5 Best Multiplayer and Co-Op Games of October 2017

SUPER MARIO ODYSSEY

Switch owners rejoiced this month as the much anticipated Super Mario Odyssey finally released on Oct. 27 to critical acclaim. This time around, Mario has teamed up with his new hat friend Cappy to save both Princess Peach and Cappy’s sister Tiara from the clutches of Bowser before Peach and the King Koopa can be married.

Knowing that it’s always more fun to play with a friend, Super Mario Odyssey also has a two-player mode where one person controls Mario and the other Cappy. Since Cappy is so crucial to both traversing Odyssey’s many worlds and fighting/capturing the many enemies, splitting up the gameplay between the two main characters allows for some thoroughly enjoyable couch co-op multiplayer.

When in co-op mode, Mario is able to run and jump, while Cappy can take flight and fly where he wishes in a radius around Mario. This mode allows for a much more focused control of Cappy compared to single-player, where motion controls are used to zero in on targets if your aim isn’t the best. Also during this mode Cappy will float over the head of Mario, whereas in single-player he stays snug on top of his head.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War

Shadow of War is the followup to 2014’s Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, continuing the same story in the J.R.R. Tolkien universe set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

Although the majority of Middle-earth: Shadow of War is in single-player, there is a multiplayer mode called the “Social Conquest mode” where you can invade the fortresses of other players to conquer them and steal their armies. There are two specific settings available in the mode, the first is friendly where you can invade other fortresses but no on is able to steal any of your army members, and the second is ranked where you invade and also are able to lose members of your Orc army for good if you’re not careful.

There are also Vendetta Missions wherein you enter another players world when they die to avenge their death. By completing the given objective you will be granted a Vendetta loot chest and the dead player you avenged will receive some of the in-game currency, Spoils of War.

Shadow of War released on Oct. 5 for PC, Xbox One, and PS4.

Gran Turismo Sport

PS4 exclusive Gran Turismo Sport released this month, and features tons of online gameplay. The game also has a VR mode that functions with Sony’s VR systems PSVR so you can really feel like you’re behind the wheel.

Gran Turismo Sport’s races are almost all online except for a few arcade modes, and there are also FIA Gran Turismo Online Championships with two being held a year titled the the Manufacturers Cup and the Nations Cup. The game also has a real-life partnership with the FIA with in-game progress being able to go towards getting an actual racing license with the organization. Apparently in the game both your driving skills and track etiquette are monitored, and doing both of these well could get you behind the wheel of an actual racecar.

Gran Turismo Sport released on Oct. 17 exclusively for the PS4 and PSVR.

Fire Emblem Warriors

The latest Fire Emblem title for Switch and 3DS mostly focuses on single-player content, but also offers split-screen co-op so you and a buddy can play through the game together.

The split screen co-op is only available on the Switch version of Fire Emblem Warriors, but the good news is you can do it in both docked and handheld mode. Co-op mode is only available after Chapter 1 of the story, wherein two-player unlocks and the other person can play by either splitting up the Joy-Con controllers or using another Switch compatible controller. Just go to Map Preparation and press the second stick so player 2 can join.

Fire Emblem Warriors released on Oct 20 for Switch and New 3DS.

JUST DANCE 2018

For a more light hearted multiplayer game to release in October 2017, we have Just Dance 2018. Revealed during E3 2017, it is the ninth entry in the Just Dance series where you use motion controls or tracking to dance to over 300 songs with 40 new hits specifically for Just Dance 2018.

It came to a huge number of consoles, including PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii, Wii U, and finally for the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch version of the game also comes with a HD Rumble mode called “Double Rumble” with specific dance moves activating the Joy-Con controlling rumbling capabilities to provide feedback to the player.

Make sure to check out all the best co-op and multiplayer games of September 2017 as well and check back next month for the best November 2017 has to offer.