FAIZUL AZIM SAIFUL recommends this mercenary operation requiring teamwork as just the thing for constructive engagement.

PS3 — ARMY OF TWO:

THERE are a lot of shooting games available out there but Army of Two puts a little twist into the genre by having gamers depend on teamwork to win.

You are one of two special agents working together as a mercenary army infiltration unit in a time of war, political turmoil and conspiracy.

Co-operation with your partner is key to the success of the operation.
You will travel together across the world from Iraq to Miami solving mysteries, collecting insider information and eliminating enemies.

The use of the aggrometer, or aggro, is central to the game.

This is because every time you step into a firefight, a meter will appear showing each player’s aggro level. Aggro determines which character has the enemy’s attention.

The more shots a character fires and the more covers they blow, the higher the aggro is. The higher the aggro goes, the redder the character will glow until it becomes virtually invisible to the enemy.

This means that with the enemies’ attention on one character, the other has a chance to run up for a flanking manoeuvre or sneak behind them and kill them off one by one.

Even though the game is best played with a second player in split-screen mode, the single player experience does not disappoint.

Your AI partner apparently is not a rookie and knows how to take advantage of your aggro or draw attention, so that you can advance undetected.

However, the enemies’ AI is quite inconsistent as some might just run for cover, while others will have the sense to regroup and come back at you even stronger and smarter.

Throughout the game, you get the help of your partner by triggering the R1 button. A wheel will appear displaying what co-op moves you can execute in that specific situation.

You can, for example, trigger the co-op sniping mode that will allow you and your partner to snipe out targets simultaneously.

There is also the back-to-back fights where you are placed in the centre of a gunfight with your back to your partner, eliminating enemies that have quietly, slowly surrounded you.

There are also times when you can use objects such as shields or car doors to walk up to your enemies, before your partner guns them down at close range.

You can even pat your partner for a job well done, or smack his head if things go wrong, all in real-time.

This is a nice touch to the game as it emphasises the fact that you are not alone on this mission and that your partner is vital to your survival.

Besides having a competent partner, acquiring high-class weaponry is essential when fighting against dangerous international terrorists.

Before every level and during specific points in the game, you can enter a weapon shop where you can buy and modify weapons.

Shotguns, pistols or even machine guns can be modified for better accuracy, damage and increased aggro. And there is even a option to pimp out your gun.

Every main or side objective you beat will reward you with money to use in the shop, providing an important motivational factor to the game.

You will also be able to change masks and armoury in the weapon shop.

The overall graphics is stunning with characters fully detailed from the guns they hold to the boots they wear. The environments are similarly excellently detailed and the enemies look unique.

The voice-over will familiarise you with the two main characters from the way they talk and the subjects they discuss.

The music in the menus is also top-notch, in fact this is the case for everything you hear in the game.

Either have a go at it with your AI partner, or grab a friend and strengthen your ties by taking him or her into a war — and surviving it.

The game can be bought at WEGA Enterprise in Sungai Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur. Call 03-2141-8688.