We use to play a lot of AoE back in the day and I for one have always hoped for an other addition to the series.... but I don't think this is what I was envisioning.

Then again maybe it should have been, for the cost of admission it'll be worth trying.

I have a personal preference for video games with a Cooperative component (Co-Op Games). These are games that allow 2 or more players to work together as a team in some mode of the game. Co-Optimus is a great source of information for co-op gamers and their 2011 Preview is a great list of what we can expect in the year ahead.

Read the rest of the post for my favorite picks.

• Billed as the Fantasy version of Gears of War was all I needed to know on this title.

Hunted: The Demon's Forge

System(s): 360,PS3,PC
Release Date: March 1st, 2011
Co-Op: 2 Player Online Co-Op
The Co-Op Experience:
Control E'larra or Caddoc through this action fantasy game.
Combine E'lara's ranged attacks with Caddoc's melee expertise to pull off gruesome co-op kill moves, perform special attacks, and heal one another regardless of where they in relation to one another on the battlefield. The characters' differing combat methods allow player strategy to vary from one playthrough to the next.

• There are a lot of people out there hoping that Daggerdale will be the successor  to the Baldur's Gate titles that offered so many hours of co-op fun it the past.

Dungeons & Dragons: Daggerdale

System(s): PC,PSN,XBLA
Release Date: Spring
Co-Op: 2 Player Offline Co-Op / 4 Player Online Co-Op
The Co-Op Experience:
Players will utilize classes of characters and teamwork to play through the story.

• An other RPG co-op this one has been delayed a few times.  

The Lord of the Rings: War in the North

System(s): PS3,360,PC
Release Date: August 1st, 2011
Co-Op: 2 Player Offline Co-Op / 3 Player Online Co-Op
The Co-Op Experience:
Each player can choose a Dwarf, Human or Elf and build a fellowship to combat Sauron. Your character gains experience, upgraded items, and more which can be used online in co-op or offline in single player.

• The Gears of War series has always offered some of the best team based play and with the 3rd installment they have doubled the number of players that can join in the campaign.

Gears of War 3

System(s): 360
Release Date: Fall
Co-Op: 2 Player Offline Co-Op / 4 Player Online Co-Op
The Co-Op Experience:
Co-Op details of Gears 3 are unconfirmed, but it shouldn't be any stretch of the imagination to see at least 2 players returning with all the features of the previous Gears games.

Co-Optimus gives Valve's FREE 4 player Shooter a 5 out of 5 Co-Op Score. Definitely worth the price of admission.

Get Alien Swarm on Steam.

Co-optimus reports Lionhead is committed to providing an improved co-op experience in Fable 3... but these enhancements may have a few pitfalls.

Great, so now I need a co-op prenupt.

involves converting and maintaining the network code of the Xbox 360 version of this game to the PC, and enabling the Xbox 360 version and the PC version to play together.

A hint of Cross-Platform Gaming in Fable 3?!?