There’s an undeniable appeal to games that are designed around co-op gameplay. Playing any game with other players inherently makes things more interesting more often than not, and that, of course, is doubly true for games that are, you know, actually good. Looking ahead, there’s a long list of promising titles that are due out in the future that are making some lofty promises in those areas. Here, then, we’re going to talk about several upcoming co-op games that have caught our eye.
ONCE HUMAN
Due out sometime later this year, fans of the survival genre have had their eyes on Once Human for a while. Its post-apocalyptic setting is looking promising, especially with the variety of truly horrific monstrosities that players will be contending with, while everything that we’ve seen of its customization and progression mechanics, base building, and survival systems (which include a Sanity system) has looked quite enticing as well.
THE FIRST DESCENDANT
Nexon’s third-person shooter The First Descendant has been on quite a few radars for a couple of years now. Part-Warframe, part-Destiny, the looter shooter is promising fast combat, bombastic boss fights, and a variety of different weapons and playable characters, with the latter all coming with their own unique play styles. After a couple of beta tests over the last year, The First Descendant is due out this Summer.
WARHAMMER 40,000: SPACE MARINE 2
Space Marine 2 is looking like an enticing game even if you intend to play through it solo, but true to its Gears of War-inspired lineage, co-op is going to be a huge part of the experience. The entire campaign can be played by three players together, and that’s quite an exciting prospect, especially given the bombastic, high-octane, gory action that the game is looking like it’s going to deliver.
PANICORE
A co-op survival horror game? Sign us the hell up. Panicor will see a group of five players – playing as daredevil explorers – finding themselves trapped in abandoned, urban buildings, and with a terrifying monster chasing you every stop of the way, your goal is to hide, outwit your nightmarish foe, and find a way out. Not only will players have to work together to solve elaborate puzzles and effectively explore their environments, they’ll also be constantly contending with a pursuer enemy that can literally hear every single step you take.
DESTINY 2: THE FINAL SHAPE
Destiny 2 has had as many ups as it has had downs, but where its upcoming expansion, The Final Shape, most of what Bungie has shown off so far gives us reason to be optimistic (not that there haven’t been controversial reveals- but then again, with Destiny, there are always going to be controversial reveals). On top of its new story content, the expansion is promising a new enemy race, another new subclass, new Light-based supers, significant changes to the Power level system, the return of exotic items, and much more. It’s looking increasingly likely that The Final Shape will be Destiny 2’s last major expansion (especially with recent reports claiming that Destiny 3 is in the works), so here’s hoping the long-running looter shooter signs off on a high note.
JOHN CARPENTER’S TOXIC COMMANDO
Space Marine 2 isn’t the only gleefully gory co-op game Saber Interactive is working on. John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is due out sometime this year, and it’s looking like an absolute riot so far. With the promise of over-the-top gore and humour, thrilling co-op action against massive hordes of undead enemies, and more, this first-person shooter has certainly ensured that many are going to be keeping their eye on it.
LITTLE NIGHTMARES 3
Even though Little Nightmares games have always made companion characters a core part of the experience, co-op has never been a part of the equation. That’s changed with the upcoming Little Nightmares 3, and we’re more than a little excited about that. The series’ brand of gameplay is one that would lend itself remarkably well to co-op gameplay, especially given the intense horror set-pieces that Little Nightmares games love so dearly. The fact that co-op in Little Nightmares 3 is going to be online only is disappointing, but hopefully Supermassive Games and Bandai Namco will add a couch co-op option down the line.
OUTWARD 2
Nine Dots’ 2019 action RPG Outward may not have set the world on fire, but its sequel is making some interesting promises. In addition to bringing back the first game’s gruelingly unforgiving approach to difficulty, Outward 2 is also set to boast much higher production values, according to its developer, which should hopefully make its world a much more engaging one. Though the action RPG can certainly be played solo, co-op – whether local or online, splitscreen or otherwise – is exactly the sort of thing that can make its massively challenging obstacles that much more interesting.
NO REST FOR THE WICKED
Given how good the Ori games were, it’s no surprise that Moon Studios’ No Rest for the Wicked has as many eyes on it as it does, and thus far, it’s looking like the action RPG is set to be another impressive notch on the developer’s belt. Though its recent early access release wasn’t without its issues, the core gameplay experience is undoubtedly a strong one. So far, the game is only playable solo, but its first major update will be adding four-player co-op, which we’re looking forward to keenly.
MECHWARRIOR 5: CLANS
With its promise of a story-driven experience, MechWarrior 5: Clans has got plenty of fans’ attention who may have been let down by some of the series’ more recent outings, but based on what we know of the game so far, it’s looking like its inclusion of five-player co-op may be just as big of a selling point. There’s plenty of enjoyment to get out of MechWarrior’s brand of action regardless, but the addition of four players stomping about in mechs by your side is likely to make things a little bit more interesting.
MONSTER HUNTER WILDS
Obviously, we need to have the next Monster Hunter game on a list about the most promising upcoming co-op games. There’s nothing quite like setting out on hunts with a squad of friends and taking on the series’ staggering variety of incredibly designed monsters in combat. Even if Monster Hunter Wilds was just a straightforward iteration of that formula, there’d be every reason to look forward to it, but with Capcom promising some significant evolutions for the series’ tried-and-tested formula, our excitement is sky-high.
TEMTEM SWARM
After attempting to emulate Pokemon with Temtem, Crema is now looking to take a page out of Vampire Survivors’ book with the upcoming spinoff Temtem Swarm. Built around three-player co-op, Temtem Swarm will see players engaging in frenetic top-down action and playing as cute little Temtem gunning down hordes of their own kind. It’s certainly a bizarre premise, and the game’s announcement has been met with a fair bit of backlash by the Temtem community, but we’re certainly keeping our eyes on this one.
TERMINATOR: SURVIVORS
A Terminator survival game set after Judgment Day is an elevator pitch that’s bound to grab your attention. Terminator: Survivors will see players exploring an open world setting, scavenging resources to bring back to an ever-expanding base. The hook, of course, that you’ll have to do all of this with the terrifying threat of Skynet and its machines constantly looming over you. Due out this October and playable both solo and co-op, Terminator: Survivors is definitely one we can’t wait to get our hands on.
BORDERLANDS 4
We know next to nothing about Borderlands 4 so far. Hell, it hasn’t even been officially unveiled yet. But 2K and Gearbox Entertainment have confirmed that the co-op looter shooter is in development, which, given the series’ pedigree, is enough to turn more than a few heads. How Borderlands 4 will evolve and build on the series’ formula remains to be seen, but this is a franchise that has been remarkably consistent over the years, so it’s definitely got our attention.
CONTRABAND
Avalanche Studios has built its fair share of compelling open world experiences in the past, so it’s no surprise that Contraband – a co-op open world game being made exclusively for Xbox Series X/S and PC with the full backing of Microsoft – has piqued so many people’s curiosity. Other than a logo reveal disguised as an announcement trailer, we’ve seen nothing of the game so far, but the prospect of a heist-based co-op open world sandbox is an exciting one, so hopefully, we’ll be seeing more of Contraband in the not-too-distant future.