Two soldiers on one space ark
Anima Flux is a side-scrolling metroidvania built around two genetically enhanced soldiers, special agents of a theocratic dictatorial regime. The only human city sits on a space ark and is under an organized mutant invasion, so the regime sends its best troops in to rescue the city and eliminate the threat. You push through swarms of mutants across desolate, dystopian locations, taking on dangerous foes and bosses along the way. The world is drawn in a hand-drawn style that mixes 80-90 retro sci-fi visuals with a dark cosmic atmosphere, and the story is carried by animated cutscenes and dialogue written with a heavy dose of irony.
Playing together on the couch
This is a co-op metroidvania, so the whole thing is designed for two people playing side by side. Each character develops differently as the game goes on, and you combine their unique abilities and skills to get through areas that neither could handle alone. You can rescue a partner who has been ambushed or seriously injured, and you work out your own boss-fight strategies together instead of following a fixed plan. If your usual partner is not around, you can switch to single player and run it solo. Remote Play Together is supported, so a friend can join your session from their own machine.
Before you start
Expect a demanding game: the tags list it as difficult, and the combat asks you to finesse your way past ferocious enemies rather than brute-force them. Death is not the end in the usual sense, since the latest implant technology lets you transfer your anima, but that does not make the fights forgiving. Progress is tied to exploration and to the abilities your two characters unlock separately, so revisiting earlier areas once you are stronger is part of the loop. A controller is listed among the supported input options, which suits a local co-op session on the couch.