Combine thy powers
Babel Rising’s co-op mode is a splitscreen control pad only survival mode. You and a friend can choose between three types of level which have slight deviations on the same type of gameplay that dominates the solo modes. You must work together to try and slow down the humans as much as possible, therefore improving your survival time. The 4 major powers are split between the two players so that you must work in conjunction to get the best from them. Even on Easy the game is more manic than earlier single player missions, humans will ascend the tower from at least two directions and need constantly subduing – the best results will come with conversation and true co-operation.
However, the term co-operation is a little generous for this game. The constant threat of the human waves means that you spend most of your time panic killing, rather than discussing tactics. Perhaps with plenty of practice you will develop as a team, some powers do work well in conjunction, but the basic gameplay is so samey and boring that you may never learn to grow. How many times can you be bothered to mash the same four buttons over and over again for the slight reward of a longer survival time? It is the gameplay itself, and not the concept of co-op, that is the flaw with Babel Rising. What may be fun for 5 minutes on an iPad is not worth investing 20 minutes a go on 360.
As with so much in life, the co-op is better than the solo game types, for as long as it stays interesting. The split screen is clean and you can see plenty on your own half without feeling encroached upon. However, the fact that Survival is the only option available, and that become dull quickly, means that the co-op is a poor as the single player. More could have been done to improve co-op in the game – better linked powers, online service, and differing game types. You are left with a co-op mode that feels just like the Kinect controls – an afterthought. A relatively quick piece of coding added to a product to tick a bullet point on the box. We at Co-Optimus require a lot more from our co-op games if you think we are going to spend hard earned money on them.
Editor's Note: The Co-Optimus Co-Op Babel Rising was based on the Xbox 360 version of the game.
Verdict
Co-Op Score
Overall
The Co-Op Experience: Babel Risings co-op mode is a splitscreen control pad only survival mode. You and a friend must survive as long as possible by using your God like powers to crush humans in this Real Time Tower Defence game.
Co-Optimus game reviews focus on the cooperative experience of a game, our final score graphic represents this experience along with an average score for the game overall. For an explanation of our scores please check our Review Score Explanation Guide.