Best Multiplayer Game of 2012

MediaStinger: "2012 was a big year for multiplayer gaming with titles offering a multitude of different ways to get your multiplayer fix. While both Halo and Call of Duty returned this year with very strong multiplayer experiences that involved nice new improvements to help change up gameplay a tad, both still played it a bit too safe in order to not upset hardcore fans and didn’t do anything to help take multiplayer gaming to the next level."

[remanutd55]

Starhawk, Warhawk are my 2 best online experiences on the ps3 so far.

[Nykamari]

Did you play MAG? WarHawk and MAG are the best by far, I my opinion. I felt like the dumb down StarHawk from WarHawk, and no official servers didn't help.

[BitbyDeath]

I would have gotten MAG if it had splitscreen, that was the only thing holding it back for me. Did enjoy my time with the beta though.

Warhawk is my favourite multiplayer game this gen.

[Ducky]

Too bad they didn't enjoy a lot of success and have now relegated themselves to iOS games.

[StrongMan]

Starhawk is definitely the best multi player game of 2012 hands down.

[DigitalRaptor]

Starhawk's multiplayer was definitely underrated when it came to reviews. I think people weighed it in on the so-so campaign as if it was really meant to be something to stand next to most quality single player campaigns, when what it was was a glorified tutorial with cool-looking scenes to aid in multiplayer and add value to a retail game. The multiplayer alone is one of the most fun and addicting games I've played in a long time. For the life of me, cannot understand why more people didn't see its appeal. Shame about LightBox Interactive too - talented, passionate and generous bunch.

I think PlanetSide 2 has the best multiplayer though, I like to appreciate each game for what it brings.

[EmperorDalek]

I didn't like it. The servers would show an excellent connection... For a round hosted in Asia. I'm in New Zealand, so it ended up being laggy. That and infantry combat was not an option, since the vehicles obliterated them. The beta didn't have tanks, and the hawks were easier to kill, which made infantry combat fun. But now you either go in a vehicle or you die. Which is realistic, but not as good IMO.

Guild Wars 2 for best multiplayer.

[BoNeSaW23]

Starhawk is good but I have enjoyed Uncharted 3's Multi-Player ALOT more!

I prefer Co-op Adventure or Arena over Competitive(It's VERY,VERY Competitve Online!). Most people hate the kickbacks, power plays and sprinting that they added, but I found it fast paced and always a challenge to hang with the Legacys.

I still visit it regularly and play split screen offline alot too.

[Adolph Fitler]

Yep, I bought Starhawk day 1....Sucks that it didn't sell in copius ammounts, because, like many Sony exclusives in the past, it deserved too (Ico, SOTC, Primal, recent Wipeouts, last Twisted Metal, & tonnes more).

It is an unfortunate fact that this is the way it has always been, & always will be! You'll get some titles that get enough marketing & media wind in there sales to garner success (even though they normally would not, because they failed to adhere to the fps or sports franchise formula), then you will get the Ico's, Mark Of Kri's, Primal's, & psychonauts, BG&E's, Riddick's, Oddworld:Strangers Wrath's, Darksiders, etc, etc, that deserve to sell in the 10's of millions, but never do, & then we have the POS games such as 50cent: Bulletproof, that simply sell off pop culture BS at that time (I mean, a 50cent game wouldn't do so well now, it would be more Justin Bieber's: Smokin' Fools & Pot, that would sell as a game).
It's horrible that many great developers are relegated to making IOS games & basically have to turn to pop culture crap to survive.....and pop culture crap wouldn't be so bad if it was based on actual GOOD stuff. Stuff that will last the test of time.. 50 Cent as a musical artist, actor or whatever, ain't lasted 2yrs, let alone the test of time, Bieber will be the same....... And because of total over saturation, games like COD, Fifa & such will also fail this task.

The problem is masses of sheep-like consumers dictate that developers not bother taking risks, so we get samely COD sequels with waaaay over priced dlc that does not add a single thing worth mentioning to the game, same with sporting franchises & even racers to much degree.....I mean, one of the best racers this gen has suffered poor sales in MS:Apocalypse......
So, developers that do try thinking outside the box & make great games that don't fit within the masses of zombies out theres 2 genre limit, get rewarded with stupidly low sales & either go bust, or have to go elsewhere & drop there pants & all creative juices & throw them out the window, & instead are now or will sometime in future be making add on content for Angry Turds, or knock off titles of Cut The Rope.

I wasn't aware that Sony had lost Lightbox Interactive.....Really dissapointing couple of years for me as a huge fan of many of these Sony inhouse developers that are now either completely gone, or on there way.
I mean, I'm not sure still about what's going on with the whole, London Studios, Cambridge Studios, & the other one that Sony told us they cut down & almagamated (I can't remember there name presently, which sucks, cause I usually know it)..........anyhow, 1st the cut 8 Days & (aha, Team Soho is there name), also cut Getaway, & put the developers onto bloody Home, then Singstar content, what a monumental waste, (we never even got any swan song games from them like we did with Zipper & others), anyhow, that brings me onto Zipper, another great developer that I loved the games of, gone......Insomniac, also went from exclusive PS games thanks to poor sales of the awesome R3, & this list goes on, until Sony are only left with a handful of developers.... I mean, Lightbox are now gone I find out, & whatever happend to 989 Studios???? So many of my favorite developers & there games gone. I will never see another Medievil, Syphon Filter, Socom, Wipeout, etc, etc. It really blows.

[r21]

Yay, another award for Starhawk, IMO my multiplayer of 2012 :D Such a shame it didnt sell as many units as possible :C Disappointed that Sony didnt market it :L

[pandehz]

Guild Wars 2

[VonBraunschweigg]

"managed to live up to the hype and not only deliver the best multiplayer experience of 2012, but one of the best ever"

So true, Starhawks multiplayer is unique, and a great example of how flawed the gamingpress is these days. It should have gotten a lot more attention. It's like people only want to write about the heavy hitters everybody already knows.