Review: Army of Two: The 40th Day
Game: Army of Two: The 40th Day
Format: PS3
Developer: EA Montreal
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Army of Two: The 40th Day is the sequel to the flawed-but-fun third person shooter released at the beginning of 2008. Salem and Rios, the titular heroes from the original, return to wreak havoc as they attempt to escape Shanghai whilst terrorists attack the city in droves. The over-arching story is less than clear however, as it is unclear why Salem and Rios are in Shanghai or why the city is being attacked at all.
This could all be a clever nod to the fact that in a real terrorist attack, information would be sketchy and you would be unsure as to what exactly was going on. However, I wouldn’t give the writers so much credit, this game neither attempts nor pretends to show any kind of intelligence in terms of narrative or character motivation. If you’re looking for narrative clarity, pick up Bayonetta over this; you might have more of a clue as to the story.
So whilst the narrative is wafer thin at best and character motivations are almost entirely absent, your motivation as a gamer is clear: if it moves, kill it. Weapon customisations have been ramped up to help deal out death in various different ways. Guns can be upgraded to change attributes such as the amount of attention a gun draws, damage, bullet spread and accuracy, which brings a tactical element to an otherwise typically primitive shooter experience.
The aforementioned attention your gun draws, or aggro, is the chief tactic to be employed during play. Basically, the bigger and louder the gun, the more the enemy will focus on the man holding it. Thus, your partner is free to run around, laying down enemies with almost no interference.
With enough aggro your partner will be all but invisible to the enemy
With an AI partner in tow, you have some control over actions; sending him up to be aggressive or hold back in a defensive stance. But the real fun here is the surprisingly in depth tactics of advance and retreat when playing with a human partner. The more intense sections of the game become even more so when you’re relying on the guy sitting next to you or a friend over the internet. This translates into a real sense of teamwork and achievement after you’ve cleared a particularly challenging room.
Further weapon enhancements come with the ability to increase the aggro your gun pulls by painting the gun in a variety of patterns, or going the whole hog and decking it out in gold and silver for maximum effect. Affixing a bayonet to the end is also particularly satisfying; be sure to unleash a close-up mêlée attack for the full effect.
Running in brainlessly is the fastest way to catch bullets in your torso
Added silliness is found in the interactions between your two main characters. Fans of the first game might be perturbed to hear that new actors voice Rios and Salem. However this has only raised the quality as they berate and chide each other from scene to scene. The ability to congratulate or abuse your team mate is also back, and will have an impact on the ending of the game, as the trophy/achievement list shows you can either end as best buds or fractured friends.
Another addition is the opportunity for a quick game of rock – paper – scissors, which seems a little inappropriate when you’re standing over the bloodied corpses of your enemies. This serves no real purpose other than a spot of frivolity, in case you thought the narrative was getting a little heavy.
You're treated to frequent spurts of humour, whether you want them or not
This game is geared towards co-op play; either online or using local split-screen. Playing on your lonesome you certainly lose a lot of what makes this game fun to play; the tactics and camaraderie on screen. Split screen is also a little problematic. The game default is a vertical split that can impede your view at times, especially if playing on a smaller television set. Not letting players choose between vertical or horizontal split is practically criminal in modern gaming. However this problem does ease with time and a little patience. Also, with the press of a button you can make the camera shift across to your other shoulder, which is a vital addition in some of the tighter set pieces and goes some way to rectify the hindered peripheral vision.
Visually the game isn’t fantastic, but it is functional and fun. Buildings will explode in the distance and crumble to the ground and whilst these effects look a little blocky and basic, it only adds to the humour and allows you to detach yourself from any thoughts of the horrific deaths of innocent bystanders. There’s not even a hint of the gravitas you might find in the heavier scenes of Modern Warfare 2, but this is a game that by its very nature knows what it is and exploits it to the max.
And you thought the riot shield from Modern Warfare 2 was fun!
In terms of sound, the game arguably impresses more than with its visuals. Explosions will dazzle your ears more than your eyes and gun fights really immerse you into each battle, if only until Salem or Rios utter something inappropriate to drag you right back out again. The voice acting, especially for the two main characters, is far stronger than in the original title. Using established actors (surprise, surprise Nolan North is in this) who clearly have fun playing these characters has increased the quality substantially.
The multiplayer was seriously lacking in the first Army of Two, and you’ll be happy to hear that EA have gone to great lengths to address this with the sequel. There are now up to ten people per map and several game modes to play with. Co-op death match is present, as you would expect, where teams of two battle it out for supremacy. Control and extraction are also fairly standard, which are essentially ‘hold the base’ and ‘survival’ respectively. The final mode, Warzone, is a breath of fresh air, as teams fight it out with various objectives flashing up during the match. Whilst this final mode is more inventive than the other three, there isn’t really anything here that isn’t done better in other games.
Overall, The 40th day presents an enjoyable package that isn’t revolutionary or even particularly inventive, but impresses with its balls out mentality and shameless superficiality. If you and a friend have been looking for a fun co-op experience, look no further. Army of Two: The 40th Day is available on the PS3 and XBox 360 (and PSP, but we haven’t reviewed that yet). You can pick it up through our amazon shop to help support the site.
Review Round-Up
Graphics: 2/5 – They serve a purpose but not particularly well. The game looks a lot better up-close, as with the character design, than further away. Some of the collapsing buildings in the distance look almost comical.
Sound: 3/5 – The characters are voiced well and the relationship between the protagonists is particularly strong. Explosions and gunfire are convincing. Overall the sound is good, but there isn’t anything here that is outstanding.
Gameplay: 3/5 – The lack of options with local split screen is criminal. Movement and aiming takes a little getting used to, especially if you’re familiar with mainstream FPS titles. There are occasional camera issues, as with most games using the third person perspective.
Longevity: 3/5 – The main campaign will take around 10 hours to complete; less if you rush through on the easiest difficulty. The morality choices add little to the overall experience and won’t have you clambering to play through again as a title such as inFamous would. Multiplayer is a fine distraction but won’t hold your attention for long.
Overall: 3/5 – This is a fun little co-op shooter that I recommend if you want something more than a standard head-to-head experience with a friend.
[starreview tpl=16]
My fiancée and I had a lot of fun playing through this a few times, armed with my giraffe print sniper riffle and her teal shotgun those mercs never stood z chance!