Army of Two: The 40th Day

Army of Two: The 40th Day

Faiyaz Shaikh, Jan 26, 2010 1030 hrs IST

We wish the single-player campaign lasted longer

More polished than the first release, vast customization options and impressive collection of weapons

Long load-time and texture pop-in, multiplayer modes are disappointing

Expert Rating :

Expert Review

After a fairly successful debut last year, Army of Two returns to chronicle the bloody exploits of the mercenary duo of Rios and Salem. After becoming the instruments of destruction of their employers- the private military company called SSC-the two form their own company called TransWorld Operations (TWO). Joining them is another former SSC employee and their handler, Alice Murray. Unlike the first game that features multiple locations around the world, The 40th Day is entirely set in the besieged city of Shanghai, China.

For those who missed the first installment of the game, here is a quick low-down of the game mechanics. Army of Two is a cover-shooter with focus on co-operative game play and at the heart of this is what the game likes to call an "Aggro" system. This is a combat tactic where one member of the duo will use suppressing fire, while the other flanks or snipes the enemy combatants.

Effective use of cover system along with Aggro is the key to surviving the seemingly overwhelming odds against you in the game. The familiar "back-to-back" firing system from the first game makes a comeback and this is automatically triggered when you find yourself surrounded by enemies and are without any cover. Similarly, the game retains the co-op sniping tactic from the previous game.

Along with these, there are a couple of new combat tactics introduced in the game. Firstly, when you are discovered by a company of enemy soldiers, you may have an option to initiate a mock surrender and then quick draw the side-arm at an opportune time. Then there is this new challenge in the game where you will occasionally encounter civilians in peril. The quickest way to free these civilians is to sneak up behind the leader of the pack and hold him hostage. Doing so will compel rest of the company to surrender and then you can safely evacuate the civilians. Saving civilians is completely optional in the game. However, doing so comes with rewards in the form of cash or weapon upgrades. This stealth technique can also be employed to capture an enemies supply crates, which brings similar rewards.

Compared to the first game, EA Montreal has gone all out with customization options this time around. There is an impressive collection of weapons that can be unlocked using cash or making certain choices in the game. If you have Army of Two save files on your hard drive (or memory stick), the game unlocks additional weapons from the first game. The weapons customization feature truly shines once you have a decent number of weapons unlocked. You can assemble parts from different weapons to create a 'Frankenstein' gun to match your playing style. You can also switch weapons and its attachments (like scope) on the fly to match the current challenge. Furthermore, the game lets you customize masks and shoulder pads by either selecting a design from the games default gallery or by creating your own designs on the game's website.

Outside combat, the most significant addition to the game is the morality and camaraderie meter. During your brief and explosive stay in Shanghai, you will encounter civilians and other mercenaries. During these encounters, the game will offer a choice, and your decision will affect your morality meter. Along with this, the game will throw up multiple instances where you choice shift the team's morality, which in turn changes NPC reaction towards you. This is all too familiar to patrons of role-playing games. However, it is something of a novelty for an action game.