Developers Never Should’ve Added Multiplayer to These 3 Games (But 1 Eventually Became a Massive Success)

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A fantastic single-player game can be even better with a well-implemented multiplayer mode, and the Halo series is a prime example. The original Halo trilogy brilliantly combined a memorable story with incredibly fun multiplayer action. Unfortunately, some developers, seeing Halo’s success, tried to force multiplayer into games where it didn’t fit. Three games particularly stand out as failures in this regard, although one of those developers later redeemed themselves with a highly praised release.

Here are the worst multiplayer modes in single-player games.

3) Spec Ops: The Line

Spec Ops: The Line is a powerfully moving story, offering a realistic and thoughtful portrayal of war. This strong narrative is a key reason the game has become a beloved classic that people still talk about today. Although the gameplay itself isn’t particularly innovative, it intentionally feels straightforward to highlight the story’s themes by creating a contrast between the simple mechanics and the complex message.

The addition of multiplayer felt out of place. It didn’t connect with the game’s story, and surprisingly, it wasn’t created by the original developers, Yager. The publisher, 2K, actually requested the multiplayer mode and hired Darkside Game Studios to build it. The result was a mode that felt like a poor imitation of Call of Duty and didn’t fit the overall experience.

2) Tomb Raider (2013)

Crystal Dynamics successfully rebooted the Tomb Raider series in 2013, updating the franchise and launching a new trilogy with a fresh take on Lara Croft. The game was visually impressive, told a captivating origin story, and expertly blended puzzles with action. However, the developers surprisingly added a multiplayer mode that didn’t quite fit.

The multiplayer in *Tomb Raider* offers three modes: Team Deathmatch, Private Rescue, and Cry for Help. Team Deathmatch is a straightforward player-versus-player battle. The other two modes try to mimic the feel of the single-player game by having one team act as scavengers. However, the multiplayer feels noticeably separate from the main game, almost as if it was heavily influenced by marketing decisions.

1) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Grand Theft Auto games usually feel like improvements on what came before. Starting with *GTA 3*, which first showed many players the excitement of a large, 3D open world, Rockstar has consistently raised the standard with each new game. *Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas* was a significant leap forward in several ways.

I remember when *San Andreas* came out, it felt huge! It seriously changed what I thought was possible in a game world. There were three massive cities to explore, and I easily lost weeks just getting lost in everything Rockstar created. What I really loved was that they weren’t stopping there – they wanted to let us connect and play together online with the new multiplayer mode. It felt like they were building something truly special.

The initial attempt was a disappointment, lacking in content and feeling unfinished. It demonstrated that Rockstar wasn’t quite prepared for online gaming at the time. However, they didn’t give up on the concept and ultimately created the hugely successful *GTA Online*.

Many players feel that *GTA Online* delivered the online experience that *San Andreas* originally promised. It lets you freely explore the expansive world of *GTA V* and participate in various side missions and planned adventures. Considering its success over the past ten years, it’s evident Rockstar had the right idea with *San Andreas’* online features – they were simply ahead of their time in terms of technology.

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2025-09-24 21:41