In Army of Two for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, players take control of either Rios or Salem, two guns for hire, who have been contracted to take down a variety of powerful enemies. It follows a globe-spanning campaign that can either be played single player with an AI buddy, or Co-op with a friend via split screen local play or online.
Army of Two is essentially a co-op game, but instead of simply having co-op elements like many other games of today, Army of Two’s sole purpose is to be an awesome co-operative experience and to compliment playing with a friend to a dependant extent.
It plays out like many other third-person shooters. Run, shoot and take cover to dispose of enemies and progress through the game, but what makes Army of Two stand out is, as said before, the Co-op aspects of the game. The buddy moves and actions used in co-op play are redefining to the genre and are integral in progressing through certain scenarios. In these Co-op moves, players have to help one another over walls, give foot-ups and pull one another over obstacles, while the player has the ability to drag their partner to safety, while the injured player can still fire off shots as they’re pulled to a secure location where healing will take place. Players will have to distract certain bosses and enemies to expose their backs and other weak points in order for the other player to attack and defeat these enemies. These situations do become almost routine, but they add a good sense of team work when completing an objective. Some interesting sequences such as the “Back-to-Back” maneuver where time slows down and Salem and Rios stand back to back in a certain position while enemies run into an onslaught of lead, and a duel sniper mode, where each character enters a scoped vision in order to eliminate as many far proximity enemies as possible, are incorporated. To add to the mix, vehicles are handled really effectively and team work is once again vital to succession, usually one player driving while the other mans a turret. This definitely heightens the “teamwork” emphasis and these segments add an awesome change of pace to the game, yet still keeping it at a frantic progression.
With all these gamely elements in play, a mechanic known as ’agrro’ is utilized throughout the levels. As one player fires off more shots than the other, an ‘agrro’ meter will swing towards the firing player, making them glow red and drawing all the enemies’ fire and attention. This allows for the second player to flank enemies and move around certain locations more effectively to defeat and complete tougher enemies and situations. There is also a extensive weapon upgrade system which adds some depth to the shooting. An array of machine guns, pistols, shotguns and rocket launchers can be bought and modified, and even further, ‘pimping’ your weapons by giving it a gold or chrome coating adds to the appeal of upgrading. Only flaw seen here, was weapons were really expensive, which led to many guns not even being tried out, choose wisely when purchasing or make A LOT of money.
The presentation of Army of Two is of a high standard. The graphics and visuals shine in all the right places, while some slighter and more descriptive details could be enhanced, it sure stands strong as one of the leading games in technology and image as characters and weapons carry a certain ‘weight’ and the extensive integration of co-op gameplay places it in a genre defining role. Army of Two does a great job at making violence look pretty. Characters and levels are highly detailed and the level variation is noticeable, going from urban setting to jungle locations conveying the scale of the story within the game. Interactive objects, such as cars, with doors that can be removed and used as a shield are a nice touch to not only the level design, but the tactics of the game.
Further highlights of the game, is definitely the voice acting and presentation of the interaction between Salem and Rios, the protagonists of the story. Their humorous conversations and continual insults provide a not-so-serious backdrop, which fits perfectly with the game. A dynamic and depth is created with outstanding voice work which suits the characters bad-ass personas and cause the player to actually turn up the volume and take interest in what’s being said. A great score also emphasizes the epic scale and atmosphere the situations and locales bring about within the game.
All in all, Army of Two is an action packed thrill ride not unlike any Hollywood action movie, unfortunately its length and longevity isn’t too far off too. Players may only get about 8 hours of gameplay and the end seems to come before you get your fix. Thankfully, the co-op gameplay saves its reputation and will be the inspiration for many games to come. Army of Two has set the benchmark for a great co-op campaign and it’s highly recommended playing with a buddy for an awesome weekend.
[starreviewmulti id=1 tpl=20]
