Army of Two: The 40th Day (Xbox 360)

It should be noted that i loved the first game because i took it at the face value it needed. It was a game about two people going into battlezones and having fun shooting people. Hence my brother and I played the game to death because it was the perfect game for us having been online gamers for over a decade and just knowing how each other reacts to situations.In fact because we're both fundamentally PC gamers the only achievements we didn't get were the online ones because we don't use xbox live. It did have its flaws though.
This game has improved on several of those flaws and also created some of its own. The first game suffered I felt because people didn't buy for the game to "Run n' Gun" but as a serious third person shooter. This game in that regard is barely any different if at all so unless you liked the first one, or are after that sort of game this isn't for you really. I would also warn that a lot of the violence hinted at in the first has been included in this game(you can have a screwdriver/12" drill bit/kitchen knife as a bayonet just to give you and idea as they are used to great effect in melee kills) But in a world of ODST and Gears of War and Mass Effect and CoD:MW2, you just need a game where strategy is there but isn't necessary and you just want to run around having fun with silly weapons and a game that is literally about having fun with your best friend.
The graphics have been greatly improved upon from the first one though sometimes rendering takes a few seconds depending on what your console is doing. There are more co-op elements like mock surrender and hostage rescue which add great moral choices however like the first game they are scripted events so under used in a lot of cases.
The weapons customisation has been overhauled extensively though i was mildly disappointed with it. Though there are literally thousands of combinations to make your perfect weapon(and you can access this on the fly so long as your not fighting), if your like me and build it for performance i found that all the assault rifles end up looking exactly the same,same barrel,same silencer(which is now removable on the fly)same scope(also removable on the fly)same drum mag etc etc. There are no weapon specific parts like the last game which has a selection of parts for each weapon. The paint jobs are a little thin on the ground and unimaginative aswell with pimp option still available but again no weapon specific designs which made the last one good,only gold and silver.
The story aswell is a little thin as the basic premise is the two heroes just trying to escape Shanghai....that's it for the whole game pretty much. Though an interesting touch is the addition of a moral decision on each level which affects the rest of the game in small subtle ways. For instance you can get a small boy to help you in a firefight or stay down in cover,the results being either a Barrett M107 or 30k depending on your choice.
The other interesting option is mask customisation, visiting the EA website gives you access to a mask creator to create custom masks that you can use in both single and multiplayer. There is already a plethora or user made designs in the gallery there that show a lot of creativity,kudos to all of them by the way.
I've played MW2 nearly every day since its release and this is a nice change for me. All in all I love this game because its not complex. I love this game because it is just a bit of fun entertainment that shouldn't be taken seriously. A must for all those who want a break from this complex storylines and HD graphics and serious multi/singleplayer action that saturates the market these days.

This is a great game. The single player campaign is very good, and the story develops into something gripping and exciting. At first all the action is hard to get to grips with, and the camera control is awkward. Do not worry as the learning curve is good and you soon overcome all the stumbles. You switching camera angles and moving like a cat with automatic weapons. You can buy and customize weapons, or pick them up after you've dealt with the opposition. You can play a co-op campaign with a friend, or some like-minded player online. It's very satisfying. The Army of Two must move as one. You help and heal each other with the ultimate aim of taking out the bad guys all the way to the Evil Boss Man. Online game types offer something extra after completing your campaign, there are increased customization options too. A definite 8/10.

The original Ao2 was a decent little shooter. I'm not going to try and compare it with the other over the shoulder buddy games - but it's worth comparing with its brethren.

The controls are improved, the aiming is improved, the graphics have been upped and the sound is all tight and impressive. The setting is China, and unfortunately all a bit samey (and doesn't always make a great deal of sense), but they try to mix it up a bit (but no powerboating or parachuting / paragliding this time). The "back to back" sequences of the first game that could be absolute show stoppers (replaying the same 2 minutes 10+ times could sap your will to live) have been revamped and are much improved. In fact there is little that hasn't been taken and polished to some extent.

The weapon system is fantastic. It would be nicer if more "special" items could be found or unlocked with achievements. As it stands most guns can, if all the same parts are installed, pretty much mirror up with a gun from the same bracket. This does somewhat limit the true inventiveness of the process...but with 30+ weapons and hundreds of mods to buy, find and collect you really can have fun working your gun up from its basic form to something you expect to see on "Pimp My Gun".

The flaws in the game are common, but no show stoppers. "Heavies" are occasionally frustratingly located (and ridiculously impervious to damage much as they were in Ao2) whilst you can feel as if you're shooting waves of badguys with no real direction as you're railed from one section to the next. The railing wouldn't be too bad if the plot was strong. Unfortunately it starts poorly and does not improve. The game ends on a confusing note.

Moral quandaries are little other than a quick way to get extra cash, or a new upgrade (making 1 replay of the game a must in order to max out your achievements). They could have been improved, but are really just a very small and unimportant element (if perpetually ambiguous).

There's still much to improve. The game isn't overly hard, or particularly challenging, substituting waves of enemies instead of difficult or intelligent ones. The high number of achievements put into the game do keep it interesting however, and you will find yourself charging enemies down for the sake of getting those 25 close combat kills you need for your 15 pts and a shiny medal.

As a solo player game it's a real waste of time (although the AI has been improved). In the end the game is a very literal action movie for you and one friend to play through, and as such I've enjoyed it greatly. For a buddy action game it's purpose built.