Summary
One central character in a game is nice, and it’s even better when there is a surprising secondary character who gets added for a brief section of the game. Most of the recognizable examples contain spoilers, like entries in theResident EvilorFinal Fantasygames, so it’s not worth going into detail here. However, there are games whereswitching between multiple party members is core to the experience.
It can be added to platformers, RPGs, shooters, and more. All of these games have switching on the fly between two or more characters that can affect gameplay. WhileGrand Theft Auto 5allows players to use Trevor, Franklin, and Michael, it takes time to switch between them, which is why it and several other similar games with multiple playable characters won’t be counted here. They don’t have a cohesive party system, unlike these other games that have made great strides in their switchable character systems. They will be ranked based on depth and innovation, and for the sake of variety, no one genre will dominate the conversation.
Resident Evil 0was a prequel to the first game, with events leading right up to Chris, Jill, and the other S.T.A.R.S. members winding up in the Spencer Mansion.Rebecca Chambers wason assignment, and after a train crash, she became fast friends with Billy Coen, a prisoner, after a zombie breakout.
Players can switch between Billy and Rebecca at any time, and they share similar skill sets but have different inventory spaces. The trick was to pass items along for the other to use in different rooms, instead of always relying on item boxes to store unused items.
Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Questsaw the titular Donkey Kong now trapped by the sequel’s pirate villains. Diddy then recruits his girlfriend, Dixie, to help free him.
Like the first game, the health bar is representedby each Kongin the level, who will die after one hit apiece and who can be switched at any time. Diddy had nothing special to his gameplay, but Dixie could use her hair to glide, making her the superior character for players engaging with this SNES classic alone or with a friend.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise Of The Dragonsis the latest entryin the series, which took the franchise’s standard 2D brawler gameplay style and added roguelike elements. At the start of a run, players can choose two characters for their playthrough.
Players will start with four character options but gain more as they progress via tokens after dying or if players complete their runs. While playing a level, players can swap between their teammates at any time, or a second player can join in to take over.
LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Sagacombined thefirst twoLEGOgame hits, which went through the original and prequelStar Warstrilogies. What makes this 2007 collection superior toLEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, which is a 2022 remake of all three trilogies, is the charm on display.
Cutscenes were voiceless, filled with goofy humor that made events like Luke getting his hand chopped off funnier. With hundreds of characters to play as, each with a different skill, and co-op options to boot, this is a great action platformer forStar Warsfans of all ages.
Seemingly, the idea fromthe firstDarksiderswas that all Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse would be playable at some point. The three main games have featured War, Death, and Fury, withDarksiders Genesisbeing a top-downDiablo-like spinoff starring War and Strife.
War plays like he does in the first game, with plenty of sword and grapple-based gameplay, while Strife is a gunner. Both characters have their own skill trees and weapon builds that can be swapped in the field easily or controlled by another player.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moonwas an NES-style side project to support the main game,Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night,which was a Metroidvania.Bloodstained: Curse of the Moonwas more of a classicCastlevaniaplatformer, akin toCastlevania 3: Dracula’s Curse,that unlocked new characters for players to control as they progressed.
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2upped the ante with more playable characters and two-player co-op. The number of available options is a bit of a spoiler, but they can all be swapped in and out once they are unlocked. One standout includes Hachi, who is a dog driving a train-based mech.
Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroesis still the best game in the series, even though the roster isn’t as big as in other entries. What this game has going for it is the sprite-based artwork, which looks immaculate on any system it is played on.
Typical of most entries in theMvCseries, players can choose between three characters to fight against three opponents online or offline. The placement of characters in the lineup will determine how they can support their party in the field. There are an almost infinite number of combinations, and swapping between each character mid-fight can create some sick battle sequences that are MCU-worthy.
Trineis the ultimate example of this idea in any genre, and it perfected the formula in 2009. This first game followed the exploits of a knight, a thief, and a wizard who had their own health and powers, like moving objects with magic. Players could switch between them on the fly to fight enemies or solve puzzles, and the game even supported three-player co-op.
There are now five games in the series to play through, each relatively short, so for players who like the idea of switching between characters and love puzzle platformers with a bit of action,theTrineseriesis an ideal choice to dive into.
