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By Josh (19th May 2008)

When I first read about Army of Two, I had my doubts about how long it would last. I felt that it would be in the bargain bin at the local video game store within only a few short weeks. During its development, I kept a close eye on any new video footage or screenshots that were released, and boy was I surprised. Over the course of about a month, I went from dreading the game, to wanting to buy everything associated with it. And now, after playing it, I wish there had been a limited edition that I could have bought.

The Electronic Arts Montreal team really stepped up their game with the release of Army of Two. I am one of those gamers who doesn’t enjoy playing first person shooters or anything similar. The only time I like to play them is with friends in a cooperative mode. EA not only included a co-op mode, but that was the main focus behind Army of Two. Although there is a single player mode available, it is just not the same as playing co-op via internet, LAN, or split screen.

During the single player campaign, you play out your career as one of two SSC (Security and Strategy Corporation) operatives. You have the choice of either Elliot Salem or Tyson Rios. Although each of them has their own problems, they cover each other on the battlefield to make the perfect team. After choosing one of the characters to play as, you start out doing a few training missions to get used to the controls of the co-op system. The in game tutorial system helps greatly as this is one of the first games to focus directly on cooperative play. After a few short missions you have the controls down and then it all lets loose.

While playing the game with friends, you have a few different game play options. Private online co-op and split screen games are going to follow along with the same concept as the single player campaign, but instead of having an AI partner, you have someone that you can strategize with and become more effective killing machines. My favorite mode though is the online portion which puts two co-op teams face to face to complete objectives. Each team is going after the same objectives, and must not only fight the terrorist AI, but they have to compete with the opposing team in order to complete the objective. This adds a concept to first person shooters that has not been seen before.

Just like in Gears of War, you are forced to do quite a bit of duck and cover maneuvers. Luckily for you, the EA team thought of that. Whether you are playing single player or with a friend, you have an aggro system. With the aggro system in place, you have to not only be a good shot, but you now have to use some strategy while fighting terrorists. The aggro system allows for one player to attract the attention of enemies while the other player sneaks around and takes them out from behind using a melee attack. In game, there is a meter that displays the amount of aggro each player has. The amount you have on you depends on a few factors such as gun size, amount of cover, and how often you are shooting.

In addition to the normal game play, you have the option to buy new weapons or upgrade the ones you already have. With a choice of almost thirty different weapons ranging from a simple M92 handgun to a heavy duty M107 sniper rifle, you will almost never run out of options. You are given the ability to upgrade almost every part of your weapons as well, including attaching a silencer or shield to the front, upgrading your clip size, or even “pimping” it out with gold plating to increase aggro. This high level of customization creeps into your clothing as well with the ability to purchase new body armor and masks.

The visuals in Army of Two seem to be just as thought out as the game play. Every level appears very detailed, including bloodstains and dirt all over the floor and walls. Throughout the game, as you take damage you get a sense of that on the entire display. If you are close to dying, your entire screen will flash red and you will hear a heart beat over top of the gunshots and screaming. This adds to the realism, making you feel that you might actually be there. There is some bad about the graphics though. Although the game gives you some ability to customize the brightness and contrast of the game, you can’t get it perfect. Many times I would go around a corner and immediately get shot from the end of the hallway. The only problem was that I couldn’t see the enemies because it was either too dark, or incredibly bright. The only thing I could go by was the direction of the bullets, which as you can imagine, is not a good way to go into combat.

In contrast to the graphics, was the horrible script. All throughout the game, I almost felt like muting my television just to get away from the idiotic comments that came from Salem and Rios. It was like they threw Chris Tucker and Jackie Chan in to write the commentary. I know it is meant to be funny in some parts with the main characters playing air guitar and everything, but it was taken too far. Although the dialog was almost painful at times, the rest of the audio effects were wonderful. The explosions and gunfire were realistic, especially when they are paired with the rumble feature on the Xbox 360.

The great thing about Army of Two is that if keeps you coming back to gain a few extra dollars to get that gun or new mask, even after you have beaten it multiple times. Although the game does get annoying at times, the good outweighs the bad in Army of Two. Even if you don’t like first person shooters very much, this is defiantly worth renting for a few days. It is a great game to play if you love to actually think about strategy, or if you are just looking to have some fun with friends.