When it comes to local co-op gamesPS5has plenty of options for every type of player. Online play has had a much larger focus in the industry over the past few years, and in 2024most people seem to play with each other over the internet rather than together on the couch. Shooting games likeCall Of Dutyhave moved away from their offline local co-op and many new games only work with online co-op, such asHelldivers 2.
Local co-op games have not been forgotten, however, with some developers focusing primarily on two-player local co-op games, and some older games coming to the Playstation Store and remaining relevant even now. For those wanting to play together on the same screen like in the old days of gaming, there are still many suitable options.
10Borderlands 3
The Timeless First-Person Shooter
Even five years after its release,Borderlands 3still holds the title ofthe most fun and exciting first-person shooter. The game has a variety of exciting story missions and side jobs for the players to tackle together, teamwork being key to getting through them. The game’s quirky storyline, characters, and world-building on Pandora allow for an engaging experience, keeping everything fresh and exciting. First-person shooters are not known for their local co-op success, butBorderlands 3broke the mold just likePerfect Darkdid in the year 2000.
On a functional level, the split-screen implementation, which can sometimes feel restrictive, is clear and precise inBorderlands 3,ensuring a continued unaffected performance in gameplay.It also allows for a fully customizable character, from skill trees to cosmetics, offering not only a well-structured split-screen first-person shooter experience but also adding elements of role-play opportunities.
9FIFA 24
The Beautiful Game
There are a number of sports games across all gaming platforms that each player would consider the best. Gaining enjoyment out of a sports game may be subjective, but if one were to be selected to be the top of local co-ops, it would be from the most popular sport in the world: soccer.FIFAhas a yearly running stream of games, withFIFA 2024released in 2023.
What makesFIFAso fun is the competitive nature that comes with the sport. Climbing the rankings against NPCs or other players can be a pleasant experience with strategic success, but also causes some major disagreements when someone keeps passing offside or hogs the ball.It can be a fiery game to play together and winning brings an unmatched sense of achievementwhen players ofFIFAcan be extremely competitive across the globe.
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8For The King
Topping The Turn-Based Strategy Experience
For a turn-based class adventure,For The Kingoffers a solid experience for a squad to tackle.It may not be the quickest of games, due to taking the time for each player to take their turn before progressing forward. With a small group or a pair of players, this delay when sitting side-by-side feels like less of a waiting game and more of a tactical consideration, as the players can decide how to best tackle their next enemy.
Beating up a bunch of monsters on a relaxing evening is a low-stress, low-pressure experience. When this game is discussed online, the most common opinion to be found is that as a local co-op it offers a stellar performance, but single-player lacks the same inspiring factor. LikeCastle CrashersorDon’t Stare Together, it is agame made for more than one player to enjoy.
7Rayman Legends
The Platformer Of Legend
TheRaymanfranchise was once a powerhouse of the PlayStation, as iconic asCrash BandicootandSpyro. While it may have dwindled in popularity in recent years, the platforming gameRayman Legendsrekindles the love many had for the innovative world ofRayman. With a group of characters to choose from, such as Rayman and Globox, players can traverse The Glade of Dreams, platforming as a team.
Platforming games can be very hit or miss when it comes to local co-op. Some games can feel clunky and hard to follow with a single screen with two, or more, characters at once.Rayman Legendsimplements somesolid teamwork mechanics to ensure both characters on the screen are offering something to the experience, unlike the oldSonic the Hedgehog 2with a completely unnecessary Tails for the second player to control. When it comes to two-player platformers,Rayman Legendsis the way to go.
6Castle Crashers
The Underdog Side-Scrolling Adventure
Whena couple of players are looking for something simplerwithout the overly complicated storylines or character arcs of discovery and nuance,Castle Crasherstakes them back to hack’n’slash, side-scrolling fun. Sometimes the basic gameplay of smashing through hordes of enemies to save a princess, fighting for a kingdom, and stomping some knights or even some big fish is what an evening of gaming needs.
Castle Crashers’cartoonish and colorful art style is all about fun. Side-scrolling has always been quite a popular genre of gaming due to its simple design, which can be used for a mellow experience or some of the most terrifyingly difficult challenges.Castle Crashershits the middle, by being tough enough to make the journey challenging, utilizing teamwork, but not so difficult that it is a slog.It has replayability, something every local co-op game desperately needs.
5Don’t Starve Together
Long-Awaited Team Survival
Don’t Starve Togetherisquite the eerie survival game, the second in the series coming afterDon’t Starve.Survival games are known for their appealthrough replayability, trying to remain alive for as long as possible. However,Don’t Starveis considered to be not the most exciting survival game when playing alone. The co-op experience really heightens the experience through the desperate bid to survive together.
A friend coming along for the ride in a survival thriller certainly lightens the load and stresses these sorts of games can create and sitting together in a local setting can really feel like two people are tackling the horrors of survival together, rather than struggling alone or with someone else on the other side of the world.Don’t Starve Togetheris such a unique game,it’s worth being in every library of co-op games.
4Overcooked! 2
A Super Simulation Cooking Experience
There are few local co-op games that caninspire more passion and frustration in one fell swoop.Overcooked! 2is a team-based cooking simulation game where the players must work together to create various dishes for their restaurants. The key aspect is that without teamwork, the entire kitchen falls apart. Someone needs to prep, someone needs to collect, someone needs to serve, and so on. Without good communication and routine, success can be challenging.
What makesOvercooked! 2so engaging ishow it avoids becoming stale. The repetitive nature of the game is at risk of being tedious, even with the change of locations, dishes, and kitchens, but somehowOvercooked! 2remains fun and exciting. This is mainly down to the players, who have to constantly ramp up their energy to win the level. You can’t be slow and placid inOvercooked! 2- you have to stay on the ball at all times.
3Diablo 4
Dungeon-Scrawling Action At Its Finest
Diablo 4is the King of dungeon-crawlers. Scouring through hellish dungeons for loot, battling the grotesque beasts of the underworld makes for a challenging teamwork experience in its local co-op game play.Blizzard Entertainment even listened to its fansand ensurednew mechanics were implemented fromDiablo 3to make the co-op run that much smoother, such as having separated inventory management and menus, so players do not disrupt their friend’s game play.
Diablo 4is a local game that will have players strapped in for the long-haul. Unlike some of the others which can be jumped in and out of,Diablo 4will need some serious focus and dedication, especially when approaching some of the later game challenges. As communication is key to a successful run, having a local game will help with passing those commands where online may have messages lost in translation.
2It Takes Two
For the Perfect Partnered Puzzle Game
Soon to be a movie,It Takes Twoby Hazelight Studios is created entirely around the concept of two players tackling puzzles as a team.Its creative puzzle design and accessibilitymake it one of the most popular and successful local co-op games on the PS5 to date. Without strong communication and good teamwork,It Takes Twocan be challenging to complete, but it ensures the journey is visually stunning with its artistic-doll style.
It’s not only the gameplay that makesIt Takes Twoso engaging, but also the two primary characters and the immersive storyline they are wrapped up in. The two players can pick between either May and Cody, a couple close to divorce, who are unintentionally turned into dolls by their daughter, Rose. This narrative thread builds on the game by giving their struggles through the puzzle more meaning and weight.It’s a game about adventuring through puzzles, and about love.
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Baldur’s Gate 3not only changed the market for single-player roleplay games,it also offers a unique co-op option. Two players can load upBaldur’s Gate 3on their PS5, create their own customized characters, and set off together into the world to tackle the Absolute and the many other threats in theD&Duniverse. There may be a main character in which the story follows, but thesecondary player can have just as much impact.
The second player in the game can form their own bonds with the origin party members, have their own dialogue, and travel the map wherever they please, without being tied to their companion player. This allowsmore freedom in a co-op RPG than ever before, showing just how much thought Larian put into every aspect of the game, and not only its immense story.
