Army of Two Review: Co-op Promise, PAI Failure

Army of Two puts two players together in a war zone and expects them to act like a team. That idea is simple, and it should have carried the game. Instead, the execution falls short at almost every turn, leaving a shooter that feels less like a bold experiment and more like a technical demo that ran out of steam before it reached the finish line.

Trailer, via Gamesplace-se.

The Premise

Army of Two follows Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios, two former Rangers turned private contractors working for the Security & Strategy Corporation, or SSC. The plot moves from 1993 through 2009, touching Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq, and a seized U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The setup is thin, built around a conspiracy that Salem and Rios suspect is pulling strings behind every mission they take on.

The story is not the star here. It is a vehicle for the game’s core design: two players, one screen, each carrying a gun and a role. The premise is solid. The delivery is not.

Co-op as a Core Design

The game’s central trick is the Partner Artificial Intelligence, or PAI, which steps in when there is no second human player available. The PAI is supposed to mirror the player’s actions and hold its own during firefights. In practice, it often fails to keep pace, leaving one player doing most of the heavy lifting while the other watches.

The game rewards coordination, and that reward is real when both players are present and engaged. When the PAI takes over, the game loses that tension entirely. Missions that require teamwork become solo chores, and the sense of partnership evaporates.

The pacing suffers too. Missions stretch across several days in the game’s timeline, and the story moves between locations without giving players much room to breathe. The result is a campaign that feels rushed, with set pieces arriving before the player has had time to settle into the rhythm of the level.

Difficulty and Balance

Army of Two leans heavily on the PAI, and that dependence is a double-edged sword. Missions are designed around two players, and when the PAI is present, the game’s difficulty spikes sharply. Enemies are plentiful, health bars are thin, and the game rarely tells players when they are about to die.

The game also changes its difficulty settings mid-mission, and these shifts are rarely announced. One moment players are walking through a lightly guarded checkpoint, and the next they are facing waves of enemies with no warning. This inconsistency makes the game feel less like a challenge and more like a test of patience.

The shooting itself is competent but unremarkable. Weapons handle well, but the variety is limited, and the game rarely introduces new gear that changes how fights play out. Players who want a deep weapons progression system will leave empty-handed.

Presentation and Sound

The graphics are adequate for their time, but they do not push the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 hardware to new heights. Textures are rough in places, character models are stiff, and the lighting effects are functional rather than striking. None of this is a disaster, but none of it is memorable either.

The sound design fares better. Gunfire is loud and punchy, and the game’s score shifts appropriately between tense action sequences and quieter moments. Voice acting is serviceable, though the script is thin and dialogue scenes tend to drag.

What Works

Army of Two gets a few things right. The co-op design, when functioning properly, is genuinely engaging. Playing with a friend who can actually communicate and coordinate creates a sense of teamwork that most shooters struggle to replicate. The game’s setting, spanning the globe from Somalia to Iraq, offers a wide range of environments for players to explore.

The game also benefits from a strong cast of characters. Elliot Salem and Tyson Rios are distinct enough to carry the story, and the supporting cast, including the mysterious Section 8 hacker, adds depth to the conspiracy at the center of the plot.

What Does Not Work

The game’s biggest failure is its reliance on the PAI. When a human player is not available, the experience collapses. The PAI simply cannot match a real player’s instincts, and the game does not offer a fallback mode that plays well on its own.

The difficulty curve is also uneven. Some missions are a breeze, while others require near-perfect execution from both players to survive. This inconsistency makes it hard to recommend Army of Two to anyone outside a committed co-op partner.

The Verdict

Army of Two is a flawed but promising attempt at a co-op shooter. Its best moments come when both players are present and working together. Its worst moments come when the PAI fails to deliver on its promises. The game’s ambition is clear, but its execution falls short.

The game is worth playing with a friend who shares your schedule and your enthusiasm. It is not worth playing alone. The region-locking of online play, a decision made to prevent Asian players from accessing the uncensored version of the game, further limits its appeal to a global audience.

Army of Two is a cautionary tale about relying too heavily on technology that is not yet ready. The concept of two players as a unit is sound, but the tools available to implement it were not ready for prime time in 2008. The result is a game that is occasionally thrilling and consistently frustrating.

1. Co-op design is creative and engaging when both players are present
2. Difficulty shifts are unannounced and break immersion
3. Graphics are competent but rough
4. Voice acting is thin and the script is repetitive
5. Region-locking limits online appeal
6. The PAI is unreliable and difficult to trust
7. The campaign is rushed and lacks pacing

Army of Two is a game that failed to live up to its own promise. It is worth remembering for its ideas, but not for its execution.

Army of Two · co-op shooter · game review · PS3 · Xbox 360