The first Aliens: Fireteam Elite was a pretty big hit, pitting teams of three colonial marines against countless deadly xenomorphs. You can't keep the xenos down, as we all know, and now they're back in a big way. Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 from Cold Iron Studios and Daybreak Games ups the ante with 4-player online co-op and cross-play, a new class, a Horde mode, and more. It's out now on all Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Scott Pilgrim EX, the long-awaited sequel to Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World: The Game, is probably the best new beat 'em up this year. It features gorgeous pixel art, catchy chiptunes, a diverse but manageable open world, and 4-player local and online co-op with cross-play. That's a lot to like! Well, now there's even more to like. Today, the game got a free update alongside the arrival of a DLC character pack.
You know what? Even our Database Master learns something new from time to time! Yes, we were just as surprised as you. Even he didn't know that Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspirary featured a unique co-op mode when it was released back in 2004. But thanks to the games re-release on PlayStation this month, he finally discovered the crazyiness of trying to control the main character in a third-person-shooter with two people: one player handles movement, while the other takes care of weapons and Psi Powers.
Since Tripwire's Killing Floor 3 arrived last year, the game has received several big updates. That's how things have to be if a developer wants a game's multiplayer modes active. The game launched with "perks" (classes) being locked to specific character skins, and fans weren't having it. Well, that issue has since been fixed, and the new "Operation: Shadow Hunter" update primarily adds lots of new content for loyal floor killers to enjoy. We took the game's 6-player online co-op for a fresh spin and had a blast with it.
What a month, eh? Our database saw an increase of a whopping 212 new entries. Not just, but mainly, thanks to all the announcements made in the 29 showcases that took place during this year's "Not-E3" season. And yes, our Database Master had to scan each game shown for possible co-op features. That's literally hundreds of games!
Abyssus is a "brinepunk FPS" (whatever that means) from DoubleMoose Games, The Arcade Crew, and Dotemu. After arriving on Steam last year, it has received a handful of major updates. The latest update, version 1.3, does not seem to be popular with Steam players. On the plus side, Abyssus also just launched on Xbox Series and PlayStation 5, and those players probably won't be attached to a previous update. There is 4-player online co-op with crossplay and plenty of brine in store for them!
The annual Steam Summer Sale started this week, and thousands of games are currently discounted. This includes plenty of games in one of our favorite genres: beat 'em ups like Rotwood! With that in mind, we've compiled a list of every beat 'em up in the Steam Summer Sale - and their co-op features! Lots of these game support Remote Play Together while the console versions have no online co-op, making these the best versions to get.
June brings lots of announcements from the big game publishers every year, and this one is no different. Microsoft's Games Showcase was stronger than usual, but what about the Big N? Well, Nintendo adopted a "more is more" approach with today's Nintendo Direct, showcasing dozens and dozens of games for brief periods of time. There are definitely lots of games to get excited about, including the impending Star Fox, Nintendo Switch Sports Resort, and the remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time!
Today, Microsoft held its annual Xbox Games Showcase to announce and highlight the games coming to Xbox platforms this year and next year. The lineup features some a handful of co-op games (mostly titles we already knew about, such as Gears of War: E-Day), some third-party heavy hitters, and a smattering of interesting indie games.
Rayman's 30th anniversary celebrations continue as Ubisoft announced today they are remastering their 2013 platformer Rayman Legends as Rayman Legends Retold. Alongside a graphical overhaul, a shift from the UbiArt Framework engine to Snowdrop, and fully voiced characters and cutscenes, this "reimagining" will feature a new story, new "dragon ride" levels, and a new realm to explore. I was invited to participate in a remote hands-on preview of a work-in-progress build of the game recently, and I came away feeling overall positive about the game's revitalized return.
June is upon us and with it comes the yearly no-longer-E3 barrage of game showcases. Place your bets now on how many titles with co-op features will be announced! Will it be all of them? Our Database Master hopes not, but why should we care what he wants?
When Absolum debuted last year (and this year on Xbox), it quickly emerged as one of the best modern beat 'em ups. A big part of Absolum's appeal is that it was the only roguelike brawler on the market. Well, that has just changed with the arrival of Mad King Redemption from Secret Mission and Pixel Doors. This one is both a beat 'em up and a roguelike, but it looks vastly different from just about any other game in the genre thanks to its bold 2.5D graphics. It also features 4-player local co-op, so it's definitely on our must-play list.
