Gaming has never been more expensive. We’re here to investigate why, and help you play more while spending less. Welcome to GameSpot Cheap Week.
Fewer and fewer games emphasize couch co-op these days, as we’ve moved to an increasingly online world that often assumes if you’re playing video games with your friend, you’re doing it in two different locations over the internet. That’s all well and good, but it also means that in most cases, you and your friend both need to own a copy of a game in order to play it together. Yes, most of the time this is true, but a number of games have released over the last several years that support cooperative play without everyone needing to own a copy. This is usually accomplished via a digital item called a Friend’s Pass, which lets someone without the game access it as long as they’re playing with someone who does own the game.
Inflation and the cost of living are soaring, and it can be very difficult to justify a video game purchase just because your friend wants to play through it with you. As such, for Cheap Week, we’ve rounded up some of the best games you can enjoy with friends, even if only one of you owns a copy. These range from mandatory co-op experiences to games that are just a lot more fun with more people, and there’s a very good chance you’ll find something up your alley on this list.
FBC: Firebreak
It failed to attract much of an audience, but Remedy’s Control spin-off FBC: Firebreak is still worth checking out for fans of the studio’s brand of Lynchian weirdness, and you don’t need to own multiple copies to play it with a friend. The game features a Friend’s Pass that can be accessed across PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Because the game is so focused on cooperative action, this should make it much easier for you to find someone to play with (though it’s meant for three players, so cross your fingers that someone else also bought the game).
Lords of the Fallen
Lords of the Fallen is a souls-like, meaning it’s fully playable as a single-player experience, but if you want to experience it cooperatively with a friend, the game supports a Friend’s Pass. Even better, it supports full cross-play with the Friend’s Pass, so your co-op partner can download it on console while you’re playing on PC, or vice versa. Lords of the Fallen is an especially good choice for a Friend’s Pass, as souls-likes can be notoriously frustrating and another player can make that experience a little less stressful. Or you’ll just both get upset.
