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The State of Split-Screen Gaming

Can two play at that game?

Kristan Reed avatar
Feature by Kristan Reed Contributor
Updated on

Left 4 Dead 1 & 2

There's only one thing better than blasting zombies into chunks: doing it with a friend, Shaun of the Dead-style.

With this game built from the ground up as a multiplayer experience, you never get the impression Valve wearily bolted-on split-screen as an optional extra. While there's no doubt that having the whole screen to yourself is preferable, the fact you have the option of sharing the zombie-slaying action with someone in the same room is fantastic.

Better still, Valve doesn't insist that you play online to fill the remaining two slots (although you can), and thoughtfully includes the option of including (extremely competent) AI bots to ensure that you still have a team of four.

With multiple co-op and competitive modes to choose from, and even the option of switching the screen-split between vertical and horizontal, the Left 4 Dead titles demonstrate how awesome split-screen gaming can be when developers put in the effort. The visuals might not be up to much when scaled down, but with gameplay this good, you won't care.

  • Max Players: 2
  • Campaign Co-op: Yes
  • Competitive: Yes
  • Split type: Horizontal or Vertical
  • Drop-in/drop-out: No

Borderlands

Taking its cue from Halo 3 and Left 4 Dead, Borderlands is another mainstream shooter which flies the split-screen flag. Although four-player mode is firmly reserved for online or system link, the option of being able to play the game's excellent campaign mode in split-screen is very welcome indeed.

Especially useful is the ability to drop into ongoing games and drop out at any time without affecting the main player's progress - always handy if you've got a friend round and don't fancy starting over.

That said, certain elements of the game don't really lend themselves to the limitations of split-screen, such as the way mission briefing and vending machine text doesn't fit. Initially this amounts to a minor inconvenience, but it eventually strikes you as a wearisome compromise.

  • Max Players: 2
  • Campaign Co-op: Yes
  • Competitive: Yes
  • Split type: Vertical only
  • Drop-in/ drop-out: Yes

Gears of War 1 & 2

  • Publisher: Microsoft
  • On: Xbox 360

Few games warrant playing through their entire campaign mode both alone and with a pal, but both Gears of War titles fall into that category - if only as a cheap excuse to deliver a stirring rendition of 'So Macho' to your playpal.

For a game so clearly designed from the ground-up as a big, manly co-op experience, those who only bother to play through the game alone are clearly missing out on the best elements of Epic's bombastic shooter.

But although it's obviously a great game to play online, split-screen play works equally well - and the ability to drop-out of a campaign game and carry on solo is especially welcome.

  • Max Players: 2
  • Campaign Co-op: Yes
  • Competitive: Yes
  • Split type: Horizontal-only
  • Drop-in/drop-out: Yes