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A reader who is unable to meet friends and families for local co-op recommends the 10 best co-operative games for playing with them online.

Whilst I enjoy a good single-player game as much as anyone, there is still nothing quite like sharing that experience with a family member or friend.

Due to geographical reasons I’m pretty much limited to online co-op these days, but there are still plenty of great options available to choose from.

So, for those of you in the same boat as me, here are my top 10 recommendations for online co-op games that you can still play right now on modern consoles and/or PC.

10th – BattleBlock Theater

A 2D platformer featuring great level design and puzzles, specifically designed to encourage co-operation, BattleBlock Theater is also one of very few games that consistently made me laugh thanks to both its comical gameplay and funny cut scenes. This can often be found in Steam sales for the bargain price of about £3.

9th – Halo 3

The majority of the Halo campaigns are pretty good, whether played alone or with friends, but I think the popular opinion amongst fans is that Halo 3 is still the best the series has to offer. The campaign hardly seems to stop for breath throughout its 8 to 10 hour runtime, and from the fight through the Covenant armada to mad warthog escape of the final mission it’s full of memorable moments that are even better when played co-op.

Tied 8th – It Takes Two & Split Fiction

Games designed from the ground up as true co-op experiences are still far more uncommon than you’d expect, but developer Hazelight Studios seems to be carving out a nice niche for themselves thanks to games like It Takes Two and Split Fiction. Both games constantly introduce new ideas and gameplay styles throughout their runtime, but importantly never lose sight of the fact that they are designed to be played together. I’ll certainly be checking out whatever they come up with next!

7th – Portal 2

I’ve enjoyed very few entries in the puzzle genre over the years, but the two Portal games are amongst the rare exceptions. Of course, most people realise they’re excellent single-player titles, but I’m constantly surprised at how many people don’t know Portal 2 features a separate story designed to be played co-op. Considering just how well designed and rife for comedy the co-op missions are that’s a real shame and I urge anyone to give it a try if they have the chance to.

6th – Borderlands 2

I must admit, I never really got on with the original Borderlands, but this vastly superior sequel provided dozens of hours of entertaining online gaming. The more versatile skill trees and better mission design are welcome improvements, but it’s the genuinely funny script that focuses on the brilliant character of Handsome Jack that really sets this game apart from all the other entries in the series.

5th – Divinity: Original Sin 2

Until another game that features later on this list was released, Divinity: Original Sin 2 was possibly my favourite role-playing game and certainly my favourite that features online co-op. The story, characters, combat, and level of freedom are all top notch and sharing it all with up to three friends makes it even more fun.

4th – Returnal

Arguably the best PlayStation 5 exclusive, Returnal is a third person rouguelike shooter with incredible shooting mechanics and some of the most satisfying traversal you’ll find anywhere. The game is, however, incredibly tough, and thus the best way to play it is to team up with an online co-op partner to swing the odds at least a little more in your favour!

3rd – Baldur’s Gate 3

Baldur’s Gate 3 is arguably the best role-playing game ever made, with a myriad of complex systems and an almost unfathomable level of freedom that allows players to shape the world in whatever way they choose. When you add the unpredictability of other players making their own choices on top, it’s simply an incredible experience.

2nd – Left 4 Dead & Left 4 Dead 2

There are plenty of shooters that allow online co-op but the two Left 4 Dead games remain the pinnacle of the genre, and there are two aspects that really set these games apart. The first is the excellent enemy design, that forces players to stick together and co-operate, whilst the second is the final chapter of each mission that tasks players with surviving for a set amount of time before trying to escape to safety. The mad dash at the end, as it suddenly becomes every man for themselves, has provided countless moments of comedy over the years and kept us coming back time and time again.

1st – Dark Souls

I’ve listed the original Dark Souls as it’s my personal favourite, but this really represents the entire Dark Souls series, as well as Bloodborne and Elden Ring.

The FromSoftware games are all great single-[layer games that are only enhanced by the clever implementation of online co-op, that allows you to summon assistance whenever you’re struggling to defeat a tough enemy or traverse a difficult section of the game. When you and a buddy finally take down that boss after the tenth attempt it’s an exhilarating experience.

Honourable mentions: Gears Of War series, A Way Out, Salt And Sanctuary, and BroForce.

By reader drlowdon

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: Xbox is betraying the entire concept of video game consoles – Reader's Feature

MORE: Battlefield was always a fan made game and EA has never understood it – Reader’s Feature

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A reader reacts angrily to suggestions that the next gen Xbox is a ‘PC in a box’ and argues Xbox is trying to destroy the whole concept of video game consoles.

There’s been a lot of people lately lamenting the current state of Xbox, and for obvious reasons given how bad console sales are getting. What annoys me though is the way they talk about Microsoft, as if they’re some kind of loveable loser who you should pity. Microsoft’s attempts at dominating the games industry are pitiable but their actions are hardly that of a helpless underdog.

They’re the biggest company in the history of mankind and while they’ve been entirely incompetent in the way they’ve used their colossal $3 trillion bank balance they’ve also been extremely destructive. At some point in the Xbox One generation they must’ve decided that if they can’t beat Sony fairly then they’ll just tip the table over and ruin the game(s industry) for everyone.

Almost $100 billion later and they now own Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, and a bunch of others and they’ve… completely failed to put their stamp on them. Nothing has changed about how these companies are run, or what games they make, but suddenly Phil Spencer and his cronies have started talking about what ‘we’ are going to do, when discussing them. As if he or anyone else has had any impact on their success and/or failures.

We know from the court cases that the original plan was to make all Bethesda games exclusives, just like Starfield, but clearly someone higher up, probably Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, told them that wasn’t going to work. They’ve spent all this money and there’s no way they’re going to get any of it back by only selling games as Xbox exclusives.

They’ve not tried that with any Activision games, because the message had already sank in by then, and instead they pivoted to their multiformat plan (which they’ve lied about and tried to underplay the entire time, even with petty things like not releasing the games physically).

And now we learn that their big plan for the next gen is a PC in a box, a PC handheld, and AI. So they not only no longer make consoles they’re trying to make the entire concept of consoles go away, so that they can pretend that actually they’re irrelevant now and it doesn’t matter that nobody bought theirs.

What gets me though is that the first two things have already been proven not to work. Valve’s Steam Machines concept flopped horribly and the entire concept is fundamentally doomed to be the worst of both worlds. Not only that but the latest rumour suggests it won’t even be properly backwards compatible – only through emulation!

We also know that PC handhelds are extremely niche concept, that have only sold a few million in the entire lifetime of the concept. Presumably Xbox thinks they can make theirs more successful but what is that based on? The Xbox brand being so super popular they’ll go from Steam Deck numbers (4 million) to Nintendo Switch numbers (150 million). If they really do think that they’re more delusion than they seem.

And then there’s AI, which for no reason other than it’s an investor buzzword, they’re now going to use to make games. They know it’s only going to make bad games. They know it’s going to do talented people out of a job, but they’re going to push it anyway because they’ve got loads of money and Sony hasn’t.

They’re just going to do everything Sony can’t, no matter how stupid or destructive it is, as they flail about, throwing everything at the wall and hoping that finally, for the first time in two generations, something sticks.

Not only is Microsoft betraying the whole concept of consoles, they’re doing it on purpose in an attempt to make Sony obsolete. If I was Sony I wouldn’t be too worried, given Xbox’s track record, but if they do succeed what will the future of gaming be under Microsoft? AI slop and PCs in a box. I hope they fail utterly, for the sake of all gaming.

By reader Korbie

The reader’s features do not necessarily represent the views of GameCentral or Metro.

You can submit your own 500 to 600-word reader feature at any time, which if used will be published in the next appropriate weekend slot. Just contact us at gamecentral@metro.co.uk or use our Submit Stuff page and you won’t need to send an email.

MORE: Battlefield was always a fan made game and EA has never understood it – Reader’s Feature

MORE: Metal Gear Solid is the worst thing to happen to Hideo Kojima – Reader's Feature

MORE: How my PC set-up is what the next generation of Xbox wants to be – Reader's Feature

Remasters of three of the best sci-fi games ever made have been reduced to a bargain price on both PS4 and PC.

BioWare has a long history of acclaimed role-playing games, including the recent Dragon Age: The Veilguard, but its greatest work is still arguably the Mass Effect trilogy.

The sci-fi role-playing series is one of the defining pillars of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 era, and set a new standard for choice-driven narratives in the medium (controversial ending aside). The original trilogy came to an end with 2012’s Mass Effect 3, which was followed by the much maligned spin-off Mass Effect: Andromeda.

A remastered compilation of the first three games, titled Mass Effect Legendary Edition, was released in 2021, across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. If you’re yet to embark on the space epic, this collection has now been reduced to a ludicrously cheap price.

On Steam, you can pick up Mass Effect Legendary Edition for £4.99, a 90% reduction from its original £49.99 price. This deal runs until March 27 and is part of an EA Spring Sale, with other standouts offers being Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order at £3.49 and Titanfall 2 at £2.49.

While not quite as cheap, a similar deal is available on the PlayStation Store, where Mass Effect Legendary Edition is down to £5.99. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is also down to £4.49, with both these deals running until March 26.

If you’re a fan of sharp comedowns, Mass Effect Andromeda is also 85% off on Steam at £5.24. Alternatively, you can sign up to EA Play for £5.99 a month and access all of these titles, but as the Mass Effect series is pretty lengthy, you’re probably better off buying them at this cheap price and savouring the delights over time.

EA is working on a fifth instalment in the Mass Effect series, although it’s unclear when it will be released. The project was announced back in 2020, but there have been no major updates since, aside from vague teasers.

It’s more likely we’ll see the confirmed Mass Effect TV series before a new game, which is supposedly underway at Amazon. Daniel Casey, whose previous credits include Fast & Furious 9, is set to write and executive produce the show.

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Ubisoft’s decision to delay Assassin’s Creed Shadows appears to have paid off, as the Japanese themed entry hits a major sales milestone within 24 hours.

The lead-up to Assassin’s Creed Shadows was filled with overblown controversies, troubling delays, and the weight of Ubisoft’s future thrusted upon it, but it seems like it has emerged out the other side in relatively good shape.

The setting of feudal Japan features two protagonists, with shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke, as they navigate turbulent clan wars during the Sengoku period. The game has been been met with largely positive reviews, and currently hold an 81 score on review aggregate site Metacritic.

And now, less than 24 hours after Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched on March 20, Ubisoft has announced that it’s already surpassed one million players across PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.

The vast majority of these players appear to be on console, where it’s more difficult to track exact numbers.

However, according to SteamDB, Assassin’s Creed Shadows hit an all-time peak of 41,412 players on launch day, and while that may seem low in comparison to the likes of Monster Hunter Wilds and GTA 5, it’s largely in step with past Assassin’s Creed games.

At the moment, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is just behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (62,069) and Assassin’s Creed Origins (41,551) in terms of the series’ highest peak on Steam, but there’s a strong chance it’ll surpass both of those over the weekend.

The game has been met with largely positive reviews from fans, particularly for its visuals. ‘I am nine hours into Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and it’s definitely the best RPG Assassin’s Creed,’ wrote EliteGamer04 on X.

‘Both Naoe and Yasuke are fun to play, this game looks quite great on my base PlayStation 5, and it’s definitely the most challenging in terms of combat.’

Casual Gamer Doc added: ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows is definitely worth playing. The game is absolutely a standout graphically. Best Assassin’s Creed game in a long time.’

Users on Reddit have sung its praises too, at least in regards to the opening hours. ‘Shadows probably has the best opening to an Assassin’s Creed game since Odyssey, and the cut scenes themselves so far have been stellar,’ writes DanielG165.

It remains to be seen if this enthusiasm will continue in the weeks to come, but for now at least, it seems like Assassin’s Creed Shadows has largely confounded the cynicism around it.

The big question moving forward is how it will impact Ubisoft’s future. After a string of titles failed to meet financial expectations, including Star Wars Outlaws and XDefiant, the company is apparently considering a buyout with Tencent, or shifting its IP to an entirely new entity.

The continued success, or lack thereof, for Assassin’s Creed Shadows will have large part to play in how all that shakes out.

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Microsoft has accidentally revealed its next gen Xbox plans, which seem to revolve around Steam integration and a move away from console development.

Microsoft has said almost nothing about its next generation Xbox console so far and yet the rumours of the last few weeks, suggesting that it is essentially a ‘PC in a box’, have been very easy to believe.

The rumours may not be officially confirmed for a while, but they almost were on Thursday evening, when Microsoft accidentally put up a graphic showing an Xbox dashboard with a Steam tab on it.

Not only that but a few hours later a report emerged that Microsoft is planning to ditch the current ERA development environment of the Xbox Series X/S in favour of Win32, making the next Xbox literally a PC and meaning that current gen games will only be backwards compatible via emulation.

Microsoft has already talked about ‘bringing the best of Xbox and Windows together’ but until now it’s never been clear what that means.

However, a blog post entitled Opening a Billion Doors with Xbox accidentally used an image of an Xbox dashboard in which you could clearly see a ‘Steam‘ tab, although it was not selected or referenced in the text.

The UI is brand new and is shown running on a TV, a tablet, and a handheld device. It’s clearly just a mock-up though as the Owned and Action-adventure tabs are both shown twice, so there is a possibility the Steam tab was a mistake – although someone still went to the trouble to create the Steam tab for the purposes of the image.

According to The Verge, Microsoft’s current plan is to create an Xbox app that shows every game you have installed on your PC, including from other launchers such as Steam and the Epic Games Store.

How much Valve and Epic are currently on board with this is unclear, with the app apparently being fairly early in development and not guaranteed to launch with those features.

What is the next gen Xbox?

A response to the unintended leak from Windows Central suggests that Microsoft’s attempts to embrace PC gaming with the Xbox brand go even deeper.

It’s claimed that the bespoke ERA development environment for Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S is being phased out in favour of the standard Win32 environment for PCs.

The implication is that this is preparation for the next gen Xbox console, which increasingly sounds like it’s going to be more like a branded PC than a traditional console.

One of the differences this will make to ordinary gamers is that automatic backwards compatibility with previous consoles will become impossible and they’ll have to be emulated instead, which often results in technical issues.

The aim seems to be to get every Xbox game that you own also playing on PC. Although, as Windows Central points out, this could run into legal complications with third party publishers.

While the leak is obviously real, since it comes from Microsoft themselves, it’s unclear how much of it is aspirational and whether it is a concrete plan for the next generation.

Given the ever declining sales of Xbox consoles, and the recent rise in popularity for PC gaming, it certainly makes sense for Microsoft to go on in this direction, even if it’s still unclear exactly how the details will play out.

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