Singleplayer games strive to tell a story. In recent years, we have seen impactful stories that move the player through an emotional journey. Even though single player games are solitary experiences, they provide wonderful moments and feelings that multiplayer games may never match.
That said, there may be a handful of games that would benefit from a cooperative experience. Even though single player games usually only feature one protagonist, there are times in which a cooperative mode fits into the gameplay and story. On the other hand, there are some games that would be ruined by the addition of coop.
10 Would Not: Resident Evil 2
The horror genre thrives on solitary experiences. Resident Evil 2's story sets ups as it would make for an excellent cooperative experience. Leon and Claire make for interesting characters and the chemistry is certainly there. Online co-op seems like it would make the game better, but for horror to be effective, it needs to limit the players.
A cooperative experience gives more power to players in which they are less scared. They can stick together to work against a common enemy to overcome it, which reduces fear. Instead, Resident Evil 2 strips the cooperative experience and gives the player limited access to others making for a great horror game.
9 Better: God Of War
The entirety of God of War is about a father teaching his son about the world. Kratos and Atreus are very layered characters and a cooperative experience could make their story better. Atreus is used as an ability to players, but he has many moments where he is stripped away from his father that a co-op playthrough could explore.
Plus, Atreus could have a number of abilities on his own. He has several bow abilities that become important throughout the game. Additionally, his playstyle would contrast well against Kratos in a unique way. God of War is an exceptional game as it stands, but a cooperative mode would make for an interesting option.
8 Would Not: Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a massive game. Players can spend hundreds of hours in the game and still have things to discover. A co-op mode would not do well in Odyssey because we have seen it done before. Assassin's Creed Unity attempted the cooperative route but was unsuccessful.
Additionally, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is not built for a cooperative experience. Players could argue that Kassandra and Alexios could be the two playable characters, but the story makes that impossible. Assassin's Creed Odyssey thrives as a giant open-world RPG for one single person.
7 Better: The Last of Us
The Last of Us is one of the best games ever made. Naughty Dog is releasing its highly anticipated sequel in May of 2020 and it will not have any multiplayer, unlike the first game. Ellie and Joel are alongside each other the entirety of the game. There are a few times in which one of them is incapacitated, but Naughty Dog could create flashbacks or have players control another character.
Joel is certainly a brute and can take enemies head-on. On the other hand, Ellie would be more stealthy. The gameplay would contrast well similar to that of Kratos and Atreus. Joel and Ellie are also well-developed characters, so a co-op experience could add to their personalities and story.
6 Would Not: Detroit: Become Human
Quantic Dream is great at creating story-driven games with impactful decisions. Detroit: Become Human is full of important decisions that can change the story in an instant. The game covers the story of three androids whose stories intertwine. Players are tasked with making decisions in each character's plot.
The Man of Medan series is implementing cooperative experience, but the story is developed differently from Detroit: Become Human. Man of Medan gives players access to several characters with decisions. If Detroit: Become Human was structured differently, then it may benefit from a cooperative experience.
5 Better: Fallout 4
Fallout 4 was met with mixed reception, but its follow-up, Fallout 76 was a failure in many aspects. Online multiplayer didn't seem to be the best direction for the Fallout series. In that case, Fallout 4 should have included a cooperative mode. The world is full of characters, creatures, enemies, and locations.
Within Fallout 4, players can select a number of companions to join them on their journey. Some of the companions were very interesting in their own right, but some would have benefited from being an actual player. Jumping into the wasteland with a friend sounds like it could be a fun adventure.
4 Would Not: Marvel's Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero that stands on his own really well. He partners up with a wide variety of other Marvel characters, but a Spider-Man game wouldn't feel right then. Insomniac's Spider-Man game is one of the best interpretations of the character to date. Superhero stories are almost always solitary experiences so another hero wouldn't make much sense.
Marvel's Spider-Man does introduce players to Miles Morales. He shares his secret with Peter at the end of the game. This plot thread could open up an avenue for a coop mode, but players have to wait for the sequel sometime in the future.
3 Better: DOOM
DOOM has a very small amount of story as the game focuses on gunplay and combat. Even though a second Doomslayer may not be canon or possible, it would make for some epic moments. Demons could be slaughtered by two Doomslayers in one glory kill.
Furthermore, id Software could develop enemies around a cooperative experience. DOOM Eternal releases in March of 2020 and features a new multiplayer mode. If the multiplayer is unable to find its footing in this sequel then the next installment of DOOM should look at a co-op mode.
2 Would Not: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Similar to Assassin's Creed Odyssey, a cooperative mode would not make this open-world RPG all that exciting. When it comes to an RPG, players want to make their own choices and handle situations their own way. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has a lot of story so co-op will just bog it down.
Geralt of Rivia's only companion is his trusty steed, Roach. Granted, Geralt has plenty of female companions, but The Witcher 3 does them justice in their own right. Although, a partner during monster battles would be very useful.
1 Better: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The Zelda series is screaming cooperative mode and Breath of the Wild would have been a great contender. There are leaks that the sequel will allow players to switch between Link and Zelda, but those are pure speculation.
The Breath of the Wild does not allow for Zelda to be played as she is stuck in the castle, but if structured differently, the second player could take over the title character. Zelda would make for an excellent playable character in the next Zelda game and should certainly be available to players.