Army of Two had it’s fair share of lovers and critics when Salem and Rios first arrived back in 2007, with some loving the feel of the game and the chemistry between the two lead characters, but just as many letting their feelings be known about some ropey AI and a lack of polish compared to the original in the genre, Gears of War. We now advance to the present and see our two mercenaries slap-bang in the middle of Shanghai to take care of what looks like an easy enough job, but what will eventually turn out to be a possibly life threatening mission in their second outing on the big consoles. Can this improve on the original or are we left thinking it’s just another missed opportunity?
Well, first impressions are very promising. As soon as the 40th Day kicks off we can see a big leap up in graphical quality. The set pieces are very big impact and hugely impressive, with buildings toppling all around you and more explosions than a firework test lab. The action control has been firmly cranked up to 11 and is especially noticeable in one of the early levels when what appears to be a normal run through a set of offices transforms itself into an open air fight, as the walls of said floor disappear in front of your eyes, leaving a war torn landscape in its wake. There are too many of these moments to mention and all of them do have that Hollywood “WOW” factor (not to be confused with World of Warcraft, just in case some people think mercenaries can sit on a battlefield and have <AFK> above their name).
The graphics in general have also had a bit of an overhaul, with a richer look to everything and a bit more time and dedication given. There is much less of a rushed out feel, which the first one had lingering about it like a bad smell. Some of it can get a little repetitive though, as you are fighting through a ravaged city, although there are some efforts made, to give EA Montreal credit. The Zoo and hospital levels mixed in to try and keep the staleness away and are rather good fun, but for every splash of vibrant colour, we always seem more times than not to be drawn back into the dark, dank underground of war.
The audio is very good however, with the music matching things very, very well, not to mention the brilliant quips between Salem and Rios. The voice acting in general is nicely done and never really sounds hugely out of place, with maybe the exception of an almost Chekov sounding Russian ally who you almost urge to say “Wessel” just for kicks (Star Trek fans will know what I’m on about). It’s all about fun though and that’s what the vocals do here is really create a hugely believable bond between the two main men in the story, and for a game of this type it’s a vital element.
The gameplay does have a few rather interesting and impressive extras, which I’ll go into in a minute, but for the most part it’s as you were in terms of control and movement, with the feeling of slipping back in to an old pair of slippers simply unavoidable. The weapon customisation has been hugely improved since last time, allowing you to improve your armaments whenever you want by simply accessing the menu in-game. Everything you change is instantaneous, which allows for an instant offensive advantage in the heat of battle. The capacity to improve and change weapons is huge, with so many parts from other guns being interchangeable, but some would wonder if this much customization is really necessary. It certainly didn’t do the first Army of Two any harm.
The three main additions to the 40th Day are co-op choices, civilian rescue and the introduction of mock surrenders. Co-op choices are almost like a simplified version of anything you’d see in a Bioware RPG, with certain plot strands being able to head in two different directions, meaning you have to make a decision. The result of this is shown to you in a comic book style and is a nice touch, also allowing for a second play through seeing how the other option would fare. There’s enough of this to keep it interesting and thankfully it doesn’t feel too much like a gimmick to make it a forgettable extra.
Civilian rescues and mock surrenders also affect your morality levels in the game, but also give you an option to gain other things, like weapon mods and loads of cash to spend, so it’s worth thinking about them. At points throughout the story you’ll come across hostage situations, usually with 2 innocents and 3 or 4 bad guys getting ready to take them out. You need to subdue the enemy while keeping the good guys safe. It’s pretty straight forward, but some of them do take a fair bit of planning before heading in.
The mock surrenders are fun, but these do feel slightly gimmicky. On the face of it you pretend to give up by pressing A and then shoot them in slow motion by grabbing the right trigger. To everyone else it’s just a quick 10 second button pressing exercise with a reward at the end, as there’s no real challenge there. An addition of a sniper shot needing to be made or a head shot would have made this feel more integrated I think, but it is simply a hit-and-miss as it stands.
For the most part, this new Army of Two is a very enjoyable and substantial romp, but there are two key things that let it down rather badly. The first is the rather antique and predictable AI, which unlike other games of this sort, does not vary in any way whatsoever. If you see an enemy sit behind a wall for cover, just simply keep your crosshairs in the same position until he rears his head up again and take him out on the second go. There is no feeling of independence with the opposition and this can lead to a very easy play through.
The second is in the online department. All of the game modes seem to focus on co-op, which really makes single players feel out of place, but strangely this isn’t the most major gripe I have with the multiplayer section, as technically you can still join the matches as a solo player. There is an Extraction mode, which is very similar to Gears 2’s Horde mode and would no doubt be a joy to play, I’m sure. The thing is though, EA have locked it unless you find a code from somewhere or wait until 30 days have passed from launch. Then and ONLY then can you get stuck in. Now, forgive me for thinking this, but shouldn’t online modes be available for everyone from the off, rather than frustrating most people by keeping things like this from us? This has the chance of forcing folk to trade this in or even avoid buying it without being able to sample what would no doubt be one of the best parts of the game.
To sum it all up, it’s a vast improvement on the original, but there are some major problems that still need sorted to propel this into the realms of the big guns. Gears 2 still does things better as an overall product and it also has Horde available from the first minute. Could that have something to do with the fact that there were less than 3000 people playing it worldwide when I hooked it up? Maybe, but I think Army of Two is heading in the right direction. Here’s hoping a third instalment is on the cards, as I do feel that a few tweaks could make this a cracking franchise.
Report card says: Satisfactory, but could do better.
VideogameUK verdict: 7/10
