'The Witcher 3' And 'Fallout 4' Show Us That Single-Player Games Should Live Forever

Forbes: It’s likely that many GOTY lists will include Fallout 4 or The Witcher 3 somewhere near the top. And I think that’s a significant achievement, given that we now exist in an age where those type of games are practically an endangered species. But their success shows that they shouldn’t be.

[crazychris4124]

Don't forget Just Cause 3

[Aloy-Boyfriend]

These games offer freedom and choices to play however the player want,and that is what you call replay value

[Kingthrash360]

I think it's weird to even question single player games...they still are more important than mp as far as experience in gameing. Sp is the time for story telling and creating an connection with characters like master cheif Nathan drake or link. ..these things can't be don't in mp. People become more passionate fans of games with characters they are connected with....smash bros. Is a great example of this. Most of its characters are well known characters from single player games...each with their own personality that reflects their fighting style. We love smash because we love the characters.
That and there is nothing like a horror game in sp...mp horror is just fun, sp horror is what pt was...horrifying. in a way that only a sp game can pull off.

[UltraNova]

From the article:

"The trend doesn’t need to play out this way. The Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 show that games can find huge success free from the trapping of multiplayer. Not that I resent multiplayer games in general, or will never play them myself, but I just can’t bear the idea that someday everything is going to need multiplayer injected into it because of this new trend toward “social.” It doesn’t have to be that way, and these games prove it more than any other."

Truer words have never been spoken.

Isn't facebook, Intstagram, twitter, youtube etc etc etc enough socializing for some people? Why do they have to infect gaming with this 'social trend'?

Skyrim marked the start of the end for SP games (imo)as I have yet to experience a more magical, absorbing gaming solitude with out some kind of social interruption.

The only game that even came close was Dark Souls but only because I could play it in offline mode.

If they kill SP in favor of MP that's it gaming will be dead to me.

Thanks to devs like CD Project REd and Bethesda who still keep SP gaming alive. I hope they never give into this "social trend".

[Kidmyst]

If SW Battlefront had Single Player I'd have picked it up, but given the fact it's MP only, I passed. SP for me has always been where the work is, story telling and with characters to unfold.

[bloodybutcher]

why?just cause you like it?

[TwoForce]

And BloodBorne, too. I know BloodBorne has online mode, but mostly it single player. That's why SP games are always a strong point.

[TwoForce]

Disargree ? I said BloodBorne had online mode, but the game is SP itself. It's let you explore the world, lore and weapon. Fallout 4 is my favorite game, and my favorite sp game for a long time. BloodBorne is also my favorite game.

[Thunder_G0d_Bane]

People just don't agree that Bloodborne is one of those games anywhere near the upper echelon that Witcher 3 and Fallout 4 is at. And I agree with them.

Sorry but it's simply no where close.

[nitus10]

Getting disagrees? It seems that some people have to hate or have never played the game.

I have not played BloodBorne yet since I don't have a PS4 (yet) but I have played Demon's Souls and Dark Souls and while they do have an on-line component they are effectively single player.

BloodBorne like the Souls series is single player game with an optional on-line component that allows other players to either coop or PvP and only in certain places.

Those disagreeing with that are either haters or just don't get it.

[Adrian_v01]

@nitus

And as bane has said, people disagree because they find that Bloodborne can't be compared to Witcher 3 or Fallout in terms of experience. If you disagree you're either a hater or you don't get it.

[frostypants]

Nah. JC3 is an example of a game that should have had MP but doesn't.

[crazychris4124]

It does on PC when we get the multiplayer mod which is even more over the top.

[formanbradley]

Yeah... only problem is that is hasn't come out yet.

[crazychris4124]

Game isn't even out yet so be patient.

[-Foxtrot]

This is why online in any form should NEVER come to these games

[zeuanimals]

I really don't see how just being allowed to join someone else's game of Fallout 4 and help them out like a regular companion wouldn't work. You can do your story stuff that the other player doesn't see or hear and doesn't play a part of. The only part where they do actually have any impact in your world is the fact that you both get to kill hostile NPCs. If they do something that aggros normal NPCs like those in a settlement, then all you'll see is them shooting at nothing, running around like crazy, and the NPCs just going about their days because their actions beyond killing raiders and such don't affect your game. You can join in the killing if you want, but if you don't, it doesn't affect you.

It might seem weird that your buddy is running around shooting nothing and could possibly end up dying to what seems to be nothing on your end, but stranger things have twerked their way into the game.

http://0.media.dorkly.cvcdn...

[-Foxtrot]

Do you think they just spend a few weeks here and there working on online features such as co-op...god no, it takes months of planning and then they actually have to get it to work.

All that time spent on just getting a friend to join your game could be easily spent on other features you want to do within the game or the polish you might want to do before it goes gold.

It's just not worth it...at all.

These games are single player adventure games, we get so little and I think people should enjoy them the way they were made to be.

Want a RPG co-op experience, find a new IP which offers that. Everyone wins then.

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Bethesda and CD Project are smart enough to not shoe horn it in.

[Kalebninja]

"former champions of single-player like Grand Theft Auto seem like they’re almost completely forsaking it to chase after multiplayer microtransaction cash."

With all the single player content in GTA V it took me over 80 hours to beat it, just because they decide to do both online and single player doesnt mean they are forsaking it. The same could be said for metal gear, A really long single player campaign with an integrated, but option, multiplayer mode.

[DarkOcelet]

GTAV concentrated so much on MP and Microtransactions. Imagine if it was purely SP, we could have had over 200 hours of content.

And the main story in GTAV was pretty short.

[-Foxtrot]

That ending man...so quickly rushed and tied together

When they said tie up loose ends I thought it meant one epic mission for each character.

Instead you arrived the scene of the person you need to take out and can easily C4 the car or rocket launcher it to bits. The drive to the location is longer then killing the person.

Next game they really need to focus back on one person again. GTAV could have been 10 times better if it focused on Trevor and the online came out early the following year as a separate game made by another studio

[_-EDMIX-_]

? You don't actually know that as the team that worked on the MP was never going to work on the SP, their job was solely MP.

I have no clue why anyone keeps on this stupid, childish, baseless theory of it has MP, thus the SP must have been hurt.

Do you guys not understand how games are created? If I hire you to write the game's story, a MP mode has nothing to do with your job description. I legit don't know why in this day and age anyone really STILL thinks this. GTAV had a LONG single player, its LONGER then the pervious GTAIV in terms of missions and length to beat, having a MP has nothing to do with any of its single player.

Have you not factored that GTASA, GTAIV both had multiplayer? smh.

You keep on with this "could have" what damn evidence even supports GTAV was EVER in any damn situation EVER going to be that long? Where did you get this 200 hour BS from?

Do Rockstar have ANY single player that ranks into 200 hours to complete? EVER? Yet your living in this pie in the sky dream as if, the MP is why the SP isn't that.

When was the SP EVER THAT to say that was even slightly ever going to be a thing?

Like your post Dark, but legit....come with something really, really substantial to support your theories, it can't just be wild assumptions, guess with no real evidence from past developments to really support such claims.

GTAV is longer then GTAIV, its BIGGER then GTAIV, there is no reason to assume its MP is why its SP is um "short" as nothing really even supports any of that, GTAV is regarded as being longer with more content then GTAIV. The team makes MP modes, doesn't work with SP, they where never suddenly going to write 100 hours of content as I'm pretty sure that was never going to happen.

[Perjoss]

yeah, where are the damn single player DLCs like The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony?

:(

[PS4XBOXONEPC]

2 prime examples! also don't forget alien isolation,shadow of mordor,dying light.

[USMC_POLICE]

Agreed as I get older I'm less into multiplayer but every game should have coop like dying light I'd love to have a friend in witcher and fallout

[JsonHenry]

Dying Light had great co-op. And I feel its proof that Fallout 4 could have had easily have had co-op without detracting from the game in the slightest.

[xPhearR3dx]

I would love Co-op is Fallout, but I think it would be very tricky. There's enough variables as is in single player, adding another would make things a lot more complicated. No to mention, there would need to be a way for your co-op player to not be able to just kill random NPCs or destroy your settlements causing issues for when you play by yourself. Plus if a player chooses to steal, but the other player isn't involved.

There's many things that would take a lot of time to work out so it's enjoyable and not frustrating with random people. But in theory, it would be awesome.

[JsonHenry]

^^ Everything you mentioned would be a problem but has also been addressed and fixed in just about every co-op game for over a decade running.

In the end if it had been made for co-op from the start none of these things would be an issue. I mean even minecraft has fixed the issues that you mentioned.

[USMC_POLICE]

And bloodborn

[Scrivlar]

It feels like Single Players are much better, But Multi-players make more money. It's a tricky position for Developers to be in I suppose.

[Antifan]

Nope. Can't think of one AAA MP only game that makes more money than a game that has both SP and MP. Developers know where the money is at, some are just lazy to even develop a good story or open world campaign.

[WellyUK]

some of those games that have SP and MP are brought primarily for MP such as Battlefield and CoD... They both outsell most SP only games and are pretty much MP only games, even without Single players those 2 games would sell a lot. Destiny is a MP only game that has probably out sold most SP games this gen as well. So yes they do exist, then there's WoW, Dota, LoL and CS on pc which are MP only games that have huge player bases and have all made more money than SP games for years now.

I love a good SP game but you people make it out as if there is NO good MP games that have ever been made.

[LamerTamer]

You are comparing games that have both to ones that have one type only? Not a fair comparison. If you want to compare, compare MP only to SP only. As of now The MP only BF Star Wars is higher on the sales charts.

I personally don't play MP games at all. I just don't like the online experience but that is just me. The day that SP goes away in favor of MP-only is the day that says the internet has ruined gaming.

[sullynathan]

eh a lot of games have been finding success through single player for a while now.

[Bobafret]

Didn't care for The Witcher, got bored about 3 hours in. Sorry if that offends anyone.

[Fro_xoxo]

no biggie, just not your cup of tea..

[Gwiz]

Online gaming is now micro transactions, a well thought out singleplayer game like Fallout or the Witcher series doesn't need such a nickle and dime regime,CDPR has proven that when you treat your customers well they'll come back to you. ( As i did today after leaving the game for months they've fixed a lot of the things we as forum dwellers lol were reporting,so i bought an extra DLC while i already had 16 free DLC coming from them,not even mentioning all the other stuff in my GOG account)

Most studios do not care anymore,while it's making more sense to care.

DLC works,just not like a slot machine ;).

[Masterchief_thegoat]

Don't forget halo 5 great single player /s

[scark92]

Truth, my internet has been acting up lately and I am just happy to have Fallout 4.

[shammgod]

Forever is right. I am no where close to completing either. My game time has been cut drastically

[caffman]

Baby or job?

[shammgod]

Both.

[NickAwesome]

Screw always online and multiplayer, Long live disc based single player games! these games will be playable forever! (Also mad max was a pretty sweet single player game i highly recommended it,especially now that is cheaper)

[ninsigma]

Why not both though?? How does the likes of titan fall and destiny being online only affect how much you are enjoying the games you do, like mad max??

[zerocarnage]

I played mad max, completed story if its one thing i thought is that it was sweet but it need a two player co op feature..

[yankolo]

They sould live forever.. also online sould live forever too...

[ninsigma]

A healthy mix of the too is what's needed now, I agree.

[nitus10]

Single player will always be playable providing you have the equipment to play it. Multiplayer is only playable while the servers you need to connect to are up and of course you still have the equipment to play it.

Which one is the best? Well that depends on what you like with single player fully dependent on your own personal likes while multiplayer depends not only on your likes and your internet connection but the likes of other players as well.

[Jdoki]

WHAT!? Fallout 4 doesn't have MP??????? That's it! Pre-order cancelled.

Disgusting Bethesda, just disgusting.

[WUNDERich]

That's... sarcasm, right?

[Yui_Suzumiya]

Lol.. God, I hope so!

[Jdoki]

Guess I should have put the /s tag on! :)

Thought it would be more obvious as Fallout 4 has been released.

[nitus10]

Don't remember Oblivion and Skyrim having multiplayer either yet people have spent hundreds of hours individually playing, especially Skyrim which has quite a thriving mod community on PC as well.

Yes I can think of nothing worse than entering Movarth's Lair or even Eldergleam Sanctuary and find 10 on-line players wrecking the place ;-)

[Pintheshadows]

Here here.

[MAULxx]

I guess internet reliance is here to stay?

[zerocarnage]

Despite that i agree in a way, i also always think itd be nice to always play with a friend, i reckon it would not hurt for these games to have at least two player jump in jump out co op..

I know that other games that come out like these single player games that do have co op, are widely popular, why because most of us have a friend to game with now days.. all a game needs is a difficulty booster for when someone joins, adding x ammount of health and damage to enemies.. it doesnt take all that much altering from the developers and i wouldnt mind graphical downgrades now with how lovely these next gen game look, mind you there could be the feature of the graphical downgrade kickijg in once a second player joins.. there are many ways in which developers can work a game now days to suit co op or more players..

In this day and age, while sp games seems to be more story driven still and have many more hours in gameplay, that is always a winner and seller for them and its sweet, but if its within a developers power and the majoraty of fans are asking for it, they should go ahead with co op or more..

In all honest fallout im enjoying, but thered be nothing better than groups of players forming clans on a wasteland, pvp'in, surviving, picking one n other off n apart. I seen an arena in fo4 before i killed the raiders and i straight away thought, well multiplayer would fit here for sure, no guns, just a table selection of randome weapons where two would enter and one man leaves, with a pay of caps and a load of other players could bet on who ever signs up..

I see fall out the kind of game where its an mmorpg, abit like elder scrolls but with more time taken on it, done rite an online fall out could be amazing in my eyes. Id love to set up my own settlement online, or at most be part of one joining up, going out to scavange, bringing back surplies because i own a store and need to restock, coukd even have it where clans could own a shop each, youd have sellers on the store, people who fetch by scavanging, players whod go to other town and barter with one and other.

[Kingdomcome247]

The day that SP gaming ends will be the day that hang up the ol' sticks.

[LamerTamer]

Well there is always retro and current games. Just don't buy digital on console as once they remove the titles from the servers you wont be able to get them back if your HDD crashes or hardware breaks. With discs you can always put them in any console and play.

[2cents]

Couldn't agree more!

Online shenanigans are fun but nothing beats a good single player story for me.

Ico, Shadow of the colossus, silent hill 2, onimhsha, resident evil, dead space... The list goes on and on for games that have really taken me and it is almost always a single player game.

Saying that, I can't wait for crackdown 3! Online stupidity at its finest.

[Chaosdreams]

I love the Witcher 3. Even failing a quest makes me laugh. It's happened to me twice now. The first time I was on my horse, going full speed and a quest marker popped up, I think nothing of it and then I hear a scream and it's listed as a failure. Second time I'm supposed to protect some brother in law, well that doesn't work out and the way the NPC reacts to me is priceless.

Ah, quests.

[destroyerz1]

The Witcher 3, MGSV, Batman, Fallout 4, what year for singleplayer games. I love it, MGSV and The Witcher 3 are my favorites. Fallout 4 not too much, kinda boring to me.

[DivineAssault]

Ill stop buying games if sigle player is abolished

[holdmyown83]

Too bad they both kinda suck IMO I much more would rather multiplayer or co op games. These run here fetch this bring it back type games are just not it anymore. No multiplayer no buy!!