The early days of the PlayStation brand were rough in the co-op market. Sony released multitap peripherals that would hook into the PS1 and the PS2 so that players could team up in traditional multiplayer modes like Deathmatches. The introduction of the online modem and extra hard drive brought in even more multiplayer madness on the PS2 beyond the multitap.
Then, starting on the PS3, it became easier than ever before to play with friends online. This was also the era wherein more co-op games were coming out, not that there weren’t any on the PS1 and PS2 prior. So, for fun, let’s take a peek at some Sony-published co-op games to see what they have offered over the years. When it comes to co-op games, these experiences go beyond things like review scores and rely heavily on the fun factor. Even bad games can be a blast with the right person which all boils down to personal taste in the end, but ultimately these games are sure to produce a good time.
There’s no better car combat game series than theTwisted Metalfranchise andTwisted Metal: Blackwas a high benchmark. Players could pick from a variety of characters to go through the story mode or other modes to wreak havoc on the AI. They could also team up with a friend on the couch for some local split-screen co-op.
Split-screen co-op was the most common type of this PS2 era which was challenging to get into thanks to the smaller TVs. However, it’s a bit easier to playTwisted Metal: Blackin co-op now thanks to the PS4 port it received and because TVs are much better.
Insomniac grew popular thanks to their platformer franchises likeSpyro the DragonandRatchet and Clank. Those games were easier and were for everyone andResistance: Fall of Manwas their first big foray into the M-rated market. It was also brutally difficult alone as the invading aliens could drop players in seemingly an instant.
The campaign was made easier with a friend in split-screen co-op though. The sequel included co-op too but in a separate online mode whileResistance 3brought back the classic split-screen co-op and is also worth checking out.
Speaking of Insomniac’s past platformer series,Ratchet & Clank: All 4 Onewas a spinoff centered completely on co-op. Players could be one of the traditional heroes,Ratchet or Clank, but they could also jump into the roles of antagonists like Captain Qwark or Doctor Nefarious.
The gameplay resembled other games in the series with plenty of platforming and shooting across a wild range of planets. However, this adventure was much more linear as the presentation was through levels. It wasn’t as celebrated as the main games and got some lower scores because of glitches but it still had plenty of fans thanks to both the four-player local and online co-op options. Plus patches helped it over time.
Another great platformer exclusive series forPlayStation consoles isLittleBigPlanet. It began supporting local co-op between four players and it pretty much ended that way too. Of the many games in this short-lived series,LittleBigPlanet 2stands out as the one to beat.
The controls were improved, there was more variety in levels, the costume DLC was out of this world includingFinal Fantasycharacters, the level creation was more in-depth and the list goes on. Since this game is a bit inaccessible now though, players may want to check outSackboy: A Big Adventureon PS5 instead which added new perspectives and got rid of the building mechanics.
What ifHalowas a top-down looter shooter game?Alienationis the answer to that question and it is one of the many smaller arcade-like indie games from Housemarque before theywent big withReturnal.
Four players online and offline could join together to fight aliens with a wide variety of weapons from machine guns to flamethrowers. Armor upgrades could add specials to the combat as well and it was always an evolving arsenal in one way or another. It’s a bit likeHelldivers, which is getting a sequel, but easier so maybe one day Alienation can get a sequel too.
Sony hasa lot of Soulslike gamesunder their publishing arm. The obvious choice here might be to highlightDemon’s SoulsorBloodbornewhich do offer co-op. However,Niohis often harder than those games which makes it almost necessary to team up with up to two other partners.
Also, getting a party together in Nioh is simpler since the first game is structured around missions. Nioh is also great because it added variety to the genre by focusing on samurai and spiritual magic for some cool, flashy effects. The necessity and ease of use of co-op make it a fine candidate to highlight here even though, again, they are all great and challenging Soulslikes.
The PS2 era was the golden age of top-down action RPGs with looting mechanics. PC players hadDiabloin its many forms and console players hadBaldur’s Gate: Dark AllianceandChampions of Norrath.
Both of these games play very similarly and are worth checking out especially since bothBaldur’s Gate: Dark Alliancegames have been remastered. They are not published by Sony though and unfortunately,Champions of Norrathand its sequel have yet to leave the PS2. Sony has to get on the ball and fix this or give fans what they really want: a sequel.
Final Fantasy 11, and any MMO for that matter, are the ultimate co-op games.Final Fantasy 14can be played relatively well solo butFinal Fantasy 11demanded players get a party of up to six together. It was almost impossible to beat otherwise unless players did the typical grind route for EXP for days which they probably already did because it was hard to level up.
The franchise’s first foray into MMOs may have started rough, but expansions helped ease the burden a bit. As challenging asFinal Fantasy 11was, fans still think fondly back to their epic multiplayer sessions.
