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).
