What's with Uncharted 3's Co-op?

I'm sure most of you reading this have already downloaded and played a fair amount of Uncharted 3 multiplayer. Now, as someone who has spent more time in UC2's co-op than in the competitive modes, I think I can say that I won't be playing it or developing an addiction as I did with its predecessor.

You may ask why I say that, and here it is: it's too hard...
but it's too easy.

"What?"

The problem with UC3's co-op, I feel, is that Naughty Dog obviously want to encourage team play, which is understandable. To do this, there have been some noticeable changes. For one, it seems you take more damage from enemies, making the act of taking on mulitple foes Rambo-style (i.e. Uncharted 2) nearly impossisble. That already disappoints me, but let me continue.

Now, I might have just accepted this if it were not for another thing. If you do the very thing that ND is trying to encourage, that is sticking with your team, the game becomes a bit of a snore. It really isn't challenging when you stay by your buddy (presumably competent) and mow down any adversary. The game becomes slow-paced and with the addition of the auto-heal kickback, which any player can stack up and use (provided he has the required number of medals), it all becomes quite effortless and dull.

So, when I begin playing, it boils down to two things for me:

1) Run around and take on guys Rambo-style (with help from nearby teammates in latter rounds) in a fast-paced game of survival, but ultimately die

2) Stick tightly together and destroy all in an uneventful massacre of the enemy AI

This isn't to say that I don't like working as a team. It was necessary to do so in UC2, but now, it is nearly impossible to survive more than a minute on your own without two or three enemies sapping your health down. Therefore, you go and glue yourself to the team and suddenly, what was once impossible, is now a drawn out and mindless chore.

The fact you must cling to your mates is only empahasized by the fact that your character is not as responsive as he was in UC2. I'm fine with that in competitive multiplayer, but in cooperative, I go through the process outlined above.

Needless to say, I haven't played much co-op in the beta, and have been sticking to the other modes. It's sad to think that my most played game type in UC2 might not get nearly as much attention in UC3, but the way things stand right now, it bores me. Hopefully, the Adventure Co-op (as seen in UC2, which was excellent) will change my mind, I really like cooperative play as a whole.