It's easy to imagine that the video game fanatic is a recluse who spends his/her time alone with a controller. For some, that may be the bitter truth. Games are actually a great social avenue, however. While I've always enjoyed the engrossment of diving solo into an intricate adventure game, it's playing with others when video games feel more like an essential part of living than a waste of time (however fun that waste may be). Multiplayer games are great. They give me a chance to "hang out" with friends without actually having to say anything other than, "Nice shot!" or, "That was close." The spontaneous challenge of playing against other people is always amusing, too. Artificial intelligence will never match the frantic stupidity or oddball strategies that humans tend to make up on the spot.
As time progresses, I find I don't really like playing games by myself anymore. If there is a game whose single-player mode is better than its multiplayer (if the latter even exists), I'll trade off with someone else and take turns. This is why I'm really enjoying this new wave of co-op gameplay. The three most recent games I've played were co-op: Halo 2, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, and LEGO Star Wars. For all three, the adventure was much more entertaining with someone tagging along. I'm not even sure why, because many times, the person playing with me created more problems (i.e. hogging all the action). It's always nice to have that added support, though, as well as someone to talk to about the current situation. When playing against each other, I find that one or both parties end up angry or frustrated. When playing together, the focus shifts on the game, and it's better for it.
However, with some games, a co-op mode doesn't change very much. In fact, I liked playing Alien Hominid by myself over playing it with another player, because I tired of having to restart every time he/she ran out of lives. There wasn't a need for cooperation in Alien Hominid. I suppose there isn't a need for co-op in LEGO Star Wars, either, but LEGO Star Wars was more open and character-based. I appreciate games that force players to work together. Shaolin Monks simply felt like two players doing their own thing on the same screen. This is why I liked the GBA/GCN connected games. It was interesting to play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles with my brother, because it revealed how the two of us face problem-solving. I tended to proceed with caution, always keeping an eye on our health meters and casting healing spells when necessary. My brother, on the other hand, would run into battle without any preparation and ultimately die. It was somewhat enlightening to watch us work. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure is definitely my favorite co-op experience. There was just as much cooperation as there was competition, and the mix was something truly special. It was hilarious, because there were always present opportunities to screw my teammates over. For instance, I would have to stand on a button to raise platforms for them to jump on. If I moved off the button when they jumped for the platform, they would die... and I would laugh at them. Naturally, they'd spend the rest of the level trying to kill me, even while we were in the middle of trying to solve the next puzzle. Good times...
Virtual teamwork is starting to become very commonplace, and I hope developers continue to implement it. Battles are still fun, but my favorites memories in video games are those in which I had to work with my friends... not fight them.
As time progresses, I find I don't really like playing games by myself anymore. If there is a game whose single-player mode is better than its multiplayer (if the latter even exists), I'll trade off with someone else and take turns. This is why I'm really enjoying this new wave of co-op gameplay. The three most recent games I've played were co-op: Halo 2, Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, and LEGO Star Wars. For all three, the adventure was much more entertaining with someone tagging along. I'm not even sure why, because many times, the person playing with me created more problems (i.e. hogging all the action). It's always nice to have that added support, though, as well as someone to talk to about the current situation. When playing against each other, I find that one or both parties end up angry or frustrated. When playing together, the focus shifts on the game, and it's better for it.
However, with some games, a co-op mode doesn't change very much. In fact, I liked playing Alien Hominid by myself over playing it with another player, because I tired of having to restart every time he/she ran out of lives. There wasn't a need for cooperation in Alien Hominid. I suppose there isn't a need for co-op in LEGO Star Wars, either, but LEGO Star Wars was more open and character-based. I appreciate games that force players to work together. Shaolin Monks simply felt like two players doing their own thing on the same screen. This is why I liked the GBA/GCN connected games. It was interesting to play Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles with my brother, because it revealed how the two of us face problem-solving. I tended to proceed with caution, always keeping an eye on our health meters and casting healing spells when necessary. My brother, on the other hand, would run into battle without any preparation and ultimately die. It was somewhat enlightening to watch us work. The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventure is definitely my favorite co-op experience. There was just as much cooperation as there was competition, and the mix was something truly special. It was hilarious, because there were always present opportunities to screw my teammates over. For instance, I would have to stand on a button to raise platforms for them to jump on. If I moved off the button when they jumped for the platform, they would die... and I would laugh at them. Naturally, they'd spend the rest of the level trying to kill me, even while we were in the middle of trying to solve the next puzzle. Good times...
Virtual teamwork is starting to become very commonplace, and I hope developers continue to implement it. Battles are still fun, but my favorites memories in video games are those in which I had to work with my friends... not fight them.
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