I actually finished a game!
I just recently finished Army of Two. I was able to play it on my XBox Series X. It is conveniently on the backward compatibility list. I have played through this game way back in the day with one of my co-op buddies. It definitely feels different when you play solo with the AI.
Army of Two is a third-person shooter. It is about Rios and Salem who are military contractors, guns for hire. They both decide to work for a private contractor called the SSC. Of course, when you get into the private military world, there is definitely going to be some backstabbing involved.
Ao2 is definitely all about cooperative play. There is a lot of strategy with your partner while playing. I remember the first time I played I had a friend. We had an awesome time with it, and it was really easy to coordinate together. With the AI partner, it’s not as easy. I played as Rios, the big burly guy. So I had to tell Salem what to do. Which seems simple enough. The D-Pad had different call outs. Move forward, group up, and hold position. But there is another component to the game. It’s all about aggro. You needed to pull aggro from your teammate. Alternatively, you had to make them take all of it. This strategy was essential to many of the fights. The issue with the AI was its unpredictability. It was unclear if they should hold all the aggro or move forward. A lot of the fights I felt like I was brute-forcing the fights myself. Maybe I’m not the most strategic guy out there, but I didn’t have an easy time with it.
Overall the story is relatively generic. Two guys in the private military. Some shenanigans happen, they get framed for something they definitely did, unknowingly, and go on a revenge mission. I didn’t realize how short the game actually was until I was essentially on the last mission. You can blow through it quickly if you’re not looking to get every achievement possible. That being said, it’s a great time. Sure the mechanics show their age. It is a game from 2008. And after I just recently beat Gears of War Judgment, the shooting is pretty underwhelming.
Customization is pretty cool in the game. Lots of different play styles you can go for. Regular assault rifles, shotguns, and LMGs are your choice for primary weapons. I tried going for the LMG and kitting it out, but found that the accuracy was super bad. I struggled throughout the first half of a mission, really relying on my AI partner to do all the heavy lifting. So I switched back to an assault rifle so I could make sure I could actually hit the enemies properly. LMGs also pulled all the aggro, and I found that it was impossible to get rid of it. Hurts the play style entirely.
There was also different masks you could buy. Which I remember thinking all of them were so sick. Looking at them now I don’t see it. Again, older game, but the customization doesn’t hold up as well.
The best thing about this game is the dynamic with Rios and Salem. These two are definitely friends, and with that comes the good and the bad. Rios has the military brain, while Salem is younger and is absolutely aware of the money he makes in this industry. He’s all about taking new contracts and getting paid no matter what. He’s not a bad guy at all, but it seems like it clouds his judgment. When you see another contractor working with the enemy, assuming he’s doing it just to get paid is wild. It ignores the possibility that he’s setting you up, which is wild.
Army of Two is absolutely a dated game at this point. The gun play isn’t the best. The AI is a little rough. The story is pretty predictable. The ending is also pretty terrible. When the game ends in a cut scene for the protagonists doing something that should have been the player doing it, it’s bad. I totally forgot that’s how it ended. I would’ve loved a helicopter stand off or something. But no, it just ends pretty abruptly.
Nostalgia definitely got me on this one. I remember playing this game and loving it. I think having a friend play with you is essential. This time around, by myself, it wasn’t the best. I still like the game, but I can understand people bouncing off it now. I would absolutely love to see this game remastered in the future though. Better AI, better game play. It could be great.
The Tired Obsidian 