7 Video Games Made Harder With Co-op
Welcome to Tues Your Own Adventure! Join Jules and James as they take a look at video games made harder with co-op! With friends like these...
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00:00 Right, so James, in order to solve this puzzle, we both need to press the button at the exact same time, alright?
00:06 You with me?
00:06 Let's do it.
00:07 Hell yeah, okay, right, so ready?
00:09 Three, two, one...
00:11 Oh, James, you didn't actually press the button then.
00:15 Yes, I did.
00:16 No, no, no, no, no, we both need to press it at the same time, together, at the same time, alright?
00:20 Okay.
00:20 No worries, mate, it's fine. Try again.
00:22 Okay, ready?
00:23 Three, two, one...
00:25 He didn't press it again, did he?
00:30 James, you still there, mate?
00:32 You see, sometimes in video games, co-
00:36 Girls, can you hear me?
00:37 Yeah, so sometimes video game co-op modes can make things considerably more difficult, and I'm here to explain why.
00:44 Hello, all of you little demons, Jules here for WhatCulture.com, back again with another episode of the awesomely named and awfully hosted Choose Your Own Adventure,
00:53 the weekly medieval themed format where I, the crown jewels of WhatCulture.com, take a list chosen by you.
00:59 Yes, you, the person who actually submitted the name for this list, but it was in the actual live chat,
01:03 so unfortunately I didn't grab your actual name, but this is dedicated to you, whoever you may be.
01:07 Enjoy this today.
01:09 Yes, you get to decide what list I dole out to you each and every week, and today we're talking about video games that sometimes made co-op...
01:17 Jules?
01:21 Because today we're talking about video games that were actually made harder with co-op.
01:25 And now, this is the thing, when it comes to video games, co-operative play is usually something that is a godsend to players.
01:31 I mean, when the big evil of the land has got you backed into a corner and is about to introduce your mouth to its feet,
01:37 you'd probably wish that you'd have somebody riding into your rescue, and in this medium, that can literally take place,
01:43 with people charging in, going head first, foot first, fist first, axe first, to your rescue.
01:48 And with another player or team of seasoned veterans by your side, it can make even the most daunting games far, far easier,
01:55 as now you've got real allies that will actually stop to pick you up, pass your ammo, and don't just run off aimlessly.
02:01 But yet, sometimes, adding another player into the mix only makes a recipe for disaster.
02:06 So let's take a look at them today, as I'm Jules, this is WhatCulture.com, and these are 7 Video Games Made Way Harder With Co-op.
02:17 Now when donning the mantle of the big green tin of man-spam that is Master Chief,
02:22 it can be very easy to buy into the power fantasy that he presents, that you quite literally are the best that humanity has to offer.
02:29 Yet, the experience changes somewhat as soon as you bump up the difficulty,
02:33 as now instead of charging forwards, you're learning the meaning of tactical retreat in all of its forms.
02:38 And here, on Legendary, the only ones laughing are the grunts as they toe-punch your corpse over and over.
02:44 So how could this experience get any more humbling?
02:47 Well, by adding in some friends, and the knowledge that all enemies double in health on this mode, known as Legendary,
02:53 and will mow you down in seconds.
02:55 And then multiply that by the fact that in some Halo games, you aren't going to be respawning next to your buddy after you die,
03:01 but back at the bloody last checkpoint, and you can see how that makes for a painful experience.
03:06 And things got somehow even worse if you and your pals attempted the Vidmaster Challenge Annual on Halo 3,
03:12 as here you'd need to complete the Halo level as a group of four with Iron Skull on,
03:16 which resets the entire level if even one of you dies, and with everyone riding a ghost at the end.
03:21 There are so, so many elements of this that can go wrong.
03:25 So by the end of things, you're probably going to be minus three friends, even if you do get plus one achievement for doing so.
03:31 Number 6 - Portal 2
03:33 Now everyone knows by now that despite their often hilarious tone, the Portal games are no joke when it comes to brain-bending puzzles.
03:41 Venturing through the testing labs and beyond was never a dull experience,
03:45 as the player is challenged at every turn to think on their feet and be about 20 steps ahead
03:49 in order to manipulate different portals and surfaces at a moment's notice.
03:53 Therefore, with such demanding gameplay, one can only feel their soul die just a little trying to do all of this with another person in tow.
04:01 Attempting to convey to another player that they need to fire their portal gun at just the right time
04:05 and then move to another location and perform another action
04:08 is basically trying to give directions in a foreign country where you don't speak the language.
04:12 Plus you've also got this scenario, which James and I will now act out for you today.
04:15 James, are you ready to take the centre stage once more?
04:18 Yes.
04:19 Here I am, walking across a bridge that my friend James Dows has made for me with his amazing portal gun.
04:24 Isn't life grand?
04:26 Oh, I sure hope he doesn't delete the bridge at some random inopportune moment just because it's funny.
04:32 Oh dear!
04:34 This is your life now, continually trying to explain plans only to have them disintegrate
04:39 thanks to either poor communication, timing, or just because your partner thinks it's bloody funny
04:44 to drop you into that boiling lake of metal-eating acids.
04:47 I mean, it totally is, but it's not helping.
04:50 Number 5 - Dark Souls 2 - Scholar of the First Sin
04:54 So in case you hadn't heard, Dark Souls, both as a game and a way of life,
04:58 big up to my fat rollers and the buffet of pain that is life itself, is a pretty hard ride.
05:04 Yeah.
05:05 You die. A lot. And even when you're not chomping on a sweet backstab, bro,
05:10 you're beset with such depressing environments that it starts to feel quite bloody lonely at times.
05:14 As such, you might be very tempted to call in a helping hand or two to make the brutal gauntlet between bonfires that little bit easier.
05:21 However, before you light up that big fat humanity and pass it around the bonfire, maybe you should consider something.
05:28 This is a FromSoftware title, and as such, help is something rarely given without a price being paid.
05:34 That's because even though the boss battles can be made significantly easier,
05:38 being human also invokes the possibility of being invaded by other players.
05:42 And let me tell you something, having to battle both PvP and PvD at once is no joke.
05:47 Oh, uh, PvD, for those not in the know, is player versus dickheads who constantly glitch out because of poor netcode.
05:54 Plus, when it comes to Dark Souls 2 Scholar of the First Sin, where you could summon up to three other spirits to help,
06:00 players soon realised that certain enemies, like Heidi Knight, aggroed immediately, making the challenge even more extreme.
06:06 Plus, with a full party, your damage is actually going to be reduced by 67% of their normal state,
06:11 making chewing through even the most basic enemies an utter slog.
06:15 And remember, the longer you spend in Dark Souls combat, the more likely it's going to be that you're going to make a mistake and die.
06:21 Number 4 - Double Dragon Neon
06:23 Now, in fairness, you could actually put any example of a brawler video game that has friendly fire in at this slot,
06:30 but there is a reason, a real reason why I've chosen to put Double Dragon Neon on here explicitly.
06:36 And I will tell you...
06:38 No.
06:39 Because today we're not talking about battle toes and the fact that your friend could kill you at a moment's notice by accident.
06:44 We're talking about the much less infamous, and if we're being honest, much more inferior title, Double Dragon Neon,
06:50 which for fans of the series was kind of a low point.
06:53 I say this because everything about this title feels kind of... off.
06:56 From the weird low definition 3D sprites to the tone of the game that feels at odds with itself,
07:01 in that it constantly promises a blast of 80s fun, but delivers something utterly straight-laced and often boring.
07:07 In fact, boring will be the order of the day should you look to 100% this title,
07:10 as trying to get the "Mister's Perfect" trophy will make you bore a hole through your goddamn skull out of frustration.
07:16 As this one achievement requires you to make it through a level in co-op without either person taking a single hit and friendly fire being on.
07:24 Now it's that last section of the achievement which proves to be your utter downfall,
07:28 because no matter what level you choose to do this on, the screen often gets completely cluttered with enemies,
07:33 and thanks to a rogue punch or throwing an enemy into your actual teammate,
07:37 you're going to lose your chance at this trophy again and again and again,
07:41 and it'll make you question what the bloody point of it all was.
07:44 Now for those of you not in the know, when it comes to dancing,
07:50 the best way to describe my moves are that I have the rhythm of a person who is flatlining,
07:54 and I kind of look like if spaghetti could feel pain.
07:57 So when it came to playing through the crypt of the Necrodancer video game,
08:01 and the subsequent Zelda-centric title, Cadence of Hyrule,
08:04 you best bloody believe that I absolutely sucked at both.
08:08 As soon as the situation becomes even remotely stressful in either game,
08:11 my rhythm-keeping skills go out the bloody window.
08:14 However, through perseverance and intense concentration, I have been able to make some progress.
08:19 Level three, baby!
08:21 I got down to floor three, yay!
08:24 However, if you think you've started to master what Cadence of Hyrule has to offer,
08:28 prepare to have that dream shattered the moment you fire up the game in two-player mode,
08:32 as here, with players taking up the mantle of both Link and Cadence,
08:35 you have to explore dungeons to save the land, all while staying on beat.
08:39 And trust me, if you thought that it was challenging enough on solo runs,
08:42 that is multiplied to the extremes as soon as you've got another player bungling up their movements and attacks.
08:47 Plus, this mode throws up some rather devious moments in which you'll need to coordinate to hit enemies together,
08:52 or solve mild puzzles, and doing all of that to an ever-threatening metronome is like a death knell to your friendship.
08:58 Number two, overcooked one and two.
09:01 Now, the phrase "cooking up a storm" is usually often to describe somebody who approaches the act of cooking
09:06 with passion, intensity, and sometimes a little bit of ferocity.
09:10 But when it comes to overcooked one and two, the phrase kind of changes a little bit,
09:15 and comes to mean "if you don't get that onion chopped in the next two seconds,
09:18 I'm gonna shove a lightning bolt up your bloody arse,
09:21 and do not even think that a hurricane has got the same intensity as my controller-throwing accuracy!"
09:27 I say this because there's no such thing as a "chill" moment in the overcooked series.
09:32 As you'll constantly be chopping, boiling, cleaning, and desperately sprinting to the pass to serve food,
09:37 it is relentless.
09:39 And so too are the cuss words that will likely spout from your mouth
09:42 the moment that you start to play this online with friends.
09:45 Because here, somebody has to take charge, and barking orders at your friends,
09:49 when combined with time limits, is never going to make you Captain Popular.
09:53 In fact, it's going to make the entire experience an utter chore,
09:56 if your communication skills aren't up to par, or if your friends go into business for themselves,
10:00 or just can't simply keep up with the hectic pace.
10:03 You're going to miss out on those high scores, and chew them out for it.
10:06 Therefore, it's actually something of a simple pleasure to play this game on single player.
10:11 Now, I know that's not the way the game is meant to be played,
10:13 but it is far, far less stressful than having your supposed best friends yell at you for burning a stew or ten.
10:19 I'm sorry that I get easily distracted!
10:21 And number one, keep talking and nobody explodes.
10:25 Now, I know what you're thinking, "James, Jules, you handsome idiot,
10:29 what are you talking about? What words are falling out of your mumbly, bumbly mouth today?
10:34 'Keep talking and nobody explodes' is solely a co-op game,
10:37 so how can you say that it's made harder in co-op when that's the only way to play it?"
10:42 Well, guess what, my friends?
10:44 Ho ho ho ho ho! It's back! The evil Finger Temple of Doom! Arf arf! Arf arf!
10:49 Yes, that's right, the Finger Temple of Doom has made its way into these lists once more,
10:53 because while it is technically true that Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a multiplayer game,
10:58 that's not to say that it is the only way to play it.
11:01 Thanks to the ingenious mind of developer Devon Hurst,
11:04 there now exists a bot that allows players to tackle the game utterly solo,
11:08 with the bot reading audio cues and responding in its own voice back to the desperate bomb defuser.
11:13 Arguably, this makes for a much, much easier play session than with friends,
11:17 as the bot immediately responds and does so with impeccable clarity.
11:21 This means that you can rattle through questions and get hold of the situation far quicker
11:24 than the panicked scrabbling and stumbling that real-life players fall prey to.
11:28 Now, I know that it's not as much fun per se to play with a bot
11:32 that has been exclusively designed to help you through this game,
11:35 but still, it is so much less stressful as a result to do so.
11:40 And you know what? The regular experience of this game kind of makes it feel like
11:44 anger management courses sponsored and made this game.
11:47 So yeah, I'll save some money and play with the bot from time to time.
11:51 And there we go, my friends. Those were seven video games made harder through co-op.
11:55 I hope that you enjoyed that, and please let me know what you thought about it down in the comments section below.
11:59 As always, I've been Jules. You can go follow me over on Twitter @RetroJWithA0,
12:03 or you can swing by Liv and Let's Dice, where I do all of my streaming outside of work,
12:07 and it'd be great to see you over there.
12:09 But before I go, I just want to say one thing.
12:11 We detailed a lot today about times that things were made more difficult by adding, well,
12:15 too many cooks to the broth. That's not the saying, but you know where I'm going with that one.
12:20 And I do want to stress, though, in real life, sharing a problem with your friends,
12:24 your families, professionals in the support industry,
12:26 that is something that I truly encourage you doing,
12:29 because sharing a problem usually means that you can solve it far, far quicker.
12:33 You shouldn't go through life trying to bottle up your emotions
12:36 and make sure you're not speaking to people about your problems.
12:38 Share those problems, get them out in the open, start a discourse,
12:41 as painful as it might be sometimes, and start to get the help that you deserve,
12:45 because you are a massive ledge and you deserve all the best things in life,
12:48 and I don't want anyone stumbling across the way, all right?
12:50 Big love from me to you. Now go out there and absolutely smash it today.
12:54 As always, I've been Jules, you have been awesome.
12:56 Never forget that, and I'll speak to you soon. Bye.