This month is full of exciting PSN-exclusive releases. Next up on that list is Rocketbird: Hardboiled Chicken, which lands on Tuesday. Based on the Flash game Rocketbirds Revolution, Hardboiled Chicken is a cinematic puzzle platformer. Think of classic games like Flashback: Quest for Identity or the original Oddworld games, only this time with militant chickens. The Playstation 3 version has all of the original title’s content, plus “new characters, missions, puzzles, exclusive music videos, retro cut scenes, stereoscopic 3D support and more.” Most interestingly for us, it also brings two-player co-op into the mix.

Before Gears of War 3’s revised horde mode mixed tower defense elements with third-person shooter gameplay, PC game Sanctum had already fully combined tower defense and (first-person) shooting. Since Sanctum’s release, Coffee Stain Studios has issued a steady stream of free downloadable updates. Now they’re adding paid DLC to the mix, and thankfully it’s not much of a strain on the wallet.

Two Worlds II is a rough-edged but robust RPG, filled to the brim with things to do in single-player as well as separate online co-op missions. In case that wasn’t enough, developer Reality Pump recently released  a full expansion pack, titled ‘Pirates of the Flying Fortress.’ They also plan to release a Game of the Year Edition that will include both the main game and the expansion later this year.

Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon may have been something of a letdown to fans of its predecessor, fixing only a few of 2017’s faults and introducing plenty of new ones. A recent title update attempts to rectify some of those problems, but once again it breaks a few things of its own.

The second installment of a popular 90s era co-op series was released on the Playstation Network this past week. Metal Slug 2, which first hit the arcades in 1998, is available for download for $8.99.  That's a fair price for an excellent sequel, which added a host of new weapons to the formula, including the powerful laser gun and better armor piercing shells for the Metal Slug itself.  A better deal might be Metal Slug Anthology, which is available for Wii and PS2.  If you have a backwards-compatible PS3, you might look into that game, which includes no less than seven Metal Slug titles on one disc, including 2.  In any event, Metal Slug 2 is a great game, and certainly worthy of a playthrough for fans of classic co-op.

You're pretty much a dancing master at this point.  You've told 'em, plenty of times, alongside Soulja Boy.  You've pushed it... maybe even pushed it real good.  Funky Town has been a frequent destination for you.  Now that Dance Central 2 is on the horizon, you can't wait to play in two player co-op mode with a partner.  Just think of the fun you'll have with all the new routines and songs.  But you'll miss Nelly and Lady Gaga so much!  If only there were some way to get your favorite songs from the original in the shiny new sequel...

In the first Trine, as well as the normal mode for upcoming Trine 2, the co-op is class-restricted (by which I mean players can only have one of each class in a game at a time). It makes sense, as the whole magic of Trine is to use the different abilities of the characters to navigate everyone through the various levels. Just this past week, though, developer Frozenbyte announced that Trine 2 will also have a special "unlimited mode." This mode, separate from the main campaign, will allow players to play as any combination of classes they want. Always fighting over who gets to play the rogue? No problem, just bring three in unlimited mode!

While many gamers out there are doubtlessly sleeping this weekend with visions of a certain caped crusader soon to be swooping through the streets of Gotham again, we here at Co-Optimus are dreaming of a different kind of adventure. One in which four friends can team up to kick some major tail in the world of Ratchet and Clank. After watching the latest trailer for Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One, featuring some "big moments in co-op," we feel pretty confident that we won't be the only ones.

Welcome to Beyond Co-Op, a weekly piece that talks about industry stories that may or may not be related to co-op gaming.

I'll admit, I was one of those disappointed to hear that the classic strategy franchise Syndicate, a franchise I loved so dearly on the PC, was being turned into a first person shooter.  All that changed though once I went hands on with the game at a recent EA event in NYC.  I was able to sit down and play through a level of the game as a member of a corporation, sent in to eliminate a threat and gather intelligence.

One problem I've always had with the current generation of active 3D glasses is that they just make the image on the screen appear darker.  Today, NVIDIA has launched their 3D Vision 2 glasses for monitors, projectors and TVs that promise to alleviate that issue while also being a lighter and longer lasting pair of 3D glasses.  The glasses are redesigned to be lighter and made from softer materials so wearing them isn't quite a burden, but the really attractive features of this kit is when you pair it with a new Light Boost capable display.

The lull between major releases gives us a bit of time to catch up on some gaming.  While the Gears of War 3 campaign is finished for most, there's still plenty of co-op killing to be done in Horde mode.  Speaking of killing, we also have a few folks making sure that the Orcs Must Die!  Other monsters, of the warm and fuzzy variety, also make an appearance, as does the soul-sucking Dark Souls experience.