Co-op games have always been fun. From thesplit-screen era of the 2000sto the latest installments in the genre, they have always united friends and family, whether it was when having each other’s backs in waves of enemies or when helping a friend navigate through a maze.
But honestly, a Co-op game itself is nothing without the many great levels that redefine the entire landscape.These test the unity between the players, push bonds to the edge, and deliver a story worth remembering.
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Teaming up with pals shouldn’t feel overwhelming!
Regardless of how many tries it takes you to complete these levels,it’s the laughter, struggle, and teamwork that make them unforgettable.
For me, these games are the greatest form of entertainment. I remember playing Need for Speed on split screen with my brother and having the best time ever. Luckily, the advancement in game design and levels has only made my love for Co-op games grow.
10The Final Mission
Army Of Two
Army of Two
The best Co-op level inArmy of Twois definitely the Final Mission, where Rios and Salem must stop the SSC from launching a full-blown assault on U.S. soil and confront Richard Dalton.
Dalton is their corrupt ex-commander who sold them out and turned their loyalty into leverage. This intense shootout requires a constant rhythm of drawing and flanking, covering each other’s six and synchronized actions, which makes it truly feel like a joint operation.
It’s a showdown built on trust, and it’s the perfect example of what a Co-op Level should be like,full of adrenaline, intense shootouts, and most importantly, gameplay that ignites a higher level of trust between the players.This is why I consider Army of Two one of thebest third-person action shooter co-op games.
9The Betrayal
From friends to enemies in an instant, such is the beauty of the final mission inA Way Out,where Vincent is revealed to be an undercover cop, using Leo the entire game to get closer to Harvey, the person responsible for his brother’s death.
A twist that shattered the players, as every puzzle, QTE, and shootout completed together now amounts to nothing. The journey that was built on trust now ends in a violent climax between the players, where only one can walk away alive.
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Two is better than one.
It’s the most gut-wrenching betrayal I have experienced from any game.Two players who leaned on each other for hours were suddenly forced to kill each other, an experience no other title has delivered.
8Cutie The Elephant
It Takes Two
Each chapter in It Takes Two isamazing. Every stage delivers a cherry, toybox energy that keeps you hooked in its entirety until the third chapter takes a twisted turn.
Cody and May believe that the only way they can become humans again is to make Rose cry. Their parenting non-advisable solution? Destroy Rose’s favorite toy, Cutie the Elephant.
What follows next is the slow and painful disassembling of probably the most innocent character in the game, and despite Cutie’s soft, squeaky pleas,both players must work together to put an end to her, driving mutual guilt.
My duo and I did not expect a game this colorful and childish to take such a dark turn suddenly, but that’s what makes it memorable.It’s a brave narrative that hits you like a cannon.
7The Space Station
Solving brain-melting puzzles for an AI just for “testing” doesn’t seem that bad until you realize you and your duo were being tricked all along. That’s the punchline to your entire journey in Portal 2 Co-op Campaign.
In the final level, you play as Atlas and P-Body, who have just unlocked an underground vault by completing insanely challenging puzzles together. Inside the vault are thousands of human test subjects frozen and stored away for future experiments.
The game then hits you with a sudden twist. Unknowingly, you have spent the entire game helping GLaDOS, an AI andone of the most iconic villains in gaming, resume horrific human experimentation.
All the puzzles you completed for “testing” were just so she could gain access to the vault and begin her sadistic testing on people. You never questioned it, and now it’s too late. Inthe end, GLaDOS won, and you and your partner only served as pawns for her scheme.
It’s clever, funny, and terrifying at the same time. Something I definitely did not see coming, and that is exactly why it’s brilliant.
6Rise Of The Dragon World
Split Fiction
Fextralife Wiki
Soaring dragons, awesome bosses, and a breathtaking world make theRise Of The Dragonlevel from Split Fiction a fantasy dream brought to life.
It’s a classic fight of good and evil where the two protagonists battle to reignite the powers of a dying bloodline and confront those who want it erased forever.
Mount your dragons, each wielding unique powers, as you and your partner solve intricate puzzles and ride through stunning cinematic moments. It’s the kind of level that makes you appreciate co-op games even more.
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For someone like me, who loves anything related to dungeons, dragons, and fantasy, this level was a treat.The world-building was beautiful, teamwork was necessary, and the climax was majestic. It’s co-op done right.
5The Final Escape
Lovers in a Dangerous Space Time
Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime
While it isn’t a standalone level, the Final Escape Sequence from Lovers in a Dangerous is truly special. After defeating the final boss and restoring the power of love to the universe, the heart core reactor begins to collapse.
You and your duo need to do a final push and control the spaceship in perfect synergy to escape through tight spaces, dodge debris, and switch between roles in an instant, all while being hunted by enemies and pressured by time.
It’s not a peaceful goodbyebut a test of everything you’ve learned, from steering and shooting to making split-second decisions. Relying on each other is the only way to escape.
It’s a goodbye earned through panicked screams and constant failures but satisfying when we finally finish. I appreciate sequences like these. It’s a reminder thata game doesn’t need a soaring high budget to deliver excellent levels.
4Helium Hat Chase
Not every co-op level needs to deliver over-the-top action or cinematic narratives to be fun. They can just be whimsical and colorful, like the Helium Hat Chase level from Phogs.
The goal? Easy! Complete a few lighthearted puzzles with your duo, float around, and chase down a sentient balloon hat as you restore the happiness and playfulness of the Play World, a playground that revolves around toys, games, and childlike wonders.
Controlling two heads of the same body takes solid teamwork, but the creative puzzles and the joyful theme of the hat chase make it stand out.
Something I genuinely loved is its charming nature, which reminds me thatI don’t need to always dive into adrenaline-filled levels when there arehidden co-op gems that can entertain me with simplicity.
3The Medical Center
It’s levels like those in Hospital Escape from A Way Out that make video games a beautiful form of art. After visiting his newborn baby, Vincent’s cover is blown, and the police close in.
What follows is a high-adrenaline escape where Leo and Vincent fight, sneak, and jump through windows to escape, all while being separated.
However,the true beauty of the mission lies in its One-Shot Camera design, which seamlessly transitions between the players with zero cuts throughout the 10-minute sequence.It’s packed with side-scroll combat, stealth, and a cliche car chase ending.
The mission relies less on co-op actions and focuses more on delivering an action-packed sequence that keeps players on their toes and in awe of the level’s beauty.
2The Labyrinth
We Were Here Together
It’s one thing to complete puzzles together with your duo, but it’s another entirely whenyou’re alone in the dark with nothing but the voice of your friend to rely on.That’s the gist of the Labyrinth section of We Were Here Together. Or, well, in this case, not exactly together.
After surviving an avalanche, the explorers end up in a labyrinth. But it’s not just a maze. It’s a series of shifting halls, ancient mechanisms, and traps, forcing each player to navigate through separate paths.
However, here’s the catch: each one sees only part of the solution, so you will need to communicate, share clues, and guide one another to complete the puzzle.
It’s the ultimate level that can only be completed by trusting your duo.No combat, no intense QTEs, just two voices, one exit, and a lot of banter.
I haven’t seen another title make you rely on your partner this much. Your only choice is to trust what they say. One mistake can end the chapter, but that is why it’s one of the best co-op levels to play.
1The Bar Fight
River City Girls 2
Serving up smackdowns and combos, River City Girls 2 is amazing, but it’s at the Bar Fight level that the beat-‘em-up combat takes up a notch.
To find their kidnapped boyfriends, players end up in the Technos Bar, a neon-lit dive crawling with gang members, but what starts as a routine beat ‘em up spirals intoa full-blown riot, with flying bottles, waves of enemies and uncontrolled robots.
You will have to use dual combos, revive each other amidst the chaos or call in assist fighters and fight your way to oneof River City Girls 2’s many epic bosses. It’s chaotic, fast, and extremely fun. You’llneed to tag-team like pros if you want to make it out in one piece.
The bar fight offers perfect side-scrolling gameplay, combining humor, flashiness, and brutality. It reminds me of the classic side-scrolling SNK games or Little Fighter 2, which we don’t often see in the modern gaming era.
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