5 Co-Op Games You Should Be Playing
Hey guys, what’s up! It’s Matthew here with a list! As the oldest of five kids growing up, co-op games were practically a necessity since everyone wanted to play. Now they’re fairly abundant and before the onslaught of the new console begins, I’m here to tell you five co-op games you should be playing. Let’s get into it, shall we?
The latest release on this list, Payday 2 brings to life what fans of any heist movie would only dream of doing. That’s right; bank robbery. And it’s not limited to that. In the sequel to Payday, you and three friends don masks to steal all kinds of shit. From simple smash-and-grabs to drug running, this game is one that centers on teamwork and class specialization. It also requires constant communication for you to score the biggest payday. Payday 2 lacks a central story, but what else do you need other than an excuse to cook meth? Oh yes, that happens in this game, too. It’s nothing short of challenges. A major downside is that it doesn’t support split screen play. You have to get on your own console and game!
Army of TWO The Devil’s Cartel
The latest installment of the Army of Two series, The Devil’s Cartel comes three years later. It greatly improves on the controls and mechanics from the first two games. It supports split screen which eliminates the pesky two-game-two-console problem. It also boasts a rich story and easier weapon customization, and less tact; more run and gun. You’re playing two soldiers as a part of a PMC. It’s a third person shooter more focused on assaulting an objective or covering your partner as he or she moves up to take out an armored foe or flank a nest. There are dozens of weapons to play with, options to consider, and paint jobs for your guns and masks.
This game makes number three on the list because it was the first in the series to give you a partner. A friend could sit and suffer with you as you struggle against the horrors of Umbrella’s leftovers. What starts off as a blessing shortly becomes an additional hurdle as ammo is scarce and runs out quicker with two people using the same ammo pool. With an added human player the puzzles aren’t terribly harder, just a little irritating. However, you can’t run and gun in this one, no you stand your ground as you take aim at the hordes of infected that rush at you with all kinds of weapons. Despite being billed a survival-horror however, this plays more like an action game. Which is fine with me, considering the option to do tandem attacks is dope. Provided you’re quick enough.
Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City
This was a game that felt like it was supposed to tie fans over before Resident Evil 6 came out. In this game you went back to the grounds of Resident Evil 2. In Raccoon City you stepped into the boots of Umbrella’s personal clean up crew, selecting one of six soldiers in Delta Squad, aka the Wolf Pack. Instead being able to branch your experience points the way you wanted, each soldier was a specialist in a certain field. Raccoon City is another game that boasted four player co-op but didn’t support split screen play. To make up for it was a campaign and various online multiplayer versus matches. So if you were feeling particularly brave and maybe a tad idiotic, you could take the fight to other players online in the middle of the goddamned zombie apocalypse. Zombies, monsters, and soldiers made the threat of danger constant.
Contra
That’s right, at the top of the list is the granddaddy of ALL co-op games. Contra. Why I’ve listed it is due to the fact it was a game that just about everyone in my family has played time and time again. My brothers and I lived to play it because it was easy to pick up with anyone. It boasted an unheard feature at the time (granted this game came out a year before I was born) which is the central feature of this piece; co-op. With a partner you could run and gun through levels and waves of enemies armed to the teeth. While a single shot could kill you, your weapons were literally plucked from the air via capsules that you shot. It is just about every 80’s action and sci-fi movie packed into a game that made for hours of fun. It’s a side-scroller classic that has been all but blanked from the halls of the internet as a cult classic and with a number of sites devoted to porting this over to the internet and home download.
And that’s my five co-op games you should be playing. Got a game that didn’t make a cut? Post a reply or join me on Xbox Live, GamerTag: Jookyaku.
