History Main / MisbegottenMultiplayerMode

* ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights'' was also designed to be a multiplayer game. Then they learned finding teammates was impossible, and people really liked story-driven single-player {{Role Playing Game}}s anyway. Hence the expansion packs and sequel added more story and more optional party members.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/{{Chromehounds}}'', a mecha game built around declaring allegiance with one of three nations and waging a persistent war on a RiskStyleMap. The singleplayer, taking place immediately before the outbreak of war, is a series of glorified tutorials with minimal replayability that teaches the basic gameplay mechanics for the six "classes" and unlocks a paltry set of parts for the multiplayer DesignItYourselfEquipment.

*** In levels where there are hazards that can cause players to die, it's much easier to accidentally knock off one of your teammates if you're playing with four players, especially if you sprint a lot.

* ''VideoGame/GliderPRO'' has a two-player mode where the first player to leave a room (''Glider PRO'' is a non-scrolling game) must wait for the second glider to follow, or press a suicide button if it can't. The second-player controls being non-configurable (locked to the modifier keys) is only a minor annoyance compared to this.
* ''Overcooked!'' Plays with this trope quite a bit.

* Downplayed with ''VideoGame/XCOM2''. While the multiplayer was generally functional (if a bit heavy on loading times) it was essentially dead on arrival when the game was released in 2016. The servers were eventually shut down in early 2022.

* ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUs'' has a multiplayer mode, Factions, which pits Fireflies against Survivors in several team deathmatch and capture modes. While not outright terrible, it was completely outshined by the single-player story that has been praised for its well written characters and performances. The multiplayer servers for [=PS3=] were shut down in 2019, while ''VideoGame/TheLastOfUsPartII'' and the first game's own remake outright omitted the mode. A standalone multiplayer mode is currently stuck in DevelopmentHell.

* ''VideoGame/GhostbustersTheVideoGame'' on UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 and UsefulNotes/Xbox360 has a multiplayer mode where players control the Ghostbusters in either defending ghost disrupters while they charge, or capturing ghosts in a set time limit. It was quickly taken offline due to lack of interest, and was outright removed in the PC port and 2019 remasters.

* ''VideoGame/PunchOut'' for UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} has a head-to-head mode that is regarded as this by many people, though others will argue that this mode is actually a very deep and intense battle of the wits and people are mainly disappointed that they can only play as recolored clones of Little Mac as opposed to popular characters like King Hippo or Super Macho Man.

* Despite the single player being fine bar a few minor glitches, split-screen co-op on ''VideoGame/Borderlands3'' is borderline unplayable on Xbox One & UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, suffering from severe framerate drops, sub-par graphics (even when compared to the second games' co-op mode) and audio glitches, simple tasks like opening the menu causing the game to freeze and stutter, notifications completely obscuring the view for the player in the top half of the screen, plus [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking no option to play with vertical split-screen for those that prefer it]]. This is especially jarring as the Borderlands franchise has always championed co-op play as a selling point rather than tacking it on as an afterthought.
* ''Videogame/TheDarkness'' includes a tacked-on selection of multiplayer modes, featuring the ability to shapeshift into a wall-crawling Darkling at will ([[MultiplayerOnlyItem which isn't present in singleplayer]]). However, the game types are uninteresting and the maps are a visually-boring assortment of tight corridors, which fail to take advantage of the Darkling's superior speed and agility. As a result, the sequel changed multiplayer to a better received concurrent coop campaign.

* The UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable version of the ''[[VideoGame/PeterJacksonsKingKong Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie]]'' added a [=WiFi=] multiplayer mode: Both of you played the same level in single-player, and the person who completed it fastest "won".

* ''Videogame/{{STALKER}}'''s multiplayer was passable, but very so different from the single player (WideOpenSandbox singleplayer horror, run-and-gun arena multiplayer). A large amount of technical issues made many players consider ''STALKER'' to be an effectively singleplayer game; It required ''nine'' ports to be forwarded to play online, effectively every server was located in Russia or Ukraine with insane ping for NA players, the game had an average-at-best netcode, and the initial of the first two games causing players to crash left-and-right. The Platform/{{Steam}} release of the game running "up-to-date" on an old patch certainly didn't help.
* Inverted in ''Videogame/{{Titanfall}}'', which was designed to be a multiplayer game first. The singleplayer 'campaign' is essentially a short lineup of AI skirmish battles with an ExcusePlot to tie them together. ''VideoGame/Titanfall2'' had a critically-acclaimed single-player campaign while also expanding on the multiplayer, averting this entirely.
* Also inverted in the original ''Videogame/{{Tribes}}'' and its sequel, where the "singleplayer" mode was little more than a glorified JustifiedTutorial that could be blasted through in under two hours. Instant Action would give you a singleplayer battle with bots that were usually [[ArtificialBrilliance pretty competent]] but [[ArtificialStupidity couldn't use the game's]] AscendedGlitch, 'skiing', that the whole series was built on. ''Videogame/TribesVengeance'' has both a proper singleplayer and multiplayer, though ''Tribes Ascend'' drops singleplayer entirely.

** ''VideoGame/ShadowTheHedgehog'' bought back this feature (except in the UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} version for some reason) where a second player can control the helper characters (minus Black Doom, Eggman, and oddly, Charmy). Not very useful in "get to the goal" missions for the same reasons mentioned above in ''Sonic 2'' and ''3''. However, instead of having to wait for the helper to re-appear if he/she falls off camera, this game now has the option to call him/her back to your side with a simple tap on the D-Pad, which makes it actually worth it in alternate missions like "collect X rings" or "kill X enemies". For added hilarity, you can use characters in their opposite missions: have fun using Sonic to beat GUN soldiers and then have him complain on Shadow.

* ''Videogame/DeusEx'' is a very open-ended first person FPS/RPG with an emphasis on its [[AllMythsAreTrue story]]. The multiplayer, however, is essentially a bunnyhopping arena shooter similar to ''Videogame/{{Quake}}'', though not quite as fast paced. Tellingly, none of the sequels feature multiplayer.
* ''Videogame/DragonAgeInquisition'' featured a wave-based multiplayer mode that while functional, leaned heavily on microtransactions and was clearly an afterthought. While the characters introduced for it were at least interesting (including the return of fan-favorite Isabela) the multiplayer was so different that it was clearly [[ExecutiveMeddling added at EA's demand.]]

** The original version of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' for the UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem allowed you to play in two player mode, which just meant that the second player could control a few of the characters in battle. If they happened to be bitter about being made second player, this person could, instead of attacking the monsters during battle, kill the characters assigned to first player, allowing them to take over control.

** Tales of Destiny locks second player control behind a specific equippable accessory. Not only is the accessory's purpose not well explained in game, if you lose the accessory [[SoLongAndThanksForAllTheGear like, say, by having the second player controlling the character with the most rival-like relationship with the main character when he permanently leaves the party]] congrats! This is now a single player game only. ''They made multiplayer functionality be PermanentlyMissableContent.''

* Inverted in ''Videogame/{{Chromehounds}}'', a mecha game built around declaring allegiance with one of three nations and waging a persistent war on a RiskStyleMap. The singleplayer, taking place immediately before the outbreak of war, is a series of glorified tutorials with minimal replayability that teaches the basic gameplay mechanics for the six "classes" and unlocks a paltry set of parts for the multiplayer DesignItYourselfEquipment.

** ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend'' and ''VideoGame/TombRaiderAnniversary'' on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable feature a multiplayer mode, where players competed to see who can finish single player missions the fastest, or collect the most treasures within a time limit.

* You can often count the number of people who consistently play ''VideoGame/{{Warframe}}''’s PvP Mode, Conclave, on one hand. The severe case of RocketTagGameplay, obtuse way of progression, and lack of quality rewards tends to turn people off of the mode. Tellingly, the developers have quit balancing content for Conclave, with the selection of gear being limited to those balanced explicitly for it, in order to focus on the much more popular PvE main game. Teshin, the main {{NPC}} in charge of the mode, later immigrated into the main game via story quests (where most players [[RememberTheNewGuy don’t figure out where he came from]]) and for running MissionControl in [[NewGamePlus Steel Path]] and Duviri.

* ''VideoGame/GrandTheftAutoSanAndreas'' has a multiplayer mode in the original [=PS2=] version that isn't really fleshed out. The camera tries to keep both players in view and if they get too far apart, the camera zooms out and makes it hard to keep track who is where. Weapons that are only used in first person view like sniper rifles and rocket launchers can't be used since the camera switch would make the other player not visible. Co-op mode only allows either rampages or free roaming and the second player can't be used to assist player one in the story missions. Lastly, if either player dies, both are forced to respawn. The mode was outright removed in later ports and rereleases. The fan-made ''Multi Theft Auto'', based on the original PC version and primarily played online, on the other hand, is much better received and it's seen as the spiritual predecessor to ''Videogame/GrandTheftAutoOnline''.

* ''Videogame/{{STALKER}}'''s multiplayer was passable, but very so different from the single player (WideOpenSandbox singleplayer horror, run-and-gun arena multiplayer). A large amount of technical issues made many players consider ''STALKER'' to be an effectively singleplayer game; It required ''nine'' ports to be forwarded to play online, effectively every server was located in Russia or Ukraine with insane ping for NA players, the game had an average-at-best netcode, and the initial of the first two games causing players to crash left-and-right. The {{UsefulNotes/Steam}} release of the game running "up-to-date" on an old patch certainly didn't help.

* ''Guardian's of the Hood'' has sparring matches between levels where you fight one of the other playable characters. In a two player game, the players must fight each other, and it's still treated as a game-over for the loser, requiring them to fork over cash for a continue. The game even has the gall to say "Winner continues for FREE" as if they're being generous.