At Co-Optimus, we all share at least one thing in common: we love co-op games. Luckily for us, there are a ton of co-op games out there. Our database has over 2800! For folks that are looking for a new co-op game to play, that can be a lot of titles to sift through - so how does one pick? We have our reviews that give our co-op impressions of a game and each year we do our Co-Op Game of the Year Awards, but for this article we’re going to be doing something a little different. This time we’ll be looking at the Staff picks for favorite co-op experiences.
This list from our staff doesn’t necessarily reflect our opinions on the “best” co-op game for the system; rather, they reflect those games where we look back and say “man, those games were a blast to play with my friends.” These are the games that have made our fondest co-op memories possible and have continued to fuel our love for co-op. So without further ado, these are some of our favorite co-op experiences, sorted by system.
SONY SYSTEMS
Playstation 2
Nick Puleo: Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance
Mike Katsufrakis: The Red Star, The Adventures of Cookie & Cream, Dynasty Warriors 3
Marc Allie: Gauntlet Dark Legacy
Jason Love: The Red Star, Silent Hill 2, Dynasty Warriors
Tally Callahan: Champions of Norrath, Tales of the Abyss
Probably unsurprisingly, ARPGs dominate the PS2. The PS2 had many stellar couch co-op ARPGs, providing hours upon hours of time to shoot, slash, and loot your way through a Saturday afternoon.
Staff Quote on Gauntlet Dark Legacy:
"Rented this when visiting my in laws, and played the entire game except for one last level over a week. Loved the characters, the action, and the challenging bosses." - Marc
Playstation 3
Mike Katsufrakis: Demon's Souls, Bionic Commando Rearmed
Jason Love: Dynasty Warriors, Borderlands 2, Bionic Commando Rearmed
Tally Callahan: Diablo III
John Bardinelli: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light
Justin Reynolds: Dungeon Hunter Alliance
There's quite an array of games selected for PS3, demonstrating the flexibility of the system. From cross-platform favorites like Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light to platform-exclusive titles like Demon's Souls, we've got a variety of bases covered with these staff picks.
Staff Quote on Diablo III:
"I truly believe the console version of Diablo 3 was what the PC version should have been on launch. This was a version worth waiting 10 years for. And who would have thought that Diablo would feel so natural with a controller!" - Tally