Co-opted

I may have mentioned before that I am a bit of an antisocial git and have largely been resentful of the current generation of video games’ emphasis on online multiplayer. This isn’t simply because it requires me to potentially play with strangers (who are as likely to headshot you and teabag your corpse as they are to say hello), but because if I am playing multiplayer I’d rather be sitting in the same room as the person I’m playing with, like the good old days of the N64. Yes, I am aware I sound like a grumpy old man.

However a friend of mine recently cajoled me into playing the excellent Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light with him, and (lag issues not-withstanding) we had a great time and were able to 100% the game whilst simultaneously shooting the breeze and hanging out. Having put Lara Croft to bed (figuratively speaking, unfortunately) I knew I’d been co-opted into the world of co-operative gaming and now we are at the end of our second play through of Dungeon Siege 3.

I enjoyed Dungeon Siege 3 single-player. Though it often seemed to be trying a little too hard to replicate Dragon Age, it did have a perfectly functional story and a very enjoyable combat system. But this combat system really comes into its own during co-op play (you could say it’s co-optimised), the carefully balanced characters really supporting one another in dynamic and unexpected ways. For instance, in our current hardcore play-through the combination of melee fighter Lucas’ devastating criticals and Reinhart’s Geometry of Annhilation glyph (which gives Lucas a higher chance of hitting criticals when fighting inside it) has been a life saver in many situations. The various character abilities, all of which are useful and unique even on their own, have a synergy with one another that is really quite dynamic, and reveals a tactical subtlety to the game that isn’t immediately apparent with its flashy hack-and-slash approach.

As you are reading this I will likely have moved onto our next challenge: Portal 2. After that, the sky’s the limit. We may go back to Resident Evil 5, my initial experience of which was spoilt by the addition of a useless AI partner, or I might even give Gears of War a second chance, the enjoyment of playing with a friend might help me overlook its macho and soulless narrative.

I’m open to suggestions…