Cooperative Modes - Better than Deathmatch?

[Tom Salter]

Most games nowadays feature a multiplayer mode of sorts, yet 99% of the time they pit two or more players against each other.

Back when I used to play PSX Doom on link up, the mode that was played the most was the Cooperative mode. Having two skilled doom players making their way through the depths of hell, working in tandem to overcome the hordes was such a surreal experience.

Halo too, would have most certainly not be held in such high regard amonst gamers if it were not to include a coop mode. Yet again, why not include link-up? Why do the developers focus on the (imo inferior) Deathmatch style games, and ignore the coop aspect of the game?

The developers take so much time tweaking the single player mode of the game, and the multiplayer almost always feels 'tacked on'. If they spend so much time perfecting their cut-scenes, and set pieces, why not let two players experience this at the same time?

With Xbox Wolfenstein just being released, with a (semi-broken) cooperative mode, why did they not add this to the xbox live part?

There are a few quality cooperative games around at the moment though, like Ghost Recon, Conflict Desert Storm, and of course Halo, but there are definately more non-coop games than coop.

[ThoseOfTheUnlight]

If I play Halo in Co-op, I just get a bit too excited and start hitting the other player with the butt of my gun.

I dont know what that displays about my feelings towards co-op games.

[Tom Salter]

If I play Halo in Co-op, I just get a bit too excited and start hitting the other player with the butt of my gun.

I dont know what that displays about my feelings towards co-op games.

We all know your thoughts towards Halo

[ThoseOfTheUnlight]

If I play Halo in Co-op, I just get a bit too excited and start hitting the other player with the butt of my gun.

I dont know what that displays about my feelings towards co-op games.

We all know your thoughts towards Halo

Oh no!! Guess the ruthless slaughtering of my comrades breaks up the boredom eh?

[Marvelon]

I'm all for more co-op games. Having a gaming girlfriend is nice, but it means were either watching each other play or we're in different rooms playing different things or one is playing and the other 'helping'.

How we loved Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.

[H-Man]

Marvelon wrote:

'How we loved Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance.'

I hear that . Single player it was quite fun - when I played with my m8 the hours flew by ..... top game.

Online co-op has to be the next step (it was great in Serious Sam - turning a very short game into one worth playing a few times) Halo co-op speaks for itself, I hope Halo 2 has online co-op. It has been confirmed for HL2? I think it has.

For me team based shooters are what it all about. I like the planning and tactics, the excitement of winning matches and the shame of loosing . It has everything I like about co-op - but more so.

The problem is that other games now seem boring to me (I have to force my self to play Zelda WW ......... couldn't be bothered to finsish Metroid - what's wrong with me!! )

[cinabar]

I love co-op gaming...
Deathmatch is ace if there are a few people... but when it is just me and and my boyfriend... we would rather play co-op.

I can't explain the disappointemnt I have with RTCW's pretend co-op mode.. (there is a post about it in PAL Gaming)

and the fact that there isn't a single co-op game (that's worth playing) that I haven't completed already(PS2 AND Xbox).... means i have NOTHING that I want to play tonight...

[superkully]

Marvelon wrote:

<snip>

Online co-op has to be the next step (it was great in Serious Sam - turning a very short game into one worth playing a few times) Halo co-op speaks for itself, I hope Halo 2 has online co-op. It has been confirmed for HL2? I think it has.

<snip>

I disagree with that online co-op thing.

Playing Ghost Recon on Co-op online is always a bit crap, because alot of the time people are out for themselves and you don't know them.

Co-op Halo with some bevvies and a mate is amazing.

[Valken]

I'm going to say yes AND no.

Deathmatch is, for me, one of the greatest concepts ever... I can't get enough of Quake 3 and still play it to this day at leat twice weekly. The adreneline (sp) rush you get after an intense match is amazing.. especially when your name is on the top of the list. It's simply, it's fast and it's pure gameplay.

CoOp is my second online love... not as immediate as deathmatching but it is a nice alternative to kicking the crap out of your mates. I find that it's best played with people you know already since you know how to communicate better. It's also an advantage when playing with a less skilled player. In deathmatch it wouldn't be much fun for them dying every ten seconds whereas this doesn't occur so much in CoOp (apart from unavoidable friendly fire incidents that is.)

[oracle]

Halo too, would have most certainly not be held in such high regard amonst gamers if it were not to include a coop mode. Yet again, why not include link-up? Why do the developers focus on the (imo inferior) Deathmatch style games, and ignore the coop aspect of the game?

the reason halo's coop was not over system link is that the net code isnt up to it, it can handle multiplayer games but cant handle streaming all the data needed for the game to work.

[Tom Salter]

I can't explain the disappointemnt I have with RTCW's pretend co-op mode.. (there is a post about it in PAL Gaming)

Your post actually got me thinking on this


And it's not so much the online aspect, it's in general. Working together with friends is one of the best gaming experiences we can have, why not include more of this?

[H-Man]

What about Secret of Mana? imo Squaresofts finest moment ......... simply cause you could experience the game with friends (rather than in a 'on your own, in the middle of the night, Final Fantasy' type way) It's always more fun 'sharing' a game ......... I even prefer taking turns with a friend than playing on my own (weehaayy )

Co-op play, be it either against the computer or against other teams of people, is the future of video games - at least for me anyway.

[Marvelon]

I think the whole cooperation idea is what makes Phantasy Star Online so good and unique.. theres nothing like a full team playing at the edge of their level, basically getting further in the game purely and solely because of good co-operation, One of the best experiences in gaming i've ever had.

I'm not much of an FPS fan (didn't even like Halo that much *gasp* ) So co-op or deathmatch FPS's doesn't appeal to me at all.

edit: typo

[cinabar]

okay.... now let me get this straight.... PSO is released on xbox next week, and it has an off-line co-op mode.... with full save options????

Please tell me it does... I so need a new co-op game!

[Molloy]

The last time I had a decent co-op game was when I got a MD with Golden Axe and Altered Beast.

I'd be open to the idea again if it was done properly. Co-op in Half Life sounded interesting but it was hard to get going and there were never any servers.