Your favourite survival modes

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I fricking love survival modes. There's just something about the gameplay, that slow build-up of difficulty up to that one wave or boss you just can't get past. But you keep trying again and again, learning the patterns of the waves and enemies and how to effectively get rid of them, and there's usually something new and cool to shoot just around the corner.

They're also usually a hell of a lot of fun in co-op. I can't count the hours I've spent with my buddies playing things like Halo's Firefight or GOW's Horde modes, sitting on the couch together and working as a team (most of the time).

There have been a few really good survival modes in games throughout the years. I kinda liked COD's Nazi Zombies, but the gameplay just didn't tickle my fancy. I never played the Mass Effect 3 mode, but I've heard good things about it.

You know, I can't actually think of all that many at the moment, which is a shame. Maybe you guys can help with that.

So what are your favourite survival modes and why?

 

[IBlackKiteI]

Since it really only has one core mode, Killing Floor quickly gets repetitive and otherwise has a number of issues, but I still find it damn good fun. All the weapons, even the starting ones, can still serve you quite well later on in a match and there's a diverse set of maps with a variety of potential ways to succeed in each.

ME3 is great because it's for the most part a survival mode but also features objectives that the players must complete, ranging from guarding a particular area to fragging specific enemies, allowing for a good deal of variety and forcing the players to move around often. Nazi Zombies, and a lot of other survival-type modes very quickly get to that point where everyone just stands in a particular corner with superpowered guns mowing everything down until the match ends, not very engaging after a while.

Gears of War 3's Horde mode is cool in that you can set up fortifications and establish yourself practically anywhere on the map as you take down waves of very diverse and very crazy enemies, but I feel it's really let down by the maps themselves obviously being designed for multiplayer and the way the enemies become more difficult. They don't become smarter or try anything new or spawn in difficult patterns, they just get improved stats.

 

[Kopikatsu]

Resident Evil's various survival modes. Extreme Battle Arena in RE2/CVX, Mercenaries in 3/4/5/6.

But mostly I just like any survival mode that has an end. I hate endless game modes because I never feel as though I'm actually accomplishing anything.

Edit: Just remembered Future Soldier's survival mode. The later waves were crazy with only 1-2 people. So much was going on that the characters just spazzed constantly. "RPG! WE'RE BEING SUPPRESSED! SNIPER SNIPER! GIVE ME SOME COVERING FIRE! THEY'RE FLANKING! SHOTGUNS INCOMING! HEAVY ARMOR INBOUND, TAKE POSITION! TAKE DOWN THAT MOUNTED HMG! GRENADE GRENADE! GHOST DOWN! SNIPER HAS ME PINNED DOWN! THAT HMG IS TEARING US UP, TAKE CARE OF IT! HELOS HAVE US PINNED DOWN! WE NEED SUPPORT! REQUESTING BACKUP! ENEMY FORCES ADVANCING! ENEMY SPEC OPS, GET DOWN! GRENADE GRENADE! GHOST DOWN!" all within the span of about 12 seconds.

 

[MajorTomServo]

Killing Floor and Mann vs Machine in TF2.

I especially like this one fan-made endless mode.

 

[Whitbane]

Dead Rising's survival mode was pretty awesome. Having to actually eat food to stay alive and regardless of how well you did, you always starved to death in the end.

 

[floppylobster]

I've almost always despised them. I find them so pointless. But I get that they appeal to you. You probably have a lot more fight in you than I do.

Of the ones I have tried and didn't instantly hate I'd list Left 4 Dead, Vanquish and Halo ODST. But I really only tried them a couple of times before giving up.

I do love RTS games though. And the thought of a survival mode on one of those really interests me. There's a level like it in Age of Empires 2 that I just love.

 

[Doopliss64]

I love survival modes, but to tell you the truth, none of them have been really compelling to me lately. They seem to be all about the action, which seems more like an "arena" mode than a "survival" mode to me. My ideal survival mode would have to be something like The Mercenaries in the RE games, but without all that score and time limit nonsense. Just me and a friend, a small supply of ammo, and a never-ending tide of tough, varied enemies. Unfortunately, RE insists on making it all "arcadey" instead of the slow built-up tension of other games. (Not to mention that RE isn't that great anymore.) On a positive note, I do enjoy L4D's survival, even though it's basically the opposite of everything I just said.

 

[Maco]

There's always a blast to be had on MW3 survival mode especially when you find that sweet spot where you feel invincible mowing down hoards of enemies with your trusty LMG, not to mention the panic when the heavies roll in as you shake a dog off of your face and your GIGN team hold out, as sentries destroy all before them before relieving the pressure with some close air support *takes breath*

Say what you want about MW3, but that mode is a blast with a friend