Score
Gameplay:	7
Graphics:	8
Sound:	8
FunFactor:	7
PlasmaFactor:	6
Overall:	7.2

Army of Two Review
March 11, 2008 by Jereme Puik

If there were more games out there that had a concentration on co-op, then it would certainly be a friendlier gamer world. Army of Two is a great opportunity to show other game developers that you can make a title with the potential to give gamers the full advantage of playing cooperatively. Army of Two may not seem like much at first, but if you let it run its course you might find yourself on the fence about this title.

Never Battle Alone and I Mean Never!

Electronic Arts Montreal wanted to give this new title a fresh start from the ground up using everyone’s favorite engine, Unreal Engine 3. Army of Two is a 3^rd person co-op shooter that pushes an extreme emphasis on the buddy system. You work with two privately contracted ex-army-rangers who are given various missions in secret and allow them to take out enemies at their own risk. These characters are otherwise known as mercenaries. 

The dualistic approach this game takes is one reason this game is brought up to a decent rating on the grading scale. Players control their character using the standard FPS controls. If you are playing with a friend or using the AI computer, you are given a user interface to control your computer counter-part. You can tell your partner to take cover, advance and regroup. Your partner will automatically attack enemies at any given point if threatened. It would be wise to use the cover system efficiently.

One thing I’d like to stress about the cover system is that it is more freeform then most FPSs you see on the market. In order to cover, just simply slide yourself over the wall and crouch down to cover. Players can also lift their weapons over the cover point and fire from there. There are times where you can find yourself stuck to the wall and then moving into the line of fire when you try to move away from it.

The other point this game likes to throw in is its back-to-back shootouts. At certain points in the game, you will see yourself pinned back-to-back with your partner. This usually occurs at the beginning of the levels depending on the number of terrorists on the scene. It is a great feature that brings you to enjoy your work as you eliminate everyone in your path. When back to back, players are able to move in a circle as you change positions and either kneel or stand upright to protect your partner.

There’s a Plot Right?

In Army of Two, players fill the shoes of Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios during there last job with the army. Elliot and Ytson are then taken under the wing of private contractors and the story takes place over the course of almost two decades. If you were to compare this title to any game, you might find yourself likening it to Gears of War.

Army of Two takes players through fictional stories based off true events. The plotline gives you the chance to get to know the characters you are fighting with. The development team has done a pretty decent job in keeping you entertained. However you are unfortunately stuck watching the cut scenes over and over, if you find yourself dieing quite a bit. Some of these cut scenes also seemed to be reused in a different form later in the game as if EA started to run out of ideas towards the end of development.

HD Worthy? 

The graphics in the game are well presented and photo-realistic, as I said earlier, the graphics are very reminiscent of Gears of War. Army of Two’s graphics give a sense of feel and emotion, as the models are very life-like. The 360 doesn’t seem like it’s trying to catch up with the game when loading the maps and cut-scenes. Players will definitely find this game HD worthy, if you were one of those lucky gamers. 

Blood is something more to be desired here, for a game that gives us war and violence, there should at least be a good grasp of blood content. However, it seems that it was shaven off in favor of the strong language. Once again, the rating systems take from the overall gaming experience.

Sound Bites, No really! 

Army of Two gives you the standard sound effects you would expect from a shooter title. Players can be safely assured that they will get extensive use out of their surround sound speakers. Voice acting is a plus in this title and it certainly comes with the strong language you can expect from a mature rated title. 

Anything Special? 

One thing the game does right, however, is give you the ability to customize to your heart’s desire. Once you get through the first couple of missions and save your cash, as you are going to need it, you can get into the shops and spend it on whatever you need. Players can purchase weapons, side arms, grenades and even the masks and armor the characters wear during battle. The great thing about every mission is that you are given payment, which you can actually use to purchase items.

One other thing I found to be a plus here was the healing system. If you are under fire and find yourself hit enough times to bring you down, you need your buddy. Your buddy will come and bring you out of the line of fire. Once you are out of the line of fire, he will patch you up to finish the fight. However, it is very frustrating that you have to make sure your AI buddy isn’t too far from your reach. Should your buddy come under fire, then you must do the same and heal him.

Multiplayer is, unfortunately, a bit underwhelming. Multiplayer can get a little confusing at times, since there are so many terrorists and allies running around that you can’t tell the difference. I found multiplayer to be frustrating and cumbersome more often than not. What’s even worse is that EA’s servers are like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If you’ve played other EA titles before, you know this to be true. There are only a couple of games to choose from and not many maps to play with. EA has promised downloadable content in the future, but we will have to wait and see how that turns out.

Plasma Factor

If you’re really high on the buddy system and can always get a friend to play with, that is highly recommended here. The AI of your partner isn’t exactly what you’d wish for if you plan on playing this title alone. This almost forces you to play with another human player, especially in the games co-op campaign mode online.

Closing Comments 

Don’t count Army of Two out just yet. If Electronic Arts can really bring something together with this title, it could certainly become a gem in the realm of first person shooters. Army of Two gives you a bitter sour taste at first, but lightens up after you get used to it. Hopefully the future downloadable content can give us something else to love about this title. I would hope EA would consider upgrading the multiplayer to make it more enjoyable. This is one title Xbox 360 gamers will want to rent before they buy.