other folks this holiday, you’ll find few titles quite as enjoyable as Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

Hitman 2

What captures the spirit of the holiday season better than pitting yourself against a friend to see who can kill a bunch of obviously horrible folk the quickest? Nothing, that’s what. So it is then that Hitman 2’s Ghost mode – which introduces competitive multiplayer to the series for the first time – is so horrendously good.

Like many of the best things in life, the premise behind Hitman 2’s Ghost Mode is deliciously simple. Two players must compete against one another to see who can off five unfortunates the quickest without being discovered in the act. The kicker, however, is that while you can observe one another, the fact that the game world is effectively instanced means that you cannot interact or interfere with each other’s murderous plans. It’s genius stuff.   

Tense, taut and whole bunch of other awesome words beginning with ‘t’, Hitman 2’s competitive multiplayer is so good it’s a wonder it hasn’t been done before now.

Injustice 2: Legendary Edition

Whether you’re smashing skulls to pieces in clearly non-lethal fashion as Batman, or straight-up wrecking fools with Donatello’s (yep, that Donatello) expert staff skills, it’s fair to say that Injustice 2: Legendary Edition is one of the best fighting games available on PC right now, and a proper belter when played online against other folk.

Anchored by an enticingly massive roster of DC and special guest characters (Hellboy!), Injustice 2: Legendary Edition also excels on account of a well implemented progression system that allows players to unlock better gear and equipment for use in online matches. Spectacular to watch, hugely enjoyable to play and stuffed with more content than some RPGs, Injustice 2: Legendary Edition is just the ticket for those on the look-out for some long-lasting, festive fisticuffs.

Monster Hunter World

There are perhaps few thrills better enjoyed with friends than strapping on a bunch of impossibly looking massive weapons before heading out and hunting down an equally massive beastie. Arguably the most significant evolution the series has seen to date, Monster Hunter World makes a great case for itself as a holiday highlight where online multiplayer shenanigans are concerned.

While gaining new loot, crafting new items and generally transforming your character into a super militant version of Sir David Attenborough all hold grand appeal, it’s really in the tactics that you’ll need to work out with your friends to beat these creatures that Monster Hunter World finds itself to be most compelling. Also, boasting a co-operative multiplayer campaign that spans into the hundreds of hours, Monster Hunter World is a title that will easily keep you busy beyond next year’s holiday season, let alone this one.

Why The Crew 2 is worth your time

The Crew 2 is a fast paced racing game with a huge open world to explore and race in. Between the 13th and the 16th of December, it’s also free to play. You’ll be able to hop into a car and drive the heck out of the USA, all for nothing.

So you’ve got an open world racing game for nothing, but for some reason you’re still not checking it out.

Let us convince you why you should care.

Why should I care?

The Crew 2 is an absolutely solid racing game. If you miss the days of Burnout Paradise or Fuel, then The Crew 2 will definitely scratch that itch.

The game doesn’t include the entire USA – that’d just be too big, but it does have a condensed version that more than anything *feels* like the USA.

Imagine that, the open road, top down on your car, and off you go. It’s the dream of freedom and escape that many have and it can be yours, for a while at least, for nothing.

OK so the fantasy is good, what about the game?

There’s a huge amount of content in The Crew 2, you’re not just limited to driving about admiring the scenery.

Races are everywhere, and you’re not just in cars anymore. Planes, bikes, boats, all await your speedy hands on the controls. 

But how does the game handle? It’s definitely on the arcade-y side of things. Especially compared to extremely realistic games like F1 2018 or Dirt Rally. The game’s lighter than those, but that’s absolutely not a bad thing. Sometimes you just want to drive, and The Crew 2 gives you that in spades.

So you’ve got a game that fulfills the fantasy of driving out on the open road, it’s full of races, and it’s got a whole range of vehicles for you to drive.

All that, and it’s free this weekend. That sounds like it’s definitely worth your time.

The Crew 2 is free to play right now, until the 16th of December.

Insurgency Sandstorm – What will its DLC look like?

Insurgency Sandstorm is being released today, the sequel to the hugely popular Insurgency once again puts players in the midst of frantic, realistic multiplayer combat.

There’s been no mention of potential DLC for it, so let’s take a look at where it can go next in expansions and extra content.

Insurgency I Hate Sand-storm

A potential mashup with Battlefront could see Insurgency take to the stars, or at least the different-sands. Everyone knows the desert planet of Tatooine is covered in the damn stuff, it’s coarse and rough and irritating. 

That said, there’s plenty of Jawas and Sand people to shoot, so you and your squad won’t be bored while you’re there.

Insurgency Sandi Toksvig-storm

There’s been a colossal change that’s affected each and every one of us.

That’s right, the Great British Bake Off moved from the BBC to Channel 4. As part of this, Mel and Sue were out, and in stepped Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig.

In this visionary piece of DLC, Insurgency players are parachuted into the White Tent and forced to construct elaborate cakes for the ever gaping dry mouth of Paul Hollywood. Your training didn’t prepare you for this, soldier.

Insurgency Sandworm-storm

There’s one place that’s more sandy than anywhere, and that’s Arrakis.

You might think that you’re scary with your balaclava and gun, but you’re nothing compared to Shai-hulud. The great sandworms cover the planet and they will swallow you whole without even noticing.

They’re the ultimate predator, and can even carry a full complement of Kyle Maclachlans into battle making this the next challenge for your Insurgency Sandstorm team.

Insurgency Sands of Time-storm

We all know the best Prince of Persia is Sands of Time, right? Right.

So it makes sense that this piece of DLC will see you amongst the walking dead. No not those walking dead, the sand-resurrected. 

But it’s ok, through the power of time (and bullets) you can blow these fools back into the sand from whence they came. Just don’t lose your shirt over it.

Insurgency Sand-a Claus is coming to town-storm

[You’re fired – Ed]

Well I don’t know about you, but we feel pretty confident that developers New World Interactive are already working on at least one of these ideas for Insurgency Sandstorm.

Insurgency Sandstorm is out today on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 and by all accounts, it’s looking special.

Everything You Need To Know About Insurgency Sandstorm

Insurgency: Sandstorm is due to be released on PC on 12th December. If you are looking to try out a nail-biting and highly realistic FPS game, then read on to find out more. Even if not, it’s interesting and you might be persuaded to give it a go by the end!

Insurgency: Improved, expanded, and bigger in every way

Following the success of Insurgency in 2014, the Insurgency: Sandstorm sequel developed by New World Interactive and published by Focus Home Interactive brings a refined and expanded new take on Insurgency. For the first time in an Insurgency game, you will be able to customize your character with diverse sets of clothing, uniforms, accessories, and character voices. A selection of new weapons can also be customised to show off your battle-hardiness when outmaneuvering, outflanking, and outsmarting the
enemy.

Competitive Multiplayer Features

5 million units of the original indie breakout Insurgency game have already been sold. Much of the attraction of this game lies in the team-based, tactical, and often lethal close quarter combat aspects of the objective-oriented missions. Teams can get involved in skirmishes and ambushes, infiltrate enemy bases, and hunt down enemy insurgents. Insurgency: Sandstorm develops these exciting multiplayer features further with matchmaking, broadcasting UI and replay capabilities. Additionally, players can coordinate fire support with their teams, engage enemies with impressive vehicle mounted machine guns, and go head to head in small-scale high-speed competitive matches.

Intense modern combat

Insurgency: Sandstorm brings an exciting, realistic battle experience as players move with speed and caution through war-town environments of a fictional contemporary conflict in the Middle East. The environment must be tactically navigated at every step, with expansive in-game maps featuring up to 16-versus-16 player game modes. Players can peak around corners, tactically breach doorways, use smoke to cover their team’s advance and call in air support. In this modern-combat inspired battle, skill will be rewarded, and teamwork wins the fight, but death comes fast, and ammunition use must be carefully managed. Pretty exciting stuff.

System Requirements

Additional notes to be announced, however minimum & recommended requirements so far are as follows:

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system.

We are really excited to give this exciting new take on a popular competitive multiplayer game. The game is now available for pre-purchase on our store, so get yourself a copy now!