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Join the 'Chaos Squad' in Sunset Overdrive's multiplayer trailer
Insomniac Games' third-person shooter Sunset Overdrive received a trailer for its eight-player cooperative multiplayer mode, Chaos Squad. In it, teams complete objectives during the day, then participate in tower defense-style battles at night. The Xbox One exclusive arrives October 28.
How Assassin's Creed: Unity brings the brotherhood into co-op
It seems one major rule of cooperative assassination is "keep your distance." Few know that as well as Ubisoft, which reacted to some of our questions about Assassin's Creed: Unity's cooperative multiplayer component. Assistant Art Director Patrick Limoges told Joystiq that co-op missions are online only, so assassin buddies won't get to rub elbows while slashing at guards in the Xbox One, PS4 and PC game. "How it works is that you're playing the single mission in the story of Arno. He has his own mission, but when you play co-op it's like you're playing a brotherhood mission," Limoges explained. "So your friends joining you, they can walk through the city with you, they can actually join you in a specific mission, a co-op one."
Dieselstormers starts a firefight in a city full of oil
None of the conversations we've heard about pollution have ever brought up the whole "oil can totally turn you into orks" thing, but now that Dieselstormers has cleared its funding goal on Kickstarter, it's a reality the diesel-fueled town of Ravensdale will face. Naturally, the remaining humans are up for sorting things out with guns in a solo or co-operative, side scrolling manner, but with their city speckled with oil canisters and goop pits, mashing triggers won't always be the best strategy. Missions focus on assassinating, sabotaging or liberating targets, but optional goals like timed objectives can be tackled in exchange for bonuses. Revisiting cleared stages might not feel entirely redundant, either - the city blocks of Ravensdale have an element of procedural generation to them. The Kickstarter page describes levels as being built from "different layers" of architecture that provide a "constantly shifting and growing context" for ork-targeting shootouts. Dieselstormers will let its heroes mix-n-match gun components to tailor an arsenal to their personal play style, but bringing friends along will allow for use of the Arc Connector. This ball of destruction is tethered to all players and can be guided toward enemies to dish out damage, provided the squad controlling it is capable of the involved teamwork. It's upgradable with stackable mods across all players, too, so every team's go-to finisher won't be the same spectacle. Although Dieselstormers is bound for Steam, developer Black Forest Games assures it will release a DRM-free version "as soon as the sales success makes it viable to set up this infrastructure ourselves." Dieselstormers has its sights on an initial PC launch with Mac and Linux versions following, but Black Forest is "planning for" Xbox One, PS4 and Wii U as well. [Image: Black Forest Games]
Humble Weekly Co-Op: Awesomenauts, Risk of Rain
Find some friends and then grab these games in the Humble Weekly Co-Op bundle, some for any amount of cash you want, others for a little more, and a bunch of games for even more. Pay anything you want for Awesomenauts, Sanctum 2 and Wanderlust: Rebirth; spend $6 or more to add Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken, Orcs Must Die 2 Complete Pack and Aces Wild: Manic Brawling Action. Pay $10 to get Risk of Rain. Since this one is a co-op pack, there are two extra options to pump up the fun volume: $17 or more grants you two full bundles, and $30 or more gives you four bundles. This week, the Humble Bundle benefits Child's Play Charity and American Red Cross. [Image: Humble Bundle]
The bright, dark world of couch co-op puzzler Chariot on PS4
Chariot is a game about transporting a dead body. But it's not just any body – it's your father's body. And he's not just any dad – he's the king. As the princess, your task is to take the king's body to its final resting place, deep underground through winding tunnels filled with gold and treasure. The king's ghost follows your journey and he insists on gathering as many riches as possible so he can be buried with them. Yeah, this game could have been really dark. Instead, it looks pretty adorable – Chariot is designed for two players in local co-op, but it can also be played solo, Executive Producer Martin Brouard of Frima Studio says: "Chariot is a 2D, couch co-op adventure platformer in which two players must work together to guide a chariot through underground levels using physics-based mechanics such as pushing, pulling, riding, reeling, and so on." As one reader on the PlayStation Blog points out, the princess doesn't seem too bothered that her father is dead. Frima responds with, "Wait until you meet the king ... he's got quite a character." Chariot is due out for PS4 in the fall. [Image: Frima Studio]
Sniper Elite 3 devs talk multiplayer, co-op, custom guns
What the above Sniper Elite 3 trailer lacks in gory, X-ray killcam footage of exploding Teutonic skulls, it makes up for in clear, concise discussion of the joys of stalking Hitler's goons with the aid of a friend. [Image: 505 Games]
Warface raids towers, captures new modes
Crytek issued a new update for the PC version of Warface this week, adding two new modes to the multiplayer game. The free-to-play FPS received a co-op mode known as Tower Raid, shown in a new trailer for the game, in addition to the Capture versus mode. Crytek also renamed the Claymore mine in the update, changing it to the "Directional Mine," and increased the item unlock progression speed in both co-op and versus modes. Crytek provided the full patch notes in a post on its GFace social platform. There's no word on whether these modes will wind up on Xbox 360 as well. Warface entered its beta phase on the platform earlier this month, and requires an Xbox Live Gold subscription to play. [Image: Crytek]
Elite: Dangerous moves into multiplayer alpha
Elite: Dangerous has jumped into the second stage of its alpha, adding in multiplayer elements for the first time. With Alpha Phase 2.0, Elite: Dangerous players can try out four multiplayer scenarios, including free-for-all, two-team melee, co-op defense, and an advanced pirates and bounty hunters mode with "fluid choices and roles." Players who engage in these scenarios can earn credits for better ship loadouts. But don't just read about Alpha Phase 2.0 here; watch the dev video with all of the stunning highlights after the break! [Thanks to Peteris for the tip!]
Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare split-screen mode exclusive to Xbox One
Plants Vs Zombies: Garden Warfare producer Brian Lindley details the upcoming squad-based shooter's split-screen mode in the newly-launched video above, revealing that local cooperative play is exclusive to the Xbox One version of the game. In Garden Warfare's co-op mode, players team up to defend a garden from an endless horde of invading zombies. Players can choose among multiple playable classes, giving them a wide variety of ability combinations and strategic options on the battlefield. The Xbox One version of Garden Warfare also boasts an exclusive Boss mode, which allows a third player to distribute power-ups during gameplay via Kinect or SmartGlass. Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare is due to hit the Xbox 360 and Xbox One in February.
You get a limb and you get a limb in Octodad: Dadliest Catch co-op
Octodad: Dadliest Catch will feature a local co-op mode when it launches on Steam tomorrow, January 30. In Octodad: Dadliest Catch, players control an octopus posing as a loving human husband and father. In co-op, which was revealed on Polygon and allows players to drop-in and drop-out at any time, each participant is given control over a specific set of Octodad's limbs; one player controls his left arm while another controls his right leg. Wait, does Octodad even have legs? Isn't he technically just a head with tentacles? Co-op will be available on all of Dadliest Catch's platforms: PC, Mac, Linux and the upcoming PS4 port, which is expected in March. A Roulette version of co-op, which can be freely toggled on or off, will randomly switch players' limb sets every time an objective is completed. Developer Young Horses said it has no plans to add an online co-op mode.
Monster Madness Online announced, starts open alpha testing
It's not every day that you get to hear about a brand-new MMO and get to try it out at the same time, but here you go: Nom Nom Games and Trendy Entertainment (Dungeon Defenders) announced the birth of Monster Madness Online and encouraged folks to jump into its open alpha test program. Monster Madness Online is a free-to-play multiplayer shooter that pits players against a Martian invasion of a suburban town. All of the adults have been abducted, leaving teenagers to be the sole defenders of our home soil. Players will go on co-op missions to fight the monsters with an optional roguelike mode for those who prefer the hardcore life or jump into 16-player PvP battlegrounds. The game also features the option for players to set up their own servers, create their own mods, and whip up their own levels. It offers crossplatform play between PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android, Web Browser, and Windows Phone 8. Players can register for the upcoming beta on the site as well. [Thanks to Mehighlow for the tip!]
Resogun co-op trailer has twice the ships, twice the explosions
We called Resogun "a smart, merciless little shooter" in our four-star review, but did you know that it's also a smart, merciless little shooter that can be enjoyed in online co-op mode? Yes, with another ship at your side, the fun can be doubled. You can get a taste for co-op thanks to the trailer above, and if you're a PS4 owner already, you have a couple other options. Since the game is free for PlayStation Plus members - which everyone can try out thanks to a 30-day trial voucher - there's no reason not to check it out. And if you're worried about not having anyone to play with, don't be: One million PS4 units were sold during the system's first 24 hours on the shelves, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a co-pilot.
Dead Rising 3 networking suffered with more than two players
It's not that Xbox One launch game Dead Rising 3 can't support more than two players in online co-op, but during some "rough tests," developer Capcom Vancouver found it be too stressful on the network connection. "Obviously we'd like to have three players, four players, more players, and we did some rough tests, and the networking fidelity started to break down," producer Mike Jones revealed to OXM. More players in the sandbox also presents a problem when it comes to zombie AI, which not only governs where zombies spawn but also pushes hordes to identify and engage players. It's enough stress on the game to account for two players independently running around Los Perdidos, Dead Rising 3's sandbox, but when you add more players "it becomes this crazy, exponentially more complicated problem." Jones added, however, that more human players is something the developer is "definitely going to explore." But, for Dead Rising 3, it's more about focusing on "a meaningful two player co-op experience" that builds upon the co-op groundwork laid by Dead Rising 2. "But yeah, I'm a big versus player, I love that stuff, so I think in the future we're definitely going to explore how we can get more players in there." We were able to check out a near-final build of Dead Rising 3 at Microsoft's Xbox One showcase event last week. In our preview, we talked about the joy of creating new weapons and vehicles, and discussed the frame rate issues that arose when tearing around Los Perdidos in any kind of speedy conveyance.
Here's how Knack's two-player co-op works
PS4 launch title Knack will feature local co-op support, allowing another player to jump in and control titular hero Knack's companion and helper, Robo Knack. Using a DualShock 4 controller or Remote Play through a PS Vita, this second player can use Robo Knack to pummel baddies or support Knack by hooking him up with spare parts - basically health - when he's running low. Knack, which is developed by Sony's Japan Studio and directed by PS4 architect Mark Cerny, will be available at the PS4's launch on November 15. The action-platformer centers around a Katamari-like creature known as Knack, who grows in size as he gathers objects known as Relics.
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How Super Mario 3D World masks co-op in chaos
For the meticulous player who takes pride in the unblinking, unfaltering dash through a gauntlet of precipitous drops and spinning spikes, multiplayer is probably the worst thing to happen to Mario. As with New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you're often foiled by those you would call friends in Super Mario 3D World. That jump would have been perfect, but Peach bopped me on the head and sent me to a molten death in the lava below. I would have gotten that hidden power-up and used it properly, had Toad not run off with it first. Who are these other three people and why do they torment me so?
Friends unite and take down psychos in Dead Rising 3
Capcom has confirmed online co-op will return for Dead Rising 3 when it launches this November on Xbox One. Protagonist Nick can be joined by big rig driver Dick (yes, Nick and Dick), and travel freely in Los Perdidos, together or independently. In past games, partners were limited to exploring the same sections together. All progress in co-op carries over to the single-player campaign, Capcom-Unity writes. If you join a friend who is further along in the story, and clear a chapter you haven't accessed in your single-player campaign yet, you'll have the option to skip it when you encounter it on your own later. That should prove handy when it comes to facing the game's returning "psychopath" bosses, this time based on the seven deadly sins. You know, like "sloth" and "bad checkpointing."
NBA 2K14 Crews mode offers three and five-person team play
2K Sports recently revealed a few more details for NBA 2K14's Crews mode. In the mode, which was announced to return in NBA 2K14 in August, players create teams with custom jersey and logo options, inviting friends to join with their created athletes for online play against other teams. After a few years of absence from the series, Crews will offer 3-on-3 half-court and 5-on-5 full-court matches, each played to 21 points. It will also include leaderboards that track stats from matches along with player fatigue, which 2K Sports said was "tuned specifically for Crews to make it even more realistic." NBA 2K14 will launch October 1 on PS3, PC and Xbox 360, with Xbox One and PS4 versions arrive at each console's launch.
Tetrapulse uses health as ammo, punishes players that go solo
Developer The Amiable is looking for $15,000 on Kickstarter to fund Tetrapulse, a cooperative PC, Mac and Linux game that uses players' health pools as ammo and requires everyone to work together, or else. Each team must protect the Hearthstone – the source of life and, therefore, ammo – and must move it around the map to win battles against persistent alien creatures. When players attach to the Hearthstone to regenerate health, they must move the pillar together, as one unit, or risk being an easy target for the enemy swarms. "Tetrapulse is meant to keep players working together the entire time they're playing," developer David Laskey tells Joystiq. "Oftentimes co-op games end up possessing loose cooperative mechanics that don't reinforce players necessarily working together. This causes the game to break down into a free-for-all and players going Rambo. "In Tetrapulse this can't really happen, and the moment a player tries to go out on their own there is clear immediate punishment in the form of the team collapsing and losing soon after. Players really need to be watching each others' backs, considering health is linked to your ammo when attacking enemies. When you lose, you lose hard." There's no single-player content planned for now, but Laskey says that's a possible stretch goal, if the Kickstarter takes off: "Tetrapulse is about bringing the people who are playing together so we want to focus on shaping that experience first and foremost." The Amiable has been working on Tetrapulse for 7 months, but it needs this push to fund online multiplayer and finish everything off. The game is due out, tentatively, in Q1 2014, provided enough people chip in on Kickstarter. This game is all about teamwork, after all.
Splinter Cell: Blacklist crosses out local co-op on Wii U
Splinter Cell: Blacklist will not feature an offline co-op component on Wii U. Producer Liu Jun has confirmed the news with NintendoLife, citing the pressure to ship the Wii U version alongside other platforms as the reason behind the missing feature. "In order to ship at the same time as the other consoles, we unfortunately weren't able to delve into this feature. But we think Nintendo gamers will be really excited to get the game at the same time as other consoles." Ubisoft Shanghai is the lead developer on the Wii U version, which looks like it'll offer some useful WiiPad functionality when it launches later this month. Outside of the omission of local co-op play, the Wii U version features are identical to its PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 brethren.
Bungie talks Destiny's connected play, Far Cry and Borderlands influence
In an interview with Edge Magazine, Destiny creative director Joe Staten took a moment to acknowledge the contributions of other open world shooters to the Destiny development process. Staten noted that the dev team analyzes titles like Borderlands and Far Cry and looks at "the things they're doing well and also at opportunities they might have missed that we can capitalize on." One big missed opportunity according to Staten? Encountering other players in the wild: You can party up with a group of people and then go around with that group, but never in Borderlands are you going to collide with a group of other people doing it too. We don't just do that once or twice in the game, we do that all the time, everywhere. You see other people on the horizon, hear gunfire over a hill and see space magic flying behind some trees, and you know...there are other people out here, that [changes everything]. Colliding with other people is sort of the core component of most MMOs, though Destiny may be the first big console-specific shooter to rely on such mechanics to fill out its game world. Staten also confirmed that Destiny will offer a leveling system complete with talent points -- another feature fans of MMOs will likely find quite familiar.
