Co-op Shooters work better when played with a friend. Almost every shooter works well just by having a friend able to jump in and play it with you, but few actually make the game different by the presence of a second player.
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A game may increase the difficulty or add to the number of enemies, but not all games give a “buddy shooter” experience. A lot of games can be really fun with friends without being a buddy shooter, and even games that are not fun solo can feel extremely enjoyable by having a wingman by your side.
10Warframe
Warframe is part third-person shooter and part bullet hell. Using your alien space ninja skills to sail through the air, shooting at enemies spread out far, wide, low, and high. You will find a fast-paced and engaging experience around almost every corner of your experience.
Warframe is one of the most fun free-to-play games out there, and it can be played with friends and strangers alike. It’s sitting here at the bottom of this list because of the fact it can be enjoyed just as much solo, and at times you’re able to be off on one side of the map with your allies' actions having little to no effect on your experience.
9Aliens: Fireteam Elite
This entry takes place in the multimedia franchise that isAliens. Players will team up to mow through xenomorph and humanoid enemies alike through the various levels. Different parts of the game will see you taking on smaller groups in tight quarters, while a more tactical approach may be needed for dealing with superior numbers of aggressive enemies.
Both of these will see enemies trying to get in close to deal harm, so be on your guard. There is a wide variety of environments and a large arsenal of weapons and abilities to make use of in the game. Thrilling battles will end with a sense of reward and accomplishment as the players can take a moment to catch their breath and regain their composure.
8Saints Row, The Third
While the original Saints Row was more serious, and its sequel Saints Row 2 was kinda quirky, Saints Row The Third took the franchise in an off-the-wall bizarre direction. The gameplay is comparable to the GTA franchise, but players will find themselves with a much crazier story and an array of obscure and hilarious weapons.
Couple all that with a cast of memorable and genuinely enjoyable characters, makes this game a great single-player experience, and it’s made even better by having a buddy by your side to laugh at the jokes and banter back and forth about what is happening while you play out the whole game together.
7World War Z: Aftermath
Shooters areno strangers to the zombie genreor being set during a zombie outbreak that left entire cities as barren hellscapes. World War Z: Aftermath does not just game ramp the experience up to eleven; it goes beyond that to levels unseen in other games.
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The environments used in its levels are incredibly well-designed and truly beautiful to look at, while the hoards and hoards of zombies feel so vast that it is understandable for players to feel overwhelmed and even hopeless at times. It is recommended to play this with people you know and trust to give you the feeling that you’re in good hands and have someone you can count on to watch your back.
The asymmetrical shooter market is heavily saturated at this point, with a lot of other titles just trying to cash in on what is currently popular in the gaming circle. Evil Dead The Game doesn’t take itself too seriously like other asymmetrical shooters and embraces its heritage’s black comedy roots.
Playing with friends in a group of hunters will fill you with comradery and a sense that you can all work together to overcome the player controlling the more powerful evil threat. Players controlling said threats would find them maliciously fun when sending out minions and building towards their grand design to victory.
5Sniper Elite 5
Sniper Elite 5 takes place in France during World War II. You will find yourself immersed in a war-torn France occupied by plenty of enemy soldiers and well-designed levels taking place in farmlands, cliff-sides, old-world structures, and more.
The game is greatly enhanced by having a friend by your side to act as a spotter while you reposition or flank enemies from both sides. This is a true must-play for those that really love a “Buddy Co-op” vibe when playing games together.
4Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days
This game almost nailed the sweet spot for what a great two-player co-op game could be. It has a great cast of characters and fitting music that, at times, can be quite moving. Its story, though not the best, pulls the game along a narrated path that keeps players engaged and entertained.
The gunplay is solid but not on par with the level of quality one might expect from a third-person shooter. A lot of games have an entirely different experience when played solo or with a friend, with Kane & Lynch being a good fit for two friends looking for a game they can play once together.
Returnal made its debut on the PS5 in 2021, and a PC release followed in February 2023. Returnal lets a second player play as another version of the first player’s player character, which really plays into the motif as one of the games revolving around using time loops. The gameplay is incredible, the worlds and levels can leave you in awe, and all the neon glow makes the game feel like it knows it’s a game that is meant to be fun.
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If you die, the level designs and enemies will change from how they were last time. This keeps every time you play feeling fresh and adrenaline packed. You feel a sense of true accomplishment overcoming this game like you and your friend are side by side, bashing through levels at an arcade, trying to get to the end before your coins run out.
2Army Of Two
Army of Two delivers the perfect blend of story, combat, and cooperation that almost puts it at the top of this list. The players are made aware of the overarching story and the immediate goal of the level they are on with a very strait forward plot that lets them focus on playing the game. While other games on this allow the games to be played single-player or with friends, this game is designed with co-op as its focal point.
Features such as going back-to-back, one player navigating either a parachute or behind a shield while the other shoots to clear a path, and timed trigger pulls at the same time to destroy a large structure. These are all high-five-worthy moments that make the game truly feel like 2 players are playing as one unit throughout the game. The sequel’s choices of “divide and conquer” sections diminish this feeling, while the first really made this game feel like the beat-all buddy of shooters.
1Unreal Editor for Fortnite
This is the holy grail for cooperative shooters. Unreal Editor for Fortnite allows creators to take over 4 years of assets, along with the ability to add their own assets and use all manner of tools to make whatever kinds of levels they can imagine. The utter level of diversity showcased is staggering, and the monetization model rewards developers for making quality games rather than exploitative drivel.
After just one day, there are plenty of worthwhile experiences to try out, and the potential to remake and re-imagine past games and new ones alike is limitless. Players could see a never-ending supply of fresh new experiences to play with friends on a daily basis thanks to Unreal Editor for Fortnite and not just trying toget better at Battle Royale.
