Upcoming Co-operative Games of 2011

After playing through Portal 2’s most excellent co-operative campaign, it dawned on me that it’s been ages since I’ve played a good co-operative game. Keeping that in mind I embarked on a noble mission of scoping the co-operative games worth keeping an eye out in 2011. And here are the results…

Dead Island (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Yeah we’re here for the brain

Most zombie games are content with drawing players into narrow claustrophobic confines but not Dead Island. This game will allow up to four players to embark upon a hellish holiday at the world’s most unfortunate holiday resort overrun by the undead. And the only way out of that hell hole is to slaughter the undead horde using guns, melee weapons and certain RPG elements that will allow you to craft your own tools of destruction.

Inversion (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

I really shouldn’t have had such a heavy lunch

At first glance Inversion may resemble your conventional third person, co-operative, cover-based shooter but once you realize the game’s hook, things do get turned upside down. Using a gravity gun called the gravilink device, Inversion will allow players (and their friends) to manipulate the forces of gravity to not only solve puzzles but save the world as well (but of course).

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Call of Juarez: The Cartel (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

The three amigos

Our pleas have been heard and developer Techland have finally decided to add in co-operative play for their upcoming Call of Juarez game dubbed The Cartel. As one of three protagonists, players will be able to team up online to decimate the drug cartel that’s currently making its way over the Mexican border to the US of A. Uncle Sam does not approve of drugs.

F.E.A.R. 3 (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

Higher…higher

Out of all the games present on this list, F.E.A.R. 3 is probably the weirdest as all past F.E.A.R. games have been solo affairs that have concentrated on scaring the crap out of gamers. This time however, playing as either the Point Man or Fettel will involve different gameplay mechanics as the Point man will dish out death using weapons and slow mo while Fettel will obliterate enemies using his nifty Telekinetic powers, possession and lots more.

Hunted: The Demon’s Forge (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

So do we just pose all day?

Part Gears of War and part RPG, Hunted pits two mercenaries – E’lara (proficient in ranged combat) and Caddoc (tank) together as they must go about liberating a “dark fantasy” world from evil. The setting and plot are as clichéd as it gets but playing an action RPG in co-op is most definitely an enjoyable experience as Borderlands showed us.

Gears of War 3 (Xbox360)

Yeah your soles look clean

It’s been too long since I’ve chainsawed fools in half and so it is with much anticipation that I wait for Epic’s third (and final) GoW outing. This time around Marcus Fenix and his team of hardened Gears are looking to finish the fight against the Locust and their mutated variant called the Lambent. Expect a wider arsenal of weapons, way more brutal finishers, controllable mechs and four player co-op.

Resistance 3 (PS3)

Perfect time for a nap

Unlike Resistance 2 that featured stand-alone co-operative maps, Resistance 3 is going back to a full-fledged co-operative campaign where players can blast through hordes of Chimera while salvaging what’s left of the human race. Developer Insomniac have been tight lipped about details but it seems co-op in Resistance 3 will offer players “unique co-operative mechanics” that obviously won’t be present in the single player campaign.

Resident Evil Raccoon City (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

I really hope that’s your gun I feel at the back

The Resident Evil series is heading back to its roots as players are dumped into the ill-fated Raccoon City where it all began. As a member of the Umbrella Security Services (USS), players, with up to three of their friends have to survive not only the zombie outbreak but other armed forces sent in by the government to cover up the entire mess.

Brink (Xbox360 PS3 PC)

All for one now

Team Fortress 2 meets Mirror’s Edge in this squad-based, first person shooter that combines competitive and co-operative gameplay with first person Parkour in one seamless experience. Besides the entire single player campaign that can be played co-operatively, Brink’s draw eventually lies in its heavily customizable class based multiplayer.