When first-person shooters come into the conversation, there are a few series that should immediately come to mind. The top pick, especially for Xbox players, used to be Halo but over the years it got replaced with Call of Duty. Both of these franchises offer some of the most engaging campaigns in shooter history.
The suite of multiplayer options is also worth bringing up. Chief among them are the co-op options. For Xbox players, do these two franchises cut some of the best co-op experiences on the consoles, or are there stronger titles worth recommending? From modern hits to classics via backward compatibility, let’s find out.
8 Back 4 Blood
Back 4 Blood is the spiritual successor to Left 4 Dead. Both games offer players a zombie-infested co-op experience for up to four players to enjoy online. There are multiple characters to choose from in Back 4 Blood, each with their weapons and skills.
It takes some getting used to as the campaign missions and maps are not easy. The game was set up to be infinitely replayable though, which is why the challenge is there.
7 Borderlands 3
Borderlands 3, not including Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, is the latest entry in the series. The spinoff, along with the previous games, are all a blast to play with friends. This one in particular offers players the ability to join up with three other friends online, or they can add a buddy on the couch for some split-screen action.
When it comes to Borderlands 3, the series boasts that it has millions of guns and it is not lying. From guns that zap enemies with lighting to ones that emit acid, there are a lot of fun weapons to play around with.
6 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and the rest of the Call of Duty franchise have a plethora of multiplayer modes to jump into. This game is the newest, so it seems like the wisest pitch. Players can join together with friends or strangers in one of many modes to disarm bombs, or capture outposts.
The main co-op mode in Modern Warfare 2 is called Spec Ops, which has been a reoccurring mode in several of these games. With the finest shooting in the industry, one can’t go wrong with a game in this series, especially with the varying player counts available depending on the modes.
5 Destiny 2
Destiny 2 has been going strong for six years now. Amazingly, Bungie made a sequel between 2014 and 2017 and after that, they just stuck with Destiny 2 as the brand. Will there ever be a Destiny 3, or a rebranding of the entire franchise?
It’s hard to say as they also have Marathon incoming which could dethrone this series. History aside, this game offers a three-player co-op on Strike missions online and six players can join together for Raid missions. With over six years of content, there are plenty of Strikes and Raids to get into.
4 Dead Island 2
Dead Island 2 is not quite a first-person shooter. It does take place in the first-person perspective but it takes a while to unlock guns in Dead Island 2. It’s more of a melee-focused game and it truly allows players to feel the visceral action of taking down a zombie with a bat, crowbar, machete, or whatever.
It may be janky behind the scenes but sometimes a little jank is okay. Not everything has to shimmer in a fine polish to be enjoyed and this game is evidence of that. For those interested, three players can get together for co-op online.
3 Halo: The Master Chief Collection
If there is one brand that screams Xbox, it is the Halo franchise. Without Master Chief, the Xbox would probably not be around today as it was a system seller. Halo: The Master Chief Collection bundles together every game in the series as a launch platform except for the newest addition, Halo Infinite.
It’s great that almost every game supports co-op as well either online or locally. The classic pick to recommend starting with is still the first game and it holds up remarkably well in the collection.
2 Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Siege launched with not a lot of hype. As the months and years went on, Rainbow Six: Siege started to become a phenomenon probably even more so than what Ubisoft expected. There are whole worldwide tournaments just about this game.
With hundreds of multiplayer games out there, it’s quite an accomplishment. Teams of five can compete in multiplayer matches wherein one side tries to steal or protect something which can vary and the other side has to stop this crime from taking place. It is an exhilarating co-op shooter like no other.
1 Wolfenstein: Youngblood
Wolfenstein: Youngblood was a stand-alone game that takes place years after the last game in the Wolfenstein series. B.J. Blazkowicz has been captured and it’s up to his two daughters, Jessie and Zofia, to rescue him from the brink of destruction.
Each daughter has a special suit to help them fight off Nazi hordes throughout Europe. Best of all, players can fight alongside each other as sisters with co-op online. It can be played alone but it makes more sense lore-wise to find a friend first as co-op is the way this game was meant to be played.