The State of Split-Screen Gaming

In this era of ubiquitous online connectivity, finding a decent split-screen game is much harder than it used to be. Despite studios spending boatloads of cash on fashioning a fully-fledged online multiplayer experience, and despite them working with technologically advanced systems, good old-fashioned split-screen multiplayer appears to have fallen by the wayside.

That's not to say developers have given up on the idea entirely. Some still believe in the ritualistic joy of post-pub, Friday night, sofa-based gaming, and understand that being able to share the game with the person sat next to you will always trump having to play squawking pre-pubescent strangers with lag issues.

For that reason we decided to flick the Vs at online play and, for a change, round-up the very best and worst this console generation has to offer when it comes to split-screen gaming.

Resident Evil 5

• Publisher: Capcom
• On: PS3, Xbox 360.

Simultaneously the best and most detestable thing about Capcom's survival horror blaster was the fact it was designed from the ground up to be a co-op experience. While the five-million-selling game sees your partner doing the dumbest things when played as a single-player game, playing it with a buddy transforms it into one of the best co-op games around.

With all of the pad-hurling frustration of idiotic partner AI removed, Resi 5 comes alive in co-op mode as you share the burden of taking down the Majini hordes - but making the magic happen isn't as well signposted as it could be.

Strangely, the actual presence of local split-screen play is completely obscured from the game's options. Rather than flagging it up front and centre on the main menu, you have to start the game and then get your co-op partner to press start to join in, necessitating a restart (and, of course, a sign-in if you're playing on 360).

Once underway the game works superbly well via split-screen co-op, with the visuals every bit as detailed and no discernible loss of frame-rate to grumble about - though I'm sure Digital Foundry's Richard Leadbetter would have something to say about that.

Better still, completing the campaign unlocks the superb Mercenaries mode, further extending the joys of split-screen co-op fun, while the 'Versus' DLC adds a couple of competitive modes into the mix. Despite not being able to change the split-screen orientation from its staggered horizontal default, this is definitely one of the better examples of split-screen gaming out there.

• Max players: 2
• Campaign Co-op: Yes
• Competitive: Yes (via Versus DLC pack)
• Split type: Staggered horizontal
• Drop-in/drop-out: Yes

LEGO Indiana Jones 2

• Publisher: LucasArts
• On: PS3, Xbox 360.

At first glance this doesn't look like a split-screen game at all - until one of you decides to impatiently wander off and do your own thing.

Rather than keep players tethered to a limited section of the environment like all previous LEGO titles, this cunning new system adapts to follow where the player has run off to; splitting in the appropriate direction to their relative position before seamlessly rejoining once within single-screen proximity.

It has limitations, though. This extra degree of freedom gives players the option to stray into areas ahead of time rather than work together in a more disciplined fashion - but that's not the necessarily the game's fault. Get better friends, or perhaps Taser them every time they do something stupid.

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

Left 4 Dead 1 & 2

• Publisher: EA
• On: Xbox 360

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

• Publisher: 2K Games
• On: PS3, Xbox 360

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

Army of Two 1 & 2

• Publisher: EA
• On: PS3, Xbox 360

After Gears pointed the way with its superb online gameplay, EA Montreal's stab at producing a similarly manly, cover-based, irony-free bro' shooter was surprisingly decent, despite the vast reservoirs of unintentional comedy gold that reside within.

Although reasonably engrossing in single-player, AOT's successful implementation of split-screen, slick controls and and teamwork elements make it another game that's better in co-op - if only to be able to do all those manly 'bro-motes' for real. Just don't get carried away, chaps.

• Max Players: 2
• Campaign co-op: Yes
• Competitive: Online co-op
• Split type: Vertical-only
• Drop in/drop-out: No

Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

• Publisher: Microsoft
• On: Xbox 360

Bungie has a long history of ensuring its games feature split-screen gaming, so it's no surprise that both Halo 3 and ODST cater for practically every whim imaginable - especially with regard to competitive multiplayer modes.

Whether engaging in the campaign side of the game or indulging in the innumerable competitive options, there's split-screen support for the lot. And unlike so many other titles, the games' split-screen mode caters for up to four players, or even a combination of split-screen and online players - something other titles (such as Left 4 Dead) are beginning to ape.

Perhaps the only bugbear is the inability to select a vertical split in co-op - especially as the game's horizontal split shaves off a large chunk of the sides of the action, making the screen real estate a fair bit smaller than it could have been.

• Max Players: 2 in co-op, 4 in multiplayer
• Campaign co-op: Yes
• Competitive: Yes
• Split type: Horizontal-only
• Drop-in/drop-out: No

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 1 & 2

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• On: PS3, Xbox 360 (GRAW 1 360-only)

Where does the time go? Incredibly it's been almost three years since the last GRAW title, but Ubisoft's tactical shooter series remains one of the most enjoyable split-screen offerings around, with support for up to four players over a huge variety of modes. The only problem is how dated the visuals look these days, but if you can look beyond that, this is one of the most fully featured split-screen games around.

• Max Players: 4
• Campaign co-op: Yes
• Competitive: Yes
• Split type: Vertical-only
• Drop-in/drop-out: No

Rainbow Six Vegas 1 & 2

• Publisher: Ubisoft
• On: PS3, Xbox 360

Alongside GRAW, the Rainbow Six Vegas titles again demonstrated Ubisoft's unfailing commitment to catering for split-screen players with a pleasing variety of competitive and co-operative modes.

Although 'only' suitable for two-player split-screen (as opposed to GRAW's four), playing both the campaign and the multiplayer-specific modes with friends is, again, the best way to experience the game. And with Vegas 2's experience based system straddling both the campaign and multiplayer modes, the ability to continue to level-up and unlock new gear is absurdly alluring.

• Max Players: 2
• Campaign co-op: Yes
• Split type: Vertical-only
• Competitive: Yes
• Drop-in/drop-out: No

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

• Publisher: Activision
• On: PS3, Xbox 360

Infinity Ward's take on split-screen gaming looks decent on the surface, with support for up to four players. That said, it's disappointing there's no facility to play the campaign with a friend at all, no option for AI bots to fill out matches and a limited selection of maps. Could do better.

• Max Players: 4
• Campaign co-op: No
• Competitive: Yes
• Split type: Horizontal-only
• Drop-in/drop-out: No

Mario Kart Wii

• Publisher: Nintendo
• On: Wii

It's somewhat bewildering that split-screen racing has fallen so far out of favour in recent years, especially when it comes to a genre that so obviously lends itself to the concept.

Mario Kart Wii does nothing special whatsoever, but with support for up to four players on one telly, it's an obvious must-have for any self-respecting split-screen fan.

• Max Players: 4
• Campaign co-op: No
• Competitive: Yes
• Split type: Horizontal-only
• Drop-in/drop-out: No

Forza Motorsport 2 & 3

• Publisher: Microsoft
• On: Xbox 360

Let's face it, it has been slim pickings on the split-screen racing front during this generation.

With that in mind, we should be grateful that Turn 10 bothered to include basic two-player head-to-head support.

But, having made the effort, would it really have been so hard to go the whole hog and offer four-player split-screen, guys? Just saying.

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

Project Gotham Racing 4

• Publisher: Microsoft
• On: Xbox 360

As with Forza, basic two-player split-screen is the order of the day for Bizarre's farewell to the series.

Again, although the presence of split-screen is welcome, it's baffling why so few racing games support more than two players offline.

Honourable Mentions: Other split-screen titles worth checking out

• Beautiful Katamari (Xbox 360)
• Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360)
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WW2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Earth Defence Force 2017 (Xbox 360)
• Kameo: Elements of Power (Xbox 360)
• Kane & Lynch (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Perfect Dark Zero (Xbox 360)
• Resistance 1 & 2 (PS3)
• The Simpsons (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Unreal Tournament 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Warhawk (PS3)

Upcoming split-screen titles to look forward to:

• Brink (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)
• Rage (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360)