Single-player games are usually designed to allow one player to explore the game’s world at their own pace and only have to be conscious of NPCs and enemy characters. Eventually, once a player is familiar enough with a particular world or enemy, that game can become routine and expected. On the flip side, competitive multiplayer games have goals that see opposing players face off against one another, requiring gamers to think more creatively and expect the unexpected from their enemies.

With that said, certain games combine the two types of play styles by allowing hostile players to enter a host player’s game with the goal of eliminating them, otherwise known as invasion multiplayer. Few games actually utilize this mechanic, which was originally made popular by the FromSoftware Soulsborne series. But in recent years, more games have introduced the invasion mechanic with fairly great success, which shows that more single-player games should allow for multiplayer invasions.

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The History of Multiplayer Invasions

An invasion in Dark Souls 3

It should come as no surprise that one of the first games to utilize such a unique mechanic as invasions is also one of the most influential titles in gaming: FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls. When the first game in the Soulsborne legacy was released in 2009, it subtly included the multiplayer system into the main game in a way that surprised most players. Since most were used to the idea of multiplayer being the classic Team A vs. Team B, it was a shock for players to be progressing along through a single-player RPG only to receive a notification that they have been invaded and now had to fight a red phantom of another player character.

However, FromSoftware was not the only popular developer that wanted to include invasions. In 2007 Arkane Studios began creating a game called The Crossing, which was set to be a gothic FPS that looks very similar to Arkane’s Dishonored series. The team behind the game wanted to include a mechanic they called “cross-player”, in which, host players would have some enemy characters in their game controlled by other human players and give players a reprieve from the usual multiplayer experience. Unfortunately, the game was never released due to publisher and financial issues, but the cross-player mechanic was definitely a predecessor to invasion mechanics in future titles.

After Demon’s Souls, almost every other Soulsborne series game included the invasion mechanic, with Sekiro being the only one without multiplayer. Arkane’s latest release, Deathloop, finally reintroduced the developer’s version of invasions by allowing hostile players to control one of the main antagonist and attempt to eliminate the host player. Both franchises are considered very successful, and their multiplayer is a breath of fresh air compared to the standard.

That being said, there are a few other popular franchises that have included or planned to include invasions. The Watch Dogs series had an iteration of the mechanic that had the invading player attempting to secretly hack the host player while also being hunted by the host in a deadly game of cat and mouse. Metal Gear Solid 5 allowed invading players to attack and steal from a host player’s forward operating base with the host engaging them in a firefight to protect their resources. Dying Light included an optional mode called “Be the Zombie” that allowed one player to control a super zombie that would stalk and attack up to 4 human players at night. Doom Eternal also had an invasion mode planned, but it had to be cut due to the COVID-19 Pandemic and time constraints.

The most recent iteration of invasions came from Sniper Elite 5 which used the mechanic like Deathloop and had a hostile invader face off against the host in a one-on-one sniper battle in the midst of the campaign. Clearly, many games that are traditionally single-player have been able to successfully incorporate an invasion mechanic and give players a different experience. Though this type of multiplayer may not fit into every type of game, it is well worth exploring invasion multiplayer’s potential.

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How Invasion Multiplayer Could Affect Other Games

Featured Image for Sniper Elite 5 How To Survive An Invasion

Needless to say, not every single-player game is made with invasion mechanics in mind. FromSoftware specifically designed each game expecting players to make use of the multiplayer mechanic, and even then, many players have been able to abuse or exploit the system to create a less-than-ideal experience. Still, many games already have a perfect formula that could be given a unique twist by introducing invasions.

Linear, objective-based games such as the Hitman series ask the player to complete a task or series of tasks while being interrupted by NPCs. The most ideal way of playing these types of games is by learning routines and executing a laid-out plan. However, including a multiplayer aspect could throw a wrench into the host player’s plans and create a sense of urgency and panic that usually comes with competitive multiplayer games. Because linear games are usually so cut and dry, some players may enjoy the change of pace that comes with not only having to navigate around the in-game enemies, but also a player-controlled foe that thinks and acts differently.

Open-world games give more freedom to the player and allow them to explore areas and complete objectives at their own pace. Including an invasion mechanic in these types of games may pose more of a challenge, as the idea of finding and disrupting a player in an open world would be more difficult than in linear games because there is not a clear path or single objective. However, the Watch Dogs series and Elden Ring were able to successfully and seamlessly incorporate invasions, so other open-world games could benefit from adopting a similar method of having an invading player enter the host player’s world.

Still, the invasion mechanic does not come without its drawbacks. Even in well-received games such as Dark Souls, many players become frustrated with the idea of having to deal with hostile players in addition to the already challenging enemies. Further, some players seek out single-player games in order to not have to deal with other players or worry about multiplayer at all. For these reasons, most games that include invasions give the option for players to turn off the online aspect and play the games solely as single-player. Though games like Deathloop strongly encourage multiplayer invasions, as it plays a major role in the story, developers understand that invasions and multiplayer are not suited for every player.

Though the invasion mechanic will likely remain a niche type of multiplayer, it does provide a new perspective to games and gives players a different type of challenge in single-player experiences. Part of the reason invasion multiplayer stands out so much is that FromSoftware and other developers who pioneered the mechanic wanted to go against the norm and shock players who may not be expecting to deal with other, hostile players. Regardless, invasion mechanics remain an interesting and unique twist on conventional multiplayer, so it would be great to see the concept used more often.

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