2012 PC Coop Game List

The cooperative list of PC games continues for 2012. I expect the zombie craze is over.  Probably gonna see more co-op titles springing up in the "Free-to-play" online market.

Coop list for a different year.

Rules for the following list:

• Online or LAN, no split screens
• Involve 2 or more human players
• Players work along a progressive storyline, campaign, or various goals
• Does not have to be the same as single player campaign
• Generic RTS Skirmishes and Team based game types like CTF and Deathmatch are not included.
• No MMOs (game must have a conclusion or set goal)
• I'll be subjective with Survival/Horde modes as the genera has matured a bit. However, most are slapped-on after thoughts and not list worthy. 

Shooters: 

Far Cry 3 - 4 player
[ Video |  Metacritic - 89 ]
Object based missions, in the jungle. Occurs prior to single player campaign.  If your expecting open sandbox coop, look elsewhere.  The coop mode is very linear.

Borderlands 2 - shooter - 4 player
[ Video |  Metacritic - 88 ]
Return to Pandora with new characters, more guns, and the same cell shading goodness.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - 4 player
[ Metacritic - 79 ]
Escalation mode with weaponry upgrade progression.  No coop campaign this time.

The Darkness 2 - shooter - 4 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 77 ]
Coop gameplay will intertwine with the single player storyline.  Seems a bit like Dead Island without the RPG.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier - shooter - 4 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 77 ]
Ubisoft pulled this game from the PC lineup after a rant about piracy.  Now they decided to add it back to the PC, after presumably noting PC games sales on the rise.  This may place it in the crappy 'port' category, but at least GR:4 is a PC option.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 - 4 player
[ Video |  Metacritic - 76 ]
Zombie survival/horde mode returns for some crazy dumb fun.  This time though, a campaign lite mode is added, involving a school bus.

Spec Ops: The Line - shooter - 2 player 
[ Metacritic - 75 ]
A 3rd person tactical shooter.  The Spec Ops series has been less then stellar in the past. However, more time has been put into this title.  Coop includes 4 mini object-based missions.
NOTE: Coop is a free DLC patch.

Syndicate - shooter - 4 player 
[ Video | Metacritic - 72 ]
Coop runs a separate campaign from the single player, 9 missions.  If this game sounds familiar, its because this is a reboot, dropping the tactical elements of the original.  Coop action is L4D in nature.

Sniper Elite V2 - 2 player
[ Metacritic - 65 ]
Its that odd ball WWII sniper game that lets you view which organ you just served via X-ray mechanics.  Follows a campaign, where one is sniping, and the other paints and supports.


Miner Wars 2081- space shooter - 16 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 65 ]
Not-so-sandbox space sim with a dash of Descent. Low budget; incomplete.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City - Shooter - 4 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 49]
Okay, its a zombie coop game.  Late to the party.  What more is there to say? Your Umbrella Security Service.  Wait, don't they die a lot?

ORION: Dino Beatdown - shooter - 5 player
[ Video |  Metacritic - 25]
Sigh  ...OK its a generic coop shooter but no zombies.  Right - Dinosaurs!  And Jetpacks! I'll wait for the Zombie dinosaur DLC.

RPGs:

Mass Effect 3 - RPG - 4 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 90 ]
Fight alongside your friends as the galaxy goes to war.  This mode will enhance the single play experience without directly effecting the storyline of single player.

Diablo 3 - ARPG - 4 player
[ Metacritic - 90 ]
Jesus finally, this game has been in the coop list for the last 2 years.   Sorry, Battlenet play only.  This game should be extremely fleshed out at this point.  The question is, can it live up to hype?

Torchlight 2 - ARPG - 4 player 
[ Video | Metacritic - 89 ]
The first Torchlight was more of a pilot, just bare bones, single player ARPG. This adds coop, and is a planned lead-in to an MMO.

All Zombies Must Die! - ARPG - 4 player
[ Metacritic - 58 ]
Low budget arpg with guns and zombies.

Krater - ARPG
[ Video | Metacritic - 53 ]
Low budget, top-down RPG set in a post-apocalyptic universe.  ie Diablo meets Borderlands.  Coop is a DLC.


Strategy: 

Frozen Synapse: Red - Turn based - 2 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 85 ]
Single player campaign coopable with new expansion.

Orcs Must Die! 2 - Tower Defense - 2 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 83 ]
A Third Person Tower Defense game.  Basically create traps, and slash away.

Defenders of Ardania - Tower Defense - 2 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 59 ]
Its a Tower Defense game,  with RPG elements.  Will allow players to be offensive or defensive players.  Guess that makes it a Tower Offense game too.

A.I. War: Ancient Shadows - RTS - 8 player 
The forth expansion to A.I.W. Adds "champions"  or as I see them very big Hero ships, along with Tower defense elements.


Action/Other:

 Assassin's Creed III - 2 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 86 ]
They call it Wolfpack mode, but its basically a stealthy horde mode.

Iron Brigade - Hybrid - 4 player
[ Metacritic - 75 ]
Campaign coop.  Its a post WWI game.  Its a tower-defense game.  Its a third-person-shooter game.
...Its got Mechs.

Shoot Many Robots - action - 4 player
[ Video |  Metacritic - 67 ]
Old school 2-D side scrolling shooter. Where you shoot , er robots, and get bored quickly.

A Valley Without Wind - Action/platformer - 16 player
[ Metacritic - 59 ]
From the indie developers that created AI War, Arcen Games are known for focusing on coop game play.  The platformer genera has found a resurgence in the indie world (Brade, Trine) it'll be interesting to see what twist is in store here.  Large amount of customization to be expected

 Jane's Advance Strike Fighters - Action/Sim - 4 player
[ Video | Metacritic - 43]
This looks like a money grab, similar to HAWX, then a flight sim the "Janes" series was known for.  Coop is campaign based.


The Future of Coop 2013:

Can't find what you thought should be on the list? Try the 2013 Coop Preview list.


updated: August 2012