The Best Third-Person Multiplayer Games

Many of the most popular games of recent years have been online multiplayer games. These games span a variety of genres, from survival games and battle royales, all the way to frantic cooperative experiences.

Related

The 10 Best Competitive Multiplayer Games of 2023

2023’s competitive multiplayer scene features a healthy mixture of long-running titles and new releases for players to get invested in.

Posts

By  Richard Warren

However, many multiplayer games are experienced by players from a first-person perspective, most likely due to the fact that first-person shooters are some of the most popular multiplayer experiences. Despite this, games such as the recent Helldivers 2, and even Fortnite have proved that there's still a market for third-person multiplayer games.

10 Helldivers 2

Dumb Fun With Friends

• Steam User Rating: 69%

Despite some light controversies surrounding its microtransactions, Helldivers 2 is a tremendously well-crafted sequel with punchy third-person shooter combat and a tight multiplayer gameplay loop. The game revolves around players teaming up, dropping onto war-torn planets, and working together to take down aliens and complete missions.

Helldivers 2 succeeds with its weighty weapons and solid game feel, as well as its stunning environments and variety of interesting enemies. Despite having little-to-no story, Helldivers 2 is a surprisingly engaging cooperative experience, thanks in large part to its mission variety.

9 Tom Clancy's The Division 2

A Post-Apocalyptic Looter-Shooter RPG

• Steam User Rating: 73%

This tight third-person looter-shooter features RPG elements and well-crafted cover-based combat that make it a worthwhile experience. Tom Clancy's The Division 2 lives and dies on its satisfying gunplay, as well as its detailed open world.

While The Division 2's looter-shooter gameplay loop can be somewhat repetitive, its enemy variety and interesting post-apocalyptic world help keep things engaging. Most of the gameplay revolves around PvE encounters, though the "Dark Zone" adds an exciting element of PvP to the experience.

8 Dead By Daylight

A Multiplayer Slasher Game

• Steam User Rating: 80%

This asymmetric multiplayer PvP game aims to condense the gore-fests of low-budget slasher movies into short, exciting matches. In Dead By Daylight, one player takes control of the Killer, maneuvering around the map from a first-person perspective. The Survivors, on the other hand, move about in third-person.

There's plenty of strategy to be had before a match even starts in Dead By Daylight, with players building their characters and selecting consumable items to bring with them every match. In-game, the success of the Survivors is almost entirely revolved around working as a team as they try to escape.

7 Remnant 2 - A Third-Person Co-Op Souls-Like

Steam User Rating: 84%

• Steam User Rating: 84%

This third-person shooter takes place in a post-apocalyptic world overtaken by deadly creatures. Much like its predecessor, Remnant 2 takes inspiration from the Souls-like genre, featuring mysterious NPCs, challenging boss fights, and an interesting world to explore.

What makes Remnant 2 unique is how it combines its Souls-like inspirations with third-person shooter gameplay, effortlessly blending genres to create a distinctive experience. Furthermore, the game can be played fully in cooperative multiplayer, and it's arguably more fun when played this way.

6 Grand Theft Auto Online

A Modern Classic That Stood The Test Of Time

• Steam User Rating: 86%

Grand Theft Auto has always been a popular franchise that features relatively strong single-player narrative experiences in open-world cities. Grand Theft Auto Online, GTA 5's multiplayer mode, was no different, but it was released with a stronger focus on creating a well-rounded multiplayer experience.

GTA Online is a tremendously popular third-person multiplayer game, thanks in large part to its sandbox nature and player agency. The game's online features are, however, best enjoyed with friends, as its open-world sandbox lends itself well to cooperative shenanigans.

5 Warframe

A Deeply Customizable Third-Person Action-RPG

• Steam User Rating: 87%

This action-RPG third-person shooter takes place in a truly unique science-fiction world and features deep levels of customization. Warframe centers around hallway-shooter gameplay and larger, objective-based missions that can be played in solo or in online co-op.

Although Warframe is a perfectly serviceable single-player experience, it's arguably best when played with other players. Furthermore, playing in online co-op can yield a variety of rewards, and the objective-based gameplay of the missions frequently encourages collaboration.

4 Gears Of War 3

Gritty, Innovative, Third-Person Chaos

The Gears Of War franchise was a large part of the third-person shooter golden age, and this third entry was a landmark title for many fans of the iconic series. Many Gears fans stayed for the cheesy melodramatic narrative and innovative cover-based shooting, but Gears Of War also had a thriving multiplayer scene for a good while.

Related

Every Gears Of War Game, Ranked

There have been a lot of great games in the Gears of War series but which one is the best overall?

Posts

This was especially true of Gears Of War 3, and while it certainly had its flaws by way of technical issues, Gears 3 provided some fantastic third-person multiplayer chaos. Furthermore, Gears Of War 3 featured a "Beast Mode" that put players in control of the Locust, as well as an improved multiplayer Horde mode.

3 Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

A Colorful Third-Person Shooter

This sequel to the wonderfully charming and colorful third-person shooter, Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare, took everything about what made the original so fun and arguably made it better. PvZ: Garden Warfare 2 is a fast-paced, colorful, and light-hearted multiplayer shooter that focuses on fun over competitive balancing.

Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 features two asymmetric teams, the titular Plants and Zombies, each with their own set of unique classes. Each class feels fun and unique to play, and each featuring their own variants. These classes and their variants add a huge amount of variety to the game and quickly turn Garden Warfare 2's tranquil environments into chaotic battlegrounds.

2 Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (Classic)

An Influential Classic

• Steam User Rating: 94%

Arguably one of the most influential online shooters of all time, the original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 features a solid single-player campaign as well as massive online battles set in the Star Wars universe. Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is perhaps most beloved for allowing Star Wars fans to do battle in iconic Star Wars locations, and occasionally giving players control of iconic characters such as Yoda and Darth Vader.

Although Star Wars: Battlefront 2 allows players to switch freely between first and third-person perspectives, players will most likely spend their time in third-person in order to see more of their surroundings. Despite its increasing age, the innovations and pure-fun gameplay of the original Star Wars: Battlefront 2 still manage to shine through.

1 Risk Of Rain 2

A Co-Operative Third-Person Rogue-Lite

• Steam User Rating: 96%

This cooperative rogue-lite features frantic third-person shooter action and classic rogue-lite elements that lead to fun, often chaotic moments. Risk Of Rain 2's variety of playable characters, impressive bosses, and abundance of unique items make it a chaotic multiplayer experience that's great with friends.

Risk Of Rain 2 may get a little messy towards the end of a run, thanks to the plethora of projectiles flying in all directions, but this chaos is part of what makes Risk Of Rain 2 so enjoyable. Those looking for a serious and strategic experience may bounce off this title, but players looking for an action-packed experience are likely to get a kick out of Risk Of Rain 2's third-person chaos.

More

Risk Of Rain 2: Every Character, Ranked

Risk of Rain 2 features a fantastic variety of characters to play as, and here is a comprehensive ranking of each one players unlock.

Posts