The 40th Day

Overall: 4
Gameplay: 4
Graphics: 3
Sound: 5

Pros: Lots of weapons to play with, The weapons can be upgraded, Clear menu's
Cons: Not the best graphics, Bad character designs, Stupid A.I, Uninteresting story, Strange controls

Save often, that way you won't have to replay it if you die.

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a port from the Xbox 360 and PS3 version in the game, in which the graphics, game play and story are somewhat spectacular. Is this the same for the PSP version of the game? Not quite, no. The game takes on the same story as the other two versions, however it portrays it no way near as well as they do. You have the choice of two characters, Rios or Salem, with the choice to unlock more bonus characters after the first play through of the game, although the reasons to play through a second time are still unclear. The game takes place in Shanghai, where the two Mercenary Protagonists have to fight their way through the dilapidated city, whilst also fighting off bad guys with guns. Of course, all this is made clear, if you can be bothered to listen to all the bad cut scenes and even worse voice acting. Or, you can do as I did, and skip these to get straight into the action.

As you fight your way through the streets of Shanghai you may notice that the control scheme is similar to that of a side scrolling game like Metal Slug or Contra. Although you control your character using the joy stick, the interesting part of the control scheme is when you shoot. If you press Circle, you will fire to the right, and Pressing Square will make you fire to the left...need I go on? In theory, this is a good idea, but in actual fact, it often doesn't work, and more often than not you'll find yourself shooting civilians, therefore losing out on money, or randomly shooting a wall as you're blasted in the face by a shotgun wielding mad man. This can become very annoying, especially if you're playing on the harder difficulties where ever shot counts.

For a PSP game the graphics are acceptable, although they could be much worse, and the colour scheme tends to be very dark. However, the characters themselves are similar to those of Gears of War. They have large heads, hands and feet, yet normal sized torso's and legs. Whilst some may find this amusing, it becomes somewhat annoying during the cut scenes when you can see these oversized limbs in full. Whilst in the game though this shouldn't matter, as the camera is zoomed out, not so far that you can't see what you need to, but just far enough to avoid any detail.


The creators of this game have clearly saved all there magical powers for the console versions
Army of Two: The 40th Day uses a pretty standard weapon upgrade system. You can't change the features on your gun, but if you save up enough money, the weapon can be enhanced, be it with better accuracy or a bayonet. The game also includes a number of "different weapons". Ranging from the ordinary assault rifle and shot gun to the laser rifle and tesla cannon, what are these doing in modern day Shanghai? Your guess is as good as mine. Weapon upgrades and weapon purchases are bought in the form of salesmen which are placed in regular intervals around the game, although they often don't appear until all the bad guys have been killed. Money is gained by completing missions, rescuing hostages or completing bonus objectives, most of which have to be completed to move on further, such as destroying helicopters or mini bosses.

The character you don't choose will back you up as a team mate. He can be controlled with simple commands, or his stance can be changed from passive to aggressive, all of which are mapped neatly onto the D-pad. However, more often than not it's simpler to ditch your "companion" and do things on your own. As you're slowly dying, is he supposed to stand there and do nothing? No, yet this is what actually happens. On many occasions I've died due to the stupid A.I of my partner as the enemy A.I are smarter and do offer the occasional challenge. If your partner proves so dim it starts to infuriate however, Army of Two: The 40th Day includes the option to play through the campaign with a friend. Your friend has to have the game, and be close by as there is no internet play. This means you can replace your stupid team mate with a friend.

In conclusion, Army of Two: The 40th Day is a drab and dreary game that offers the same excitement levels as looking at grass. With few interesting points, except the control scheme (which doesn't stand out for the right reasons), the creators of this game have clearly saved all there magical powers for the console versions and decided to settle for a mediocre version instead. But hey, If you like Metal Slug, this game might be for you.

Review written by Lewissss for www.yetanotherreviewsite.co.uk