Topic: Multi-player vs Solo gameplay

With the recent release of Destiny 2 it brought to mind Multi-player games MMO or otherwise vs Solo games and the best in-between. I am mostly a solo player due to time constraints and other responsibilities. I grew up in the Era of couch coop and bots. I did play Everquest long ago and that was great, but now don't have that much time to sink in at once to wait for raids and such. Now my favorite style is Solo, but with a multi-player as an option. The best example for me is Dark Souls games. Yes you can solo, but need help and you can ask for it. As for MMOS I did enjoy Neverwinter, but once you reach max lvl soloing takes a back seat. What do you prefer and why?

Solo, but sometimes the multiplayer is so well implemented (Destiny, Journey come to mind) it can be the best of both worlds.

Single player for me too. My internet connection isn't too great and unfortunately moving postcode's for my gaming needs isn't an option.
My job also entails a lot of real life interactions, so when I game, that's 'me time'.
Whilst I prefer single player narrative driven games if the multiplayer is well done I will give it a shot, but they are few and far between. The only games that I've played online on a consistent basis over the last 10 years or so were DBZ Budokai Tenkaichi 3, WWE2K13 and well Destiny.

Couch co-op games I love though. We need more of those- especially split screen racers.

Generally I prefer Solo but I do enjoy MP too. With Destiny, I tend to do a LOT playing Solo. I will always beat the campaign Solo and only play the co-op PvE (Strikes and Raids). The MP is too slow for my liking and would really have benefited from 60fps too - I am sure the MP could have been 60fps if BF1 can with 64 players, vehicles and destruction!!!

when it comes to games i'm all for the single player but that's not to say i don't do multiplayer but when i do it's almost always co-op and PvE

playing co-op with mates is loads of fun and playing PvE means you can tailor the experience to have have much fun as you like

as for PvP i tend to avoid it as much as i can because most of the time it's full of a**hats who either moan when you beat them or gloat when they beat you and it's just not fun to have some one take the p*** just because they do nothing but play this one game all the time so they are better than you

not to mention PvE lets you drop in and out with no worries about having to keep up with other peoples skill levels

basically i would be perfectly fine if online multiplayer vanished tomorrow, single player all the way

Single-player for me, too. I generally hate when a game has a stack of trophies for online stuff, as it usually means I've no chance of getting the Platinum, because often they require massive amounts of grinding.

I don't mind online co-op too much, but generally can't be bothered with competitive. Games like the Uncharted where there are a few trophies just for taking part are okay, but some of the ones where you need, for example, 15,000 kills etc., I really can't be bothered with.

I'd much rather get lost in a good length single-player game, with a good story. I bought The Division and enjoyed playing through the story on my own or with a friend, but I barely bothered with the Dark Zone, and didn't bother with the season pass or DLC because the focus was all multi-player. I also enjoyed Ghost Recon Wildlands both on my own and with friends, but I've no interest in the PvP at all.

Having always enjoyed the lengthy campaigns of old CoD and MoH games, it pains me to see what the newer games have become, with short campaigns and a huge emphasis on multi-player. That's why the Far Cry games have become my favourite FPS titles; both 3 and 4 were great fun, and I'm really looking forward to FC5 next year.

Wow, I'm surprised solo seems to be winning so to speak. I thought with as much coverage that Destiny 2 is getting I would be in the minority with solo as a preferred choice for games. Also interesting to hear is Destiny 2 as a solo option. I might pick it up at some point.

Single player. Even if online was free, I don't have enough time to play a lot of multiplayer games, so I prefer single player. Plus, I'm a big fan of action/adventure games and platformers.

Another vote here for single player. A little multiplayer mixed in occasionally is fine, but the vast majority of my gaming is solo.

@Elodin Destiny is a special case as far as I'm concerned. Going back to what I said it's about how the multiplayer and single player are tied together. A single player experience can suddenly become multiplayer then just as quickly you're on your own again. It all works so well, and you don't really have to choose. It really is the best of both worlds!

Definitely a solo player and the PS4 has some amazing single player experiences. The only multiplayer game I've given much attention to is Overwatch, which I liked much better than I ever expected.

As a whole though, video games are my books. I love the stories, characters, and worlds it gives me.

For me, it depends on the game and my mood.

Games like CoD, Madden, Street Fighter I enjoy more multiplayer then single player but that's cause of my competitive nature. However I do like single player games like GTA, Assassin's Creed or the Arkham games as well. Even when I played WoW years ago I primary soloed it except of course raids, If I could solo it I would.

I think though it comes from the way I grew up. I have a brother who's 2 years younger then me and growing up we always played games together. If it was a single player game like Zelda for example we would just take turns. He would do one dungeon, then I would do the next one and so forth.

So as far as it goes I like them both equally, which one I will play all depends on my mood.

I am pretty much a single player person, though I have on occasion dabbled in online MP. I played a bit of UC4 multiplayer, some Eve Valkyrie and a few other games like Rocket League online occasionally but that is really the exception.

I used to play a fair bit of local MP with friends on the 360 then we had kids and don't see each other as much and rarely for gaming.

Time is certainly a factor, I like to game on my own initiative. The main reason though is probably the effort it takes to get good and those certain players who kind of take the joy out of multiplayer. I rarely get MP heavy games at launch, so by the time I get into them and try the MP, everyone is often way better then me so I don't enjoy the experience and I don't have the time to dedicate to get good enough. Then of course, you have gamers who like to just shout abuse or swear at you (especially if you are a noob). Years ago, when I first got my 360 I tried Halo 3 MP and my wife came in to find me having a swearing match with some 10 year olds in Asia that I was losing (let's just say my Mum took a metaphorical bashing).

I am not ultra competitive either, I prefer personal challenges. I did all of Bloodborne offline and never used the online component at all. I am also a big story person.

Single player mainly with co-op now and again. I'm not good enough for online pvp as I just don't have the time to get better.

I like a good mix of both. There are times when I just want to get lost in a single player experience, and others when I'm in the mood for some friendly co-op/competition (either locally or online). Two games I've really enjoyed recently are Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, a brilliant single player adventure, and Absolver, a multiplayer focused fighting game. Both have their merits. Uncharted has fantastic writing, brilliant characters, and gorgeous settings. Absolver has excellent combat, but the main reason I like it is the almost Journey-esque way you encounter other players. Once you do spot another player, there are a series of emotes you can perform, and you can either attack them, team up with them, or leave them be. It's a great dynamic and has lead to some brilliant moments.

I don't think I can put one in front of the other. I enjoy playing alone and I enjoy playing with others, and I think they're both equally as important.

Single player for the most part, although I enjoy multiplayer too. Local multiplayer is big in our house, and I love how the Souls games incorporate multiplayer. For me, Demon's Souls completely changed what multiplayer gaming can be.
I've also got a good group on GTA V and we still dip into that from time to time, even now. I'm assuming Rockstar will carry over the crew system to the new Red Dead (although we'll probably be a gang rather than a 'crew') so I'm looking forward to that. If they can match the story of Red Dead 1, and provide a multiplayer as fun as GTA V's, then it could end up striking the perfect balance between single player and multiplayer.

@kyleforrester87 The idea of drop in drop out of multi-player when needed for Destiny 2 sounds great. I will have to pick it up. It will be awhile though so hopefully a new player will still be viable to be in multi-player at times. I'm working on my backlog and Pillars of Eternity was my next buy although Destiny 2 might overtake it.

@Elodin Both great games, I'm playing them concurrently to some success

I'm mostly a single player guy, but I do enjoy some multiplayer now and then. I'm usually playing Tekken online at least an hour a day, and when I had a 360, I was slamming hours into Halo. I recently tried Uncharted 4's multiplayer, and found it really fun.

Single player for me. The only game I really have ever put any time in online are the Halo games. The first time I ever played anything online was COD: MW. I didn't know what I was doing or anything about the map so I spent the whole time running around getting sniped by these jerks calling me a n00b. That's been years and I've played online maaaany times since then but it always kind of ruined it for me. Plus, I suck at online multiplayer so it doesn't make it fun for me. I have been really tempted to get Overwatch lately though...