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Opinion: The joy of co-op

Or why Versus is so over
A good clean (or even better splattery) headshot. It's one of gaming life's simpler pleasures and a remarkably constant one. It's nearly as old as the first-person shooter itself, yet remains as meaty and satisfying as ever: when you land one it's always props and salutations to the headshotter; shame and humiliation for the headshotee.

It's ten years since the Unreal Tournament's announcer gave you that mighty 'headshot!' accolade and the earliest anyone in the office can remember headshots appearing in anything noteworthy is 1997's GoldenEye, though it's probably to be found in some games before that (if you can remember any, please let us know via the comments field, there's a whole pint riding on it) .

The Cyberdemon: the first great co-op boss
Either way it's safe to say it's over a decade since we first sampled the delights of location-based damage and its attendant joys and ecstasies. Yet but I have to confess that recently, the joy of headshots in particular and adversarial gaming in general, have finally started to fade.

Partly it's a function of age. Too much beer, slowing hand-eye, dad-rage at the online kids and their unimaginative swears, hands that begin to cramp and eyesight that's slowly dimming, ('boo-frigging-hoo get on with it' I hear you mutter). And it's also true that it's not something that like a fine wine improves with age: the headshots I manage to land nowadays are more of a rarity that the norm they use to be.

Yet the truth is I just can't seem to summon the excitement and enthusiasm I once had for shooting other people in the face - so has my gaming mojo finally departed? Well the answer is no: the reactions may be fading but the gaming light still sputters undimmed, it's just I've just found a new outlet for my (virtual) homicidal tendencies and for me, nowadays, it's all about the co-op.

Teaming up with mates rather than a set of Randoms, working together to achieve a common goal, sharing each others triumphs, spectacular failures and achievements (and Achievements), it's simply that I get a lot more out of co-op gaming nowadays than I do out of anything remotely adversarial. Dare I say it: it's the constructive rather than the destructive that appeals to me (I'm sure that bleeding liberal heart is in the post).

And to be fair over this past year and a bit, I've also been spectacularly well served with titles to indulge myself, with everything from Horde mode in Gears 2, to Firefight in Halo ODST and Modern Warfare 2's Spec Ops - plus the daddy of modern co-op Left 4 Dead 1&2, suggesting that developers are fully embracing the power of co-op.

Co-op-tacular: Modern Warfare 2's Spec ops
In fact it reminds me of the time many moons ago in my hallowed gaming youth when we used to lug four PCs around to one of my mates houses, spend a couple of hours fiddling with the network settings, then before pulling a 24-hour gaming all-nighter shooting rockets into Cyberdemon's faces. The co-op wheel appears to have turned full circle.

Agree? Disagree? Is co-op gaming the way forward or will you never tire of shooting people in the face? Let us know what you think in the comments field below.

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// Interactive
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Read all 16 commentsPost a Comment
I totally agree, and i also know why this is.

It is the nature of our progression through life. In the beginning we are testing each other to determine who is the worthiest to proceed. Back in the time the weak just died, now they get depressed and try to manage ( i am generalizing here, applies more to social psychology than to gaming really ).

So when we have proven that, yes we can survive ( shoot people in the heads ). Then we naturally think: "...so whats next?". And its co-op. Before we would of gathered a gang and went mammoth huntingas the opportunity is not there anymore, we gather a gang and play some Co-Op game to conquer the evil forces.

So in essence we are following our pre-programmed evolutionary instincts. And the catch is that we should be doing CO-OP IRL not just in games. There are plenty of problems to be attacked as a group in the world. And i sincerely hope that people that do co-op in games, end up doing co-op in real life solving earths many issues of concern.
EtsSpets on 29 Dec '09
I agree.

I love CO-OP and find it relaxing even when playing games that are full on and frantic like Left 4 Dead.

When I play deathmatch my mood is different. I am on edge ready to react to whatever happens during the game. I am most certainly not in that style of game to lose, so I shout when I get killed and become ultra competitive.

That won't stop me playing Deathmatch however, I do enjoy the competive side of it. But I completely agree that CO-OP is more fun when you want to kick back with your mates and have a laugh.
bazzatuk on 29 Dec '09
I find co op much less stressful. Competitive play on the Halos and the CODs just make you really tense as you have to concentrate really really hard to be an adequate player.
ledickolas on 29 Dec '09
i love a coop game, infact if a game doesnt have coop it would put me off buying it
sakaspuds on 29 Dec '09
I love co-op for all the reasons previously stated, but also because with co-op you can still have a structured story based game, whereas most adversarial games are just the same old, over and over.
sleazeboy on 29 Dec '09
Co-op is definitely my favourite on-line mode, although I've yet to finish a game in co-op before I've done so by myself. Halo: Reach will probably be that game. Very Happy
Black Mantis on 29 Dec '09
Co-op rules!

Everygame out there is better playing in co-op (the only exception is Fable 2).

If a game is bad, in co-op it gets a little better. If the game is good, in co-op is perfect!

I wish Dragon Age, Oblivion and Mass Effect had co-op.
rafoca on 29 Dec '09
Also, co-op helps people that are not used to play videogames to get some interest on it. It is easier helping someone getting to like videogames when you are co-oping and trying to achieve the same goal, while deathmatch can do the oposite.
rafoca on 29 Dec '09
I really like both. It's great to get with a team of good guys (I use that as a gender-independent term) and feel like you're kicking ass and taking names. But it's usually because there's a small plot arc you're working through, rather than the mindless endless slog that is deathmatching.

But there is also a lot of satisfaction to just walking in and blowing the crap out of people.
Dajmin on 29 Dec '09
co-op is kl but I will always get more satisfaction blowing away another human than some AI which is below retarded level or just impossibly efficient (I will never play cod on veteran even though I'd prob be able to do it after some time just because I do not believe AI can take multiple 50cal shots while running and shooting a LMG at waist level and able to hit me 100% of the time at 200m while I'm crouching behind cover!) .

Also I prefer blaming myself for losing for doing something stupid or just sucking rather than having to rely on other individuals and losing because of them which just infuriates me.
Sleepaphobic on 29 Dec '09
The daddy of co-op games has to be Halo 1. The island level with the 2 Warthogs and their mounted guns or the uphill battle that was the Control Room level, all on Legendary.

Battling the Elites with some truly unique A.I on co-op on Legendary is in fact probably one of the best gaming experiences around; I still go back for more but it’s a shame they moved to the stupid monkeys in the later series.

I think that all games should use the original Halo as a template when incorporating a co-op mode, Ops is nice and a worth addition to COD 5 but I'd love to work with a co-op partner through the main campaign on its hardest setting. Same for Killzone 2, while being an awesome game the campaign actually lost marks for not having a co-op in most reviews, which I feel is because of the joy set by the original Halo.
starsail on 29 Dec '09
I would agree purely based on my recent MW2. Single player was excellent fun. Multiplayer disappointing and boring. Spec ops fantastic fun and very rewarding. Is it me? society? game design? I don't care Razz . I wish they had made the full campaign as co-op as it would have been phenomenal.
bigroy on 29 Dec '09
To Starsail:

Sry but the mother and father of all co-op was MUD or Doom 2, Diablo ?
EtsSpets on 29 Dec '09
serious sam, gears of war, halo, little big planet, saints row, 50cent blood on the sand, all much more fun with a buddy
sakaspuds on 30 Dec '09
best co op games have to be left 4 dead 1 and 2, and modern warfare 2. armor piercing, on veteran (way it should be played) was so tense and genuinely frightening it just felt amazing. left 4 dead is just amazing through and through. ellis ftw!
The Sandbag on 30 Dec '09
Sorry more of a Tesco man myself.

/me runs
lonewolf2002 on 31 Dec '09
Read all 16 commentsPost a Comment
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