Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Overcooked is in itself its own form of nostalgia. It takes me back to playing with friends huddled around a console because there was no other choice. As we praise the resurgence of collect-a-thon games thanks to Yooka-Laylee, or remastered versions of older games like Crash Bandicoot or Final Fantasy 7, we should also cheer for the games that pull us to the living room, playing with whoever would pick up the second controller.Overcooked is in no way the first or last game to play with an emphasis on working together locally. For example, look at Bounden, a dance game created by Game Oven and choreographed by the Dutch National Ballet. Two players take opposite ends of a smart phone and move the phone to follow a string of rings on the screen. The movement of the phone forces the two players to move, as if dancing. Obviously, there is no online multiplayer for Bounden; partners must crowd a small screen, and trust themselves, their partners, and the phone to lead them to dance victory. Or consider the success of Pokémon Go, which has gotten thousands of players to explore their own neighborhoods or cities just to collect fictional Pokémon. There is something satisfying in knowing these discoveries, dancing, Pokémon catching, can be done with a loved one or stranger standing right next to you.So few games still provide local co-op at all, so if anything, we should be encouraging more of it. Duncan noted that he hopes more developers explore local co-op functionality." I think there's a lot of people out there who want to play them (myself included) since they offer a truly unique and above all fun social experience." Even in a society dependent on the internet, online connectivity's appeal is still not an absolute. Nor is it still a necessary item for enjoying games. To doubt Overcooked's success is to ignore games' history with connecting communities together, both online and offline.The internet is so embedded into our culture that it feels almost sacrilegious to ask for games that do not require it, but having games that are strictly local co-op is a reminder to occasionally remove ourselves from online spaces. There is always room for intimacy, for sharing a couch and a laugh with person by our side. Overcooked encourages those outside of the gaming world to experiment without the fear of online vitriol. What better way to play a game than with a loved one, a trusted friend, or even a stranger at a party? I don't want my memories of introducing my father to Wii Sports to be to be a distant memory. I want to always hear more stories like it. Overcooked and other couch co-op games like it will ensure that.Follow Shonté Daniels on Twitter.Read more gaming articles on VICE here, and follow VICE Gaming on Twitter at @VICEGaming.There is always room for intimacy, for sharing a couch and a laugh with person by our side.