It's unclear whether the 'Aggro' system from the first games has returned, in which one player would need to attract an enemy's attention while the other chap snuck around and flanked them from the side. In previous games in the series, the character with the most aggro would start glowing red, which is something that Visceral seems to have ditched.
Flanking your foes is still heavily rewarded, but it appears that the process of having to take it in turns has been replaced in favour of something that is much more freeform. Every kill in The Devil's Cartel earns you cash to spend on weapon upgrades - a feature which will still play a substantial part in the game - and will also net you an extra dollop of energy to build up your precious Overkill bar.
Maximum impact
As with the majority of EA's recent batch of games, The Devil's Cartel takes full advantage of DICE's Frostbite 2 engine. If you haven't played Battlefield 3, expect tons of delicious environmental damage. Frostbite 2 has amplified Army of Two's sense of chaos, but it's Overkill mode that takes off the leash. Shotgun blasts suddenly make foes look like bloody piñatas, scattering limbs around the room like a demented toddler who doesn't understand the concept of Jenga. Even when you indulge in a bit of spray and pray, Overkill mode is huge amounts of fun. Concrete crumbles, crates collapse, and everything you point at seems to effortlessly explode.
One section towards the end of the demo sees us stumble into a car park packed full of explosive barrels. In retrospect the entire scene is little more than a fiery blur, but we still remember the most important details. Overkill is activated, and everything around us seems to suddenly explode. Around 15 bodies litter the floor, and we're pretty sure that we just shot down a helicopter. Through the haze of gunfire only one thing seems clear: that sudden eruption of flaming chaos? That's us.
You'll find explosive set-pieces in any action game, but Overkill mode in The Devil's Cartel has a strong sense of cause and effect. You point your gun and pull the trigger, and impressive stuff immediately unfolds. What we've played doesn't appear to rely on CoD-style set-pieces, and instead retains a much more grounded feel. It's like every bullet you fire in the latest Army of Two has been imbued with the spirit of Michael Bay. It's unlikely to win any awards for innovation, but that doesn't stop this game being glorious fun.
2 comments so far...
Organic Carrot on 2 Jan '13 said:
This looks pretty epic and the frostbite engine is definitely doing it justice. This has been moved up on my most wanted list for sure.
Lancer Armstrong on 3 Jan '13 said:
I just hope the control scheme gets a serious overhaul. Taking cover in the last game was a real annoyance. Shit like staying crouched when you leave cover was just terrible. When I think of Army of Two, I think of unnecessary button presses. Constantly having to take myself out of crouch mode was just so damn irritating. Plus, having to switch weapons should never take more than a single button press. Learn from the greats, Army of Two.
Most irritating: constantly having to babysit your partner. F-ing horrible. You don't get that kinda crap in Gears, Halo or CoD. I know it's a very co-op centric game, but damn, let me at least play the game without having to constantly breastfeed my A.I. buddy.