By my count, we are approaching close to 100 headsets evaluated on this site in our 13 years of existence. Needless to say we've seen all makes, models, and varieties - from wired stereo headsets to fully wireless surround sound monsters. I'm at the point now where I know exactly what features I want to hear in a pair of cans for my ears. And let me tell you - the perfect headset still doesn't seem to exist. 

Co-op games are a great way to spend some time catching up with your friends, but you know what will really enhance those relationships?  Getting super creeped out together and sharing the same skin-crawling tension for a couple hours.  Fortunately for us, The Past Within is due for release later this year, so we'll have ample opportunity to do just that.

We're back with another jaw-dropping edition of (say it with me) Our! Weekend! In! Gaming!  I know I abandoned our poor readers in their time of need, but believe me, it was (probably) worth the wait.  Refreshed and re-energized, the Co-Opticrew is roaring into 2021 with a frankly staggering amount of games they'll be playing over the weekend.  If this doesn't get you pumped up for your own plans, then frankly, you may want to consult a medical professional.

This story isn't exactly hot off the presses, but developer Hazelight Studios has revealed that their latest co-op game, It Takes Two, is aiming for release on March 26th of this year.  That means you have just under two months to wittle down your group of friends/family/significant others to just one ideal co-op partner.  You'll probably have to make some hard cuts, but I have faith you'll make the right decision in the end.

Well now, what do we have here?  Word on the street is that Zombie Army 4's Season 2 campaign, "Death from Above," has reached a crescendo in the form of its final episode, "Dead Zeppelin" (get it?).   If you're so inclined, you can play said finale right now, provided you have purchased the mission either individually or as part the Season 2 pass.

According to our highly accurate counter we've hit a new milestone in January: There are now 7.600 entries in our database. But while this number is very impressive - there are still some holes here and there. Of course no one can ever be perfect - even your No. 1 site for co-op games. Our Database Manager does however try his best. For example the last two months he went through the entire Nintendo eShop catalogue all the way back to 2011 and added every last co-op games from it we were missing (and many more he found during this research). The results are more than 400 new entries to the Database in January including more obscure franchises like the Super Chinese-Beat-'em-up-series. Don't worry though if you prefer your games to be from this century: January was also packed with quite a few new releases as you can see below.

The last Stronghold game we checked out was Stronghold: Crusader 2, which featured online co-op play for two players. It looks like that mode is returning with Stronghold: Warlords, though with a few new twists above and beyond the Asian setting. 

We're back for another week of Gloomhaven on PC. The four player co-op strategy game captured our attention last week and the crew couldn't wait to get more. Perhaps the best thing about it is just how well a session fits into an hour or so of play making it bite sized, but still providing solid progress for players.

The other night an extra heavy weight Co-Opticrew dove into the early access version of Gloomhaven, a tactical RPG based on the board game of the same name. In it we check out some four player co-op in the game's Guildmaster mode all while learning the ropes from Locke, who clearly has lived a few lives in these dungeons.

Outriders, the three player co-op game from studio People May Fly, was recently delayed a few months for some added polish. That hasn't stopped the steady stream of content though to keep fans appetite while they wait. A demo will be available on the game's original release date with the ability to carry over progress to the full game. Now a new video is showcasing all the bells and whistles of the PC version.

If you wanted to see what Call of Duty offers for co-op players, now is a good time to dive into the Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's zombies mode, which is free from January 14th through the 21st. 

Thanks to a recent sale, the 2018 title Shadow of the Tomb Raider and its entire catalog of DLC could be had for around $10. So I jumped at the chance to check out the game, having mostly skipped its predecessor, Rise of the Tomb Raider. One thing the latest title added was the ability to play through tombs with a friend in co-op fashion.