Best Multiplayer Game
To many game players, games that lack multiplayer features are utterly irrelevant. Their fellow players offer a far better challenge than any AI could, and multiplayer features are necessary to most any game's long-term replay value. Meanwhile, support for online multiplayer features--in both console and PC games--is now more prevalent than ever, making this style of gaming extremely competitive. So it takes a lot to convince a dedicated fan to switch over to a different product. As such, it's no accident that many of the year's best multiplayer games are based on older products. The following five finalists for GameSpot's Best Multiplayer Game of 2004 Award are all excellent games in their own right, but they're also either extremely polished or simply unlike anything else available. We don't envy these games' would-be competitors:
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As if the blistering-hot racing of Burnout 3 wasn't enough, the ability to demolish friends and strangers alike--or team up to cause as much havoc in the streets as possible--makes Burnout 3 one of this year's most thrilling multiplayer experiences.
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The year's best football game also sports an incredibly robust suite of online multiplayer features. Chiefly among them: the ability to conduct league play online. There's an absurd amount of high-quality multiplayer content here.
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The online multiplayer mode is the best part of this outstandingly good game. Not only does it feature quite possibly the best first-person shooting action in the business, but an elaborate and incredibly easy-to-use player-matching system will surely keep you hooked on it for a long time.
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Pandora Tomorrow's completely unique multiplayer mode pits pairs of spies against pairs of mercenaries in an action-packed battle of wits. It's complex, yet can be richly rewarding and incredibly satisfying.
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The much-vaunted Unreal Tournament came out extremely strong this year in a package that comprised a ridiculous amount of extremely high-quality content. Highlights include the triumphant return of assault mode, as well as the onslaught mode, which provides full-scale vehicular mayhem.
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And the Winner is...
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