Going, going . . . come back!

Some years ago, the one-time masters of the gaming universe ID Software declared that single player games were dead and that multiplayer was the future. They soon discovered that the public utterly disagreed with them. Fast forward and ID has done a 'reverse ferret' (wiki it) and their up-and-coming game, Rage, has a decidedly single-player focus.

In recent years, co-op has been made the new poster child for the future of gaming. While single-player games still need not fear their sudden and untimely demise, co-oping your way through a game with a buddy is a far more interesting prospect than being 'pwned' all on your lonesome by some faceless stranger during a deathmatch.

Beefcakes Abroad

Never one to miss an opportunity (and while surely looking in envy at the runaway success of Gears of War), Electronic Arts released Army of Two, a third person potty-mouthed rampage across modern war zones which allowed two players to team up on a quest to rip the Axis of Evil a new one. The game was met with lukewarm reviews mainly because of the samey nature of the gameplay, the sometimes superficial co-op mechanics and the inflammatory setting. So EA have set out to right such wrongs in the sequel.

Army of Two: The 40th Day opens with a bang; well, several big ones in fact as our mercenary heroes, Salem and Rios aka Beefcake 1 and Beefcake 2, turn up in Shanghai for a short busman's holiday. No sooner have they completed their mission to install some homing beacons (like a couple of gun-toting IT consultants), than Shanghai's skyline starts to light up with massive HD explosions, collapsing buildings and screaming citizens. In among the carnage, our knuckle-dragging heroes are plunged into a war against a mysterious quasi-religious militia who you can carve up with all manner of customised weaponry.

As before, you and a buddy will find yourselves working together opening doors, giving the other a leg-up over a wall and going back-to-back to fend off waves of enemy; not exactly revolutionary stuff even when they appeared in the original – but the real core co-op gameplay is rock solid. It features one of you providing covering fire and drawing attention to yourself (increasing your 'Aggro' meter on the HUD) while the other creeps round the side and flanks the enemies' brains out all over the nearest wall. The gunplay works well, offering a satisfying fluidity when sliding into cover, popping up and then delivering headshots with your upgraded AK-SMG-UZI-Death-Fused-Uber-Glock. No fuss, no faff; just Michael Bay film-esque murderous mayhem.

Jim Carrey & Bill Pullman Reunited?

There are some interesting sideshows too; from moral decision-making moments that offer sometimes funny, sometimes gruelling outcomes that linger in the mind (if not having any real impact on the gameplay) through to opportunities to save hostages from the clutches of the militia in return for 'moral' plus-points – but mainly for gun parts and cash that grateful citizens hand over if rescued; we never knew that everyday Shanghai citizens carried so many gun accessories in their wallets. Must be a dangerous city.

And talking of the city, it's a grand place to behold even after it's been blitzed by a complete and utter mentalist. There are some genuine standout levels too as you traverse across the besieged city – running down what used to be the side of a skyscraper and witnessing the aftermath of an animal slaughter at the city zoo are particular highlights. Going online reveals a new Extraction mode where you and up to three team mates face-off wave after wave of enemy. The other modes are standard multiplayer fare but all the more fun because you've got your buddy riding alongside you – the co-op element again being brought to the fore as you battle against other armies of two.

If you're not in the mood for co-oping (or simply have no mates), then the single player mode offers more than enough bite thanks to its simple, intelligently-implemented command system that lets you bark basic orders at your fellow AI-controlled beefcake. Almost inevitably, there are times when he dumbs up as he roundly ignores orders to advance but on the whole, you feel like he's got your back.

Amputations R Us

Alas, you can't always be quite so forgiving of the sometimes intellectually-challenged enemy AI. There are times when you're outflanking a scrum of scum, only for them to keep their sights firmly trained on your 'aggro-ed' up buddy even as you fire several rounds into their presumably empty noggins. And if an enemy spots you throwing a grenade, don't worry – they'll wait patiently for their legs to be amputated.

But such AI fumbles don't detract too much from such an enjoyable romp – the run-and-gun nature of AOT is perfect for exorcising any pent-up frustration without overly exercising your brain. And with a friend either playing sat next to you (thanks to split-screen) or side-by-side online, AOT is the perfect blast for late Friday and Saturday night gaming. So get ready to slam chests, talk trash and bond over dead bodies – cooperating has never been so deadly.

GAME's Verdict

• Packs a satisfying punch when played with a buddy
• Slick and simple combat with a cover system which is a pleasure to use instead of a chore
• Any game that lets you take a headshot while crouched down for cover behind a dead hippo gets our vote

• Gameplay can feel a little one-tracked and the campaign is on the short side
• Some occasionally irritating checkpointing and long loading times
• MENSA will not be receiving any applications from the game's bad guys anytime soon. If any of them manage to make it out of Shanghai alive, that is

Review by: Adam 'Butcher' Phillips
Version Tested: PlayStation 3
Review Published: 28.01.10