Twinfinite Staff
Best Couch Co-Op Xbox 360 Games to Play With Friends
1. Gears of War
The Xbox 360 was sort of known for having some awesome exclusives. When the first Gears of War came out in 2006, people were kind of blown away, not only at the realism of the graphics but at the gruesome brutality of the action. What’s more is that you can play through the thrilling offline campaign with a buddy, in split-screen or co-op. Playing this with a friend is so much fun and is so satisfying, it’s one of my fondest memories of the Xbox 360.
2. Borderlands
Like Gears of War, when Borderlands came out, fans were surprised at how awesome this game was. The combination of RPG and Shooter elements were just not as common back then – And when you add that gorgeous art style, you get a recipe for a fantastic game. This is another one that you can play in its entirety with a friend, and it’s a good idea to do so because things can get super tough. It’s immensely satisfying to finally take out a hard boss together, and it’s wildly fun to just explore the open area. Borderlands still holds up as a fantastic cooperative experience and its origins are on the Xbox 360.
3. Castle Crashers
This list is full of games that took the world by storm and caught fans off guard. Castle Crashers, one of the most memorable Arcade games from the early Xbox 360 days, is a product of Newgrounds, giving off tons of charm and personality. Up to four players can run through this fun beat ’em up game, defeating bosses, and collecting weapons. I just love how vibrant the color palette is, giving this a more lighthearted feeling. At the time, beat em ups weren’t as popular anymore, so it was neat to see a little Indie pop up and embrace that classic genre and modernize it for the time.
4. Portal 2
Just mentioning Portal 2 brings back happy memories – As the follow-up to one of the most beloved games of all time, Portal 2 expanded on what made the first one so great, improved the writing (as if that were even possible), and added co-op to make this even better than its predecessor. Portal is a great co-op game. The addition of another player allowed for even more depth within the puzzles and alleviated some of the loneliness of traversing through the test chambers. It’s just done in such a smart way and I don’t think I’m the only one who wishes this franchise would come back. Let’s all pray to the Valve gods.
5. Left 4 Dead
Ahh…Valve – Making us fall in love with your games and never giving us more. Similar to Portal, Left 4 Dead had a huge fan-base, yet we haven’t seen a new entry in nine years, which is a shame. Boasting the ability to play with up to three other friends, this four-player co-op zombie action game is one of the best in its class. Left 4 Dead is a special game. Roaming the well-designed area, covering each other’s backs, and fending off an army of zombies as you all wait for the escape vehicle was a total blast. Left 4 Dead and its sequel had such a prominent sense of style, and I would kill for a Left 4 Dead 3. Maybe someday.
6. Army of Two
With ‘Two’ in its title, the Army of Two series is built around co-op, which was a pretty neat idea. Sure, we’ve seen third-person shooters before, but one that had specific mechanics that were built around co-op in such a meaningful way is awesome. Features like distracting enemies so the other player can attack from behind, helping your partner climb up a ledge, or the famous back-to-back mechanics are all found here and it’s well done. Admittedly, Army of Two was never known for getting perfect review scores or anything like that, but it’s an absolute blast, especially if you don’t take it too seriously.
7. Rainbow Six Vegas
What a game. This was tactical first-person action at its finest. The ability to drop down and rappel down a building, lean up against walls to surprise an enemy and the usage of gadgets truly made you feel like a Rainbow operative. Beyond that, the inclusion of the famous Terrorist Hunt mode, as well as being able to play through the full story with a friend, Rainbows Six Vegas was made for cooperative play. I’m sure fans remember blasting through the waves of terrorists with a friend, getting down to the last few, and being met with some of the most heart-pounding tension while trying to survive. Rainbow Six Siege is great, but it doesn’t compare to Rainbow Six Vegas and its emphasis on local cooperative play.
8. Resident Evil 5
To this day, Resident Evil 5 is divisive among fans. On one hand, it strays way far from what we know a Resident Evil game to be, but on the other, it’s still a very good video game. If you can set aside that this is more of a shooter and less of a survival-horror game, you should have fun, especially with a friend. Set in Kijuju, Africa, Resident Evil 5 takes all the elements from its predecessor, Resident Evil 4, and doubles down on the action sequences. There is something oddly satisfying about playing this game with a friend and it’s arguably the best way to play.
9. Minecraft
Love it or hate it, there is no denying the impact Minecraft had on the industry. It’s not as relevant as it once was, but the game saw a ton of success during the Xbox 360 era, thanks to co-op. However you play it, in creative or survival mode, having a friend to help adds to the fun. People have been working on Minecraft creations for a while. It’s a great game to just casually jump into with a buddy, locally, and one that deserves all of the achievements it has earned.
10. Guitar Hero/Rock Band
Because the gameplay is so similar, we will be lumping Guitar Hero and Rock Band together for this entry. What a revolutionary and interesting franchise that brought people together and helped fans discover new music. During the 2007-2010 era, there were few party games that were as popular as Guitar Hero and Rock Band. There was something fascinating about playing through a song on a virtual stage with a group of friends. Playing music together is something that is extremely fun and rewarding, but most people probably don’t get to experience. However, these games allowed friends to share their love of music and do so in a casual way, all while simulating the experience of being in a band.
11. Call of Duty
People don’t usually think of Call of Duty when talking about local multiplayer, but there is a lot of fun to be had while playing with a friend in the same room. Depending on your preference, you can play competitively, or cooperatively in the popular zombies mode. Particularly with the zombie mode, surviving wave after wave with a friend is some of the most nerve-racking fun the series has to offer. There are numerous titles to choose from, like Modern Warfare, Black Ops, or Ghosts, but I think World at War takes the cake – the Call of Duty that introduced zombies. Whichever you choose, this is an awesome series to play locally with a friend.
12. Diablo 3
When this was announced, fans were crazily excited since there weren’t many games like it available on the platform. It was also unusual to see a Blizzard game on the system, fully playable in local co-op. And it worked as well as one would hope. This is a game with lots of replay value that is fun to play with friends. What’s great about it is that it’s a game that inexperienced players can jump into and have fun with. Sure, it has its complexity, but Diablo 3 is a game that attracts casual, as well as more experienced players.
13. Splinter Cell: Conviction
The stealth genre did not get much traction till a few years back. Splinter Cell: Conviction features a separate campaign made just for cooperative play and it’s really fun. The mode takes six hours to complete, but it’s still a blast getting through it without being seen. It’s more satisfying to use teamwork to get through the game. We definitely need more stealth games like this, because this was a ton of fun back in the day.
14. Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Marvel Ultimate Alliance was fantastic! The culmination of so many Marvel characters was enough to attract almost anyone, especially with the inclusion of local cooperative play. Boasting over 20 characters like Wolverine, Black Panther, and Deadpool, players were able to dungeon crawl and beat up bad guys with up to three other players! This game also has a lot in common with Diablo, with the isometric camera view, accessibility, and simple to understand the gameplay, but with identifiable characters that kids love. What I love about this game is that it covers a wide variety of Marvel characters ranging from lesser-known bad guys like Fin Fang Foom to heavy hitters like Spider-Man.
15. Halo 3
What Xbox 360 list would be complete without Halo 3? The game was such a big deal when it came out and for good reason. It told a compelling story, had solid gameplay, and an almost flawless multiplayer mode (at least for the time). Being able to not only play competitively but cooperatively on the same system brings back fond memories. The iconic Legendary mode was enough to make you want to pull your hair out, but made for such a good time with a buddy. And there you have our complete list of the best couch co-op games on Xbox 360. Any games you’d add to our best couch co-op games on Xbox 360 list? Let us know down in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out our list of best PS3 couch co-op games as well.
