In July 2018, several interesting multiplayer titles will be released for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Three of the upcoming releases look particularly promising and are worth a closer look.
In June 2018, there were already several new online titles that captured the attention of multiplayer fans despite the nice weather – such as the new “Elder Scrolls Online” chapter Summerset or Mario Tennis Aces.
July 2018 also presents some exciting titles for multiplayer enthusiasts – among others:
- Warhammer: Vermintide 2 by Fatshark on July 11, 2018 (Xbox One, PC March 8, 2018)
- Earthfall by Holospark on July 13, 2018 (PS4, Xbox One, PC)
- No Man’s Sky by Hello Games on July 24, 2018 (Xbox One, PS4 August 10, 2016, PC August 12, 2016)
What kind of games are they? And who might find them worthwhile?
Warhammer: Vermintide 2
What is Warhammer: Vermintide 2? It is a first-person action game in the Warhammer universe and the direct successor to Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide from 2015.
What is it about? In the dark Warhammer end-times universe, a group of four heroes fights against hordes of Skaven (rat-like humanoids) and chaos. The player fights as one of the five heroes from a first-person perspective – mainly in close combat and always outnumbered.
Release: July 11, 2018 on Xbox One (PC March 8, 2018)
Publisher: Fatshark
Business Model: Buy-to-Play
Genre: First-Person Coop Action
Comparable to: Warhammer: End Times – Vermintide, Left4Dead
What’s included? As one of the five heroes with three subclasses each, you either play with friends or AI support through the total of 13 diverse scenarios at different difficulty levels and with various challenges.
In forests, on grain fields, or in catacombs, you carve your path through enemy ranks with melee and ranged weapons on the way to the final boss. Teamwork, communication, and coordination are the keys in Vermintide 2.
As a reward for successfully mastering missions, players receive loot boxes as well as experience points. Even after reaching the maximum level (30), there are regularly loot boxes available.
What makes Warhammer: Vermintide 2 special
- Five heroes each with three subclasses
- Dark Warhammer setting
- More than 20 different enemy types
- More than 50 weapons
- Intense coop experience (soon on dedicated servers)
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 offers the following multiplayer elements
The entire gaming experience focuses on cooperative online combat in a 4-player team. You can hunt rats with friends or, thanks to matchmaking, also with random players.
You can also start a game alone or with less than four players. In that case, the team will either be supplemented with AI companions or other randomly assigned human players, depending on the settings.
The atmosphere around Warhammer: Vermintide 2
The atmosphere around Vermintide 2 is mostly positive. Many fans praise the coop aspect – especially at higher difficulty levels. The heroes with their skills, the crafting, the locations, and especially the Warhammer atmosphere receive a lot of praise.
On the other hand, criticisms focus on the sometimes weak AI, some bugs, the soundscape, and the repetitive nature of the game over time.
Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is ideal for…
all players who enjoy the unique Warhammer feeling and prefer games like Left4Dead or Killing Floor 2. Anyone with a penchant for coop games and the dark fantasy setting should definitely take a closer look at Vermintide 2.
Earthfall
What is Earthfall? Earthfall is a coop shooter reminiscent of Left4Dead. After an early access phase on Steam, the shooter developed by Holospark will officially release on July 13, 2018.
What is it about? In short – it’s about shooting together. The story is very superficial and outlines only the essentials: The end of the world is near. After a meteor crash, aliens devastate our Earth. The surviving humans in the northwest of the USA team up to eliminate the extraterrestrial invaders with various devices.
Release: July 13, 2018
Publisher: Holospark
Business Model: Buy2Play
Genre: Coop Survival Shooter
Comparable to: Left4Dead
What’s included? In a 4-player team, you fight as one of four fixed characters alongside up to three friends from now on for peace and freedom. If no online companions are found, the game provides you with AI comrades.
Now, the goal is to take down aliens in cities and in the wild. You must complete various tasks in the framework of two campaigns and eleven missions in different scenarios while shooting your way through the alien hordes to the boss fight.
You use a powerful arsenal of weapons, set defenses, deploy manned or automated turrets, use portable barricade kits, and craft traps from those. You also print new weapons and additional supplies with a 3D printer. Various firearms can still be found in the individual levels.
By the way, the developers have announced that they will regularly update the game with new missions, modes, and weapons after the release.
What makes Earthfall special
- Coop survival for up to four players
- Weapon resupply in-game via 3D printer
- four playable characters with distinct personalities
- Numerous weapons and gadgets
- Nice graphics based on Unreal Engine 4
Earthfall offers the following multiplayer elements
While Earthfall can also be played solo, the game is clearly designed for coop multiplayer. Up to four players can go on an alien hunt together online.
Drop-in, drop-out multiplayer: You can join multiplayer games, leave, start solo, and then bring in friends as support – the game imposes no restrictions. AI bots always fill in for missing human players.
The atmosphere around Earthfall
The atmosphere among fans is predominantly positive. Although the game is still in early access, many see it already as a successful Left4Dead clone – just with aliens and prettier graphics. Especially the coop gameplay, the setting, and the AI companions receive praise.
On the other hand, criticisms include some bugs and technical issues (of the early access version) as well as the gunplay and hit feedback. According to some fans, the developers still need to improve in these areas.
Earthfall is ideal for …
everyone who enjoyed the Left4Dead series. Many fans say: Earthfall looks like Left4Dead with aliens, feels like Left4Dead with aliens, and plays like Left4Dead with aliens. The developers do not hide the fact that they took inspiration from the competition.
However, all those who generally enjoy coop survival shooters should at least take a closer look at the game.
No Man’s Sky
What is No Man’s Sky? No Man’s Sky is a space exploration and survival game. After a release on PS4 and PC, No Man’s Sky will now also be released on Xbox One.
What is it about? In a gigantic procedurally generated open world consisting of 18 trillion planets, No Man’s Sky places you in the role of a spaceship pilot and space explorer. The actual aim of the game is to reach the center of the galaxy with your spaceship. This journey takes about 40 hours of playtime. Besides this objective, players are free to act within the game world. And that’s what makes the real appeal of No Man’s Sky.
Release: July 24, 2018 (Xbox One, PS4 August 10, 2016, PC August 12, 2016)
Publisher: Hello Games
Business Model: Buy2Play
Genre: Space Survival
Comparable to: Elite Dangerous
What’s included? Apart from merely satisfying the desire to explore and the journey to the center of the galaxy, No Man’s Sky with its 18 trillion planets has a lot to offer.
Just exploring and traveling to planets can keep players engaged for a very long time without getting bored. The procedurally generated planets have different atmospheric compositions, environmental conditions, vegetation, and landscapes. Often planets have such hostile environments, including radiation or acid rain, that one cannot survive long without the appropriate equipment.
But also outside of a career as an explorer, there is plenty to do. You can, for instance, act as a pirate, raid other ships, and seize their resources. You can also try your hand as a trader by collecting valuable raw materials and then selling them for high prices. Furthermore, you can now also purchase large cargo ships where a base can be built.
Moreover, it has become possible to build your own base on a planet of your choice and develop new components and technologies there. Additionally, plants can be grown there that can generate certain resources.
Movement on the planet’s surface can be done on foot, with a jetpack, by using planetary vehicles – the so-called Exocrafts – or in your spaceship. There, you can collect resources, search for items and new technologies, or hunt animals to gradually improve your spacesuit, spaceship, or equipment.
In the game, you will encounter a variety of randomly generated animals and intelligent aliens with whom you can trade and communicate. You also have the ability to name planets and animals that you have discovered first according to your own wishes.
What makes No Man’s Sky unique
- Gigantic, freely explorable galaxy with 18 trillion planets
- All planets are visitable
- Seamless transition between space and planet surface
- Survival elements, crafting, base building on planets
- Numerous spaceships and planetary vehicles
- Finally true multiplayer (from July 24, 2018 on PC and PS4, on Xbox One from release)
No Man’s Sky offers these multiplayer elements
Although No Man’s Sky was originally designed for a single player experience, starting July 24, 2018, the game will finally get the long-awaited multiplayer. So far, the following is known about the mode:
- You can specifically find your friends and embark on adventures with them
- You encounter strangers with whom you can team up
- You complement each other to survive
- You can build structures together
- You can visit other players’ buildings
- You can race against each other
- Apparently, PvP will also be possible, as the developers mentioned that players can ambush others or play as space pirates
- Joint battles in space also play a role
The atmosphere around No Man’s Sky
The atmosphere is currently mixed, but noticeably on the upswing. No Man’s Sky received partly devastating reviews from fans and press after release, as it did not deliver anywhere near what many expected and what had been advertised.
However, after the massive criticism, Hello Games quietly continued to work on the game. Several large updates like Foundation and Path Finder have been released. These have brought the gaming experience closer to what fans want.
On July 24, 2018, the third major update NEXT arrives. Many players hope that it will finally make No Man’s Sky what many expected at launch.
The Xbox One version launches simultaneously with the free NEXT update. Thus, Xbox One players will also fully enjoy No Man’s Sky – much to the joy of numerous fans.
No Man’s Sky is ideal for …
everyone with an insatiable desire to explore and lovers of space and survival games. Anyone who has ever wanted to discover alien planets and travel with their spaceship has a lot to enjoy in No Man’s Sky. Fans of Elite Dangerous may also find pleasure in the game.
Anyone who additionally enjoys survival elements and wants to try their hand at architecting on a picturesque planet also has nothing to lose with the game.
And for all those who want to experience all this together with friends, the arrival of the Xbox One version finally provides the opportunity.
Before the release of the three titles, you can check out the multiplayer highlights from June 2018: 3 new multiplayer games in June 2018 for PS4, Xbox, PC and Switch
What do you think of our selection? Is there something for you in it?
