When comparing Total War: Shogun 2 vs Alien Swarm, the Slant community recommends Alien Swarm for most people. In the question“What are the best Online Co-Op games on Steam?” Alien Swarm is ranked 15th while Total War: Shogun 2 is ranked 28th. The most important reason people chose Alien Swarm is:
The game consists of tried-and-true top-down shooter mechanics that will be familiar to most players; it is reminiscent of older arcade and console shooters.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Both players (in multiplayer) take part in every fight
If one player decides to fight in real-time instead of auto-resolving a battle, the other player joins the fight on their team. The owner of the army can then delegate control of some of their units to their teammate. This system brings a lot of fun and strategy into the game.
Pro Play the campaign together in multiplayer
During co-op play, every player takes control of a clan and can manage it just as they would in single-player mode.
Pro Games are long
Pro Easy to pick up and play, even for beginners
The game consists of tried-and-true top-down shooter mechanics that will be familiar to most players; it is reminiscent of older arcade and console shooters.
Pro Anyone can download and play the game as it is free-to-play and open-source
The game is completely free and has no microtransactions or ads.
The source code is also free and accessible, so the game can be easily modded.
Pro Easily play with up to 4-players in online co-op
Alien Swarm allows for up to 4-player online co-op, which makes for an easy way to play with a small group of friends or strangers.
Pro Convenient offline LAN support
Alien Swarm offers offline LAN (local area network) support, meaning that the game can be easily played locally with each machine connected together in the same place.
Cons
Con Games are long
Even a short campaign can fill dozens of hours. Be prepared to play for at least two hours per session if you plan to get anything done.
Con Can get a bit repetitive
The gameplay doesn't change much from mission to mission; you’re generally just shooting aliens over and over again.
Con Gameplay is too short
The main story only takes about three or four hours to complete, which means you could beat the game in one sitting pretty easily.