You and What Army?

From EA (creators of the Madden series) comes Army of Two, a co-op shooter not unlike Gears of War.

Army of Two puts you in the role of either Tyson Rios or Elliot Salem (you can switch players only if you start a new campaign) as they complete their Army Ranger training. After their first mission, a mercenary known as Phillip Clyde offers the young soldiers a job at SSC, a private military corporation. From there, the story spirals into conspiracy theories, backstabbing, and of course, lots and lots of violence.

Gameplay will seem very familiar to those who’ve played Gears of War. Most gunfights consist of blind firing around corners hoping you hit the enemy. There’s nothing wrong with this gameplay mechanism, but it’s been done before.
One feature that is surprisingly unique is the Aggro system. Basically, if your Aggro is full, enemies will concentrate all their fire on you while your partner remains almost invisible. Vice versa if your partner’s Aggro is full. The use of Aggro makes the firefights less boring but still necessary if you want to survive the harder difficulty levels (the game gets pretty tough).

Of course, being in a private military corporation, Tyson and Elliot are in it totally for the money which is what you earn upon completing objectives while on a mission. You can spend said money on different masks and weapon upgrades. Upgrading your weapon is very satisfying. You can do simple things like add ammo or stocks to equipping your rifle with a grenade launcher and chroming out your entire arsenal. Upgrading weapons adds to the replay value of the game.

Graphically, Army of Two is hit or miss. Sometimes, the level design is downright gorgeous, other times it seems like the level is only half complete. Character design, however is fantastic. Tyson and Elliot’s armor and masks are beautifully designed with extreme attention to detail. Enemy reactions (like noticing a grenade or getting shot) are great. You can see the fear on their faces when you and your partner come storming into a room.

Controls are simplistic but they work very well. Not once did I find myself hitting the wrong button.

All in all, Army of Two is a great game, but present features don’t justify the full sixty dollar price. If you find yourself bored one weekend and you’re sick of all your other shooters, try renting Army of Two. You might like it.

Worth It?

Game: Army of Two
Platform: X-Box and PS3
Rating: M for Mature
Price: $59.99
Final Score: 8.0 out of 10

Posted 2 months ago by Zach Hannestad | Email | View Zach Hannestad's profile.

• Tags:
• Tell a friend about this article