Best Co-Op Isometric & Top-Down Shooters

There are countless opportunities for co-op gaming these days, but simply jumping into a random cooperative adventure is not going to be the answer for all gamers. Many want something action-focused while others want a narrative-based title.

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To help sort through the mountain of cooperative titles available, this topic will stick to isometric shooters. The genre works for co-op so well because players generally share the same screen, which helps with performance. The genre also lends itself to drop-in and drop-out play, so friends can group up and have fun without committing to an entire campaign in case anybody flakes out.

7 Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One

Metascore: 70

This spin-off of the legendary Ratchet & Clank series might not please longtime fans as it is completely different than the main series. Instead of a focused 3D platformer, All 4 One is a co-op adventure where players journey through levels from an isometric perspective.

The game is not super vital to the lore, but it is a good time with friends. It also differentiates itself from a lot of the other games here by including more platforming than usual. The camera is also a lot more dynamic, leading to a few more cinematic moments.

6 The Ascent

Metascore: 74

The Ascent is for friends who are ready for a little bit more of a commitment. Instead of a straightforward shooting gallery like a lot of the games here, The Ascent is set in an open-world cyberpunk future and allows for traversal all over the map.

It also lets players take more control over their build. It is not as in-depth as action RPGs like Diablo, but it rides the line between that and quick shoot-em-ups like the following examples.

5 Lara Croft And The Temple Of Osiris

Metascore: 74

Tomb Raider has gone through many transformations throughout its existence. The early games are obtuse and tricky while newer titles are more streamlined. Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and The Guardian of Light are complete outliers, turning the idea of raiding ancient, abandoned tombs into an isometric shooter with cooperative play features.

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There is definitely a focus on action here, so fans of the classic formula might feel a little left out. The different characters' abilities give each player their strengths and weaknesses, which encourages people to plan their attacks together.

4 Alien Swarm

Metascore: 77

Some games leave little to the imagination with their titles. Alien Swarm is definitely not lying to gamers. Players team up to battle through levels populated with malicious alien creatures.

The game had an interesting path to release, starting life as an Unreal Tournament 2004 mod before Valve hired the developers. A standalone title was eventually released in the source engine. Thankfully, even the source engine release remains free to play to this day, making it a great game to play with friends.

3 Dead Nation

Metascore: 77

Depending on who one asks, zombies are either a long-dead fad or something that will never age. Regardless of what one thinks, it is difficult to go wrong with Dead Nation when it comes to isometric co-op shooters. The scoring system encourages dangerous, aggressive playstyles to keep a multiplier continuing to buy better upgrades sooner.

The post-apocalyptic zombie infestation is a well-worn scenario, but Dead Nation captures it well. There are tense moments when the players' backs are against the wall unloading clips into zombies and watching the bodies pile up.

2 Helldivers

Metascore: 81

Do not get this confused with Helldivers 2, which is a third-person shooter. The original Helldivers is played from an isometric perspective and keeps the camera high above the player during gameplay. Those who already played the sequel will still find value in the different perspective.

Much of what is included in the second game can also be found here, including mandatory friendly fire that leads to hilarious accidents. This also makes the game a little less friendly to newcomers, but at the same time, few games make failure so entertaining and funny.

1 Nex Machina

Metascore: 88

Anyone who enjoyed Returnal's hectic combat would do themselves a great service playing Nex Machina to see what the developer was up to before that 2021 PS5 game. Housemarque is known for incredibly chaotic action games and Nex Machina is the developer working at its peak.

Eugene Jarvis worked on this game, so Nex Machina can be seen as continuing the legacy of games like SMASH TV, Total Carnage, and NARC. It brings that arcade action into the modern age, and the good thing is players will waste way fewer quarters beating the game.

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