What is CO-OP? [Gaming Definition, Meaning]

Video games are some of the most fun and exciting things to do when you need to just relax and unwind after a long day of work or school. However, playing games by yourself can be at times an overly lonely affair and that can ruin the level of entertainment offered by games. Luckily, there are plenty of games that allow a person to have some friends or random people online join them to make the experience more fun and sociable. In video games, this is called cooperative play or better known to most as co-op. Don’t know what that word really means? Don’t worry, Honey’s Anime is ready to help.

Today we have decided to write you an article titled What is Co-Op so you can fully understand the concepts and mechanics of cooperative—co-op—play. Below are several games that we have tied to various explanations to help you better understand what games constitute as co-op. Don’t worry, gamers come in a wide variety of different ages, shapes and sizes thus if you have never heard of the term co-op or need it better explained don’t feel bad you’re probably not alone. By the end of our What is Co-Op article, you will never need to stare at someone with a puzzled look when they say we should play a game with co-op, you’ll understand what they mean. Now then, it’s time to dive into our What is Co-Op article and make you beautiful people out there a true master of the definition!


Work together!

In most co-op games, the idea of bringing a friend along is more than just entertainment but for actual teamwork and cooperation, which is what co-op means, after all. Some games actually have co-op as the main idea or a main component within. For us, the best examples we could think come in the form of Portal 2 by developer Valve Corporation and Overcooked by developer Ghost Town Games. While Portal 2 and Overcooked may both have a single player experience, these games both have co-op features that are fun but challenging. Thus it proves our point that in most co-op games working together is a must for success.

1. Portal 2

  • System/Platform: PS3, PC, OS X, Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Valve Corporation
  • Developer: Valve Corporation
  • Release Date: Apr 19, 2011

Chell had somehow done what others in her dire situations felt was impossible by surviving GLaDOS and her evil puzzles involving the portal gun. However, after the long battle, Chell didn’t receive her much deserved freedom but was instead taken back into the facility and was put back into sleep. Chell awakens now sometime in the future and is told by another AI called Wheatley that she can escape via the now dilapidated testing facility. Can the small AI named Wheatley be trusted and will Chell find a means of finally escaping her hellish situation? Find out in Portal 2 and be prepared for a dark adventure of survival.

Portal 2 is outstanding first-person adventure game filled with tons of difficult puzzles and a great narration for those who loved the original lore found in Portal 1. While Portal 2 is fun alone, co-op story mode is where players can get so more story from Portal 2 and enjoy puzzles that require teamwork and cooperation. A lot of the puzzles in Portal 2’s co-op mode can be extremely daunting but with a friend along for the ride either next to you or online, brainstorming and talking a puzzle out makes the task a bit less tough. If you want a co-op game with teamwork being the central focus and something that doesn’t feel just tacked on, then you should try out Portal 2 and bring a friend of your choosing for an exciting time. Just try not to get angry at each other when a tough puzzle stumps both of you.

Portal 2 Teaser Trailer (Official Trailer)

2. Overcooked

  • System/Platform: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
  • Publisher: Ghost Town Games
  • Developer: Ghost Town Games
  • Release Date: Aug 3, 2016

Get ready to hit the kitchen in Overcooked by developer Ghost Town Games! Up to 4 players will need to work together to complete various food orders in sometimes very extreme situations. Make burgers and other yummy treats together but be careful not to overcook the meals! Together, you can help your team become the best chefs around! Now what are you waiting for future chefs? Begin frying up some meals with your friends in Overcooked!

Overcooked is one of those co-op titles that you better be ready for some extremely fun but fast paced gameplay. Players will have to man various positions in the kitchen such as cleaning plates, cutting veggies and frying up on the grill. While alone this task is sometimes extremely tough, with friends, the difficulty doesn’t just go away but it becomes much more possible and just overall more enjoyable. We loved our time with Overcooked here at Honey’s Anime and we know a lot of you will feel the same if you’re looking for a simple to learn but hard to master co-op game. We have to wonder if real life chefs have to make food on tractor trailers that pull apart…we highly doubt it but one has to wonder.


Fun in numbers

Maybe you don’t want to feel pressured in solving co-op based puzzles and instead just want to have fun with a friend or maybe friends. Surprisingly there are a lot of co-op games out there in the world of video games that offer people ways of interacting with others and having a literal party. That’s why games like Left 4 Dead while a ton of fun with just one player is enhanced by having more along for the ride. Instead of just having to defend areas or fight off waves alone, you can bring along friends for a great co-op experience that will bring a smile to everyone’s faces. In case you may not fully understand what, we mean though let us explore down below with our explanation of Left 4 Dead. It’s time to kill some zombies with some friends!

3. Left 4 Dead

  • System/Platform: PC, Xbox 360
  • Publisher: Valve Corporation
  • Developer: Valve South
  • Release Date: Nov 17, 2008

No one knows how it happened or why it happened but it did, that much is known. A deadly virus spread throughout America and killed many humans, but those who died didn’t stay dead…they rose back up and began feeding on the flesh of those who were still alive. 4 survivors in the form of Zoey, Francis, Bill and Louis are glad to learn they are immune to the virus unlike millions of others but that doesn’t stop them from being a possible meal for the now living dead. The four now brothers in arms must venture across the Nation to reach a possible safe haven and a means of escaping the horde of living dead. Can they accomplish this goal or will they find death waiting for them at the next safe house?

Left 4 Dead is easily one of the best examples of an amazingly fun co-op game. Players team up with up to 3 others for a total of 4 players and fight through hundreds of zombies and other various monstrosities all while trying to make it from point a to point b in various environments such as a city, a small town and a creepy farm house. Doing this alone can be a fun ride but with others even in the tougher sections of Left 4 Dead you’ll be smiling and having a ton of fun. That’s why if you’re in the mood for a great co-op experience that makes cooperation not a central focus but just adds more fun to an already great game then you need to play Left 4 Dead. Fighting horror can be scary but fighting it with friends is just enjoyable rather than scary.


Final Thoughts

Co-op is a gaming theme that will hopefully stand the test of time as long as games continue to release. There are several great games slated for 2017-2018 release that already show a lot of promise as gaming titles focused on co-op gameplay and that just makes us smile brightly. For those who now understand the term co-op—which hopefully was thanks to our What is Co-Op article—we would love to hear from you in the comments below about some of your favorite games that feature co-op. If you have other gaming terms you just don’t fully understand, feel free to also comment that down below and maybe we’ll make a future article so we can help not only just you but the other millions of gamers out there in the world. We hope you enjoyed our What is Co-Op article and if you did continue supporting us by returning to our amazing hive here at Honey’s Anime.

Portal-2-game-Wallpaper-700x394 What is CO-OP? [Gaming Definition, Meaning]

Writer

Author: Aaron

Hey everyone I’m Aaron Curbelo or Blade as I’m called by my YouTube Subscribers. I’ve been an anime/manga fan since I was a young kid. In terms of anime I have watched nearly a thousand shows and have read hundreds of manga series. I love writing and honestly was so happy to join Honey’s Anime to get a shot to write articles for such a wonderful site. I’m a firm believer in respect in the anime community being the most important embodiment we should all have. We all love anime and we have varying opinions of series but we should respect one another for those differences! Life is too precious to spend it making needless arguments in a community that should be the shining example of loving an amazing medium. I hope as a writer for Honey’s Anime I can bring you folks some amazing articles to read and enjoy!

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