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The 5 best couch co-op games on PlayStation Now

One of the greatest joys in life is kicking back on the couch with a friend and playing video games. The hardest part? Settling on what to play. The PlayStation Now streaming service offers a huge variety of titles available to play instantly, including many that offer local co-op. These are the best games for when you’re looking to team up and kick some butt.

1. Resistance 3

If you’re a fan of action-packed first-person shooters, this is the game for you. Resistance 3 is set in an alternate-reality version of 1953 after a hostile alien invasion decimates Earth. The entire single-player campaign is playable in co-op mode. The drop-in drop-out feature makes for a low stakes co-op experience, and means you won’t have worry about replaying the same sections if your partner has to leave for a minute to get some pizza. The action is fast-paced and a diverse list of creative weaponry offers unique ways to fight your way through the alien horde. The story is also surprisingly deep and will keep you hooked all the way to the bitter end.

2. Resogun

Resogun is perfect for fans of bullet-hell shooters. In a lot of ways, Resogun feels like the neon-drenched older brother of Gladius. Players choose from a selection of unique ships, and then the action starts. Lasers, powerups, and boss battles abound. Though only two players can take control at a time, Resogun has the makings of an excellent party game. If you’ve got a group of friends over, passing around the controllers as you try to fight your way through the levels makes for incredible amounts of fun. Also, the killer soundtrack would make the perfect background music for any party.

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3. Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga

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Though it may seem like a kid’s game at first glance, Lego Star Wars is fun for anyone at any age. Players can drop in and out at any time, taking control of Lego versions of classic Star Wars characters or building their own characters from Lego bricks. As a team, you can solve puzzles and battle your way through levels from all six original Star Wars movies. The Lego games offer their own brand of lighthearted humor and poke fun at the series in a way that will get a laugh out of any Star Wars fan. Who knew Chewbacca looked so good in a top hat? If Star Wars isn’t your thing, a whole host of other Lego video games are also available on PlayStation Now, ranging from Harry Potter to Indiana Jones to Batman. The best part? Every single game in the series offers couch co-op.

4. Resident Evil 5

Resident Evil 5 is the first game in the series to offer split-screen co-op play, and it’s certainly one of the best. Players control B.S.A.A. agents Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar as they attempt to stop a viral outbreak in Africa. This game is like a more action-oriented, multiplayer version of Resident Evil 4. Playing through with the story with a partner is the best way to experience the game. Fighting through the horde and taking on the game’s horrific, intense boss battles with a friend at your side makes the victories that much more satisfying. Several other co-op Resident Evil games are also available on PlayStation Now, such as Resident Evil 6 and Resident Evil Revelations 2.

5. Borderlands 2

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Borderlands 2 has everything you could want from a co-op experience. Borderlands is the love child of a first-person shooter and an RPG. The best part of this game is its customizability. Players can choose from four character classes and level them up with unique skills and abilities, meaning there’s something here to fit everybody’s play style. Whether you prefer hanging back and sniping from afar or getting more up close and personal, you can tweak your skills and gear to fit how you prefer to play. You can also save your characters, meaning the next time your buddy comes over, their character, skills, loot, and skins will all be right where they left them. Borderlands 2’s story also stands out, and there’s plenty of hilarious moments that will leave you and your friends in stitches. This is the perfect game for a night in. Make sure you have plenty of snacks handy.

With a huge variety of titles and co-op games to choose from, PlayStation Now offers something for everyone. Now that you’re armed with this list, the hardest thing you’ll have to decide on is what toppings to get on your pizza.

Here’s everything we know about The Last of Us 2

Details are slowly trickling in about the follow-up to Naughty Dog’s post-apocalyptic survival masterpiece, including an incredible new trailer showcased at E3. Here’s what we know so far about The Last of Us 2’s story, gameplay, and other rumors. If you still haven’t played the first game, be warned: spoilers are incoming.

The Last of Us 2 is set five years after the somewhat ambiguous ending of the first game. After finally reaching a research facility run by the Fireflies in Utah, Ellie was quickly whisked away. Marlene, the leader of the Fireflies, informed Joel that in order to find a cure for the infection, they would have to operate on Ellie’s brain, killing her in the process. Forced to choose between saving Ellie and curing the infection, Joel chose Ellie. He massacred his way through the Fireflies facility before finally reaching Ellie just as she was about to undergo the operation that would kill her. When Ellie finally wakes up from her drug-induced coma, Joel lies about what happened, telling her that the Fireflies had found other test subjects besides her and that they were still unable to find a cure.

The game ends with Joel and Ellie returning to the settlement run by Joel’s brother, Tommy. When Ellie once again asks Joel if what he told her is the truth, he doubles down on his lie, and the credits roll.

Several years later, Ellie is now a teenager. Joel will be taking a backseat this time around; Naughty Dog has confirmed that players will be taking control of Ellie in this installment. Joel will still have a large presence in this game, but what exactly that presence will be remains a mystery. In the game’s first trailer, we only see his silhouette, which led some to speculate that Joel is dead, and only remains as a figment of Ellie’s imagination. Though Joel certainly isn’t getting any younger, the latest E3 trailer seems to refute this. New character Jesse approaches Ellie at a party at Tommy’s settlement, remarking that her “old man,” presumably Joel, called him out for slacking while making his rounds. He also mentions that Joel always seems to take a greater interest when Ellie is on patrol with them.

This certainly sounds like the Joel we know and love, but also of note is the way Ellie reacts to this remark. She definitely doesn’t seem happy that Joel is butting in, which could mean several things. Though Ellie and Joel grew closer over the events of the first game, it ended with them somewhat at odds with each other. Just based on the way Ellie seems to resent Joel’s overprotectiveness, it doesn’t seem like that’s changed much in the five years between the two games. However, is this just Ellie going through a rebellious teenager phase, or did she find out at some point that Joel lied to her?

5 best games to play while waiting for The Last of Us 2

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Whatever the reason, Ellie has grown up quite a bit since the last time we saw her. The new gameplay trailer shows her fighting off enemies with the same brutal combat style introduced in the first game. Melee combat, improvised weapons, and stealth are all returning in a big way in this new game, and combat overall seems much more fluid than in the first entry. Ellie transitions seamlessly between running, hiding, and fighting, and at one point we see her quickly crafting an explosive arrow mid-fight to get the upper hand on her opponents.

So, who exactly are these opponents? Details have been sparse on them so far, but Naughty Dog has revealed that they are a pseudo-religious cult known as the Seraphites. Their goal is to wipe out sin as they see it, though what “sin” they’re attempting to wipe out remains unclear. The cult members all seem to share a similar appearance. Male members of the cult shave their heads, while women have the same braided hairstyle. Looking closely will also reveal that the cultists all have Glasgow Smiles, the same kind of scars that gave The Joker his distinctive grin in “The Dark Knight.” In addition, all members also seem to wear similar long, brown duster coats.

Aside from what they look like, we know that the Seraphites aren’t very nice people. They seem to kill in a particular ritualistic style that involves hanging and disemboweling their enemies, and will “clip the wings” of their targets by brutally breaking their limbs with a hammer. New characters Yara and Lev are a brother and sister duo who were formerly members of the Seraphites. Though it’s still unclear how their story intersects with that of Joel and Ellie, it seems likely that we’ll learn more about this vicious cult through them.

Aside from the Seraphites, we can also see graffiti of the Fireflies logo on a signpost in the game’s first trailer. This is the only hint we’ve seen that they might be returning in the second game. Joel’s rampage at the end of the first game left the group without any clear leadership, so it seems likely that if they do reappear, they’ll be out for revenge. If this is the case, between the Fireflies and the Seraphites, Joel and Ellie will certainly have their hands full.

Several new characters are also being introduced this time around. In addition to Yara and Lev, we’ve also met an unnamed woman voiced by Naughty Dog veteran Laura Bailey. Naughty Dog loyalists will recognize her from her role as mercenary Nadine Ross in Uncharted 4, and it seems like she’s bringing the same intensity to this mysterious new character. We’re also going to meet a few new residents of Tommy’s settlement. Shannon Woodward, who fans of HBO’s “Westworld” will know as park technician Elsie Hughes, plays Jesse’s ex-girlfriend Dina. She takes a starring role in the latest trailer, sharing a kiss with Ellie during a dance at the party. It’s unclear whether their relationship will develop into something more serious than a somewhat tipsy kiss.

One final important detail that Naughty Dog has revealed: whereas the first game was about love, this game is going to be about hate. From what we’ve seen so far, this game is going to have a much, much darker tone than the original. Between Ellie’s colder and more ruthless outlook and the brutal executions perpetrated by both her and the Seraphites, this game promises to be an extremely intense ride, and it seems like Naughty Dog won’t be pulling any punches this time around. Though no official release date has been revealed yet, Naughty Dog has been revealing a steady stream of new content since announcing the game, and we’re excited to see what else lies in store for Joel and Ellie.

5 best games to play while waiting for The Last of Us 2

The Last of Us 2 is coming. Naughty Dog has been dropping tantalizing hints for months now, and with a slick new trailer that dropped at E3 (below), anticipation for the sequel to their post-apocalyptic survival masterpiece is at an all-time high. However, Naughty Dog has yet to confirm an official release date, and if you’ve already replayed the original game, waiting might seem impossible. Fear not, because we’ve got you covered with five games you can play in the meantime to scratch that itch.

5. Fallout 4

One of the most memorable aspects of The Last of Us was the setting. Exploring the ruins of once-bustling American cities, now destroyed and slowly being retaken by nature, made for some unexpectedly poignant moments. Fallout 4 does an excellent job at recapturing that feeling. You can customize your own character and explore the vast wastelands of post-apocalyptic Massachusetts. The ruins of Boston also provided the backdrop for the first few chapters of The Last of Us, and you can actually visit some of the same locations, such as the State House, in both games.

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4. Uncharted 4

Though the gameplay and overall tone is decidedly different, Uncharted 4 shares a large part of its creative team with The Last of Us. Naughty Dog guru and award-winning writer Neil Druckmann created the story for both games. This means that fans of the rich narrative in The Last of Us will find that same style of intricate storytelling here. This time around, Nathan Drake comes out of retirement to help his brother hunt down a fabled pirate treasure, an adventure that spans from windswept Scottish highlands to lush tropical island jungles. Joel’s voice and motion capture actor, Troy Baker, also returns in the role of Nate’s brother Sam. The graphics also look extremely similar to what we’ve seen so far from trailers for The Last of Us 2. This means that Uncharted 4 might be a good glimpse into what the characters and environments of The Last of Us 2 might look like.

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3. Telltale’s The Walking Dead

Story-wise, this game feels like the long lost twin of The Last of Us. When you actually put both games on paper, their narratives are remarkably similar. Players control Lee Everett, a former university professor and escaped convict, as he rescues and cares for a young girl named Clementine. The two are forced to rely on each other as the world crumbles to the zombie apocalypse. Sounds familiar, right? If you’re looking for the same intense combat that The Last of Us offers, though, look elsewhere. Though not reliant on combat, this narrative-based game serves up the same stark moral choices players were confronted with in The Last of Us, and players will find out exactly how far they’re willing to go to survive in the post-apocalypse.

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2. Bioshock Infinite

Troy Baker playing a grizzled, world-weary protagonist with a tragic backstory? Check. A young girl with the potential to save the world? Check. The pair being forced into a reluctant partnership that eventually develops into a much more meaningful relationship? Check. Bioshock Infinite almost feels like an alternate universe version of The Last of Us, which seems fitting considering Elizabeth’s ability to open portals into alternate realities. One of the most interesting aspects of Bioshock is seeing a different take on a very similar relationship, and will leave you thinking about how differently the story of The Last of Us could have played out. Gameplay wise, Bioshock is more of a combat-heavy shooter, and should appeal to the more action-oriented fans of The Last of Us.

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1. Tomb Raider

If you only have to pick one game to satisfy your cravings for The Last of Us, look no further. When playing Tomb Raider, it becomes quickly apparent how similar the two games are in terms of actual gameplay. Tomb Raider puts players in control of Lara Croft at the beginning of her adventuring career. Shipwrecked on a mysterious island, she finds herself fighting for her life against ruthless cultists and other, more sinister forces. Players will find themselves scavenging for weapon upgrades, sneaking past deadly enemies, hunting for food, and pulling off brutal melee kills. Playing as Lara almost feels like getting an early taste of what it will be like to take control of Ellie in The Last of Us 2.

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We don’t know yet when The Last of Us 2 will be released, and it could end up being a long wait. Now that you’re armed with these five titles to satisfy your cravings, that wait won’t feel quite so long.

Here’s everything we know about The Last of Us 2

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