Army of Two

There have been an influx of action games recently that look to draw upon the co-operative experience as opposed to the “one man against the world” action formula. Titles like Gears of War and Kane and Lynch, have attempted to cash in on this trend, with mixed results. However, Army of Two is attempting to change up the formula in some key ways. Adding an extra level of cooperation that goes beyond simply barking out “stop n’ go” orders to your teammate. In Army of Two, interaction between the two characters is not only important, but quite essential to continuing on through the game, be it in multiplayer co-op or even the single-player campaign. While the game is certainly not perfect and falls prey to a few shortcomings, it still represents a nice step forward for the co-op action subgenre.

Army of Two follows two mercenaries, named Salem and Rios, as they battle through a variety of environments throughout many countries, cleaning up problems and taking out terrorists and despots. However, the story twists and turns, revealing that their bosses in the mercenary business aren’t being completely forthcoming and honest, and their job soon becomes a fight for survival and a story of betrayal.

Much like in an MMORPG, your characters will deal with large-scale firefights through the use of “Aggro”. For those who are unfamiliar with the term, “Aggro-ing” is when you draw enemies and their attacks to your character (usually a high-defense “tank” character) in order to allow your party members to attack them without worrying about taking a lot of damage themselves. For the most part, this is how it functions in Army of Two. You can draw your enemies’ fire when in Aggro mode, having them attack you and allowing your teammate to perform other tasks, like taking out a stationary gunner or getting the drop on your foes. Conversely, you’ll also be able to have your AI-controlled teammate draw fire to themselves while you perform these tasks.

In order to gain Aggro, you’ll have to act a bit ballsy in battle, essentially being aggressive and drawing fire your way and away from your teammate, allowing him to get the drop on foes or perform the necessary tasks, and vice versa. Another benefit from drawing fire is that you can enter overkill mode, which slows down time and doubles your attack damage, giving you an upper hand in combat.

Aside from this element, there are a lot other team elements that will come into play throughout the game. At key moments, you’ll be able to co-op snipe by targeting the same object or enemy and sniping it at the same time (useful for blowing up gas tanks), go back to back and shoot at enemies in 180 degrees, or use a shield and have your teammate shoot out from behind you. The cooperative elements are a lot more fleshed out in Army of Two and play a lot more of a role than they have in previous co-op action games, and are even more fun when you have another person to play the game with.

At certain points in the game, you’ll be able to access a shopping option that allows you to buy new weapons and modifications for them that will improve their stats. You’ll even be able to ‘pimp’ out your guns; covering them in gold and making them stand out aesthetically. While this seems like a superficial upgrade at first, it actually helps you draw Aggro from enemies, which is a nice touch.

Unfortunately, the game has a few glaring flaws. For starters, the main campaign is very short and very linear. While the prospect of being a mercenary would open up some interesting prospects for sandbox gameplay, this won’t be found in Army of Two. The campaign mode only takes about six or so hours to complete, and that includes unlocking all of the weapon modifications.

Additionally, AI is also problematic at times. Enemies will occasionally make good use of cover, only to make a crazy dash at you with guns blazing at other times. Additionally, they are impeccable shots, regardless of what weapon they are using and from what distance, which seems like an unfinished element.

Graphically, the game looks pretty great. The character models, particularly the two main characters Salem and Rios, are very detailed (featuring great touches like bits and pieces of body armor and decorated facemasks) and move fluidly, and the weapons look pretty realistic. The action also unfolds quite fluidly throughout huge environments with some great looking special effects.

The game is quite impressive in the audio department. The music is about what you’d expect from a combat-action game, while the weapon effects are fantastic and the explosions sound great. The voice acting is nicely done as well, although there does seem to be too many “bros” thrown in the mix as the characters banter back and forth.

Army of Two has some great ideas and plays at its best in the multiplayer co-op mode. However, there are still some issues with the main game being a bit short and shallow. Still, the multiplayer elements are a great draw for fans of two-player action.

Gameplay: 8.0
The co-op elements and focus on two soldiers is well done in Army of Two. However, the main campaign feels a bit on the shallow side, and the AI is a bit spotty.

Graphics: 9.0
Army of Two has some fantastically rendered character models with some great details, as well as nice environments and special effects.

Sound: 8.5
The soundtrack is pretty good, and the sound effects are spot on. The voice acting is impressive.

Difficulty: Medium

Concept: 8.0
Army of Two does some great things for the co-op action genre, but has a few problems keeping it from being a true classic.

Multiplayer: 8.5
This is where Army of Two really shines, with the cooperative element playable through split screen or online, and a few different competitive modes across four different maps.

Overall: 8.0
While the game is not without some flaws and a shallow single-player element, Army of Two is a pretty fun co-op action experience that two people would have a great time with.