Halo Series
Very few franchises stand the test of time and come out largely unscathed. Even fewer of those contain co-op worth sinking your teeth into. Fortunately enough, the games in the Halo series have managed to accomplish both of these feats, which is no simple task. Many games have tried to provide an experience that truly mimics the joys of couch co-op.
Join your fellow Spartans as you each play everyone’s almost-silent protagonist as you fight to return home and to save humanity. While that overly simplified description may not sound like an online co-op opportunity rife with fun, you can be rest assured that Bungie and 343 have created and continue to create worthwhile narratives and set-pieces. Also, there’s something special about riding shotgun in a warthog while you blast enemies.
Halo happens to be one of the Xbox’s killer apps and it’s honestly no surprise. High octane action, big guns, aliens, and vehicles usually make for really fun gameplay. Adding the joys of online co-op, which provides the fun of playing with friends who just can’t make it over to your house, adds to the overall experience.
Left 4 Dead 2
If there is any enemy type that is as popular, if not more so, than aliens, it’s zombies. There is a high probability that you have thought about what would happen if a zombie apocalypse took hold of the world. Would you be able to survive alone? What about with a group? Exactly how well would you do with some fire power and a map leading you from safehouse to safehouse?
Well, Left 4 Dead 2 allows you to do just that. Grab up to three of your closest friends (or enemies) from all around the world and take up arms as you put your survival skills to the test. Battle zombies and other hideous monsters as you hone your teamwork skills and achieve your goals. The high pressure situations will bring out the worse in everyone, but when everything is said and done, the sense of euphoria obtained from mowing through endless hoards and keeping your team in tact is unrivaled.
Left 4 Dead 2 method of 4 player co-op even spreads into the PvP component of the game. Team up to either survive against the living dead yet again or this time you could don the skin of one of several special infected. Ride your human enemies as the jockey, or drown them in blinding vomit that draws in more infected. Whatever you choose, the focus on co-op play makes this an amazing game. The added benefit of having your own screen to take in the horrific sights is just an added bonus.
Minecraft
Say what you want about this game, but there is no denying that it is a major hit. Millions of people all over the world play this game every day on pretty much any device that can connect to the internet. Its very simple but highly addictive gameplay is easy to fall for. A game built around your creativity that provides you complete freedom to play your way is great. What makes it even better is online co-op.
Do you want to go out and fight for every single resource so you and your friends could build an amazing home and/or base in survival mode? Go right ahead. Or perhaps you want to play something created by another player, but maybe you don’t want to go against nature and risk your life. There is a creative mode that allows for you and friends to make pretty much anything your pretty little mind can dream up. Building fantastical worlds from your favorite fictional universes or just making up something on the spot can draw hours of your time. Have friends from all over the real world contribute to your made up one.
It’s amazing how a game made up of different colored blocks can provide such an amazing online co-op experience.
Destiny
Destiny is one of those games that many people just can’t figure out whether they enjoy it or not. Most would argue that it has some of the most solid shooting mechanics to date. Most would also argue that it has one of the most lacking stories to ever appear in a big budget video game. But with all that being said, the co-op found in Destiny is surprisingly fun.
After you’re done running through campaign missions and finally reaching level 20, it’s time for some co-op fun. Gather 2 of your friends and form a fireteam to take down Destiny‘s biggest challenges. Strikes await for those looking to prove themselves against the strongest enemies the galaxy has to offer. Once you’re done and increased your power to a suitable power level you can tackle one of the best online co-op experiences of last year.
The raids in Destiny place an extreme focus on teamwork by throwing the toughest situations the game has to offer at you. They offer unique challenges and force you to rethink how the game is played. The Vault of Glass, and Crota’s End raids bring the best out of Destiny through rigorous gameplay and amazing triumphs.
World of Warcraft
What could possibly be better than living in a fantasy world where you slay tons of beasts, get awesome mounts, and experience a rise to power? How about all of that, plus tons of friends and other people. That’s what World of Warcraft offers, and millions upon millions of players pour huge amounts of their free time into it, and for good reason.
There are endless hours of fun to be had between simple missions, complex missions, raids and many other things to do. Of course, you can do a lot of the stuff on your own, but running through the many lands of World of Warcraft is just much more fun when playing co-op with some friends. Better yet, why not form a guild so you can take cooperative play to the next level?
MMOs are great fun and they are built around online co-op, which is more than enough to grant World of Warcraft a spot on this list.
Are there any online co-op games that you feel should be on this list? Feel free to share your favorites and what makes them special.
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