Army of Two

"Absolutely stunning graphics, followed by an average gameplay."

Have you ever thought it possible that one game could exceed beyond possibilities in one category, yet lack horribly in another? Army of Two is just that. It is one of the most beautiful console games I have ever witnessed, yet its gameplay lacked so badly, its right as an FPS deserves to be taken away. I'm very sorry to say this, but I was highly disappointed. I purchased Army of Two expecting dazzling graphics (which I certainly got), and amazing AI, and one of the most fun First Person Shooter's I've ever played. I can't quite say I got that.


Story (Slight spoilers)
Something not so common in FPS's these days is a good story. AoT was just the opposite. The game features an Army of Two, made up of Rios and Salem. After the first mission, the two are enrolled in a private military sector called SSC. They work together to destroy terrorists and cause mayhem to the enemy countries. As the game develops, the story becomes more and more cliff hanging, having controversial twists and turns you would never imagine. The game took me a little under fifteen hours to beat – a little short for my liking.


Gameplay
The area in which the game lacked most. I was very disappointed in the bad use of available controls, although it became easier to use as I got used to it. Unlike other PS3 first person shooter games such as Unreal Tournament or Resistance, AoT was no where near as fast paced. Another disappointment I had was the lack of a sprint function. It wasn't a completely necessary function in this game, but it still would have benefited. The 'back to back' thing was good fun as well. Everything became slow motion, and you were pretty much invincible, and able to kill many enemies with no loss. Don't get me wrong though – as the game develops, it will become much more fun to play.

The co-op mode in this game was something I was quite surprised over. It was great fun having a friend playing through the game with you. The game was much harder with this though, because the computer takes much less damage. I will be playing this game on co-op mode for weeks to come.


Online Multiplayer
I wasn't too amazed over the online multiplayer. You are limited to four people in a game. The issue with this, is if you have a newbie for your partner, then your as good as dead. On the contrary, if the teams are even, its still great fun. Same gameplay, but much less people to shoot at. I can't say I will be playing multiplayer very much.


Graphics
Absolutely stunning. After playing it on HDMI, you will never be able to brag about Crysis or Bioshock on a Geforce 8800 again. Every single pixel in the game is beyond beliefs. I was especially amazed by the scenery, and surprisingly, the main menu. The main menu's graphics were probably the best in the game! By far, the best I've seen on the PS3.


Sound
Despite the extremely vulgar language you don't usually expect in an FPS, the sound effects weren't at all bad. The gunfire sounded as good as it could get, and the screaming of enemies as they died was a beautiful thing. There wasn't really any background music, but that's not something to expect from an FPS.


Controls
The controls lacked, as many PS3 games do, simply because there aren't enough buttons. I always enjoy running around slicing the air with my CQC weapon, and this game only let you do hand-to-hand combat when you were up close with the enemy. I also didn't like having to use L2 and R2 to fire my weapon, instead of L1 and R1. Finally, using L3 to crouch, was also quite a hassle.


Pros & Cons
+Excellent story
+Awesome guns
+Best graphics I've seen on the PS3
+Co-op mode

-Average gameplay
-Slow moving game
-Below average control usage


So, that's that. I give this game an 8/10 rating, simply because the graphics made up for everything the gameplay lost. I definitely recommend this game to any FPS fan.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 03/19/08, Updated 04/18/08

Game Release: Army of Two (US, 03/06/08)