Customer Reviews
Two Man Army - By: Duncan McDonald, 02 Jun 2010 
If you like gun battles you'll love this game. It is nothing more that a continual chain of relentless firefights strung together throughout the game.
Clearly this game is targeted at those who want a co-op game with a human partner. In this it probably excels. The single player is decent enough & your buddy AI is pretty good but flawsin the design make it a frustrating experience.
Graphically it is good enough. Sound effects are also good but I soon got sick fed up of the constant sound of gunfire. Set across about eight large levels each with a different theme & time period, the game at least has some variety. The gameplay however does not. The key purpose of this game is to flank the enemy. Your buddy lays down suppressing fire as you flank & take out the bad guys. Problem is, that is all the game consists of. The controls seem awkward at first but they do work reasonably well.
The recoverable health & plentiful ammo is welcome. The giant distance between silent game saves is not. The aiming system is dreadful as is the cover system & ememy AI. It doesn't help that some baddies are practically invincible & possess the aiming ability of a marksman. Each firefight is against overwhelming odds & often you will get pinned down. There is a tactical element working out the best way out but this occurs around every corner. The game quickly gets repetative & frustrating to play. The GPS is handy for working out where to go. You also earn cash completing objectives that can be spent on weapon upgrades.
This game is a real challenge & an utter slog to play. Gunfight fans will enjoy it but it could have been more playable if there was an aim assist like COD & the ability to position your buddy like GRAW. I think fans of on-line shooters will like the relentless onslought.
Essentially a one trick pony...or donkey depending on your taste.
Army of who? - By: Bruce Banner, 06 Apr 2010 
Quite a while ago I purchased what I thought was a bargain title called Army of Two. I had heard vague murmurings about this game but nothing concrete so I took a gamble.
Having played & completed as usual this title I can honestly say it was a gamble that didn't pay off as this is one of the worst playstation 3 titles that I have ever had the misfortune to play. The only reason this is not given the title of worst PS3 game is that it is only slightly better than the amazingly bad Blacksite. Call that a positive if you will but a title released by EA should be striving for & achieving better than that!
The positives are few & far to mention but if I'm really grasping at straws I guess the storyline is quite good as are some of the cut scenes.
Where this game fails immensely is its supposedly unique selling point of the co operative play which may be ok with a human partner but using the games AI it is extremely poor. There are times when your ever so helpful colleague will run into the heat of battle even though you tell him to hold his position, therefore getting taken out by the various inept enemies on screen & waiting for you to rescue him & resultingin you getting attacked from all angles.
While on the matter of the AI on this game it is laughable, enemies are generally useless & the developers seem to think that the answer to this is to send loads of them out to you like lambs to the slaughter as all you have to do is stayin one place as they will quite happily run out to be shot at.
Graphically the game is not great as it looks like an exceptionally good PS2 game, water effects & sceneryin particular seem a bit rushed. This rushed feeling is also evident when it comes to the collision detection as sometimes you can empty a ridiculous amount of rounds into an enemy at point blank range & not appear to register any hits. This also tends to occur when you are using the crouch system. Shoot from behind an object even with your target highlighted & a number of your shots will just hit the object you are hiding behind.
Sounds are again not overly great but the voice acting is quite good. Not sure why some reviewers complained about the wu-tang clan references as I only heard the one! hahaha Most of the script is used to move the story along or to help the player out.
As is my usual gripe with a number of PS3 games it is again too short & a tad too easy as the hard setting is locked until you finish the game on one of the other settings, this I will not complain about too much as I was glad to complete it & stick it back on a shelf never to be touched again.
Now that the sequel has been released & appears to be doing wellin various charts I may give them another chance as the ideain principle is very good.
Unfortunately this title does not inspire me with confidence that the sequel will be any good so I will be looking for it againin the bargain sections.
Good Coop Game - By: Patrick Richter, 12 Dec 2009 
It's a funny Game, but only good at coop. Good Story, very funny characters!!
GreetZ
Co-op rockz! - By: tallpete33, 23 Sep 2009 Army of Two (AOT) is a very good third person shooter that is definitely best played with a friend. It has two characters who work together as Rios (the scar faced one) & Salem (the good looking one) taking on "contracts"in different trouble spots around the world. The main strength & originality of the game is the two player co-operation & teamwork which makes it more enjoyable & a cut above a lot of the games out there.
GAMEPLAY
This is where AOT shines. Once you get used to the concept of working together (helped by a training level) rather than goingin solo all guns blazing, thinking on the hoof & co-operating with your partner reaps rewards e.g. you take cover & "blind fire" with your machine gun from behind a wall thus drawing the enemy fire. Your partner can then flank the enemy & take them out with his sniper rifle or even a melee attack. The game has a unique "Aggro Meter" (yep, we loved that too) so if you're attracting a lot of heat from the enemy you will glow a strange red colour as if you've had too much Ready Brek. This is the prompt for your partner to break cover, flank the enemy & get himself on the offensive.
If you take too much damage you can call on your partner to give you aid. Hopefully, he'll come across & drag you to safety whilst you can give covering fire, sat on your backside. Sounds strange but this teamwork helps to build the bond between your characters & it feels good to help. Overall, AOT has a decent learning curve as far as the tactics are concerned.
At other times you are forced to work together such as skydiving tandem when one controls the `chute the other snipes the bad guys who are out to speed up your descent with RPGs. Ditto the hovercraft, one driving & one on the big gun. Often you have to go back to back when you're surrounded or you may find something to pick up to use as a shield for the pair of you as you advance.
Press "select" to activate GPS mode & your route is shown as well as your mission which helps matters greatly if you get stuck. Three difficulty levels let you tailor it to your skills, having said that the easiest level "recruit" is hard enough!
Of course if your partner gets it wrong a quick press of the R2 button will give him a "friendly" head butt & a few choice words (it's rated 18 for a reason). Press "X" & it's high-fives all round. This game can laugh at itself which is refreshing.
WEAPONS
Unusually for a shooter these days, you can carry three weapons - a primary, secondary & extra (usually a sniper rifle but it could be a Stinger or RPG). These can be bought (there are no pickups) & upgraded from three unsavoury characters during the game at certain checkpoints. There is a choice of about a ten of each type with detailed stats including damage & accuracy to help you make an informed decision. You can add a grenade launcher or shotgun to some primary weapons, which makes for an interesting & versatile piece of heat to pack. You're encouraged to diversify your weapons choice i.e. one of you go for an "aggro attracting" chain gun whilst the other buys a top-notch sniper rifle to pick of the bad guys from afar. Of course, you could always blow your ill-gotten gains on a different scary mask or go Puff Diddly & bling up your piece with gold plate & chrome, as you do.
STORY
Pretty generic to be honest, "contractors" sorting out issues, finding hostages, killing warlords & being double-crossedin various theatres including Iraq, China, Afghanistan & on an aircraft carrier. You grow into your scary masked & armoured characters & your "team" as you progress though so it's far from a sterile affair.
There are two extra maps now available (Kiev subway & Miami alternative ending) as free DLC from the Playstation Store. The file size is 591Mb, which took about an hour to download but my connection is not that fast.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
Top notch. I'm lucky enough to have a Sony Bravia 40" & was really impressed with both, far better than I was expecting. The textures are very good, especially your dented metal armour & the guns though very little of the landscape is destructible. The cut-scenes are fantasticin parts, almost film quality & obviously made with a lot of care & attention to detail.
DRAWBACKS
AOT is a bit short, but there is some replay valuein going back to complete the side-missions & trying out different strategies. New (and free) DLC as mentioned above extends the game life though.
Controls can be a bit fiddly, I'd prefer to be able to toggle weapons with the D-pad. Aiming & throwing a grenade takes 3 buttons which isn't great if you're under heavy fire but it's not too bad.
Single player is a bit clumsy, having to rely on the AI & basic controls for your partner. Not highly recommended for solo shooters. There is the online option but I've yet to try this.
SUMMARY
A very good TWO PLAYER game ( there's a cluein the title ), AOT is definitely at it's best when played with a friend, preferablyin the same room. COD4 veterans will clock it pretty quickly but enjoy it all the same. Nothing highly original but it looks good & the co-op game-play makes it a decent & satisfying experience. Definitely a keeper for me.
2 Player Masterpiece - By: Ed, 20 Jul 2009 
Army of Two is a masterpiece for 2-player splitscreen gameplay. Levels are intricate & brilliantly designed, AI intelligent & challenging, & weapons & effects utterly satisfying.
Weapons can be customised throughout the game, which is a nice touch & adds to the progression through the game. The storyline is pretty strong, & the characters aren't as unlikable as the average macho idiots that normally starin these kinds of games.
This game is best played with a friend. Singleplayer is good, but if you immediately go for that, you're kind-of missing the point of the game. It has "TWO" written down the box for a reason.
In Singleplayer, you do have your AI partner to support you, but despite the best efforts of the designers, he's not exactly SAS. The problem with AI partners is that they don't think for themselves enough.
However, if you're playing 2-player co-op, you can make your way through the long campaign relying on eachother for backup. Every few minutesin Army of Two, there are situations that require teamwork to overcome. These situations can be simple & low-key, or challenging & complex. A typical example might be providing supressing fire at an armoured opponent while your buddy sneaks round behind him & shoots himin the back of the head. The game is engineered to encourage the players to constantly be aware of what the other is doing, & what roles they must be fulfilling at each moment. This is done through "AGGRO", a system that allows a player with a big gun laying out supressing fire to actively draw the attention of all AIin range while his friend becomes practically invisible to them. In game, an AGGRO-Meter on the HUD allows both players to be aware of how much attention they currently have.
Many games have split-screen co-op added as an afterthought. In Army of Two, however, it is the game's central concept, & because the game has been designed with co-opin mind, it pulls it offin a way that outshines any multiplayer FPS to date.
This is by no means the only strength however. Environmentsin Army of Two are beautifully designed with impressive backdrops & excellent level design. These range from war-torn cities to jungles, mountains & even an aircraft carrier.
There are also opportunities to utilise vehiclesin the game; examples include a hovercraft, & particularly prominently; a parachute. One level begins with the players diving out of a plane & parachuting down to an enemy base. One player controls the parachute, while the other uses a sniper rifle to knock out defenders during the approach.
Finally, Army of Two is utterly supported by the design company vire free Downloadable content. This has included many new levels on the same scale as original content, taking hours to play through.
As a shooting game, there are better ones out there, but if you want a game to play with a friend, Army of Two should be at the top of your list.
