The gaming world has recently gone crazy about the Weighted Companion Cube and how much joy and love it can bring you. Personally I prefer real people, and I say this with some conviction:  having worked alone, with people, and with dead people… real people are certainly the best.

This nugget of wisdom recently came into play for me as I was about to trade in The Simpsons Game.  This type of cartoon platformer is not always my cup of tea, but I know I love the Simpsons, and people were saying such encouraging, like “it’s back to the good old days” which we all love to hear. So I was playing through it, but it was bringing me very little Simpsony joy.

However the introduction of a second player totally transformed this gaming experience for me. The game seemed quicker and smoother despite the fact that I had not lowered my level time, and it encourages such delightful banter. Squabbling over characters, laughing at the Hand of God noise and trying to find all those coupons just isn’t the same on your own. But with a friend it’s a lively experience.

Bart and Lisa show us that it’s all about team work!

I have often used co-op gaming in the past to entertain friends, complete difficult levels or try out something new without buying it myself. I have of course enjoyed these co-op experiences but I usually feel that it is just not the same as completing something on my own. I like the full joy that I killed every monster, that I found every orb and that I unlocked all the secrets by myself. Maybe this is a selfish gaming side of me, but stories are made for one and multiplayer is for friends.

I am glad I played The Simpsons Game co-op and genuinely enjoyed it for what it was.  I have broken one of my own gaming boundaries and found something shiny inside. Maybe it is just that the game is easy enough that I know I could do it on my own, or maybe it’s just the pure realisation that the game was a bit rubbish with no-one else around to help me enjoy it.

I am now enlightened to the way of co-op, and made a resolution to try and utilise it more in the future.