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Shipping this week: Army of Bully edition
The Xbox 360 plays host to three new games this week. We're not quite sure which one tops the list honestly. Army of Two is probably the most talked about recently. Given its rocky development cycle and the fact that there aren't any major reviews up yet, we're remaining cautious. Bully: Scholarship Edition also releases this week, marking the first time that Microsoft console owners will get a chance to try it out (now with achievements!). And then there's Major League Baseball 2K8, about which we haven't the foggiest. Anyone out there longing to pick up one of these this week? Army of Two Major League Baseball 2K8 Bully Scholarship Edition [Via Joystiq]
New games this week: Army of Two edition
OK, so we were sorely tempted to give the featured game honor to God of War: Chains of Olympus this week, but we've already told you how awesome it is in a metareview, and we featured a PSP game last week, so we're mixing it up with Army of Two. Will it be good? We have absolutely no idea. We hope so, but we just don't know. Also, the Best Game Title From a Game We'll Never Play award goes to ... wait, what's this? A three-way tie! Our congratulations go out to Petz Bunnyz, Homie Rollerz and, of course, Lets Ride Friends Forever. Way to go you three.
Army of Two Achievement List, Video Preview
Continuing the Army of Two news on X3F, we have the full list of Achievements for the game. The list consists of a total thirty-seven Achievements with six of those being secret Achievements. The balance (between online/offline, co-op/1p, hardcore/easy, etc) is rather well done compared to some other shooters, and movie and pop culture references abound. With Achievement name inspiration ranging from Predator (see above), to Army of Darkness, to Scarface, we expect these ones to be particularly popular. Not only do we have the Achievement list, but Brian from Geekpulpz sent us the link to their impressions of the game from a hands on preview they were given. If you've been following the game or even if you were just wondering about the details, the video is well worth watching.[Thanks, Brian]
Army of Two co-op footage, details
Army of Two, the upcoming third-person shooter from EA, was built from the ground up to be a cooperative experience where you and a friend plow through hordes of enemy soldiers in the pursuit of mo-money. Since its delay Army of Two has stepped into the shadows, but assistant producer Matt Turner recently sat down with CVG and discussed how the game has improved since it slipped off the 2007 calendar and promised the game will deliver, "a new type of multiplayer." CVG scored video footage of the Xbox 360 version in all its co-op glory but considering what we've heard in the past, we'd like to get our hands on it to find out how the game is shaping up since the delay ourselves.
PS Fanboy Wallpapers: Volume 18
Every week, PSP and PS3 Fanboy will bring you new backgrounds for your Sony consoles, in resolutions up to 1080p. Download them directly to your PS3 by accessing PS3 Fanboy on your system. Download PSP wallpapers directly to your PSP by accessing the site wirelessly at m.pspfanboy.com. For those having trouble accessing the site on your PS3, please visit m.ps3fanboy.com or disable Javascript.This weekend, we're focusing on EA's upcoming PS3 title Army of Two.
Video: Army of Two sneaks for the kill
There's a fresh and new Army of Two trailer making the internet rounds today and we're awarding it with the honor of being the first to use the words "camaraderie" and "cash" in the same trailer. Nice use of the English language EA, nice job. The trailer features a standard selection of Army of Two cooperation video, some sneaky tactics and one poor dude ending up with a broken neck. But like all baddies, he probably deserved it. Give the new Army of Two trailer a look over, decide which helmet you like best and ponder life's ultimate question ... to kill or not to kill. [Thanks, Chris]
Xbox World condemns Army of Two as an 'Army of Sh*t'
EA's newest IP -- Army of Two -- apparently isn't all it's cracked up to be. So says GamesRadar sister-magazine Xbox World, who were set to review a near-final build of the game, until EA Montreal decided the game wasn't quite ready for release. The resulting preview is downright nasty in its condemnation of the cooperative FPS, which it fancifully re-titles "Army of Sh*t." The criticism lies mostly with the game's storyline and main characters, the latter of which Xbox World decries as the least likable in video game history. The plot of the game is apparently incredibly xenophobic, with generic terrorist enemies who refer to the main characters as "f*cking infidels." The gameplay, meanwhile, is described as bland and repetitive, with numerous cut-scenes and clumsy controls. Is there any hope for Army of Two? Not according to Xbox World, who describe the game's delay as nothing more than "a stay of execution." Considering their qualms lie largely with the game's intrinsic plot, writing, and characters, they could very well be right. We'll have to see come first-quarter 2008 whether the game is truly as sh*tty as they make it out to be. [Via X3F]
Army of Two dubbed Army of Sh*t by Xbox World
Games Radar has posted an incredibly damning article about Army of Two from their sister magazine Xbox World. Apparently the magazine had been prepping to review the game -- they had played a near complete beta and were awaiting final code -- when EA decided to put the game back in the oven until next year. According to Xbox World, that was a good choice, but it's probably not going to save the game. It seems the game has no saving graces whatsoever, as the magazine can not come up with a single positive thing to say about it. The article damns everything, especially the plot ("based on some right-wing idea of how great the war on terror is") and characters ("infantile high-fiving redneck jackasses"). In a nutshell: "As it stands, Army of Two is a juvenile swear-fest with clumsy controls, a story apparently penned by a seven year old who hates them ay-rabs, laughable level design that tosses you into a cut-scene every thirty seconds, sub Perfect Dark Zero graphics and the two least likable characters in gaming history." The article concludes that the delay "is a stay of execution" and advises gamers to "Hope for a miracle." Wow, we can't wait for the actual review.Hit the "read" link for the full article.[Via nukoda]
Army of Two gets served with delay papers
Delayed, delayed, delayed! That's the only adjective we can come up with to describe EA's Army of Two, because it has officially been pushed back into 2008. Yesterday, EA had the unfortunate task of releasing a press release notifying everyone that Army of Two would not make its November 13th release, instead being pushed back to a yet to be revealed 2008 date. The reason for the delay is quite simple, they need more time to polish and buff the game to make it sparkle. And we have no qualms with that, because we're willing to take a delay if the end result is a better end product. Something EA hasn't done too much of in the past (zing!). [Thanks, Bravo6]
Joystiq hands-on: Army of Two (360/PS3)
I recently played an almost-complete version of Army of Two, days before the decision to delay it until Q1, 2008. Originally planned to be released November 13, EA told me that the delay related most to them wanting to make sure this new intellectual property can be all it can be. (Did somebody say "franchise?") Of course, the company will easily benefit by spacing the game out from the current flood of mega hits. Army of Two casts players as mercenaries, responsible for blowing up the local scenery while following your employer's missions. Often, those objectives are the same. The Army of Two I played was a risky game that stood out in its story tone and gameplay mechanics. Some of those gambles clearly paid off -- the co-op style is the best part of the game. But EA may take this extra time to re-tune repetitive elements, like the revive-your-teammate mini-game. %Gallery-3678%
Army of Two delayed until Q1 2008
Which, if we're reading 1UP's interview with executive producer Alan Tuscan correctly, is to "add the polish." They must be having a devil of a time finding a translator, eh? But seriously, folks, Army of Two has been delayed until the first quarter of 2008. While those looking forward to the co-op macho men antics of the high-profile shooter will restrain their bitter tears until they're alone, EA's November bail-out is probably for the best. "This is an important new IP for us and we don't want to spoil it," says Tuscan, displaying full awareness of the competition found in Halo 3 and even Gears of War. "Are they setting the bar at a certain level? Sure. But that's the bar we're hitting anyway -- it's the bar we were aiming for even before seeing these games." Though it sounds like a slight against the game, it's clear that nobody is going to miss Army of Two in a holiday brimming with a ludicrous number of $60 epics, least of all an unpolished version of it. Let's hope a few more publishers realize the calendar goes on after you page past the holiday months. [Thanks, Corey] %Gallery-3678%
Joystiq impressions: Army of Two
If you've stood up to a bully and told him he was gonna get a beating, a clever response from him would be "Oh yeah? You and what army?" If you'd responded, "Um ... me and this guy," you probably would have been laughed into oblivion.In Army of Two, that's all you get ... you and a buddy as private military contractors. The game is completely built around co-op, which the developers frequently found themselves enjoying in games like Halo and Contra (shout out, old school style!) so why not make a game that's all about co-op gameplay? Your buddy can be sitting next to you, via splitscreen, or they can be sitting in Sydney, Australia, via the online co-op. Two's company, three's a crowd.%Gallery-3678%
Army of Two video details on-the-spot heart surgery [update 1]
It's a pretty glorious thing to see Trauma Center: Under the Knife and any other FPS combine into what can be described as a horrifying mess. We mean that in the best possible way -- it's a terrifying experience to sit down in the middle of a hectic battlefield so you can operate on your buddy who has a bullet lodged in his stomach, heart, leg, etc. Of course, to get to this juicy footage, you'll have to suffer through 1UP's narrative and discussion with some folk at EA. But even so, it's worth a watch. The footage of the game looks amazing. Army of Two looks to be interesting stuff and we're going to keep an eye on it.[Update: removed WWII from the FPS analogy -- Army of Two is not set during WWII, but when we think FPS, that automatically springs to mind. Especially under the watchful gaze of EA.]
New Army of Two screens celebrate militaristic dualism
The meaning of the clichéd phrase, "Two heads are better than one," has always been pretty obvious to most (ask a second head to explain it to you if it's not). Two people working together stand a much better chance of surmounting problems -- that much we know. What the phrase fails to highlight, however, is how effective those two people can be when they're both equipped with unnecessarily large guns. If that's the case, problems have a habit of becoming entirely surmountable, awkwardly posed corpses. Though devoid of any such defeated problems, the latest batch of screens for EA's Army of Two (taken from the Xbox 360 version) serves as a reminder of not only the game's sharp visuals, but its emphasis on cooperative combat from behind cover. We've seen jump-in-anytime online play before in Gears of War and Crackdown, but it's not something we've yet seen enough of. If anything, our gallery should get you excited for the inevitable sequel, Army of Two 2, set to feature a deranged Anglican bishop clone out to conquer the world with his deadly robot ballerinas. Probably. %Gallery-3678%
New Army of Two screenshots: Destructible environment + vehicles
Five new screenshots of EA's co-op shooter, Army of Two, have been released over at GameSpot. This game is looking better and better each time I see it, and this latest batch is no different. I particularly like the bridge falling apart in the above screenshot, though it is also cool to see the first shot of the tank in one of the other shots. Nothing like co-op and destructible environments to get me excited about a game! Now, if they only fix the dialog problem, I'm sold.[Via GameSpot]
Army of Two wants your weapon ideas
Today, EA launched a new contest on the official Army of Two website where they're asking fans to create a weapon for the game. They want fans to submit a brief sketch of what the ideal Army of Two in-game weapon would look like and write a brief description. Two winners will be selected and their winning weapon designs will be implemented in the game as a preorder exclusive weapon for those who get their Army of Two preorder on. And with a certain Halo 3 emblem contest going on right now, the creative/designer types have their work cut out for them. So, get to work already.[Via TeamXbox]
Army of Two = 1 part innovation + 1 part bad dialogue
"I'm driving."' "F--k you, I'm driving." And with that terse exchange, Army of Two reminds us of how it simultaneously advocates a new kind of cooperative gameplay while settling for the same rehashed action movie dialogue we've been hearing for years. N'Gai Croal spoke with EA Montreal's general manager, Alain Tascan, about the buddy cop sensibilities of Army of Two and what we can expect from the final product. Perhaps most interestingly was Croal's suggestion that the dialog was refined in response to the slightly homoerotic undertones of a game about two guys doing lots of "crotch level hoisting." In other words, if Tyson and Elliot talk tough (while they just so happen to be holding each other's crotchular region), there's no way they could be gay, right? Tascan said, "The trailer, for us, is a way to gather feedback. It's like a mini-demo." So, readers, after "demoing" the game via the trailer above, whaddya think?
Army of Two footage: funny or not?
Since Army of Two was first announced by EA, we've been intrigued. Seeing an original IP emerge from a company that heavily capitalizes on franchises and sequels was refreshing. Early descriptions of the game emphasized teamwork and cooperative play. Then the first trailer showed up, showing off something that looked essentially like a buddy comedy. Still, the co-op elements looked solid. Now EA has released another "funny" trailer for the game, again showcasing some of the co-op elements in the game. We have to point out though, the idea that a car door can stop bullets was thoroughly debunked by MythBusters. The game looks pretty decent though. Here's hoping the humor stays funny and doesn't become annoying.[Via Live Gamer]
Today's hottest game video: Army of Two
Today's hottest video again hails from the rocky peaks of GameTrailers; a trailer for Army of Two is that site's most watched file. This action-shooter's video shows a single army (of two) engaging a variety of enemy situations. Apparently berating your teammate and slapping him is a situation for which two-person armies are trained. (Didn't they watch Patton?) At least we also see the cooperative moments -- partly offsetting these in-your-face-to-the-extreme antics -- like when one soldier drags his injured buddy away from the fire-fight. Watch the video after the break.
Video: Army of Two, co-op done best?
A new trailer is available for Army of Two, EA's co-op centered shooter. To its credit, Army of Two looks like it could bring some new twists to co-op gameplay. The interactions with team mates, such as back to back cover and dragging the wounded (who can still shoot), are particularly interesting. We also find it amusing that the game has all the trappings of a buddy comedy -- the only thing missing is Danny Glover. It's ironic that EA's Alain Tascan recently cited Gears of War for having zero innovation, as Army of Two will no doubt be judged against it. Considering Tascan is producing Army of Two, perhaps we can see the motives for his comments. Gears already does many of the things featured in this video, including moveable cover, and it has great co-op where good tactics are essential. The question is: does Army of Two do it better? Obviously we can't judge Army of Two before we've actually played it, but it's fun to speculate. Watch the video and join the discussion after the break.
