In this chapter of our selection of the best games of the year 2019, we'll see the few games that caught our eye on the multiplayer side, and more precisely, on the cooperative side. As you'll see, few were elected but some very nice representatives of the "couch games" are here, while some much-awaited titles, like Anthem, have failed to convince us.
The Division 2
PC, PS4, Xbox One
While all the attention was focused on Anthem at the beginning of the year, it was finally The Division 2 that managed to do well, boosted by the rather monumental flop of the Bioware title. And that's good, since Massive's game managed to improve in every point the formula established by the first title, with a bigger, much more varied map and main missions with a particularly interesting level-design. Game service also means long-lasting follow-up, and the developers are always at their baby's bedside to feed it with content updates and regular patches.
Remnant: From the Ashes
PC, Xbox One, PS4
Although Remnant has gone relatively unnoticed, it is nevertheless one of this year's excellent surprises. Mixing hack & slash, souls-like and TPS in a particularly intriguing post-apocalyptic universe, Gunfire's soft manages to provide good doses of adrenaline, especially thanks to some very cool bosses to face. From the Ashes can be played fully co-operatively by up to 4 players, and features a clever progression system that builds on your combat skills to unlock features with powerful passive bonuses that can be improved as you progress up the level. A little gem, admittedly a little short, but one that we recommend without hesitation.
Borderlands 3
PC, PS4, Xbox One
The return to the business of Gearbox, with the series Borderlands which made its big comeback at the end of the year with a third canonical episode: effective, if not surprising. Full of jokes that could have been written by a 10-year-old kid, the looter-shooter from the American studio still manages to shine thanks to particularly enjoyable gameplay and a crazy loot hunt. As for the other episodes of the series, numerous downloadable contents expanding the game's universe and opportunities to catch the legendary looter-shooter are planned: the first expansion is already available and will take you on a tour of a casino bearing the image of Beau Jack.
Heave Ho
PC, Switch
Developed by the French studio Le Cartel, Heave Ho is a title that ensures many fits of laughter for players who will have the good idea to try it. Only playable locally, at least on Switch, the title takes advantage of Steam's Remote Play Together if you want to play online with your buddies, as long as one of them has the fiber. The concept of H² is simple: you control both arms of a customizable mug and have to reach the finish by hanging on to everything, including your mates and making a chain, or a human vine. It's simple but it works divinely well!
Here you will find our calendar of new video game releases in 2020 and 2021, for all major platforms — PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, Google Stadia and next-gen consoles when information is released.
