Nowadays, players are lucky to see any local co-op games release in a year, let alone one that can stand up to the genre's old favorites, like Portal 2. It's a sad trend of the times, but Struggling aims to remedy this by offering the best local co-op in years.
Struggling is an indie side-scrolling platformer where both players control one character to overcome obstacles and defeat giant bosses. Developed by Chasing Rats Games and published by Frontier Foundry, Struggling is available now for Switch and PC.
What Makes Struggling Fun?
At its core, Struggling's concept is simple: Get from Point A to Point B without suffering a horrible death. What makes the game stand above its few contemporaries is that two individuals must come together as one mind to be successful in this endeavor. This concept applied generally is nothing new to the co-op game, but every action in Struggling has to be a combined effort.
As a creature whose form consists of a fused double-head and two arms, traversal isn't always easy. It takes communication and coordination to get through the various levels in Struggling. Sometimes either one of those can break down, which results in failures equal parts humorous and devastating.
Struggling isn't easy by any means, but it's fair. The game offers a genuine challenge that can only be overcome by concentration and teamwork. Struggling's art and atmosphere are also worth mentioning: Visually, the game is phenomenal. It identifies its own visual style as "gleefully depraved" and it was entirely illustrated by hand.
Struggling is full of light-hearted humor and plenty of entertainment to keep players going, despite its grim appearance. The mutant character reacts to every step and misstep the players input. Every push, pull and scamper through Struggling will leave the puppeteering players with a sense of revolt and delight.
What Happened to Couch Co-Op?
It wasn't always difficult to find an enjoyable co-op game that's easy to share with local friends. These games were an industry staple for a long time, until their numbers began dwindling in the mid to late 2000s. It was bound to happen. Online multiplayer became a stable reality that could be enjoyed by far wider audiences than ever before.
Portal 2, released in 2011, could be called the climax of local co-op. A blend of physics, comedy and teamwork, Portal 2 was both a masterstroke and love letter to the genre. There hasn't been a game since that captures the same raw energy two people can create when they work together in perfect unison -- until Struggling.
Struggling offers a glimpse at a bright future where local co-op games are more abundant. Truthfully, they've been out of fashion for too long.