Shared experiences are, generally speaking, usually pretty fun. Multiplayer gaming is one such shared activity and can be a substantial means of social interaction for a lot of people, myself included. That said, I find I tend to enjoy cooperative games a lot more than the competitive type. Having a common goal and working together to achieve it is rewarding, and lately games that have provided asymmetrical gameplay to do this have been great experiences. Look at It Takes Two, where players are on the same journey but not always doing the same thing, providing great replay options.
Figuring out what needs to be done is just as exciting as figuring out how to get there.
Which brings us to the We Were Here series, and it’s latest entry We Were Here Forever. A cooperative puzzle based game, players try to escape Castle Rock by solving the challenges presented to them from different perspectives - meaning that communication is the most important factor. Often one player will be given an obstacle to overcome with limited clues as to how, and the partner player will be given vital information to help with these obstacles. This makes for a fun change of pace as players need to take time to consider all information that has been shared, and what information they can provide back, in comparison to an action experience that relies more on reflexes. Puzzles are challenging and the solution isn't always immediately apparent, which I enjoyed - figuring out what needs to be done is just as exciting as figuring out how to get there.
So if you're looking for something different to play with a friend, why not give the series a try. Plus, as mentioned, these types of games provide some great replay value when experiencing the journey for the alternative perspective meaning a little more value for money too.
