PS3 multiplayer games

[Kupek]

What are some good PS3 multiplayer games. I'm thinking of games that are fun to play competitively or cooperatively with a friend who lives far away - and it's okay if we're two of many people playing. He already plays a lot of Modern Warfare 2 and at least one other modern, realistic shooter. Left for Dead 2 is an obvious one to play. But are there any others you all have had fun with? Any smaller scope, downloadable games?

The implication here is that I'm probably getting a PS3. I'd rather get an XBox, but my friend has a PS3, and playing games with him is more important that my own tastes.

[Zeus]

Left 4 Dead is only on 360....for now. I'm predicting there will be a L4D collection on the PS3 before the end of the year. And as far as online goes, the 360's only advantage is the overriding chat. The games play exactly the same, there's zero difference. I can personally attest to this for Medal of Honor and Call of Duty watching my cousins play them for many consecutive hours with no issues at all. Also, the PS3 is a better all-purpose machine than the 360 and a helluva lot more reliable. And you don't have to pay extra to play half the game you just bought which is a big plus for a lot of people (not just me).

As for the games with online (put it point form so it's easier to read):

- Uncharted 2 has some multi (and co-op missions) that were OK
- Castle Crashers is an obviously downloadable title for multi, it came out on PS3 last year
- if you like FPSs, Killzone 2 is supposed to be pretty solid online and I can personally attest to Medal of Honor and Black Ops being "very good" according to my cousins who play online
- Modern Warfare 2 has the Spec Ops co-op mode which is FAAR superior to the run-and-gun online IMO and almost worth the price of admission on its own
- Borderlands is a great one if you want a Diablo-style FPS that's more about exploring and the drops than not having a life and earning "perqs"
- not sure if the Lego games are playable online or not but if they are, they're excellent (particularly Star Wars and Batman) and feature drop-in, drop-out multi which is great
- 1942 Joint Strike (downloadable) is playable online if you like a shooter
- online play was the big draw in Marvel vs Capcom 2 (and the upcoming #3), which is a downloadable title
- don't forget about Street Fighter 4 if fighting games are you thing
- Burnout Paradise is a phenomenal racer with tons of online options as is Gran Turismo if you prefer the sim racing
- Rock Band (2 or 3) would be a great online music game if you're into that, far superior to Guitar Hero, particularly for people who've actually played music in the past.
- Resident Evil 5 is much more fun co-op than on your own and it has some online vs options as well. At less than $20 now (used) it's a great deal
- the online options are a great excuse to pick up Bioshock 2, which is $20 new or about $15 used. And since #1 is under $10, you can't pass it up too even without online. That way you'll get to play through the awesome single-player games
- as a programmer, you'll probably appreciate Little Big Planet more than most with its level building and sharing
- the Marvel Ultimate Alliance games (there's 2) are a great Gauntlet-style beat-em-up that are fun as hell and pay great lip-service to the Marvel fans
- and of course there's Red Dead Redemption's Undead Nightmare pack which has all of the online expansions in a stand-alone disc (kinda like the Episodes of Liberty City Stories from GTA4). You don't even need the original game but you should still get it anyways, it's that good

Others can let you know whether or not Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is any good online (or single player; #2 is excellent and cheap now but no online). Coming out in a couple of months will be Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon. If it plays anything close to the 360 one, it will be an awesome online game. And it will be 4-player co-op so when you decide to getting around to adding some of us to your friends list (PSN & 360: Zeusy1976) you can have even more fun :-)

As for some non-multi games, here are my recommendations:

- Metal Gear Solid 4 (tell me you didn't know that was coming) - I believe there's some multi in this as well but I never noticed
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (must-have IMO, WAAAAY better than the critics say)
- Demon Souls (if the servers stay up)
- Valkyria Chronicles
- Fallout 3 Game of the Year Edition
- Mass Effect 2 (it comes out in a few months with all the expansions)

[Kupek]

Left 4 Dead is only on 360....for now

Fuck. I didn't realize that - but now I do remember Valve disavowing PS3 development (for good reason). That would have been perfect. Well, Monday Night Combat would also be perfect - he and I used to do a lot of Quake 3 back in the day - but it's XBox Live only. Uncharted 2 is a maybe, as is Castle Crashers. I think we have the standard FPS covered, so probably no on Killzone. And I've never gotten him to play an RPG, so maybe if I just lied and never told him Borderlands is a large part RPG... And not sure on fighting games, but SF4 would probably be the best bet.

Thanks for the recommendations. I already have my eye on the ones you listed at the end - Mass Effect 2 when it comes out, Castlevania, Valkyria Chronicles and Fallout 3. My friend actually got a PS3 for MGS4, but I'll probably pass.

[Zeus]

Valve has also promised to "make up" for their ignoring the PS3, a tactic they called a big mistake. And they've got 3 new projects to announce (over and above Portal 2) so I can only assume that (finally) Half Life 3 and/or Episode 3 will be announced and will come out for all the systems and I'm betting on a Left 4 Dead collection to come for the PS3. I would be a bit surprised if it didn't come out. And if it has all of the expansions, I may buy the games yet again.

Just never mention the RPG elements of Borderlands. The term 'RPG' carries a bit of stigma and it's not like it really feels like one anyways.

Don't miss out on the game that was the sole reason to own a PS3 until 2009, it's still the best game of this generation and certainly still looks the best even almost 3 years later. I know you said you'll pass but trust me, you HAVE to see what they did to the series. It's so far above the previous games in the series in every way it's nuts. It's an absolutely unbelievable game that basically has no flaws other than some very long (and pausable and skippable) cutscenes.....over 8 hours worth. Borrow it from your bud and just beat the first act as a demo (warning now: there's a 45 minute initial install procedure, which is actually not uncommon for PS3 games; GT5 was closer to an hour). You have to at least see that game even if you don't play it all the way through, it's unreal. 3 years and no one has been able to match it.

And I forgot to mention Batman Arkham Asylum, if you haven't played it yet. Like Castlevania, it is far better than you possible imagine it can be. Both can also be had for under $30 now even new so they're priced well now. And at some point, try Spec Ops in Modern Warfare 2, it's really an awesome mode. Also, if you're an old-school Transformers fan, War for Cybertron is much, much better than it ever should be and WAAAAAAY better than any other game bearing the license. The Escalation mode is an excellent take on Horde mode and could be a great multi-player game for you and your bud as well. It's also starting to sell down near the $30 range.

[bovine]

Zeus has real bad taste in games. Just sayin.

[SineSwiper]

- Burnout Paradise is a phenomenal racer with tons of online options as is Gran Turismo if you prefer the sim racing

The GTA style interface totally ruined it for me. Considering the amount of times I restarted and retried races, demolitions, etc., the whole idea around forcing you to complete the whole thing, and then forcing you to drive all the way back to retry, basically forced me to ditch the demo and not buy it. My sister is still looking around for a copy of Burnout: Revenge, because that's the game to get.

Just never mention the RPG elements of Borderlands. The term 'RPG' carries a bit of stigma and it's not like it really feels like one anyways.

Bullshit. It's paraded as a RPG FPS, and it certainly feels like one. You have questing, leveling, skill trees, a good story, and multiplayer really makes the game. What part of it isn't an RPG?

[Kupek]

No worries on taste, Zeus is more reminding me of things I already knew about - I've followed the industry all these years, despite not playing many games. I think Castlevania may be my first purchase because I want something that will look good, give some instant gratification, and I'm invested in the series.

And, yeah, I'm really going to skip MGS4. I still won't play many games, and I'd rather spend time on ones I'd like to play. There are DS games I'd rather play, even.

Borderlands may actually be an interesting way to get my friend to play an RPG. I think his objection to RPGs in the past is the menu-driven stuff. Whatever game I want us to try, I'll probably give to him as a gift so he won't have a choice in the matter. Also, keep in mind this may be two months away - getting a tv and a PS3 are much lower priorities than, say, getting a matters, a couch and a table to eat at.

Anyone else have fun PS3 multiplayer experiences?

[Zeus]

Zeus has real bad taste in games. Just sayin.

Which of those games don't you like?

[Zeus]

Just never mention the RPG elements of Borderlands. The term 'RPG' carries a bit of stigma and it's not like it really feels like one anyways.

Bullshit. It's paraded as a RPG FPS, and it certainly feels like one. You have questing, leveling, skill trees, a good story, and multiplayer really makes the game. What part of it isn't an RPG?

Turn-based, menu-driven battles is the main one. There also isn't oodles of going around towns talking to people trying to figure out what to do next. It's much faster paced than that.

[Blotus]

Anyone else have fun PS3 multiplayer experiences?

Pixeljunk Monsters and Pixeljunk Shooter are the only multiplayer experiences I've had on the PS3, and both were local. I don't even know if either support multi via PSN. PJM is an excellent local multi game for two people.