Introduction
Atlin here with another review. I thought I'd take a break from some DS titles to bring you a new gen title called Army of Two.
Story 9/10
The game starts off with Tyson Rios and Elliot Slalem, two men who would later on become an army of two, of course that is, after the first mission when the two are enrolled into a private army. Throughout the game, both controversy and twists occur, some of which include little snippets of Rios and Slalem talking to each other about conspiracy theories. In the game, each character was given a great personality which suited them and made the characters believable.
Gameplay 8/10
While running around, taking out guys and blowing things up sounds fun, that's because it is. =D
One thing that impressed me in this game was the amount of teamwork both Rios and Slalem need in order to advance. Teamwork is needed for many things, Step Jump, Back to Back, or using a Riot Shield are just a few examples. Unlike other games, the way teamwork is provided seems mostly natural and the Agro system that was implemented made it easy but challenging to advance. With the Agro system, one person can fire a gun, getting all the attention drawn to him while the other character runs around and takes out the enemies silently. Have the agro maxed on one character for a certain amount of time and enter into overkill mode. One character is completely invisible while the other character deals double damage for a certain amount of time. If you have a second person with you, give them a controller and play together. I think this game was intended to be played with two people do to how sheer awesome it is. Don't worry though, if you don't have a second person, the AI is pretty decent to help you out in campaign mode.
One of the things I liked in this game was the missions. While there wasn't anything really over the top, I always loved doing the secondary missions which involved anything from collecting intel to blowing up helicopters. With each mission you beat, you'd gain money which could be used to purchase new weapons, upgrades, and even new masks.
Sound 8/10
The sound in this game was pretty good. Sound effects in this game were pretty good while listening to gunfire, explosion, vehicles and more. While I don't remember the background music that much, I still remember the main menu going budu du du. My favourite part of this game though in terms of sound is the voice acting. It's absolutely fantastic. I love just randomly listening to Rios and Slalem talk to each other.
Graphics 9/10
While the graphics are good for a new gen system, there is nothing really special and over the top. However some of the designs I've seen and being able to choose your mask was nice. Some of the environments were well done and some places seemed natural but lacked that feeling in other parts.
Re-playability 7/10
While this game is fun, there isn't anything to do when you beat the game. That is unless you want to go back and complete any sub missions you failed, collecting intel, or buying and upgrading every weapon. Personally, I replay this game every so often just to listen to the conversation Elliot and Tyson have with each other.
Overall 8/10
For those who like third person shooter games and teamwork, this is a game for you. Not to mention there is a lot of hilarious dialogue that truly brings the characters to life which really adds to the game. Personally, I'm happy this game is in my collection, and while I never did try the online modes, it was still fun both in single player, and even more fun with my room mate.
