Here's kind of an insane deal for anyone who's up for a few intense strategy-oriented co-op games. Arcen Games, the studio behind A Valley Without Wind and Shattered Haven, currently haa seven games on sale ranging from 50-85% off. The best part is most of them have co-op!
As 2013 draws to an end and we look ahead to what the new year and next gen consoles will bring, there's plenty that's happened over the past year that's worth a bit of a revisit. Here, then, is a recap of some of the stand out Indie-Ana Co-Op features over the past several months, and my own personal list of favorite indie games I've played in 2013.
When I play 2 player side scrolling shooters I just want to hang from a missile with a pal, is that too much to ask? Apparently not with the Contra series, as this is one of the selling points of the series. You can now get your hands on the undercarriage of a SAM in the latest port of the PlayStation 2's Contra Shattered Solider on PSN.
A new bundle recently rolled into the Indie Royale offices, bringing with it a fistful of games from the commanders of cool co-op titles, Arcen Games! The Arclight Bundle sports ten games in all, each one borne from the loving bosoms of the A Valley WIthout Wind creator, and each one featuring co-op play in one form or another. To summarize: Arcen Games stuff for cheap. Buy now.
In part one of our interview with Chris Park, Founder/CEO/Lead Programmer/Lead Designer of Arcen Games, we discussed Arcen's unique approach to game design and development; specifically, how none of their games can really be classified by one genre but are an amalgam of different concepts and mechanics. We then discussed one of their recent releases, A Valley Without Wind 2. In part two of the interview, we turn our focus to Shattered Haven and what lies ahead.
Arcen Games has made a name for themselves for making cooperative games within an established genre and adding their own twist, as we've seen with A Valley Without Wind, and to a degree, AI War. The latest game from this seemingly always busy developer is the environmental puzzler (with zombies), Shattered Haven. It's a different take on the usual zombie game and it works, in its own way.
Arcen Games is on a roll. With A Valley Without Wind 2 hitting just a few months ago, the team has already shipped a new release. Shattered Haven is a top-down action adventure game stuffed with roguelike elements that just appeared on GOG.com. It even has a two player local co-op feature, just in case you want to sit down with a friend and outwit some zombies.
You may not have heard of Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear. You may not know about its predecessor, Heavy Fire: Afghanistan. You may be looking at the screen cap above and you may be saying to yourself, "Holy crap, this looks like another budget military first person shooter! None for me, thanks." Well, you'd be wrong. Heavy Fire: Shattered Spear is a budget military on-rails shooter. That's right. 20 bucks of mess-you-up is coming to a retailer near you sooner than you think. Of course, you probably read the headline, so you're most likely thinking "today," and you'd be right. Good for you!
Arcen Games has a solid track record for co-op gamers. With all three of their major releases now supporting co-op play (AI War, Tidalis, and A Valley Without Wind) - it should come as no surprise their next game will also support co-op play. Called Shattered Haven, Arcen's next game continues the trend that each title they tackle is vastly different from the previous. This time the game is being touted as an action adventure with some rogue-like qualities.
Not to be outdone by the bevy of sales from Microsoft, the PlayStation Network has announced their "11 for 11" sale. That's right, eleven PS3 games for half the price, in honor of 2011. (Personally, I can't wait for 2099. That sale should be incredible.) There is a smattering of co-op goodies sprinkled into the lineup, including Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue, Hoard, Soldner-X2: Final Prototype, Comet Crash, and Shatter. These offers are only available until the end of the month. For a full list of pricing and games getting the half off treatment, read on.
The PSN title Shatter, which combines a side scrolling shooter with brick breaking, was a original and beautiful game when it released last year. Sadly it was missing the thing we desire most in our gaming experiences in the form of co-op multiplayer.
