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CNET
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
The Best Co-op Games to Play With Your Friends
Playing with friends is an essential aspect of gaming, so it's no wonder games like Split Fiction and It Takes Two from Hazelight Studios were recent hits. Some of my best memories are of marathon gaming sessions with friends, either shoulder to shoulder on a couch or logging in online from across the country. Despite how gaming has changed over the years, one thing remains the same -- people love playing games together. So, whether you're looking for a split-screen experience or just want something to hop into for a few hours with your friends, these are some of the best co-op games available right now. Best co-op games right now Best co-op games for two players These games are best experienced with one other person, so grab a friend and get to work. A few in this section, like Split Fiction, It Takes Two and Cuphead, only require one copy of the game, which makes it even easier to play. Hazelight Studios/EA Games A Way Out $30 at Steam $30 at Sony Ever wanted to break out of prison with a partner? So have Vincent and Leo. Set in the 1970s, you'll uncover the protagonists' motivations for needing to escape and why they ended up in the slammer in the first place. Over the course of the game, you'll work together to enact your plan and stay ahead of the law. Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Action/adventure Co-op style: Split screen or online $30 at Steam $30 at Sony Valve Portal 2 $13 at Amazon Arguably one of the most popular (and most quoted) games of all time, 14 years later, Portal 2's co-op campaign is still worth a playthrough. Armed with portal guns, players take control of robots Atlas and P-Body as they solve puzzles and uncover dark secrets hidden within Aperture Science Laboratories. With legendary voice acting and some of the best game writing that still holds up to this day, Portal 2 is a co-op adventure you shouldn't miss. Number of players: 1-2 Platform: PC Genre: First-person, action/adventure puzzler Co-op style: Online or split screen $13 at Amazon FromSoft Elden Ring Nightreign $55 at Amazon FromSoftware's Elden Ring Nightreign is the studio's first game with a multiplayer focus. You drop in to Limgrave, a well-known location to those who've played Elden Ring, with two other players. And while you can play with two people, the game is really tuned around having a full squad of three players. Nightreign borrows aspects from battle royale games, like an ever-closing circle that forces you to move as you scavange items along the way. There are three levels, or nights, that you progress through as one of eight characters. At the end of each night, you'll fight bosses from across FromSoft's impressive repertoire with the build you've been able to put together, before culminating in a final battle with the Nightlord. It's an interesting spin on one of the best games that has been released in the last decade. Number of players: 1-3 Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Roguelike Co-op style: Online $55 at Amazon Best co-op games for four players These games are better experienced with a crew at your back. Squad up with three friends and get ready to squash alien bugs, hunt monsters or battle waves of demons. Arrowhead Game Studios Helldivers 2 $35 at Amazon $35 at Target Imagine being shot from your spaceship in a bullet-shaped Hellpod, hurtling down through an alien planet's atmosphere and plunging into the hard earth. You pop up, call in your weapons, and make your stand against an army of giant, democracy-destroying bugs, robots or space zombies called illuminates -- with three of your friends by your side. You will undoubtedly die, but that's a sacrifice Super Earth is willing to make. The high-octane, third-person shooter gameplay Helldivers 2 delivers is truly unique. It's hard to beat the rush of calling down massive napalm strikes and giant orbital lasers as your friends provide covering fire against the hordes of enemies threatening to overtake you at any moment. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S (starting Aug. 26) Genre: Third-person shooter Co-op style: Online $35 at Amazon $35 at Target Klei Entertainment Don't Starve Together $15 at Steam This spooky, hand-drawn title drops you and up to three friends into procedurally generated maps (that means each map is uniquely generated when you start a new game) filled with monsters. You're goal is to survive through the four seasons, each bringing different gameplay elements -- like temperature -- for players to contend with. You can choose from an eclectic character roster, each with their own unique abilities. The game has you scrounging for resources in swamps, deserts and forests, building your base and tools, and fighting off monsters and the weather while doing your best not to starve. If you've ever wondered how you and your friends would fare in a survival situation, this one's for you. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Genre: Survival crafting Co-op style: Online or local $15 at Steam Kinetic Games Phasmophobia $20 at Steam Ever wanted to be a ghost hunter? Phasmophobia lets you and up to three friends investigate haunted locales, following clues and dealing with truly terrifying paranormal activity. Your job is to use all the ghost-hunting equipment at your disposal to collect as much evidence as possible and make it out alive. Horror games can be fun alone, but they're a blast to play with friends. Try it in VR for a horrifyingly immersive experience. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series and S, PlayStation 5, VR Genre: First-person horror Co-op style: Online $20 at Steam Anegar Games Chained Together $5 at Steam Do you and your buddies have the communication skills needed to break out of hell? Now's your chance to test your theory. The only hitch is that all four of you are chained together and must synchronize your movements to climb higher and higher through challenging obstacles. One wrong move and you'll plummet back to the start. While you can play with up to four people, you can also do it with just one other person. Number of players: 2-4 Platform: PC Genre: Platformer Co-op style: Online $5 at Steam Best single-player games with co-op These games are primarily single-player adventures, but they do support bringing along a friend or three. Whether you're passing the controller back and forth or dropping in and out, try these games solo or with friends. Larian Studios Baldur's Gate 3 $60 at Steam $70 at Sony Arguably one of the best RPGs ever made, with incredible emphasis on player choice. If you've ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but could never find a Dungeon Master to run a campaign for you, Baldur's Gate 3 can fill that void. And with drop-in, drop-out co-op with up to four people, you can start a campaign alone and finish it with friends or vice versa. It's one of the best games made in recent years and certainly worth your time if you like fantasy RPGs. Patch 8 -- the game's final content patch -- was released in April, which added 12 new subclasses to the game, so it's a great time to jump back in or pick it up for the first time. Players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Turn-based strategy RPG Co-op style: Online $60 at Steam $70 at Sony 343 Industries/Splash Damage/Ruffian Games/Bungie/Saber Interactive/Xbox Game Studios Halo: Master Chief Collection $55 at Amazon Staying up way too late and playing Halo: Combat Evolved with friends might be my first co-op game memory. Whether you're tearing through the campaign or playing online, the Master Chief collection can give you the co-op hit you're looking for. It contains six Halo games, more than enough to keep you and your friends entertained for a while. Snipers and swords, anyone? Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC and Xbox Series X and S. (Available on GamePass.) Genre: First-person shooter Co-op style: Online or split screen $55 at Amazon Iron Gate AB/Coffee Stain Publishing Valheim $20 at Steam A Norse-inspired survival crafting game of the highest tier. Face off against monsters and collect resources to build weapons, bases and armor to surpass increasingly difficult biomes and bosses. And you don't have to go it alone, you can bring up to 10 friends in a lobby. It offers some of the best crafting, survival gameplay I've experienced, and building a whole settlement with friends is a blast. Number of players: 1-10 Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S Genre: Survival crafting Co-op style: Online $20 at Steam Ballistic Moon/PlayStation Publishing LLC Until Dawn Remastered $40 at Amazon $48 at Best Buy While not technically a co-op game, it's a single-player experience that's just as fun with your friends. If you've ever watched a horror movie and thought, I wouldn't make that choice, this game is your chance to prove it. It's a different style of game than others on the list; you'll essentially take part in scenes in a movie, making split-second decisions and participating in quick-time events. It was recently remastered for current-generation consoles, making it a good time to pick this one up if you didn't when it was initially released. It's also been made into a movie, though it only shares a name -- the story is entirely different. Number of players: 1 Platform: PC, PlayStation 5 Genre: Horror Co-op style: Pass the controller $40 at Amazon $48 at Best Buy Best free co-op games You don't always have to shell out to play with friends. Here are a few free options. Mediatonic Limited/Epic Games Fall Guys See at Fall Guys A wacky game that has you and your friends take control of clumsy, cartoonish characters. The goal is to avoid being knocked off of zany obstacle courses. That's really all there is to it. It's fun with friends and free to play, so it's worth a shot if you're looking for something to get into together. Number of players: 1-60 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Genre: Battle royale, Platformer Co-op style: Online See at Fall Guys Total Mayhem Games We Were Here See at Steam This game puts you and a friend in control of an explorer and a librarian lost in a castle. Your task is to solve the puzzles you encounter. You'll be separated from each other, so use your walkie-talkies to work together to solve the problems you encounter. You'll need to describe the solutions over voice chat to one another, which can lead to some funny situations. This one is free, so give it a shot. There are two other We Were Here titles, but you'll have to pay for those. Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Genre: First-person puzzle solver Co-op style: Online See at Steam Digital Extremes Warframe See at Steam Warframe is a long-running, third-person action game. You take control of a Warframe -- a bio-mechanical suit of armor -- which offers various combat functions and roles like your tank, damage or support class. There are over 100 warframes to choose from, each with its own unique abilities. The game was released in 2013 and has received numerous content and gameplay updates. While free to play, an in-game cash shop offers both gameplay advancements and cosmetics. Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Xbox Series X and S, PlayStation 5 Genre: Third-person shooter Co-op style: Online See at Steam
CNET
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
The Best Co-op Games for Every Situation
Cooperative play is intrinsic to gaming. Some of my earliest (and best) gaming memories are of hours-long gaming sessions with friends. There's a reason why Hazelight Studios' Split Fiction and It Takes Two were so well received -- people love playing games with others. Bonus points if you don't need two copies of the game, or can do so from the same couch. Whether you're looking for a couch co-op or logging in with others across the internet, these are the best games to jump into with your friends. Best co-op games right now Split Fiction It Takes Two Helldivers 2 Elden Ring Nightreign Baldur's Gate 3 Best co-op games for two players These games are best experienced with one other person, so grab a friend and get to work. A few in this section, like Split Fiction, It Takes Two and Cuphead, only require one copy of the game, which makes it even easier to play. Hazelight Studios/EA Games Split Fiction When it comes to couch co-op, it doesn't get better than this. Split Fiction follows two writers who inadvertently become entangled in a machine that brings their stories to life. You'll get to know Mia and Zoe as they work through their stories (and trauma) while building their friendship. Together, you'll solve various puzzles in fantasy and sci-fi worlds that often pay homage to classic, genre-defining games. It's from the studio that made co-op bangers like It Takes Two, A Way Out and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, so it's no surprise that this one made the list. Price: $49.99 Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Third-person action/adventure Co-op style: Split screen or online Hazelight Studios/EA Games It Takes Two As the title suggests, you'll need to bring a friend to work through this story of rebuilding a failing marriage. You step into the shoes of Cody and May, who were unknowingly transformed into dolls by their daughter, Rose. You'll have to put aside your differences, work together to solve puzzles and platform your way to boss fights. Get your marriage on track and your bodies back in this near-perfect co-op experience. Price: $39.99 Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Action/adventure Co-op style: Split screen or online Hazelight Studios/EA Games A Way Out Ever wanted to break out of prison with a partner? So have Vincent and Leo. Set in the 1970s, you'll uncover the protagonists' motivations for needing to escape and why they ended up in the slammer in the first place. Over the course of the game, you'll work together to enact your plan and stay ahead of the law. Price: $29.99 Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Action/adventure Co-op style: Split screen or online Valve Portal 2 Arguably one of the most popular (and most quoted) games of all time, 14 years later, Portal 2's co-op campaign is still worth a playthrough. Armed with portal guns, players take control of robots Atlas and P-Body as they solve puzzles and uncover dark secrets hidden within Aperture Science Laboratories. With legendary voice acting and some of the best game writing that still holds up to this day, Portal 2 is a co-op adventure you shouldn't miss. Price: $9.99 Number of players: 1-2 Platform: PC Genre: First-person, action/adventure puzzler Co-op style: Online or split screen Studio MDHR Cuphead Styled after 1950s cartoons, you might expect Cuphead to be an easy, light-hearted adventure. While it is light-hearted, it's no walk in the park. The game starts with an ill-fated deal with the devil. You play as Cuphead, who inadvertently becomes the devil's debt collector. Luckily, you can bring along your brother, Mugman, to help take down everyone on the devil's list in hopes of earning your freedom. While challenging, taking on unique, well-designed boss encounters with a fantastic art style is very fun -- especially when you bring a friend. Price: $19.99 Number of players: 1-2 Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch Genre: Side-scroller action/adventure, bullet hell, platformer Co-op style: Split screen FromSoft Elden Ring Nightreign FromSoftware's Elden Ring Nightreign is the studio's first game with a multiplayer focus. You drop in to Limgrave, a well-known location to those who've played Elden Ring, with two other players. It borrows aspects from battle royale games, like an ever-closing circle that forces you to move as you scavange items along the way. There are three levels, or nights, that you progress through. At the end of each night, you'll fight bosses from across FromSoft's impressive catalogue before culminating in a final battle with the Nightlord. It's an interesting spin on one of the best games that has been released in the last decade. Price: $39.99 Number of players: 1 or 3 Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Roguelike Co-op style: Online Best co-op games for four players These games are better experienced with a crew at your back. Squad up with three friends and get ready to squash alien bugs, hunt monsters or battle waves of demons. Arrowhead Game Studios Helldivers 2 Imagine being shot from your spaceship in a bullet-shaped Hellpod, hurtling down through an alien planet's atmosphere and plunging into the hard earth. You pop up, call in your weapons, and make your stand against an army of giant, democracy-destroying bugs, robots or space zombies called illuminates -- with three of your friends by your side. You will undoubtedly die, but that's a sacrifice Super Earth is willing to make. The high-octane, third-person shooter gameplay Helldivers 2 delivers is truly unique. It's hard to beat the rush of calling down massive napalm strikes and giant orbital lasers as your friends provide covering fire against the hordes of enemies threatening to overtake you at any moment. Price: $39.99 Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S (starting 8/26/25) Genre: Third-person shooter Co-op style: Online Capcom Monster Hunter Wilds Monster Hunter Wilds is a great point to enter this long-running series from Capcom. Team up with up to three friends to track and hunt fearsome monsters in sand-swept deserts, lush forests, frozen cliffs and fiery volcanic biomes. You'll fight through progressively more challenging hunts as you turn monster parts into weapons and armor to take down the tempered arch-tempered monsters. If you've been hesitant to jump into a Monster Hunter game, Wilds is the best place to start -- especially with three friends. Price: $69.99 Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Action RPG Co-op style: Online Klei Entertainment Don't Starve Together This spooky, hand-drawn title drops you and up to three friends into procedurally generated maps (that means each map is uniquely generated when you start a new game) filled with monsters. You're goal is to survive through the four seasons, each bringing different gameplay elements -- like temperature -- for players to contend with. You can choose from an eclectic character roster, each with their own unique abilities. The game has you scrounging for resources in swamps, deserts and forests, building your base and tools, and fighting off monsters and the weather while doing your best not to starve. If you've ever wondered how you and your friends would fare in a survival situation, this one's for you. Price: $14.99 Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch Genre: Survival crafting Co-op style: Online or local Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. Diablo IV The latest installment in Blizzard's horror, loot-filled series is great fun with three other people. Battle through hordes of demons as one of six classes, chasing loot and the perfect build to eradicate your foes. While it had a somewhat rocky launch, the game is in a much better place since its fourth season, Loot Reborn. It's now in its ninth season and first expansion, Vessel of Hatred, with another expansion slated for 2026. It's a good time for returning players and those ready to dip their toes into the hellfire to give it a shot. Price: $49.99 Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Horror, ARPG Co-op style: Online or local Kinetic Games Phasmophobia Ever wanted to be a ghost hunter? Phasmophobia lets you and up to three friends investigate haunted locales, following clues and dealing with truly terrifying paranormal activity. Your job is to use all the ghost-hunting equipment at your disposal to collect as much evidence as possible and make it out alive. Horror games can be fun alone, but they're a blast to play with friends. Try it in VR for a horrifyingly immersive experience. Price: $19.99 Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and VR Genre: First-person horror Co-op style: Online Anegar Games Chained Together Do you and your buddies have the communication skills needed to break out of Hell? Now's your chance to test your theory. The only hitch is that all four of you are chained together and must synchronize your movements to climb higher and higher through challenging obstacles. One wrong move and you'll plummet back to the start. While you can play with up to four people, you can also do it with just one other person. Price: $4.99 Number of players: 2-4 Platform: PC Genre: Platformer Co-op style: Online Best single-player games with co-op These games are primarily single-player adventures, but they do support bringing along a friend or three. Whether you're passing the controller back and forth or dropping in and out, try these games solo or with friends. Larian Studios Baldur's Gate 3 Arguably one of the best RPGs ever made, with incredible emphasis on player choice. If you've ever wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons but could never find a Dungeon Master to run a campaign for you, Baldur's Gate 3 can fill that void. And with drop-in, drop-out co-op with up to four people, you can start a campaign alone and finish it with friends or vice versa. It's one of the best games made in recent years and certainly worth your time if you like fantasy RPGs. Patch 8 -- the game's final content patch -- was released in April, which added 12 new subclasses to the game, so it's a great time to jump back in or pick it up for the first time. Price: $59.99 Players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Turn-based strategy RPG Co-op style: Online 343 Industries/Splash Damage/Ruffian Games/Bungie/Saber Interactive/Xbox Game Studios Halo: Master Chief Collection Staying up way too late and playing Halo: Combat Evolved with friends might be my first co-op game memory. Whether you're tearing through the campaign or playing online, the Master Chief collection can give you the co-op hit you're looking for. It contains six Halo games, more than enough to keep you and your friends entertained for a while. Snipers and swords, anyone? Price: $39.99 Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC and Xbox Series X/S. Available on GamePass Genre: First-person shooter Co-op style: Online or split screen Iron Gate AB/Coffee Stain Publishing Valheim A Norse-inspired survival crafting game of the highest tier. Face off against monsters and collect resources to build weapons, bases and armor to surpass increasingly difficult biomes and bosses. And you don't have to go it alone, you can bring up to ten friends in a lobby. It offers some of the best crafting, survival gameplay I've experienced, and building a whole settlement with friends is a blast. Price: $19.99 Number of players: 1-10 Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series x/s Genre: Survival crafting Co-op style: Online Ballistic Moon/PlayStation Publishing LLC Until Dawn Remastered While not technically a co-op game, it's a single-player experience that's just as fun with your friends. If you've ever watched a horror movie and thought, I wouldn't make that choice, this game is your chance to prove it. It's a different style of game than others on the list; you'll essentially take part in scenes in a movie, making split-second decisions and participating in quick-time events. It was recently remastered for current-generation consoles, making it a good time to pick this one up if you didn't when it was initially released. It's also been made into a movie, though it only shares a name -- the story is entirely different. Price: $59.99 Number of players: 1 Platform: PC and PlayStation 5 Genre: Horror Co-op style: Pass the controller Best free co-op games You don't always have to shell out to play with friends. Here are a few free options. Mediatonic Limited/Epic Games Fall Guys A wacky game that has you and your friends take control of clumsy, cartoonish characters. The goal is to avoid being knocked off of zany obstacle courses. That's really all there is to it. It's fun with friends and free to play, so it's worth a shot if you're looking for something to get into together. Price: Free Number of players: 1-60 Platform: PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch Genre: Battle royale, Platformer Co-op style: Online Total Mayhem Games We Were Here This game puts you and a friend in control of an explorer and a librarian lost in a castle. Your task is to solve the puzzles you encounter. You'll be separated from each other, so use your walkie-talkies to work together to solve the problems you encounter. You'll need to describe the solutions over voice chat to one another, which can lead to some funny situations. This one is free, so give it a shot. There are two other We Were Here titles, but you'll have to pay for those. Price: Free Number of players: 2 Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch Genre: First-person puzzle solver Co-op style: Online Digital Extremes Warframe Warframe is a long-running, third-person action game. You take control of a Warframe -- a bio-mechanical suit of armor -- which offers various combat functions and roles like your tank, damage or support class. There are over 100 warframes to choose from, each with its own unique abilities. The game was released in 2013 and has received numerous content and gameplay updates. While free to play, an in-game cash shop offers both gameplay advancements and cosmetics. Price: Free Number of players: 1-4 Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS, Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 Genre: Third-person shooter Co-op style: Online
Stuff.tv
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Stuff.tv
These must-play Switch 2 games are top of my list at launch
The Switch 2 is finally here, and all eyes are on Nintendo's latest console, particularly as it succeeds the original Switch, no less than the third-best-selling games machine of all time. Of course, the original Switch's attractiveness largely came down to its stellar games lineup, and after a slow start, its library swelled with unmissable titles, ballooning its player base with it. We'll keep a watchful eye on whether the Switch 2 can emulate its predecessor's success, but it's already storming out of the gates with its opening salvo of games. There are more than 20 titles available at launch, and while it's sure nice to own all of them, Nintendo have a rep for stingily rarely dropping their game prices. With that in mind, it's time to whittle down our list of the best Switch 2 games so you can focus on building your library of titles. Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma Play This action RPG blends a cosy farming and town-building sim with fast-paced combat, all set against a Japanese-inspired backdrop. The region of Azuma has been beset with a deadly corruption known as the Blight, and it's up to you to put an end to it, using your village's resources and people as well as a diverse set of weapons. The graphics might not be cutting edge for this gen, but Rune Factory offers an engaging story, a resource-gathering system that respects your time and a compelling relationship system that sees you cosying up to certain allies before leading them into battle. Great if you're after a heady blend of Stardew Valley with slashy combat sensibilities. Split Fiction Play With Split Fiction, Hazelight Studios reaches even newer heights after their successes with co-op titles A Way Out and It Takes Two. In this action adventurer, players have to communicate, work together and time every action with pixel-perfect precision. Caught in sci-fi and fantasy worlds of their characters' making, Zoe and Mio need to escape by braving unyielding yet diverse challenges, thrilling pursuits and devious bosses. A perfect riposte to lazily hashed out open world titles, Split Fiction features unique gameplay mechanics throughout, meaning the action never gets to comfortable or staid, while the puzzles and enemies are as inventive as ever. It's one of the best couch co-op games of all time, and a great reason to invest in a pair of Pro Controllers to engage in the dual-player mechanics with ease. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Play One of the finest games of all time comes to the Switch 2. Featuring a fully explorable and vast Hyrule with a million secrets to uncover, players once again control Link as he garners enough power and allies to take on the infernal Calamity Ganon. That means helping out the locals, taking on its many shrines, and reflecting lasers against its intimidating Guardians. And if you get bored of that, you can go off cooking stat-boosting meals, restoring your lost memories and finding all 900 Korok seeds. Now released on Switch 2, Breath of the Wild benefits from better performance, higher resolution plus HDR support. The gameplay is as sublime and satisfying as ever, and the puzzling is as intuitive as the best in the Zelda back catalogue. We're still not over that ludicrous weapon degradation system, though. Hitman World of Assassination: Signature Edition Play Slip into the immaculately tailored suit of Agent 47 and un-alive your poor victims with all manner of grisly deaths too extreme for a Final Destination movie. Hitman: WoA retitles the third in the latest trilogy and offers up the previous two games on a platter, packing 25 locations to explore and create carnage in. And that means a litany of Rube Goldberg-esque demises to concoct as the barcoded, deadlier version of Pitbull. You'll crash an F1 race party, cause havoc at a fashion show, and murderize your way through a British manor through any means necessary. Those approaches might involve wearing disguises, slipping into areas unseen, a liberal dose of rat poison and your classic Silverballers. In short, no two missions will go the same, and you'll be replaying its many levels for their variety and sheer murder-y mayhem until social services want a word. Yakuza 0 Director's Cut Play This 1980s prequel follows Kazuma Kiryu and Goro Majima as ex-yakuza gangsters looking for a way back into the life. Like any Yakuza game, there are more twists, betrayals, and loyalty changes than a Spanish telenovela, as the pair find themselves in the middle of an intense land war within the seedy district of Kamurochō. Central to the franchise has always been the hard-hitting pugilistic action. Your characters' finisher moves are particularly brutal, as you jump-piledrive your way through a legion of suited goons. Plus, Kiryu and Majima both deploy their unique fighting styles in the mix, keeping the action fresh but extremely taxing when it comes to boss encounters. There are plenty of distractions to tease you away from main quest missions too, with bowling, karaoke, dice games, batting cages, original Sega arcades and even real estate and building management sims baked in. If this is the life of a yakuza, sign me up (minus the beating. And finger amputation). Sonic X Shadow Generations Play Back in the 90s, you'd blow minds if you'd foretold a Sonic title would be playable on a Nintendo console. While the franchise has enjoyed (and endured) mixed successes over the years, we're pleased to report that Generations remains a solid outing for the Blue Blur. Not a standalone title but a remaster of 2011's excellent Sonic Generations bolted onto newer title, Shadow Generations, this platformer incorporates dizzyingly fast 3D and side-scrolling action that puts Sonic rival Shadow front and centre of his own story. Sonic Generations' levels are refreshing to revisit after all this time following a fresh graphical overhaul, while Shadow's campaign, albeit fairly brief, offers new gameplay elements with powerful new abilities, which he'll need to navigate some of the most creative and dynamic stages we've seen in a hedgehog game. A must for Sonic fans. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Play With Breath of the Wild such an unmitigated success, Tears of the Kingdom doesn't stray too far from this winning formula, serving as a direct sequel rather than the traditional blank slate that most Zelda titles are. However, it adds two major gameplay mechanics. Link can now skydive off the world's various floating islands and enter a subterranean region known as the Depths, giving TotK an unprecedented amount of verticality and tasty exploration. There are also Zonai devices, part of a building sandbox system that lets you put together any monstrous vehicle or construct to solve physics-based puzzles or traverse entire areas with ease. Enemies are also much more refined and varied, while some of the boss encounters are hulking creations that fill the screen, demanding a hefty amount of resources to down. And while Tears of the Kingdom pushed the poor Switch to its absolute limits, Switch 2 players can enjoy a higher resolution, improved frame rates, and HDR, lending for a smoother and more refined gameplay experience. Plus, base jumping off Great Sky Island and hurtling towards the rolling greens of Hyrule never gets old. Street Fighter 6 Play A gorgeously designed roster of 18 new and returning characters is yours to master in this 2023 fighter that many acclaim as one of the finest fighting titles of all time. SF6 will have blister-afflicted players juggling both their opponents and their characters' drive meters, which allow for devastating moves right from the outset, though over-egg it, and you risk making your fighter weaker and more vulnerable. It's as much a cerebral and tactical experience as it is a test of your coordination, muscle memory and move set. Each fighting stage comprises beautifully rendered locales featuring huge depth and layers of detail — not that you'll get to enjoy them as you're busy pummelling your opponents into next week. Switch 2 adds in wireless local play as well as three fighting modes. It also presents the scrapping action at a buttery smooth 60 fps, with fantastically rendered fighter animations and impact flourishes with colors that pop, much like your joints after a bout against M. Bison. Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition Play This futuristic sandbox game was brutally ripped apart due to its broken nature at launch, but after years of patching, Cyberpunk 2077 is now a sci-fi fan's dream, set in a dystopian city full of darkness, violence and corruption, as mega-conglomerates, heavily modded street gangs and AI entities wrestle for power in Night City. Players control V, a merc who gets mixed up in a corporate war, and, just to complicate matters, has the digital psyche of a long-dead rockstar trapped in his mind like a WeTransfer gone south. Good thing he's got a whole arsenal of tools at his disposal, including enough arms to start (and finish) a war, arms that transform into head-lopping blades, and a cyber arsenal of hacks that can topple computer systems, cars and even people. Performance-wise, the Switch 2 obviously isn't going to compete with your i9 gaming rig running an RTX 4090, but the level of detail and graphical fidelity that Cyberpunk 2077 squeezes out of Nintendo's hybrid handheld is still sterling work. It's perfect for first-timers who haven't dived in yet as well as veterans looking for another run to become a Night City legend, as the console offers motion and mouse controls, gyro aiming, and touchscreen functionality. Plus, the bundled expansion, Phantom Liberty, is one of the finest post-game additions in recent years, with an emotional tale revolving around a hacker turned rogue and several gut-punch endings. Plus, you can hang with Idris Elba. Idris Elba, people. Mario Kart World Play The most ambitious and best-looking Mario Kart to date, featuring an open world design, 24-player races, a free-roam mode, offroading and plenty of new raceway tricks. There's also a fiendishly addictive new mode, Knockout Tour, which apes the wildly popular battle royale-style elimination games where those who can't stay with the pack are booted off the race. Players get to boost around a huge number of tracks in cars, motorbikes, boats and even planes. All this lovable racing action is presented in the Switch 2's sublimely smooth 120Hz refresh rate and a vibrant colour scheme that's synonymous with House Mario. A new feature is the ability to gurn at your rivals' real faces in real time, with the use of the optional Switch 2 Camera pack. And you can capture the look on a cocky player's face when they're inches from the checkered flag before being blasted by that nefarious blue shell. With so much packed in, MKW will keep players busy for months.
Geek Culture
03-06-2025
- Business
- Geek Culture
Jon M. Chu's 'Split Fiction' Movie Starring Sydney Sweeney Scores Amazon Deal
It appears the bidding war for the film rights to Split Fiction , the adaptation of Hazelight Studios' hit co-op game of the same name, is now over. According to Variety, Amazon MGM Studios has finalised the deal to acquire the project, which is set to team Wicked director Jon M. Chu and actress Sydney Sweeney. Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese, the duo behind Deadpool & Wolverine , are penning the script. Additionally, Sweeney will serve as executive producer, alongside Story Kitchen's Timothy I. Stevenson, and Hazelight Studios' founder Josef Fares and COO Oskar Wolontis. No other updates on the Split Fiction movie were shared, including potential casting, story details, and by extension, its accuracy to the source material. It's also unclear if Sweeney will play Zoe or Mio, the two playable characters in the game. Written by Fares and Sebastian Johansson, Split Fiction follows the pair of authors who become trapped in the worlds they wrote. It features a genre-blending plot designed to complement its co-op gameplay, focusing on split-screen combat, platforming challenges, and distinct abilities for each character. The title has won praise from critics and players alike, continuing the studio's impressive track record with over one million copies sold in two days. It Takes Two , released by the studio in 2021, is also being adapted into an upcoming film by Amazon and Seven Bucks Productions. The Split Fiction movie is hardly the only video game-related stint on Sweeney's plate, as the Euphoria star will join forces with Transformers helmer Michael Bay to produce a live-action adaptation of Sega's classic 1986 arcade series, OutRun . Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth's theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia's greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Digital Trends
02-06-2025
- Business
- Digital Trends
Amazon MGM Studios in talks to acquire Split Fiction movie with Sydney Sweeney
The Split Fiction movie is on the verge of finding a home. Per Deadline, Amazon MGM Studios is in talks to acquire Split Fiction, a feature film adaptation of the video game of the same name. Sydney Sweeney is attached to star in the movie directed by Wicked's Jon M. Chu. The script will be penned by Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese, the screenwriting duo behind Twisted Metal and the three Deadpool movies. Recommended Videos There has been a bidding war for the project from multiple studios, including Sony. However, Amazon MGM Studios is reportedly on the verge of securing the movie for a deal of over $2 million. Story Kitchen's Mike Goldberg and Dmitri M. Johnson will produce with Chu's Electric Somewhere. Executive producers include Sweeney, Timothy I. Stevenson, and Hazelight Studios' Josef Fares and Oskar Wolontis. Developed by Hazelight Studios and publisher Electronic Arts, Split Fiction is a sci-fi fantasy game that revolves around authors Mio Hudson and Zoe Foster. The duo becomes trapped in a simulation by the tech company Rader Publishing, which uses AI to create worlds based on the authors' words. Sweeney will play one of the authors in the adventure movie. Released on March 6, Split Fiction became a solid hit, grossing over two million copies in the first week following the launch. Digital Trends awarded Split Fiction 3.5 stars, saying the game 'delivers awe-inspiring co-op action.' Sweeney is one of the most in-demand young actresses in the business. After a small role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood, Sweeney broke out in her Emmy-nominated roles in The White Lotus and Euphoria. Sweeney will next be seen in Echo Valley, an Apple TV+ thriller with Julianne Moore, and The Housemaid, Paul Feig's psychological thriller with Amanda Seyfried. Chu is coming off the overwhelming success of Wicked, the Oscar-winning adaptation of the famous stage musical of the same name. Wicked is the first movie of a two-part adaptation. The second movie, Wicked: For Good, opens in theaters on November 21, 2025.
