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Video games often allow players to have a fun time with friends or be a part of a community, interacting with players from around the globe. Social interaction is vital to the essence of gaming. From playing with and against friends while sitting on your couch at home to playing with people from other parts of the world, video games provide players countless hours of entertainment.
Co-operative modes allow players to team up with their friends to experience and explore the challenges offered by these video games. It is a unique approach to gaming in general and can be extremely enjoyable when executed correctly.
PlayStation Plus offers a diverse range of co-op games
1) Alienation
Released by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2016, Alienation is a shooting-based RPG that relies heavily on co-op mechanics. Game design and narrative are relatively simplistic. Players must defend themselves against waves of alien attacks with increasing difficulty levels.
Alienation is a game for one to four players. Users can go up against alien invasion or team up with friends for a local or online co-op experience. The game offers a choice between three character classes and several upgrading and customization options.
The game was released to universal acclaim, with critics preferring the co-op modes to the single-player ones. The twin-stick shooter mechanics were also praised for their efficient design.
Alienation is free to subscribers of the 'Extra' tier of PlayStation Plus.
2) Darksiders Genesis
Released for Windows in 2019 and PlayStation in 2020 by THQ Nordic, Darksiders Genesis is considered a spin-off of the mainline Darksiders video games. It is a hack and slash game played from a top-down perspective.
The events of the game follow Strife, the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse. A secondary character named War is also available for players to switch between the two. Both characters offer their unique playstyles, abilities, and perks. Strife prefers ranged gun combat, whereas War uses his sword for melee kills.
Alternatively, players can simultaneously team up with a friend to control both the avatars in a refreshing co-op experience. The game offers a unique blend of gun and melee combat and excellent level design, progression, and puzzle-solving sections.
Darksiders Genesis is free to subscribers of the 'Extra' tier of PlayStation Plus.
3) The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan
Developed by Supermassive Games and released by Bandai Namco in 2019, Man of Medan is a unique entry in this list of video games as it implements co-op elements in the survival horror genre.
The game's events follow four college students and the captain of a boat named Duke of Milan, who are on a diving trip to excavate the remains of a WWII-era plane. However, their voyage is full of perils, as they have to deal with pirates as well as hostile supernatural entities,
Man of Medan allows up to five players to play the game in a co-op mode, portraying the experiences of the five central characters on the boat. The game is played from a third-person perspective, and players must make interactive choices based on their characters 'heads' or 'hearts.' These choices shape how the narrative of the game unfolds.
Man of Medan is free to subscribers of the 'Extra' tier of PlayStation Plus.
4) Sundered
Sundered is part of a sub-genre of video games called Metroidvania, which focuses on non-linear exploration and progression.
The game offers a side-scrolling world full of adventure and enemies. Players must defeat hordes of enemies and unlock new abilities to progress. A unique feature of the game is that after every death, the game's maps procedurally reshape themselves to offer a fresh and challenging experience during the reattempt.
Players can play alone or with up to four friends in a local co-op experience. Critics praised the co-op mechanics and level design as refreshing and creative. The boss fights were also well received, despite the lack of variety in the hordes of random enemies.
Sundered is free to subscribers of the 'Extra' tier of PlayStation Plus.
5) Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Batman is among the most famous names in the world of superheroes and fiction. The Lego Batman franchise of movies and video games offers a more light-hearted take on Gotham's dark and gritty vigilante and has been a critical and commercial success.
Lego Batman 3 was developed by Traveller's Tales and released by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment in 2014. It features a semi-open world of various characters from DC lore, as players must stop Brainiac from invading earth.
The co-op dynamic in the game features Batman and Robin, his infamous sidekick. However, upon completing the main storyline, the 'Free Play' mode allows players to replay the levels using characters they have unlocked or created.
The game received praise for its level design, creative puzzles, and humor, as well as its take on the characters of the DC universe. The integration of DC into the genre of co-op video games is a refreshing experience and makes the game unique.
Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is free to subscribers of the 'Extra' tier of PlayStation Plus.
Note: This article reflects the writer's opinions.
