What Meltdown is
Meltdown is a top-down twin-stick arcade shooter set on a remote space station. You play as Zed, who got stuck there after a system malfunction and has to shoot his way out. The levels are randomly generated, so a run through the station does not play out the same way twice. There are 30 randomly generated levels to clear, plus three big boss battles and wave-attack arena challenges. Loot drops along the way, and you spend it on upgrades and on choosing your weapons, which is how you shape your character to match the way you like to play. Once you have cleared the missions, prestige mode is there to keep the run going.
Playing together
You can go through the station alone or bring friends. Local co-op supports up to 4 players on one setup, and online co-op supports up to 4 players as well, with cross-platform play. There is also PvP if your group would rather fight each other than the station's defenders. Remote Play Together is available, so someone who does not own the game can join in through a friend's session. The game also has a VR mode.
Before you start
Pick your specialization early, since the three options — Specialist, Soldier and Medic — give your group different roles to cover. Enemies are the main thing to learn: each one has its own combat style, its own AI and its own gear, so a tactic that works on one type can fall apart against another. Adapting on the fly is what keeps a run alive, and it matters more in co-op, where one player pushing ahead can drag the whole team into a fight it is not ready for.