Towards the end of the PS3/Xbox 360 console generation, and definitely by the beginning of the PS4/Xbox One generation, couch co-op had quickly become a rare interest. It wasn’t necessarily caused by a lack of desire by players, rather it became a lack of support by most developers. Indie games and smaller titles committed to offering more co-op games were few and far between, while the ubiquity of online multiplayer across the industry had marked a seismic shift towards online co-op only. Paired with more graphically intense games and development crunch, many bigger games eschewed co-op entirely. This didn’t set well withHazelightand Josef Fares.
Beginning withBrothers: A Tale of Two Sonsin 2013,Hazelightbuilt its reputation on uniquely cooperative games anchored by two major pillars: “story and gameplay.” At this point, it’s as if the developers at Hazelight and Josef Fares have made it their mission to prove couch co-op still belongs in gaming. That’s a bit sensational, but in reality, Fares' comments and general disposition since his rise to fame and “F*** the Oscars” comments have helped bring to light the severe lack of the co-op games of old. Subsequent efforts by the studio have, to some degree, emphasized that players enjoy and want more couch co-op games, which is still a rare offering from most big games.
Couch Co-op’s Disappearance, and Hazelight Studios' Beginnings
To be fair, not every game lends itself well to couch co-op gameplay necessarily, but a decade ago, couch co-op offerings in general started to disappear in modern games. Games at the beginning of the PS3/Xbox 360 generation, likeHalo 3andResident Evil 5, hadsome of the best co-op game modes to play in general. However, further into that generation, and by the beginning of the PS4/Xbox One console generation, there were very little AAA and smaller games offering co-op modes of any kind. Games likeHalo 5: Guardiansand subsequentCall of Dutygames received a lot of flak for not including local co-op options. That’s partially where Hazelight was born from.
Even before the days of Josef Fares making his viral public debut at The Game Awards show in 2017, Hazelight Studios had already released its debut game:Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons. Receiving great praise upon its initial release on the Xbox 360’s Summer of Arcade,Brothersis a bit of a cop out because it’s nottechnicallycouch co-op in that sense, but played like a co-op game. However, the game’s acclaim led to Hazelight Studios working with EA to developA Way Out, a uniquely co-op only action-adventure game that saw similar praise toBrothers.A Way Out’s popularity likely influencedIt Takes Two’s acclaim and success as a co-op only adventureas well.
RELATED:It Takes Two is Perfect for Couples and Non-Gamers
Games Like A Way Out, It Takes Two Are Bringing Back Local Co-op
Hazelight Studios' most recent effort,It Takes Two, further emphasizes the point that purely co-op games and modes are still greatly missed. Even as gaming moves into yet another console generation with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, couch co-op games, and even just couch co-op side modes in games, are still a rare breed. Moving fromA Way OuttoIt Takes Two, it’s almost as ifJoseph Fares and Hazelight Studios are attempting to provethat couch co-op’s popularity is largely genre agnostic.A Way OutandIt Takes Twocouldn’t be any more different in scale, scope, narrative design, and aesthetic, but the titular gameplay framework and mechanics are equally enticing.
Few recent AAA games have continued supporting couch co-op, some notable examples beingCall of Duty: WarzoneandBlack Ops Cold War,Borderlands 3, andGears of War 5. Indie games are generallymore supportive of couch co-op, with titles likeOvercooked,Moving Out,Don’t Starve Together,Cuphead, among numerous other great examples. If anything, Hazelight Studios' most recent games are the closest experiences available to AAA co-op games specifically geared towards encouraging local co-op play. Games likeResident Evil 5,Army of Two,Portal 2, andLeft 4 Dead2simply aren’t that common, something that Hazelight Studios is endeavoring to change.
Whether it’s as direct as Josef Fares makes it seem, or an indirect change that happens over time, the efforts of Hazelight Studios' are genuinelyreminding players how much they enjoy local co-op games.A Way OutandIt Takes Tworequire players to work together in unique ways, whether it’s combining together players' timing to ascend a ventilation shaft, or taking down an anthropomorphic vacuum cleaner. These games emphasize teamwork in a way few other co-op experiences do.
It’s worth mentioning that bothA Way OutandIt Takes Twoare playable through online co-op as well, which was especially important during a time where the Covid-19 pandemic kept many players inside. Still, these games continue to emphasize a seemingly forgotten subsect of games that is still very popular, even as online co-op becomes more prevalent in other games. Local co-op should make a proper resurgence, and Hazelight Studios is kicking things off.
MORE:Co-Op Watch: It Takes Two Keeps the Spirit of Couch Co-Op Alive
