The 11 Best Co-Op Games of 2011

Having officially made the transition from a person who writes about games to a person who makes games, I find it a little odd writing a post like this one now; however, I think there is some genuine value in sharing my thoughts on games that I've played and enjoyed. Given all the coverage of gaming that already exists, the only thing I can really hope to bring to the table when talking about games are my own personal experiences with them, so I've concluded that topics like this remain viable, at least for now.

Still, I'd feel a little weird doing a "Best of 2011" list that could potentially include my own game on it. So, I'm going to sidestep that issue and simultaneously address an aspect of gaming that I feel is often overlooked when constructing these sorts of lists: co-operative or co-op play.

In a lot of ways, co-op has become one of the most important things I look for when selecting what new games to play. As I get older, and my time becomes more and more limited, I find myself less and less inclined to spend large chunks of it playing single-player games. Granted, there's a part of me that will always love the sense of immersion and focus and ownership that comes from a great single-player experience, but there's an even bigger part that really appreciates the ability to tie social interactions into gaming. Those shared experiences, when done well, are so satisfying, so worthwhile, that they quite simply bring a deeper meaning and value to gaming as a hobby for me.

So, without further delay, here are my top 11 (see what I did there?) co-op games of 2011:

#11 - Portal 2

I know a lot of people will bemoan this game not appearing higher on the list, but the truth is that I found the co-op in Portal 2 simply "good." I totally appreciate the craftsmanship and novelty of it, but I also have to acknowledge that it didn't click for me the way any of the other games I considered for this list did. So, for me, this is where it belongs.

#10 - F.E.A.R. 3

In some important ways, "F.E.A.R. 3" is a very average game. The shooting mechanics, the combat scenarios, the enemy designs all feel a little "been there, done that" having played a lot of First-Person Shooters (FPS) over the years; however, there's just enough going on in this game to keep it moving. Whether it's the occasional mech suit for player one, or the special psychic abilities player 2 sports, or just wanting to see the next totally messed up thing that happens as the campaign unfolds; there's just enough there to make the shared experience worthwhile. This is a great example of a game I never would have bothered to play through myself but that was pretty fun with a buddy at my side. The other co-op focused multiplayer modes are also cool.

#9 - Hunted: The Demon's Forge

This is a game that won me over despite some annoyances. I really like the idea of a co-op Action/Adventure game with RPG elements where the strengths and weaknesses of the two unique characters compliment each other. Some of the environmental design felt a bit lackluster and there's some definite jank hurting the core gameplay, but there are also some great high points that kept things moving and made the overall experience worthwhile. Much like "F.E.A.R. 3," this is a game that needs to be played co-operatively to be any real fun.

#8 - Sanctum

Unlike a lot of the other games on this list, "Sanctum" is something I enjoy playing solo or with friends. The hybrid FPS/Tower Defense mechanic really works and if not for some annoying difficulty spikes and balance issues, which supposedly have been patched since the last time I fired it up, this one would have been higher on the list, but regardless, the things it does right outweigh the things is does (did) wrong.

#7 - Battlefield 3

As a huge fan of "Battlefield 2," "Battlefield 2142," "Battlefield 1943" and "Battlefield: Bad Company 2," it really pains me that this game didn't quite live up to my expectations. Don't get me wrong. "Battlefield 3" (BF3) is a great co-op game, but I also recognize its shortcomings. For every new bell and whistle, there's a missing or ignored feature. For every innovation, there's a step backward. The overall experience is still great, but I have to say that BF3 has not quite captured me the way that "Bad Company 2" did and I've found myself returning more and more to that game as BF3's "new and shiny" factor begins to fade. Who knows what BF3 will be like six months from now, but at the moment it's not quite good enough to make the top half of this list.

#6 - Star Wars: The Old Republic

I've played a lot of WoW (World of Warcraft). To be blunt, an almost un-healthy amount of it and that game will always hold a special place in my heart, but in most respects, WoW has left me filled to the brim with the trappings of the MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online Game) genre. As a result, I had resolved to not even try "Star Wars: The Old Republic" because of its evident, almost slavish devotion to the tropes of the genre. It therefore speaks volumes about the game's quality that once convinced to give it a try, I find it at all worthwhile. Unsurprisingly, it's the things about it that are different from WoW (the emphasis on interactive story presentation and the fact that everyone gets a "pet" to name a couple) that make it worth playing for me.  Having said that, I don't see myself playing this game for years the way I did with WoW, but it is compelling, and fun, and for the most part well made.

#5 - Dungeon Defenders

If this were all about value for money, "Dungeon Defenders" would be the #1 game on this list without question. The sheer amount of content that's been jammed into the overall game package is almost overwhelming. Much like "Sanctum," the melding of the Action-RPG and Tower Defense genres present in this game is so well executed that it really is in a class by itself. Having said that, this is a game that I never play alone. For me, it only works when playing with at least one or two other people, be them friends or random folks online. Still, it's a great game and well worth every penny.

#4 - Brink

I love this game. I love it in a way that's almost dangerous to my credibility because so many other people seem to hate it, but for my money, "Brink" is the best co-operative FPS experience of 2011. If you haven't played it, and you're not playing it with other people, you're doing it wrong. In a lot of ways, the innovations in this game were what I was hoping for and didn't get from "Battlefield 3." Is it perfect? No. Is it for everyone? No, but if it clicks for you, you'll be hard pressed to find a better Team/Objective-Based FPS.

#3 - Dead Island

Best four-player co-op game since "Borderlands." Best first-person melee fighting in a while. Great weapon/gadget crafting system. Great environmental diversity. Serviceable story and quest structure. In short, a must-play if you've got friends to play it with. "Dead Island" is the closest you can get to seeing how your social circle would handle a zombie apocalypse without getting infected. :)

#2 - Lord of the Rings: War in the North

Perhaps I love this game because it was such a pleasant surprise. Perhaps I was taken in by just how well it captures the feeling of being in Middle Earth and being one of its heroes, or perhaps it is simply one of the best co-op Action/Adventure games with RPG elements ever made. The moment to moment action is great. The sense of "fellowship" and shared experience playing it with friends provides is fantastic and the overall package just comes together in a way that many other games should envy. I will never understand how this game didn't get more critical love because it was easily one of the best co-op games I've played in this or any other year.

#1 - Saints Row: The Third

The thing that makes "Saints Row: The Third" so special is surprisingly easy to define. It is fun. Just about every moment from beginning to end is individually or some combination of funny, clever, innovative, delightfully-crass, original, empowering or exhilarating. Yes, it can be a bit low brow and the subject matter's certainly not After-School Special worthy, but it all works and entertains on some level. Now consider that all of those experiences can be shared with a friend and it's clear how this is not just the best co-op game of the year, but the best game of 2011. (See what I did there? And yes, I played "Skyrim," but then I took an arrow... Oh, never mind!)

Division of Labor

I know. I know. It's been over three months since my last post and for that reason alone I don't expect that many people will see this right away, but if I'm going to keep this thing going I need to start somewhere so I might as well begin by explaining why there haven't been any posts for three months. :)

It should come as no surprise to anyone who read my last post that I've been spending considerable time and effort over the past few months promoting the release of "Powergrids" for iOS. In point of fact, I've spent nearly as much time marketing this version of the game as I spent creating it but I'm rapidly reaching the bottom of my bag of tricks and coming to the realization that I need to move on to a new project and let the cards fall where they will where "Powergrids" is concerned.

This is in no way a bad thing since I'm more than ready to move on creatively, but the simple truth is that the better "Powergrids" sells, the more options and flexibility I have when defining the scope of my next project, so it was very necessary for me to pursue every reasonable path toward making as many potential customers aware of it as possible.

As with anything in life, looking back on it, there are some things I definitely could have done better that I will absolutely be keeping in mind in the future, but overall, I'm happy with what I've done and learned thus far, and managed to pull off what I believe to be a few really great marketing coups for an indie iOS game created and marketed by a single person.

In particular, there is one remaining promotional effort, which should be bearing fruit within the next few days that I tend to view as a sort of "last chance" for mainstream recognition of the game. As a result, I've found myself compelled to consider two distinct outcomes that basically amount to nothing or everything about my future plans changing. Needless to say, waiting to see how that event plays out has proven... difficult, but it's also been very interesting in the sense that my overall goal will remain the same regardless of the outcome. The only thing that will change is the way I go about it.

I know that's all a bit cryptic but it's reflective of my current state of mind. A good analogy would be knowing that you're planning to go somewhere far away but not knowing until the last minute the mode of transportation. Will it be a rocket or a bicycle? That remains to be seen.

Powergrids now on iOS!

Those of you who were fans of "Gaming's Edge" may recall the web/Flash-based puzzle game I did for that site, "Powergridz," which was online and referenced on a slew of different Flash game sites from 2005-2010. One of the things I hated about having to shut down "Gaming's Edge" and its associated servers was having to remove "Powergridz" from the web. With no convenient way to host it and the backend app that managed things like high scores, it simply went away.

As fate would have it, I recently had the opportunity to immerse myself in the world of iOS (iPhone/iPad) development for a few months. I pretty quickly realized that the "Powergridz" concept was a natural fit for the touch-based interfaces of those devices and the iPad in particular; so I decided to take a serious stab at updating the game for deployment on the iOS App Store.

Long and extremely-nerdy story short: I did it! :)

I decided to drop the "z" since that was kinda part of the whole "Gaming's Edge" meta-joke and added a bunch of new features like an Enhanced game mode and support for Apple's Game Center Leaderboard & Achievement systems. I also made the app universal so it runs on iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

I could go into all the nitty-gritty details about all the technical stuff that went into actually making this happen, but the real point is that "Powergrids" is back and better than ever. Huzzah!

Powergrids Official Site

App Store Link

Some Thoughts on Some Games

Been kinda busy lately. Not much time for blog posts, but here are a few quick comments on some games that I've been playing recently.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge (Windows)

I like this game. Like so many others these days, it has problems, but they're pretty easy to overlook, especially if you're playing with a friend. Everyone who complains about there being no good co-op games should pick this up and play it with a friend. It will occasionally frustrate you, but there will be more good times than bad.

F.E.A.R. 3 (Windows)

Again, lots of good co-op action to be had with this game. Some folks are complaining about the intangibles in this one; saying things like, "It's not as scary or atmospheric as its predecessors." Whatever. :) Shoot things in the face with your friends and embrace the silliness. You'll have fun. Don't have any friends? Then this probably isn't your game. :)

Two Worlds II (Windows)

This is a game I wish I would have had when I was 13. There's an awful lot to it and I respect the almost slavish hardcore, old-school RPG-ishness of it, but I doubt I'll ever have the time or will to experience it properly or fully. I'm sure people looking for what this game has to offer will really enjoy it, but it's a bit much for me at the moment. :)

Test Drive Unlimited 2 (Windows)

This is a game I really want to love and in some respects I really do, but there's just enough jank to it to keep it from really fulfilling its potential. That being said, it's still a lot of fun, but go into it knowing that certain aspects of it will occasionally frustrate you, be it the handling model, the performance of the game engine at speed or the uneven quality of some of the art assets. There have been quite a few patches for it and it has improved noticeably since launch, but it's still more of a guilty pleasure than a true gem. The biggest thing it has going for it is that there's really nothing else quite like it out there.

Modern Combat: Domination (Mac)

I've talked about this budget shooter and my unhealthy obsession with the PS3 version of it before. Just a quick note that it has come to the Mac via Apple's Mac App Store and the Mac version is actually quite good. More and more iOS games are making the jump to OS X as it's a pretty easy migration path and it's nice to see the Mac getting a few fun "exclusives" even if the gaming elite may turn their noses up at them.

Thoughts on E3 2011

For me, often times the thrill of the chase is more exciting and interesting than the end result when it comes to gaming. Don't get me wrong. I love the experience of playing a good game, but there's also a lot to be said for the process of finding and acquiring said game. 

As a result, each year the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) serves as a concentrated catalyst that gets the wheels in my brain turning over all sorts of upcoming toys; be it a new console, controller, service or game, there's always something to get excited about and that's part of what makes this an interesting hobby for me.

One of the really nice things about the nature of this blog as opposed to the sort of writing and podcasting I felt obligated to do for Gaming's Edge is that I don't have to be objective or all-encompassing in my assessment of an event like E3. I can simply gush about the handful of things that peaked my interest and ignore everything else. :)

So, on with it then...

Regarding games, I found myself equally enthusiastic about some new Intellectual Properties being shown as I was about several sequels to games that have become near and dear to me over the years.

Two big standouts for me were "Overstrike," the new four-player  co-op project from Insomniac and "Brothers in Arms: Furious 4," the new four-player co-op project from Gearbox. Noticing a trend? Both these games are very early in their respective development processes based on what was shown at E3, but they both come across as projects designed to provide fun and clever experiences to share with friends, which is a lot of what I look for from games these days.

Another new IP I've been increasingly interested in is "Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning," the first game from Curt Schilling's 38 Studios, which looks to be a compelling mesh of the third-person action and RPG genres.

In terms of sequels, the new "Battlefield," "Assassin's Creed," "SSX," "Need for Speed," "Far Cry" and "Elder Scrolls" games are looking anywhere between good and truly stunning.

Hardware wise, I remain impressed with Sony's upcoming handheld; especially at the $250 and $300 price points they announced for the Wi-FI and 3G+Wi-Fi versions. As a very happy iPad owner, I don't know that a dedicated portable gaming system would ever be something that I'd want, but if I ever found myself leading a more travel-heavy lifestyle, the PS Vita would definitely be the handheld I'd choose for serious gaming.

I was also pleasantly surprised by Sony's 3D Display announcement. The idea of a high-quality 24", 3D or shared screen capable display bundled with glasses, an HDMI cable and a generally-anticipated game (Resistance 3) for $500 seems like the sort of thing that will be filling up dorm rooms and bedrooms all over the world. :) Much like the Vita, I see this as a product that should be very successful despite not really appealing to me personally.

There were other interesting bits to E3 this year to be sure, but these were the ones that really stuck in my mind and either excited or impressed me.

PS3 Reborn

It's been a tough five weeks for PS3 owners waiting for the Playstation Network to fully recover from the hacking incident(s) that prompted Sony to shut it down near the end of April. While we've been able to play online for the past few weeks, the Playstation Store, which many would argue is the centerpiece of the PSN, remained conspicuously absent until today.

The lack of Store functionality was particularly painful for me because my launch-era, fat PS3 decided it would be a good time to stop working a few weeks ago, which prompted me to go out and pick up a new, slim PS3 to replace it. I'm still considering having the old one repaired, but that's another story.

Point is that I had a bit of an issue with the new PS3 as the backup from my old system only brought over most of my save files and music, so with the Store down, I wasn't able to get any of my downloadable games up and running on the new system. I realize this is a pretty specific issue because my PS3 happened to die at a time when the store wasn't available, but I have to admit I've been rather annoyed having to wait several weeks to fully restore everything to the new console.

Thankfully, aside from a few minor hiccups, I've already managed to re-download the games I was really itching to play and queue up the rest so that they download while the system is idle.

For those who are wondering, it doesn't appear that the SSD hard drive replacement I did on the old PS3 had anything to do with it croaking. In fact, I've been using that same SSD on the new slim PS3 for several weeks now without any problems. It seems that my launch PS3 was simply one of many that have given in to the Yellow Light of Death for a variety of reasons. I would have liked to have seen it last a bit longer than three and a half years, but it did outlast my XBOX 360 by quite a bit despite being used considerably more frequently.

All things considered, I'm pretty happy to have the PSN back up and running and am really looking forward to taking advantage of the Welcome Back program and seeing what Sony has up their sleeve for E3 next week.

It may take a while for Sony to fully re-earn my trust regarding the security, stability and availability of their online services, but I feel like they're on the right track and I'm certainly happy to have my PS3 back up and running as intended.

Thoughts on Portal 2

At this point, everyone who plays games knows that Portal 2 is one of the best games of the year and most people who are interested in it have already played it, but I do feel it's worthwhile to say a few non-spoiler things about it.

First and foremost, if you are at all interested in the game, go and play it right now. Don't put it off any longer. As with the original, the surprises are some of the best parts of Portal 2 and the longer you go without playing it, the greater the chance that you'll have them ruined for you accidentally or intentionally.

While the potential for replay is about the same as it was in the first game, you'll definitely want to play Portal 2 on your system of choice as you only get to experience it for the first time once. For me, that was the Windows version, which looks downright awesome with all the video settings maxed.

Play through the single player experience before playing the co-op. The reasons for this will become obvious once you do.

When a bit more time has passed, I plan to write a more detailed piece on this game, but it's impossible to do that without spoiling at least some aspects of the experience. Bottom line: If you think you might want to play this game, go play it. It's great. If you haven't played the original Portal yet, it's not required to appreciate and enjoy Portal 2, but you should play it as well given the opportunity. It's also great. :)

Brink Patched

Just a quick note. Splash Damage has released a patch for Brink via Steam that addresses a lot of the issues people have been having with the Windows version of the game. I gave it a try last night and it has indeed made substantial improvements. There still seem to be a few little quirks and bugs for them to iron out; especially with regard to sound, but there's now no doubt that they're taking customer feedback about the game into consideration and acting on it in a timely manner. I'm now even more confident endorsing this game and encourage anyone who's interested in it to give it a try.

I should also mention that Splash Damage has announced that the first DLC for Brink, which is scheduled to be released in June, will be free as a "thank you" to everyone for buying the game and putting up with the initial technical problems. Perhaps that's just PR spin on their part, but free "maps and additional content" sounds good to me in any case. :)