Tag Archives: ps4

Above $10, Competitive Games

Jackbox Party Pack

Leave a comment

It may be a little pricier than usual, but this is the cornucopia of party games.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

The final game for the competitive category is actually a series, the Jackbox Party Pack!

Players: 2-8

Platform: PC, PS3, PS4, Android, Switch, Apple

Price: $24.99

image from https://jackboxgames.com/

Yes, this is the most expensive game I have talked about so far; however, this is actually a bundle of games. As it turns out, there are actually 4 bundles (JB Party Pack 1, 2, 3, & 4), and all of them are pure gold. While the title is just the first bundle, I will be speaking freely about all 4.

This is the bundle to buy if you are looking for low-investment, easy-to-play video games. Each game is basically an digital board game. Each player logs into a website designated for the game and puts in a game code and a player name. There are no filters, so beware streamers or people playing with children! The game itself is usually pretty ‘PG’ or ‘PG-13’ at most, but the people you play with alter the game pretty heavily.

Each game has a few rules, and then each player participates. For example, the game Fibbage requires each player to answer the same prompt, and then all the players have to guess the right answer. Points go to anyone who can fool their friends into picking their answer and anyone who can guess the right answer. All of the different games included in each bundle play pretty differently, and the announcer explains the gist of each game as you play.

Every time I see a group of friends and we all want to play video games, this is always one of the games we play. These bundles are beyond worth the price and have not stopped providing me and my friends from constant laughter and memories. I cannot say enough good things about these games. Please buy them if you play with friends often.

 

Above $10, Cooperative Games

Mercenary Kings

Leave a comment

Is “frustratingly-fun” a term? Well, this game is that.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s cooperative game will be Mercenary Kings!

Players: 1-4

Platform: Xbox One, PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch

Price: $19.99

image from http://store.steampowered.com

Fight your way through plenty of soldiers, robots, and other… interesting… enemies! Mercenary Kings is a story-driven, 2D, modern-pixel-art platformer.

To be completely honest, I could not tell you what the story of the game is. While I am sure it is just fine, that’s not what makes me remember this game. What I remember most is getting very frustrated due to my friends. Playing this game with other people is what makes this game worth playing however. Playing by yourself is fun and relatively simple, but this game shines when others are involved. This game requires a lot of precision throughout (as with most action platformers), and adding other players just makes it harder to see things and get through a level. While this sounds like a setback, it makes the game so much more fun. The game is relatively basic in terms of a 2D platformer: run, jump, shoot your way through each level, and adding people makes doing that just hard enough that it becomes a fun challenge to play with others. It will also help test your teamwork as the game is kind of hard for anyone that does not game regularly.

One thing that helps this game stick out is how much you can customize. You can choose different players that each function a little differently, you can change and upgrade your weapon HEAVILY, and you can change up how you play the game (jumping through the game, strategically planning how to traverse each room, etc). The variety of this helps the game feel different throughout along with progressing through an ever-changing storyline. While I personally think this comes in a little steep at $20, I do think that it is worth the buy if you are looking for something more retro-feeling that you can sink your teeth into with some friends.

Uh oh! It looks like next week will be my last two scheduled posts! I may continue to post in the future, but they will not longer be coming out every Tuesday and Thursday. Make sure to check in next week to see my last two local multiplayer choices! They are some of my favorites!

$10 or below, Competitive Games

Paperbound

Leave a comment

Do you like arena games where you need to defeat your friends? Well, add anti-gravity to that and you have this game.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Paperbound!

Players: 1-4

Platform: PC, PS4

Price: $9.99

10.jpg

image from http://www.paperboundgame.com

Paperbound is all about hacking and slashing. The point of the game is to get to your portal, but the path to get there often changes, and that is what makes this game so fun.

There are plenty of characters to choose from even though they are purely cosmetic; however, the map choice is wide and varying. Each map is an arena, but its construction is different. Some maps have spikes on the sides, some have no sides, some are really small maps that are completely enclosed. Apart from this, there is also different game modes to play. From simply killing each other to capturing an object and holding it (a la King of the Hill game types), there is enough variation to keep the game fun and new for a while.

Even though there is not a lot of actual content in the game (set number of maps, set number of characters, set number of game types), the reason I chose this game is because of its’ unique take on the genre.

In terms of gameplay, this game is relatively hard to jump into. There is figuring out how to attack, how to throw effectively, and using the environment in the map appropriately. Once you figure that out, there is the entire anti-gravity addition that changes the game entirely. Anti-gravity is such a weird concept to mess with that it alone is what puts this game on my radar. It completely changes how you approach winning. Instead of trying to get to your enemy across the map and hitting them, you can now just switch gravity and “fall” towards them and slash them as you pass them. There is so much opportunity to experiment with how to traverse each map that it makes each time you play feel just different enough to keep you around.

While this game may be a little hard to just introduce to casual gamers, it is definitely a lot of fun and has given me and a few different groups of friends a lot of memories. For $10, this game is well worth the price for how much use I have gotten out of it.

 

Above $10, Competitive Games

Ultimate Chicken Horse

Leave a comment

Do you remember playing “Horse” with your friends in Basketball? Well, this is sort of like that.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Ultimate Chicken Horse!

Players: 1-4

Price: $14.99

Platform: PC, Xbox One, PS4 (Soon to be the Switch as well!)

2015-11-10 Screenshot3.png

image from www.cleverendeavourgames.com/ultimate-chicken-horse

Ultimate Chicken Horse is a competitive game about trying to get to the finish line. How you get to the finish line, however, needs to be hard. Why, one might ask? If everyone finishes, no one gets any points! To make sure that you are the only one to finish, you must build some of the most dastardly mazes you can think of.

At the start of each round, a random assortment of items will appear, and each player is to pick one. Once items are chosen, everyone has to place them somewhere on the map. The item you pick up really defines where you put it. Pick a rectangle piece? Place it as a beam to walk on or jump off of. Pick up a crossbow? Place it in the way so you can jump over it but try to hopefully get your friends! Do whatever you can to be the only one left! The less people and more kills you get, the more points you get. The person with the most points wins!

That is the just the base, classic game. There are different gamemodes, plenty of different characters, tons of tools and weapons to use, and various maps to play and unlock through gameplay. This game offers plenty of fun with friends and even plenty of fun on your own to see what kind of crazy creations you can come up with! At $15, this game is a steal.

 

Above $10, Cooperative Games

Human: Fall Flat

Leave a comment

Weird physics, ragdoll players, and goofy controls. What more could you ask for in a game?

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s cooperative game will be Human: Fall Flat!

Players: 1-4

Price: $14.99

Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

image from http://store.steampowered.com

Human: Fall Flat is all about traversing the area around you to find the end. There is usually a path you can follow, but the way the game is made, there is endless possibilities as to how to get to the end.

You play as these ragdoll people, that can be customized, and must make your way through each level using anything you can grab onto. The way the game works is the triggers control each arm and you can jump and move around. The innovative thing about this game is what the arms can do. Each arm can attach to any object and hold onto it. Using this, you can try to swing around objects, pull yourself over, or even use yourself as a ladder for your friends!

Speaking of friends, this game is impressively fun on its’ own, but adding other players to the mix is what makes this game so much fun. Try to beat your friends to the end, work together to move objects around to get to the end, or just use your friends as the objects and do it that way! There are so many opportunities for your imagination to flourish in this weird, unique game.

There are not very many levels of this game, but that is because each level is jam-packed with enough ways to try something different that it can make playing the game again and again feel different every time!

Human: Fall Flat is a wacky adventure to take on with your friends and is well worth every penny needed to get it.

 

$10 or below, Competitive Games

Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure

Leave a comment

Playing dodgeball in school has always been a fan favorite of many kids. Once you leave school, however, dodgeball becomes less and less prevalent. This game can help revive that nostalgia in a very… unique… way.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Stikbold! A Dodgeball Adventure!

Players: 1-4

Price: $9.99

Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch

image from https://store.playstation.com

Stikbold is all about accuracy and strategy. The point of the game is to take out your friends in whatever way you can. Most of the time this means a ball, but that can change.

There is a story to this game, but the fun really comes from the multiplayer. There are a couple game types such as regular dodgeball or a soccer-inspired dodgeball game mode. There are only 5 levels to play these on, but the developers do a great job of making each one feel like its own environment. Each level has its own environmental challenges such as crabs that can kill you on the beach level or a hot dog stand that drops throw-able hot dogs in the gym level.  The levels feel fleshed out and fun to interact in.

The reason I chose to put this game on the list is because it is a fun to play yet hard to master game. Knowing when to dodge out of the way, knowing how to throw at an angle to catch someone, or even just knowing when to bump into someone or not can win or lose you the game. If you do get hit and tossed out of the arena, fear not! You are not done! Stikbold allows players who are out to move around the arena and send in environmental hazards of their own to try and get some of the other players out as well.

This is a unique game that offers gameplay that isn’t seen very often and does it in a wonderfully goofy way. The game is pretty cheap as well, so make sure to pick it up today!

Above $10, Cooperative Games

Trine 2: Complete Story

Leave a comment

Not enough wizards and knights in your life? Well have I got the gift for you!

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s Cooperative game will be Trine 2: Complete Story

Players: 1-3

Price: $19.99

Platform: PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Android

image from http://store.steampowered.com/app/35720/Trine_2_Complete_Story/

The reason I chose the second one is because of the memories it created between me and my friends. Have you tried playing puzzle games with your friends before? It is a wild adventure, and this game really helps that adventure flourish.

Trine 2 is about the journey of 1-3 heroes set on a path of danger and mystery. To be completely honest, that is all I can tell you about the story. The reason I love this game so much is because of the game play. It is a 2D side-scroller, and there are plenty of puzzle and combat everywhere throughout each level. Work with water, fire, wind, and plenty of other elements and objects to traverse your way through each level.

There are three heroes: a knight who excels at close combat and fighting in general, a wizard who is really the one solving a lot of the puzzles, and a rogue who is a balance of the two. You can switch between the three if you are playing by yourself, but this game shines with friends. Needing your friends to solve puzzles or work with you to do something is basic cooperative gameplay, and this game is no different. It makes you heavily rely on your teammates when you play to not only stay alive but also get through each level.

For such a beautiful-looking game that is a blast the entire time with your friends, this game is definitely well worth the price. If it is a little high, Trine 2 often goes on sale as low as $3. Get this now if you need something to play with your friends and think you are good teammates!

$10 or below, Competitive Games

Thief Town

Leave a comment

competitive games have been taking interesting takes on how to approach the gameplay, and this one is no different. Welcome to the confusing, western world of Thief Town!

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Thief Town!

Players: 2-4

Price: $7.99

Platform: PC, PS4

image from http://store.steampowered.com/app/331220/Thief_Town/

Thief Town is a 2D pixel arena “combat” competitive game all about subtlety. The point of the game is to get the most kills. The way you go about this is why this game shines. When you start, there will be 20 or 30 tan cowboys on screen, and you and your friends are 2-4 of them. You have to try to figure out who you are without your friends also seeing, and then you have find your friends and stab them.

This is as easy as it sounds, but the hard part is not getting stabbed first. You could potentially just run around in a circle to find yourself and then start killing everyone on screen, but then the people you are playing with are going to immediately notice you and try to kill you. It is possible to kill each other at the same time, and both of you will have to a stand-off with just you two and have to be the last one alive.

That is the main gist of the game, but there are a few game modes to try out. There is the classic version which is just the base game, but there are a couple more game modes: a sheriff mode where one person has a gun that shoots in a horizontal line and he must kill the drunken players with limited ammo or they will survive and get points, and an items playlist that give you various items to use like a bomb or a smokescreen.

While this games seems simple, it is always a go to with me and my friends because it is easy to grasp and really fun to get good at.

$10 or below, Cooperative Games

Surgeon Simulator

Leave a comment

*Mild gore warning*

Ever want to feel like a professional surgeon? Well, this game doesn’t really do that, but it’s sort of close.

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This weeks’ cooperative game will be Surgeon Simulator!

Players: 1-2

Platform: PC, PS4

Price: $9.99

image from http://www.surgeonsim.com

Surgeon Simluator puts you in the hot seat of being a surgeon. I chose this game because it is kind of hard to play, but that is what makes the game so fun!

While this may seem gruesome, from the image above you can see that the art style makes the game a little more digestible.

I would recommend playing by yourself a little to get used to the game before bringing it to someone else. This way you can explain how thing work. For example, there are two syringes in each level. One syringe stops the bleeding and one hastens it. Knowing which syringe to use is vital to actually completing levels, and it would suck to not know that coming in.

As for the game itself, the controls are really wonky but in the best of ways. You control one hand and have to try to complete the surgery that way. the thumb and fingers are controlled separately, and the fingers can also be controlled separately. You have to find a way to get through the bone to take out whatever organ you have been assigned to take out.

As for a cooperative experience, this is where I have had the most fun. through a mix of anger, laughter, and strategy the game offers lots of different ways to attack a surgery with your partner. On top of that, playing with someone else either really helps you or really hurts you, and I love that dynamic.

I highly recommend for anyone that doesn’t get queasy from video game blood or organs.

$10 or below, Competitive Games

Brawlhalla

Leave a comment

There are plenty of fighting games out there, and a lot of them are usually one vs one. How about a game that not only recreates the gameplay of a popular Nintendo fighter, but also costs nothing?!

Welcome to the Weekly Co-Op!

This week’s competitive game will be Brawlhalla!

Players: 1-4

Platform: PC, PS4

Price: FREE

image from http://www.store.steampowered.com/

I don’t know what it is about fighting games, but I really love them, so I have to throw in a cheap favorite of mine! Yes, Brawlhalla is free! this great fighter is an arena fighter that plays much like the popular nintendo series of fighting games. There are a few differences, however.

Much like the popular fighting series, there is light attacks and “power” attacks. The “powers” come from weapons that characters pick up on the ground. These weapons change between characters, and there are new characters coming about regularly! On top of the weapons, the game includes some interesting additions to the tried and true fighting style. The game has added a lot of capability to fight in the air if any players are good enough to do so. Furthermore, there is a lot of opportunity to combo your attacks or even just get really good at catching people with a powerful move.

Bringing me to my next point, there is an actual gap between those who play and those who do not. Players with experience in the game will have no issue jumping around the arena and surviving if they are kicked off the side. New players might have trouble with both of these, let alone trying to fight someone throughout that process. Overall, the game is fun to jump into, but there is a learning curve for anyone who is looking to play this game more often.

Besides a heavy learning curve , there is a lot of different characters and game types to try out with other players. Multiple different variations and differences keep the game feeling fresh for long periods of time, and the best part is….

IT’S ALL FREE!!!

I highly recommend the game! Get it today!