With the amount of multiplayer options now in every game, token co-operative modes can be somewhat missed.Games are very few that base themselves solely around a co-operative experience but in March 2008, EA took a risk with a new IP called Army Of Two.  The title was to an extent hit but had quite a bit wrong with it.  The partner A.I. was flaky, enemy A.I. was worse, characters that were not endearing and became annoying and the control system was flawed.  That being said, Army Of Two was a good game with bags of potential and definitely sold enough to warrant EA Montreal having another stab at it with Army Of Two: The 40th Day.

Army Of Two: The 40th Day sees our protagonists, Salem and Rios dumped into Shanghai on a mission to find out that it is about to rain shit on their parade.  What transpires are more action sequences than the Karma Sutra in a gun porn frenzy of a ride into Shanghai’s key locations.  This is the first difference to the game.  Army Of Two sets its stall out in parts of Shanghai with well designed, yet linear levels with enough cover to blast your way out of situations and use strategy’s to progress.

The game itself is a vast improvement on its predecessor in terms of working together as a team single player experience.  Army Of Two’s A.I. partner felt wrong and made the wrong choices at the most inopportune moments and this has been addressed by EA to not force you to find a friend or an online partner to play the game with.  The decision making has been remarkably improved and allows for a good single player experience without the frustration from its previous offering.  That being said, it is always a lot more fun to find a human partner to run through the game with as Army Of Two: The 40th Day demands team work to be able to enjoy the experience effectively but at least you’re safe in the knowledge that if you are on your own you will not be disappointed.

The enemy A.I. has also had a bit of an overhaul with more tactical responses from the enemy.  They will, if given the chance, try to flank you and take up positions that will put you under a little pressure which is a very good thing.  The use of the Aggro meter is actually an element that works now as you or your partner draws fire whilst the other finds a position to take the enemy out.  It is not perfect though as I have found on a couple of occasions that the enemy have remained stuck to their spot and do not fire at you even though you are looking straight ahead at them.  This has only happened a couple of times an has not really affected the gameplay too much, just made it a tad easier to progress through a certain area.

The combat in Army Of Two: The 40th Day is pretty solid too with enough going on to keep you on your toes and enough breathing space to be able to make decisions for you and your partner on how to take out enemies in an area of gameplay.  The control system is a lot more fluid but there are very minor problems with the hit boxes to the enemy.  Cross hairs have been on someone, only for the bullet to not make contact, this can be a little frustrating but again, only happens on occasion so it is not a big worry.  It seems to happen when you are trying to squeeze a bullet through a tight spot so watch out for that.  The cover system which the game builds itself around still needs looking at but is a vast improvement on the original.  It is a lot easier to take cover now but the way it is handled is a little wooly and can leave you with your arse sticking out, sucking up bullets if not performed correctly.  I hink everyone will agree that the Gears Of War cover system is the pinnacle of this style of gameplay and although EA Montreal have gone to great lengths to better this system it is still not perfect.

Graphically,  Army Of Two: The 40th Day looks beautiful with some amazing lighting effects and rendering.  There is the odd clipping moment but nothing that will put you off too much and is by far the biggest advancement on Army Of Two, along wih improved A.I. that I have seen in the game.

Overall, Army Of Two: The 40th Day is a well presented, vastly improved third person cover shooter and will provide a challenging and fun experience on single player, split screen and multiplayer experience that forces you to work as a team to progress.  The advancements in most elements of the game and array of customisation with weaponry will provide you with a lot of fun.  Army Of Two: The 40th Day is by no means perfect but has addressed quite a few of the major issues in the first game but just stops short of becoming the behemoth that Army Of Two could be.