A failed story, bland characters, a weak single-player experience, and glaring gameplay flaws hinder a "could've been."
Army of Two is a title that led the charge to EA's seeming new initiative to create fresh IPs to combat the "roster update" vanilla-fest complaints they have continually been struck by. Though most were skeptical, plenty more held their hopes up as lots of cool functions and mechanics, particularly at the co-op level, came to light.
However, eyebrows were raised when the game was racked with delays after reports of it being unplayably bad. The game was rebuilt, the tampons minigames tossed out, and the co-op and singleplayer supposedly sharpened. So how does it stack up?
The Pros
Honestly, if I were rating this game strictly as a co-op experience, it would probably get a 6.5, possibly a 7. It's good fun with a buddy, but then again, I could say that about a great many crummy, derivative titles. That said, the game does nail the co-op feel and for the most part, you really do feel in it together.
The graphics and voice acting are also for the most part solid. They occasionally even have flashes of brilliance. No major complaints here.
Some of the fresh gameplay mechanics work out well. Namely, using car doors for cover with your buddy attached to you, shooting from behind, it's all good fun. Sadly, this is perhaps the only fresh gameplay mechanic that functions as promised. Allowing you or your partner to shoot while downed/being dragged to saftey also works great. Certainly makes the game more fun/fast paced.
Lastly, I really did like the upgrade system. You get money by completing each mission with the possibility of more money should you find briefcases. The upgrades are extensive, and the available new guns that can also be bought are great. Also, being able to "pimp" your guns by spending cash to turn them a gaudy silver or gold is great for a laugh, as are some of the extra masks. Rarely has a developer actually made "aesthetic" purchases in an upgrade menu some tempting, even worthwhile. That upgrades work great and each additional adjustment, no matter how minor, is definitely felt and appreciated.
The Cons
Oh boy....on considering the flaws, I'm starting to wonder if 6 is on the generous side. First, the single player sucks. Just don't bother. EA promised partner AI as good as a fellow human. Yeah right, failed promise number 1. It's either a frenetic retard or a docile retard In other words, it either goes wild or you end up having to nurse it, commanding it every little step of the way. Ultimately, it'll follow you and perform, but requires absurd babysitting.
Failed promise number 2: the much vaunted aggro system is spotty as hell. Your partner has aggro, the game claims you should be invisible to the enemy as long as he m aintains aggro. This holds true appromixmately half the time. Also, if you aggro up all the way etc, you should get either a massive burst of super-damage/bullet time aggro time or hyper invisibility. These bursts last far too short a time to even matter.
Failed promise number 3: Intuitive co-op mechanics do not abound in one case. The "step-up" mechanic (your partner lifts you up and then you pull him up) is busted. Grasping your partners arm for the pull up is hyper touchy and you'll often find yourself ambling around for that arm.
Failed promise number 4: A great storyline relating to current issues. Yeah right. This has turned into standard Blockbuster rental schlock. Guys yelling and high-fiving, failed attempts at jokes, and an incredibly lame and unfunny mechanic that allows you to smack your partner or high-five/airguitar him...it's all just pathetic. It's possibly worse than Haze's plotline, in the same pigheaded way. The characters are also flat, boring, and cookie cutter. It's a whole game of the "hardened" character saying "i think there's a conspiracy here" and the "brash, young" character saying "don't be silly! I like money, women, and cars!"
Another flaw in the gameplay is that it is just too damn difficult. A game with such a shallow storyline and humor should not be Ninja Gaiden. This is not hard in a challenging way, it is hard in a frustrating way. There are FAR too many stationary guns....made all the more frustrating since the intended method of taking them out (aggro) is only half-functional. This is not a game to be mastered. Don't even get me started on the ridiculous parachute portions....
Minor glitches also abound. I saw an enemy run away shooting, another enemy spin in circles, and another one roll...upwards onto a platform.
Lastly, you don't get to fight the big bad guy. Now that's not a big deal, but it is a big deal the way EA Montreal has worked it.....which is a glaringly obvious indicator that they either had no time left or no money left. The big bad guy flies up in a chopper with a minigun and you think "well, derivative, but ok." So you're standing on a rooftop getting ready to fight.....only to be greeted by a cutscene of you shooting down the chopper that goes directly into the game's final cutscene. Utter crap.
The Conclusion
Alright fun with a buddy, but even that'll be pushing it at times. Not alright fun with a buddy on anything but the lower difficulty settings. A failed promise of a game in every way that at times, is painful to play. It is absolutely not worth anything more than a weekend rental. God knows what the previous game played like if this really is so much better.