New Images: Army of Two: The 40th Day In Review

Formats: Xbox 360 (tested), PS3, PSP
Developer: EA Montreal
Publisher: EA
Released: 15 January 2010
Score: 7/10

Hampered by some poor characterisation and dull gameplay, the original Army of Two came and went with little more than a whimper. As such, expectations were low for this ‘more of the same’ follow up. However, by listening to the first game’s critics, EA has produced a defiantly strong sequel. Army of Two: The 40th Day rights many wrongs of its predecessor and manages to stand on its own two feet in an intimidatingly high profile genre. While not in the same league as the ‘triple A’ cover based shooters -such as Gears of War or Uncharted- The 40th Day does what it does extremely well: put you in control of an armour clad hulk, give you the biggest, baddest machine gun going and let you unleash hell on an army of foot soldiers. Essentially, you are Rambo and his plus one.

Playing out like every bad (read good) buddy cop movie going, you take charge of Rios and Salem, two ex-rangers who have put their military past behind them in favour of lining their own pockets. As mercenaries going about their daily routine, planting beacons, killing guards and such, all hell breaks loose when missiles hail from the sky, bringing a city to its knees. It’s up to you to get to the bottom of this mess and bring the city of Shanghai to justice. Whilst not too heavy on plot, this pure action, popcorn thriller rattles along at pace with plenty of crash, bang and wallop to keep you entertained throughout.

The gameplay consists largely of getting from point A to B, taking out anything that attempts to stop you on your way. Tactical options are present and correct via a target marking system and the use of an “aggro” meter (more on that later), but in large you’ll be doing a whole lot of running and a whole lot of gunning. Sticking to cover is automatic, as is sliding to cover at the end of a run. Though this is done for you, it never feels overly intrusive, allowing you to attach and detach with ease. Along with the usual array of grunts to dispose of, mid and end level battles usually throw another armour clad brute your way to mix things up. Requiring some serious teamwork to overthrow, they will eventually drop their almighty firearms to help you on your merry way. One minigun please.

As the game’s moniker would suggest, if you want to survive your time in Shanghai, you’ll have to work together. The co-op elements from the original have been expanded and come under a number of different guises. The aforementioned “aggro” system makes a comeback and is still simple to use yet rewarding as ever. Either member can take it upon themselves to spray as many bullets at the oncoming army as possible, making him the target of their affections. With one player taking centre stage on the battlefield, it allows the other heavy to flank the opposition, almost invisibly trotting off for some stealth shaped slaughter. In addition to this there are simultaneous sniping sections, reviving of downed team-mates, hostage-taking and the mock surrender incorporating a slow motion quick draw. Yes, this is as much fun as it sounds. Set pieces, though far and few between, come in the form of back to back showdowns where our two protagonists take on wave after wave of advancing troops, without the need to reload, in slow motion. Subtle, this game is not. Best played with a friend online or in split screen, the second player can also be controlled by AI, commands to which are given by simple button presses. Thankfully, the AI does a fantastic job of keeping you company, rarely, if ever, faltering.

What The 40th Day lacks in story, it makes up for in fun. READ MORE>>