Free Co-op Modes are the Future of Single Player Games

It was announced this week that hit PS4 exclusive Ghost of Tsushima will be getting a free four-player co-op mode. Untitled Goose Game is likewise getting a free update to include co-op. This is good news for everyone who likes fun.

Ghost of Tsushima looks like it’s going full supernatural horror with it’s co-op mode ala Dark Souls. Based on the trailer it looks like a mashup of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Left 4 Dead which honestly sounds awesome. According to an article published on the PlayStation Blog, players can team up for two-player story missions or four-player wave survival.

There will be four classes to choose from: Samurai, Hunter, Ronin, or Assassin. Though you won’t be playing as Jin or his companions there is mention of characters from the main game’s lore, hence the name “Legends” for the new co-op mode.

Legends will be arriving this Oct., just in time for Halloween. We can only hope the mode is as robust as the single-player with lots of skills to unlock and new places to explore. The idea of crossing swords with demonic oni is one of the best since Red Dead Redemption brought the zombie apocalypse to the old west.

Untitled Goose Game on the other hand was practically begging for a multiplayer mode. Essentially a trolling simulator, you and a friend will make meme magic together as you terrorize unsuspecting villagers with waterfowl hijinks. The mode is arriving Sept. 23.

The great thing about this is co-op has always been an incredibly strong addition to a single-player campaign. There’s a massive list of games that benefited from letting a friend jump in beside you. Take a walk with me down memory lane.

Halo Franchise

This made couch co-op an industry standard for a generation of gaming. Though not integrated with the plot, the option to hop in locally as another Master Chief and blow away some covenant made for some magical gaming memories.

F.E.A.R. 3

Playing either as Point Man or the ghost of his psychic brother Paxton, each player enjoyed unique abilities to use in dismantling foes. Paxton could possess enemy soldiers, or just make their heads explode, while Point Man could use bullet-time and wield a bevvy of futuristic weaponry.

Dead Space 3

While not the strongest entry in the franchise, I still played the hell out of the co-op mode. Stomping necromorphs and seeing if we could beat the game using only flamethrowers are memories I’ll always cherish.

Gears of War Franchise

Taking a nod from Halo, the series has always been great about keeping co-op on the menu. A Gears without co-op just wouldn’t feel the same. There’s just something about nudging your friend and yelling “watch this!” as you cleave an enemy in half with a chainsaw. Never gets old, does it?

The Warriors

Perhaps the greatest game based on a movie, Rockstar Games’ The Warriors holds a special place in my heart because for an entire summer, with nothing else to play, my best friend and I brawled our way through the seedy streets of 70s New York. Solid and streamlined fighting mechanics made this one a fantastic couch co-op game. You can even still play it on PS4 if you want a shot of nostalgia.

There are countless other examples but co-op is a fantastic way to expand the lifecycle of a game without going back and doing heavy lifting to expand the story or add new modes. Not every game needs a battle royale. Just add another player and let friends experience what they already love in a new way. Everyone wins.

Alexander EriksenSeptember 1, 2020