After an extremely long waiting period, EA has finally released Army of Two. Originally hyped during last summer as a hot Christmas title, Army of Two missed the holiday season and was slated for a spring release date. This highly anticipated co-op shooter has finally arrived… was it worth waiting for? You bet your sweet ass it was…
Army of Two is an innovative shooter that requires the use of a partner to complete the missions. If you don’t have a friend, Xbox Live, or Sony Home, you can play by yourself and the computer assumes the other player. Utilizing two-man strategies is essential to completing the missions and earning some cash. Not only are these tactics awesome, but they can save your skin if your timing is good.
Description
Army of Two throws gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines where they will utilize unique two-man strategies and tactics while seamlessly transitioning between playing with intelligent Partner AI (PAI) and a live player. When one man is not enough, it will take an army of two to fight through war, political turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world.
Unlike other co-op games, Army of Two not only focuses on winning, it’s about getting paid. As ex-Army Rangers now turned contractors for a Private Military Corporation, players spend their hard earned cash on more accurate and deadly customizable weapons. Players can use special co-op features to complete their paid missions including the new and unique Aggro feature that ensures their partner goes unnoticed when approaching enemies. Dependent on the intensity of their gun fire, distance, line of sight and type of weapon, players can put the enemy’s attention on one player while the other plans a sneak attack to take them out!
Features
- “Two Man” Gameplay – Co-op is no longer a mode, it’s the game. Team up with a live or AI partner on two-man missions using two-man tactics to ultimately create an advantage that no enemy can withstand
- Partner AI – ARMY OF TWO delivers intelligent partner AI (PAI) that interacts, adapts, collaborates and learns from their human partner. The PAI will also react and adjust to the gamer’s ability and how they play the game by taking the lead or following, driving strategy or taking orders. It is the dream of the human machine
- Customizable Weapons – Customize and upgrade dozens of deadly weapons and share them with your partner off or online
- Dynamic Environments – EA’s Montreal studio pulled out all the stops to deliver realistic character and environmental effects including fluid dynamics that showcase open-ocean water-wave simulation as well as High Dynamic Range (HDR) lighting
- Contemporary Storyline Ripped from the Headlines – ARMY OF TWO will captivate gamers with a politically charged storyline, centering on the impact and ethical issues of Private Military Corporations
- Online Gameplay – ARMY OF TWO redefines TWO MAN online gameplay with players seamlessly moving from PAI to live players as they make their way through the game
“Partner” jokes aside; you choose to play as either Rios or Salem, two ex-military men who have hired themselves out to a private military corporation. In the midst of contemporary battle scenes, it’s up to you and your partner to solve objectives in exchange for cash. As your team moves on to bigger and better battles, more money is at stake. This money can be used to purchase weapons and customize them.
As previously stated, Army of Two utilizes two-man tactics to complete missions. You and your partner can co-op snipe, switch weapons, go back-to-back, drag each other out of the line of fire when injured, beat the crap out of the enemy, and slap each others ass. Sweet!
Army of Two introduces an interesting system called AGGRO. If you go into “aggressive mode” by attracting the attention of the enemy, your character will shine red and draw attention away from your partner. This allows your team mate to execute sneak attacks and move past obstacles. In a few missions, this tactic becomes important because there are enemies that are immune to attacks unless shot from behind.
Whether playing alone or co-op, this game is great. Co-op may be preferable to most people though, because the interaction between team mates makes the game more entertaining. Also, playing co-op is easier because the computer is not responsible for your team mate, making it easier to execute particular actions. One other thing I like about co-op is that the game lets you choose how you want the screen split, so you don’t have to worry about the problem that plagues many co-ops: running out of screen space and being locked into one area together.
Walkthrough writers may be a little irritated with this game, as there aren’t many secrets. Army of Two provides the player with an option to see the way to the next objective (there are literally arrows pointing on the screen) and highlights objects that have actions to be executed. Since this option can be toggled, players could not use it if they want more exploration. But for those who are easily frustrated, help is readily available.
The graphics and voice acting in this game are awesome. If you’re shy of the f-bomb, this game probably isn’t for you. Watching the explosions and cut scenes reminds me of sitting in a theatre, for the most part. Army of Two was worth the wait. It is a great game whether you are playing by yourself or with a friend. The game itself isn’t too long, but you can complete missions again using weapons that you customize to make things more interesting. If anything, this game is worth renting and playing through.
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