2008 was a co-op fan's dream come true. Dozens of quality co-op games were released on all platforms. From January to December, you could be busy playing some fantastic games alongside your friends. 2009 looks to continue that trend, with intriguing titles like Resident Evil 5, Aliens: Colonial Marines, Halo Wars, and many more on schedule for release this year. Our staff members share their most anticipated games for 2009 after the break!
Jim
"I'm looking forward to moving away from the shooter genre, but not too far from the action. I'd have to say that Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. really has my attention. I dabbled in the Ace Combat series, and while I had fun with it, I'm more excited to see how Ubisoft puts a western vibe on dogfighting. A four-player drop-in/drop-out campaign pretty much puts this at the top of my list. I've been reading the EndWar novel for kicks, and it's surprisingly very, very good...Ubisoft has really been outdoing themselves with the Clancy universe, and I think - and hope - that H.A.W.X. will not be the exception to their recent slew of quality games that Shaun White Snowboarding was."
Mike
"Demigod. I'm really intrigued by the multiple playstyles (mixing up action-RPG controls and a standard RTS), and out of everything I've seen set for release this year, it looks the most unique."
Jason
"I'm very torn about my most anticipated co-op title for 2009. I'd like it to be White Knight Chronicles, as I've been itching for an RPG title that offers a co-op experience that's even remotely akin to Secret of Mana, i.e., play through the whole epic with a friend. But early reports of its online system haven't been favorable. So with that out of the way, I'm going to have to go with Aliens: Colonial Marines. I remember playing the Aliens vs Predator PC games in college and loving those but thinking the whole time "if only I could play this with my roommates instead of doing deathmatches." I think there's a lot of potential there for a really great co-op game. Especially if the tempting promise of another Left 4 Dead-style co-op experience is true, that in itself makes it a game that would be hard to pass up. My one wish is that they release DLC that lets you play as 4 aliens out on the prowl for Bill Paxton, Paul Resier, and Michael Biehn."
Nick
"With all the fun I've had with Left 4 Dead, Aliens: Colonial Marines actually excites me more. While zombies make a great adversary, Aliens with acid for blood are a step above. I can see already team work is going to be even more crucial for survival. Top it off with a more cohesive story and the possibility for some truly tense moments (can you say Motion tracker?) and you can see why this is my most anticipated co-op game of 09. Plus I can't wait to say "Game Over man...game over" until people tell me to shut up over Xbox Live."
Marc
"It's tough to choose, really. I'd say of the titles the others have mentioned, White Knight Chronicles and Aliens: Colonial Marines are the most intriguing, especially the latter. However, the superhero fan in me has to go with Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2. The first game was like crack to me, being a comic nerd from way back. The four player co-op allowed the two younger comic book fans in my family to play along with me, which is about as good as it gets. We still play the game often, two years later. The sequel looks to take the interactions between the heroes up a notch, so I'm totally sold!"
Loren
"I'm most excited about Borderlands if it actually comes out this year. Ever since I read about it and how Randy Pitchford talked about it I was sold. An MMO-like game with tens of thousands of weapons available and a dynamic mission structure has me at 'hello'. I just hope the game sees the light of day this year. I'm also sure there is a lot of co-op games we haven't even heard about and maybe one of those will be earthshattering."
What say you, Co-Optimus readers? Let us know what your msot anticipated game of the year is!