Korean developer Action Square's ANVIL: Vault Breaker launched as an Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access title at the beginning of December. The twin-stick Roguelike shooter is scheduled to receive continuous updates as it progresses towards its full release. The first of these updates arrived this week, adding numerous enhancements and fi...

ANVIL: Vault Breaker is a Roguelike twin-stick shooter from Korean developer Action Square. The game is currently in Xbox Game Preview and Steam Early Access, so naturally, it has some rough edges that will be smoothed out over time. One of those rough edges is that starting an online co-op game is clunky and confusing. Don't worry; we're here to help!

This week for our co-op stream we looked at Aliens: Fireteam Elite, the three player co-op shooter from developer Cold Iron Studios. The co-opticrew sort of slept on this one, but once we landed planet-side we realized that there's a good ol' fashioned fun game to be had here. 

The Tetris Effect: Connected Beta Test just wrapped up last week, providing the developers and publisher Enhance with useful cross-play data. While Xbox and Windows 10 gamers have been enjoying the 'Connected' version of Tetris Effect for almost a year now, players on other platforms have had to wait. The wait will soon come to an end, as Tetris Effect: Connected will officially launch on PlayStation and Steam on August 18, with cross-play coming to all versions simultaneously.

Rainbow Six Extraction, the co-op title that started as a spin-off mode for the popular competitive FPS Rainbow Six Siege, has gotten pushed back a little bit. During E3 last month, Ubisoft announced that the game - which was previously known as Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Rainbow Six Parasite before that - would launch on September 16 this year. A few days ago, though, Ubisoft announced that they would need just a little more time to get it done.

Blightbound is a robust and stylish action RPG from Ronimo Games (makers of Awesomenauts) and Devolver Digital that launched on Steam Early Access one year ago. Think of it as a mix between Castle Crashers and Diablo. After numerous updates, the 3-player co-op adventure is finally gearing up for full release at the end of July. Even better, it will launch on not just PC, but Xbox and PlayStation 4 as well.

Although Tetris Effect first launched as a PlayStation exclusive in 2018, the enhanced co-op version Tetris Effect: Connected that came along in late 2020 has been exclusive to Xbox and Windows 10 for quite a while now. A free PlayStation beta test version is currently available to download in advance of the full game's July release, giving players a taste of sweet cross-platform co-op.

It's natural to be wary of a new Aliens game. The last one was a Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance-like trainwreck, after all. Still, the new third-person shooter formerly known as Aliens: Fireteam comes from an entirely different developer and publisher, Cold Iron Studios and Focus Home Interactive, and it looks pretty sweet. The game has recently been rebranded as Aliens: Fireteam Elite, and it will be releasing on Xbox, PlayStation, and Steam on August 24.

The first Aragami was a slick co-op ninja game, though the combat could have been better. Developer Lince has taken that to heart with Aragami 2, which promises improved movement and combat as well as 3-player online co-op. The game is due out on September 17. Even better for Xbox fans, it will be launch on Xbox Game Pass as well. Araga...

Second Extinction, the three player co-op dinosaur action survival game just hit Xbox Game Pass this month. But the Co-Opticrew felt it was time to dive in and check out the Steam version, which has been in early access since late last year. Last night's stream didn't quite go as planned, but boy, we had some fun.

It's been a while since a game was so divisive as Outriders amongst the Co-Optimus team. We've been checking the game out since the beta/demo in early March and even then we had some concerns. Now a few weeks post full launch we've gotten more time with the game and it's time give our thoughts.

Let's face it, the Alien franchise is made for co-op play. Specifically those that are derivitive of the second movie. And while we've had the likes of Alien vs. Predator, and Aliens: Colonial Marines, we've still been waiting for that truly special experience. Enter Aliens: Fireteam a 3rd person action game from Cold Iron Studios set 23 years after the events of Alien 3.