You'll probably be familiar with the sitcom cliché of a girlfriend nagging to her gamer boyfriend about his incessant Xbox exploits. The crux of the matter seems to be that if you are playing video games, you are willingly ignoring the attentions of your partner. But why not think of games as a bonding experience rather than a divisive one? As a couple, we looked back at some of the games which allowed us to kick ass together, loot fashionable (and practical) gear, save the world from metrosexual anime villains and sort out our differences in the controlled environment of brawling arenas.
Dungeon Crawlers, or the Art of Stealing Your Partner's Loot
The thing to keep in mind about couple-appropriate role-playing is to make sure that the action and fighting cater to the individual tastes of the romantically entangled party members. Take for instance our preferences when rolling a character in Diablo III: Laura is more into the cynical Hobbesian philosophy of man's brutish and egotistical nature – which in gaming translates to the hack-slash-stab approach of the Barbarian. On the other hand, Ari is more of the gentle healer type à la Rousseau, which is why he often opts for the noble savage types like the Witch Doctor. This is also his excuse for losing most (read: all) of the duels against Laura. During the tougher battles against hordes of demons, however, the synergy of having a strength-based fighter and mana-heavy lover triumphs over the emotionally hollow computer-generated foes.
Inventory management in action RPG’s may also reveal whether your partner is a closet hoarder or not. For instance, Laura’s backpack tends to overflow with white (and, hence, junk) loot after just a few minutes of roaming around in the wilderness. So, this in mind, pay attention to your partner's looting behavior, for this may determine how quickly – or excruciatingly slowly – you'll advance in the game world. Sometimes hoarding can be handy, though: If you want to do extra quests in between the shared game time, you can help your partner out by sharing the spoils of your solo adventures. Remember that virtual sharing is real life caring.
Platforming to the Next Base
The PlayStation-exclusive Little Big Planet is filled with joyous and adorable things that will bring a smile to your face, even after you’ve been collecting someone’s socks from every corner of the apartment. Its couch-friendly ethos also serves as a great double-date activity. And naturally, it is perfectly suited for anyone in a polyamorous relationship of up to four people (hopefully games in the future will also take into account larger romantic communities). The various mini-games and compact levels are perfect when there is no time for a day-long grind, and they are fairly easy to play through even if you have little to no gaming experience.
Not all platformer games feature a multiplayer, but you can still have plenty of co-operative excitement by switching the “hot seat” turn. The Jak and Daxter games are a prime example of a 3D adventure that’ll engage even when you’re not in control of the action; taking (polite) turns lets your partner collect their strength after an intense finger workout and enjoy the game as if a blockbuster action film. The steep difficulty curve will also make you admit to your partner’s superiorities: Ari was particularly humbled by Laura’s superhuman ambidexterity during a seemingly impossible quick-time mini-game. Furthermore, passing along the controller ensures that, while the other is focused on timing those crazy vehicle jumps, you’ll have a free range to look out for any carefully stashed collectibles. Four eyes are better than two, after all!
Beat ‘em Ups and Single-players: To Punch or Not to Punch?
If you’re looking for something outside the co-operative sphere, consider venting some mutual frustrations through popular fighting game titles, like Tekken 6 or Injustice: Gods among Us. You’ll probably have lots of fun customizing your clothing (ass-kicking is always improved by fashionable accessories) and memorizing juggle combos that’ll keep your unsuspecting partner-opponent flying in the air for as long as possible. Setting up mini-tournaments can also be an effective way of settling real-life disputes, such as whose turn it is to do the dishes or empty the kitty litter this time.
And if none of these brawling titles strike your fancy, consider trying your hand at single players with mind-bending puzzle segments, epic boss battles, and humorous storytelling. The riddling physics of Portal 2 will probably make your head hurt after a while, which makes it handy having an extra set of brains close by. And if this game gives either of you traumatic flashbacks to high school physics, you might find the balanced mix of brainteasers and swordplay in God of War III more appealing. The bloody encounters with mythical beasts and deities become less daunting when you can switch with a buddy whose thumbs are not cramping uncontrollably. However, if you prefer Disney lore over the Greek myths, hop into a space ship with Sora, Donald, and Goofy in Kingdom Hearts and head out to save princesses from monsters.
The games we’ve showcased here are from our own collection, and it’s likely that you will have a substantially different gaming library to work on. But no matter which titles you choose to show off to your significant other, never forget that you’re button-mashing as a team: there is no “I” in co-op!
By Laura Kurki and Ari Mäntykivi