Army of TWO The Devil's Cartel

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Ok, I purchased this game through the Playstation Store as a Day 1 Digital Download, and read the reviews beforehand on amazon, just to get a feel for whether the full game was different from the demo I downloaded a couple of weeks ago. From reading the reviews, I realized one thing practically all the reviews for this product were either written by twelve-year olds that are good at this game, or geeky fourteen-year olds that are not. So, to assist you, the possible purchaser of this title, I will attempt to make this review as informative and objective as possible, without giving away any spoilers.

First off, I have played the two prequels to this game: Army of Two and AOT 40th Day. They were decent action games, but more for a boring saturday night, not really a home-run action game like Battlefield: Bad Company or Uncharted: Drake's Fortune. While the third entry in the franchise is not up to that level yet, it is definitely headed in the right direction. Gone is the unreal engine, here is the frostbite engine (that allowed destructible environments in the 2011 FPS Battlefield 3). Also gone are the "back-to-back" tactics, as well as the ambidextrous shooting abilities of Salem and Rios of the past titles. While the absence of the two aforementioned abilities is a downer of sorts, there are new tactics and features in Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel.

From "TWO" vision, which is sorta like a battlefield version of Batman's bat-vision (see Arkham games) to the Overkill mode, which is comparable to the Rage mode from the last-gen game "Scarface: The World is Yours". Basically, your operator is impervious to damage when this is activated, has unlimited ammo, and can literally blow his enemies apart.

The graphics are pretty good, as is the sound, and the controls are pretty solid. My biggest gripe with this title is that enemy combatants tend to take a good amount of damage before taking a dirt nap in no way realistic, of course but, this game is not meant to have a realistic level of accuracy (see the aforementioned Overkill mode). Also, there are times when enemies can pop out of almost nowhere and be shooting you from behind in an area you just cleared. Kinda frustrating. But aside from that, this game is a heck of a lot of fun especially if you've got a battle buddy to play co-op with.

You can customize your own masks and wear one of them in battle, switch out your outfit, masks, and even your current armament between every mission, and can utilize the co-op oriented battles to maximize carnage. Also, it must be included that the level of customization regarding your weapons is nothing short of phenomenal there are dozens of choices for each weapon. Quite honestly, this is to console games what The Expendables is to action movies a testosterone-fueled battle royal that is there for no other reason that to entertain with blood, guts, and tons of guns.

I paid $60 for this title, and I can say that, despite the minor hiccups mentioned before, I feel satisfied with my purchase and that I got my money's worth. So, if you enjoy movies like The Expendables and games of the same sort, then this title is probably right up your alley. However, if you're a COD or Battlefield fanboy, this will probably not be the title for you.

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Since Army of TWO series has been out, I really wasn't impressed with those games. The characters seemed bulky and the gameplay just didn't impress me. Not to mention, the graphics were horrible. However, after seeing numerous videos on Devil's Cartel, I decided to finally give the franchise a try.

A.I. (Bravo): The A.I. of Bravo is one of the best I've seen in a team-based shooter. Bravo is not just a prop, who shoots, aimlessly and gets in the way. He is VERY involved and reliable. He gets cover, when needed. In certain situations, he will not fire, until it is initiated by the player. Not to mention, he does not get in the way of the player, while in a gunfight. The most impressive action is he may wait, until the right time, then move ahead and kill enemies at random. However, his actions are carried out in a tactical way.

CAMPAIGN/STORY: This game introduces TWO new characters called Alpha and Bravo (players will be Alpha). They are sent to Mexico to go up against La Guadana, who is a deadly drug cartel.

CUSTOMIZATION: Weapons can be greatly customized on this game. In fact, it is similar to that of Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. With that being said, every part of a weapon can be customized and also tested out at the range. Masks can be customized, as well. Players can use default designs or even create their own.

GAMEPLAY: The newest addition to the game is the infamous Frostbite 2 engine, which is used in BF3. Of course, the previous TWO games used the Unreal engine. The destructible environments, along with the animations and physics, complement each other very well. Enemies, as well as nearby structures are sent flying, when blasted by grenades. Also, enemies react differently, based upon how and where they are shot. For example, I shot an enemy in the leg, and he was limping. Bravo once shot an enemy and as he was falling to the ground, I shot him in the head and his hat flew off. Heads can be severed by powerful weapons. I once saw an enemy slammed up against a wall, when hit gunfire from a gatling gun.

The dialogue between the characters is very captivating, especially between Alpha and Bravo. There is not a lot of cheesy one-liners, like in many other shooters. Sure, they say some comical phrases, but that is just to kinda lighten up the moment, as they are about to engage in immanent battle. The characters really make you feel as if you are a part of the team and what going on. I am constantly listening to each character, as they are proceeding to the next portion of a level. In other words, I feel like I am watching a good war movie with some pretty good actors.

Then, there has been an improvement in the Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2-like points system for various types of kills. For example, a player can get points for scoring a headshot, flanking an enemy, killing with a grenade, surprise kills, decoy kills, multiple kills, melee kills, combination kills, etc. Points can be used to upgrade weapons and accessories.

Overkill returns to the game. Of course, those who are new to the series, Overkill is when a player can be virtually invincible for a short period of time. While Overkill is engaged, ammo is infinite and stronger than ever.

The enemies on this game come out in vast numbers. Not to mention, they are very smart, which can be a deadly combination. They will shoot straight up, flank, or even throw grenades, if possible. They can even be heavily wounded, and if they still can shoot, THEY WILL. I have attempted to run up on an enemy to try to get a melee kill and as he was running away, he turned and shot from the hip. I foolishly tried to melee a boss enemy and as he pulled out a machete, my character grabbed his arm. Before he could go any further, a button icon showed up at random ala Heavy Rain. I repeatedly pressed the button and my character turned the tables and killed him with it. Cool!

Many gunfights will take place in open areas, but being tactical is a huge part on this game because of the numbers, which the enemies come. Of course, this can lead to being under some heavy gunfire. Therefore, taking cover is very essential to survival in this game. The cover system reminds me of Ghost Recon Future Soldier because upon getting cover, an arrow will point at another cover position. Even the movements from cover to cover are similar. Keep in mind that all cover is not good cover, as some can be manipulated by gunfire.

Sometimes, gunfights will not always be out in the open. Fighting can go down in some very close quarters. This means, the players head needs to be on the swivel because a single enemy can be around the corner or side corridors, waiting for the right moment to ambush.

GRAPHICS/VISUALS: The graphics are very good in the game. The lighting and the shadows are surprisingly good. In addition, the landscapes look good. However, do not quite as sharp as BF3 graphics, but they are still quite nice. The explosions and animations of manipulated structures and the animations of the characters are done very well.

SOUND: The sound of this game is very good. The sounds of the explosions are very realistic, as well as hearing various structures being altered by gunfire. Sounds from structures hit by gunfire are very realistic. As far as the sounds of the weapons, don't expect them to be BF3-like! However, the sounds are still pretty good.

VERDICT: If you are in need of a very good action shooter, NOT named Call of Duty, Devil's Cartel is the game for you. With that being said, for the diehard TWO fans, this is the ONE of the TWO to purchase.

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This game is garbage. It fails on many levels including (but not limited to) gameplay, story, and uniqueness (I just don't have the energy to go through everything wrong with this game so I will cover the points I feel or most disappointing). The original Army of Two and it's sequel the 40th Day were miles ahead of this travesty of video gaming. The creators of The Devil's Cartel throw a good franchise in a dumpster with every other mediocre cover based 3rd person shooter currently saturating the market.

Gameplay: They have stripped away everything that made Army of Two stand out from other games of it's kind. Gone is the Aggro meter and the ability to control enemy tactics by drawing fire for your partner. Weapons have their own Aggro rating but it there is little difference between them and it seems random in it's application. No more Back-to-Back sequences, co-op sniping, or moral decisions. You cannot roll or dodge at all so good luck avoiding grenades. The AI's best tactic it to rush straight at you with a near invincible "Brute" type enemy that can kill you in seconds. Also You are given an AI controlled 3rd wheel for about 1/4 to 1/3 of the game that constantly runs ahead and takes all the good cover.

Story: If you liked the previous games like me you will feel betrayed by the writes decisions with the plot. Not only do they replace the original cast, Salem and Rios, but it's how they do it that is all at once insulting, contrived, cliche, and ridiculous. What they are replaced with is a pair of cardboard cut outs, Alpha and Bravo. So bland are these characters that they don't even give them names just those horrible designations. They might as well have called the Player 1 and Player 2. These two ridiculous mercenary versions of the Odd Couple have no chemistry and are two of the most forgettable characters in video game history.

Uniqueness: As mentioned above any and all things in this game that could have helped it be mistaken for an Army of Two title have been removed. The only things left to identify in that franchise is that you are playing a cover based shooter as two dues in masks. The environments are as repetitive as the game play and it's a toss up which is the most boring. They have included a leveling system where in you must play the game multiple times to unlock everything but even that has flaws since once you unlock it you then have to buy it as well. Even masks, tattoos, and clothing which offer nothing except esthetics must first be unlocked then purchased.

I purchased this game knowing a small amount of it's flaws having played the demo but liked the previous two games enough to give them the benefit of the doubt, and now I wish I had stuck with my gut. I wish I could get my money back, but the best I can hope for is to warn others not to make the same mistake I did. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME. If you are looking for some good co-op action get either of the other two, but leave this one to rot.

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I have been looking for a co-op game for a while and just as I was about to give up I came across army of two: the devils cartel. I know that many games have online co-op gameplay but there are those that don't need that because we have people to play with close to home. This is a fun game to play with your friends, siblings, or anybody that likes to shoot with someone at his side.

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I know the other Army of Two's weren't spectacular games by any means, but they were still fun. I would play this with my best friend, and we always had fun with them because the combat, while simple, was enjoyable.And honestly almost anything that's co-op based we can get into.

This one just....felt different. The gun customizations were there, but nothing spectacular or fun about them. The aggro system seemed non-existent. In the other games, you knew who had aggro, but this one there is no meter or anything to tell you that. Now that would be fine if you could still tell who had it, but we never really could.

The worst part about this game was the cover system. I can't express my hatred of this enough. You have to stand a couple feet behind a piece of cover, then hit a button and the character runs for you into the cover position. Then to move to the next cover, you hit a button....and the character moves for you. So basically they made it so your character moves for you....and all you should have to do pull the trigger. It takes the fun out.

And beyond that, the cover doesn't feel like it does much. Most of the time I found myself just found myself walking in a straight line and firing....and that's it.

It's like they took a game that was fun because of the co-op feel/aspect of it, and they tried to make it more of a single player feel and in the days of great first person single player shooters, this gets lost in mediocrity.

All in all, my friend and I found that we were playing it just because we bought the stupid thing and not because we actually wanted to play it. We both said we would have more fun playing through the old games than this one. We sold the game after 4 days of trying to play it.

Don't buy it: If you liked the other Army of Two's, just replay the older ones if you feel like you want to play another Army of Two.

Buy it: If you like mindless shooters I guess?