This is precisely the tale told in the latest and greatest from modern visionary Josef Fares of Hazelight Studios, but really, the wacky plot undersells just how good the cooperative gameplay elements are. Because that's how you fix problematic marriages. Your parents are getting divorced, so they fall into a coma and navigate through a shared fever dream in which they've become miniaturized wooden or clay action figures and are forced through a series of fantastical and action-packed adventures at the behest of a sadistic anthropomorphic self-help book. It’s a great deal of fun when played alongside friends, and while the Xbox port of this PC title suffers from the occasional performance hiccup, the addition of split-screen multiplayer gels incredibly well with this spine-tingling survival horror experience. The second is that every seven in-game days, a bloodthirsty horde of zombies zeroes in on and assaults your precise location, giving you ample motivation to make full use of said building mechanics to construct a defensible fortress. The first is the most obvious - 7 Days to Die features an incredibly robust building and crafting system wherein the sky’s the limit. However, there are two core differences that set it apart from the crowd.

7DTD is in the vein of your typical post-apocalyptic zombie survival sim, replete with survival mechanics to contend with alongside the shambling hordes of the undead. The problem is that, really, that terse description isn’t at all far off the mark. It’s tempting to take the easy way out with this one by saying that it’s essentially Minecraft for horror aficionados. And you should be happy to note that aiming feels (a bit) better than it used to. In fact, there’s something incredibly appealing about how dated the game is when you have friends by your side to experience it with you. Grabbing some buddies and playing against each other couch co-op style is as enjoyable as it always was. Despite the clunky gameplay and blocky visuals, playing through this hallmark of gaming history is still a lot of fun, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the split-screen multiplayer component.

That said, GoldenEye 007 also shows its timelessness. Controls feel floaty, and the graphics are definitely nothing to cry home about. Don’t expect a swanky remaster GoldenEye still shows its age. If you’re raring for a classic split-screen experience, GoldenEye 007 has suavely stepped its way out of the past and into the present thanks to its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass.

Best local co op games xbox game pass