You’ll want to grab anywhere from one to five friends for when a potential co-op hit comes to bothXbox Game PassandPlayStation Plusday one. The last couple of years have seen a rise in cooperative games, some of the more viral of which have been dubbed “friendslop.” The term has been divisive, since “slop” is usually derogatory, and many contend that the lo-fi art design of games likeLethal Company,R.E.P.O., andPEAKare a large part of the appeal – not to mention their often novel and clever game design.
PEAKis the latest such sensation toplay with your friends, selling an astounding five million copies in under a month. July 22 will see theday-one Xbox Game Passand PlayStation Plus release of another contender:Abiotic Factor. The two subscription services will conceivably give the game a boost upon launch, and make it easier to play with your pals.
Abiotic Factor Could Be Your Next Co-Op Obsession
Described As Co-Op Survival Half-Life
Abiotic Factorcomes from developer Deep Field Games, and is published by Playstack.It’s a co-op crafting survival game that supports up to six players, and has already made quite a glowing reputation for itself. It’s been in early access onSteamfor a while, where it’s achieved an incredible 96% positive rating from more than 23,000 reviews over its entire lifespan.
It’s often described as co-opHalf-Life, and the inspiration is clear. You play as an employee in a research facility that studies all sorts of strange phenomena, “from gravity-distorting artifacts to supernatural creatures with an unbridled instinct for violence,” according to the Steam description.Abiotic Factortakes place after a disastrous breach in containment, letting creatures from other planes of existence into the facility.
Co-Op Games Are Having A Moment
Is This A Co-Op Golden Age?
Abiotic Factorhas been diligently building toward its full release at a time whenco-op games seem more popular than ever. Even outside the so-called “friendslop,” games likeDeep Rock GalacticandHelldivers 2have been going strong, and Hazelight Studios seems to have hit on a winning formula with titles that require exactly two people (shout-out to theFriend’s Pass), such asSplit FictionandIt Takes Two.
A defining feature ofPEAK,Lethal Company, andR.E.P.O.is the promoted use of proximity chat, which can enhance the organic humor of their situations.
Co-op games have always been in vogue to an extent – everyone loves playing games with their friends – but this new era has been a huge boom for smaller developers.Abiotic Factoralready has a lot of momentum behind it with plenty of early access fans, but is poised for a breakout release with its availability onXbox Game PassandPlayStation Plus.
