Summary
Whoever said local multiplayer is dead was wrong. Just look at some premium experiences gamers can still have together on one console likeBaldur’s Gate 3,Diablo 4, andIt Takes Two.The pickings are slimmer when it comes to first-person shooters. It is sad when one thinks about the amazing multiplayer games of the past likeGoldeneyeandHalo: Combat Evolved.
For those who want to be on the same team there are even fewer options. It is telling that the entries below only have a couple of options from titles made within the past several years. Instead, most of them are re-releases or remakes. It is difficult to complain, though, since we are just thankful these games are available on modern platforms.
TimeSplitterscarries the DNA ofGoldenEyewith it. This is especially noticeable in the first two games of the series that still have the feel of that legendary Bond game. The whole series is notable for its multiplayer offerings. The competitive suite is highly customizable and features numerous game modes.
It is included here for the ability to play through the campaign with a friend. The hectic action is perfect for tackling with a buddy. Once the campaign is over, then the two friends can duel it out either one-on-one or with bots thrown into the mix.
It is a wonderful thing that one of the most influential games ever made is readily available on the PS5. Players will be shocked at how well it holds up, too. The action is simple but the levels have a great difficulty curve and the complex designs always keep players on their toes.
It is also great to play through the campaign with multiple friends.Putting the two games into one packagefeels right because the second game ramps up the difficulty significantly, making the first game flow nicely into the second without feeling like it is taking it back to square one.
TheDoom 1+2collection also features multiple expansions and also support for certain mods.
The easy way to sellBorderlands 3iscalling itDiablowith guns.It does more than just translate that formula into afirst-person shooter, though, especially with its aesthetic.Borderland 3originally came out on the PS4 where it featured 2-player split-screen support.
When it was upgraded to the PS5, the visual enhancements were also accompanied by the ability to play the game with four players locally. The PS5 handles the chaos well. Of all the games on the list,Borderlands 3is the best for playing with those who are less experienced in the medium since enemies scale to the players' level, and it has a forgiving checkpoint system.
Id Software was far from done revolutionizing the first-person shooter genre when they madeDoom. The next series they brought into existance wasQuake.It is the technological next step for the genre, bringing the action fully into the 3D space.Quake 2is not quite as hectic asDoombecause it features fully 3D models which brought about some technical limitations.
It is still a blast to play in co-op, though, and the enemy behavior makes for some interesting opportunities for strategizing among human players.Quake 2also features more complex levels and objectives that sometime require backtracking, making it a more involved experience.
For all the talk about howCall of Dutybrought about the console online multiplayer revolution, it has to be said that the series is dedicated to retaining some sort of split-screen option. Where older games used to have the classic split-screen deathmatch, newer titles let friends hop online using one console.
There are drawbacks like the screen size and the potential confusion of audio coming from two different locations on the map, but it is worth it to be able to jump into a lobby locally.Black Ops: Cold Wardeserves a special mention for thezombies mode that can also be experienced locally,where 2023’sModern Warfare 3does not allow this.
In addition to the obvious, there are other limitations to split-screen multiplayer inCall of Duty. Players are not allowed to do free-for-all game modes, for example.
