Army Of Two was released earlier this month on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360, after being hyped up as THE co-op game. Here are the first 12 minutes of the game, with me and a friend playing through the second level of the game. The Afghanistan map has it all: action, Afghanis, missiles, suicide bombers and, of course, the Back to Back, so enjoy some co-op action, a bonus Q&A with impressions added soon.

XCN Q&A For Army of Two

Answered By: Matt Turner, Associate Producer

· Can you tell us a bit more about the engine you're using in Ao2? What specific features does it offer?
Unreal Tournament 3 engine. It’s a great engine that is very versatile and easily customizable. I am not the best guy to ask about the features that are awesome, I just know that it works really well · Salem and Rios are wearing masks in the trailers that have been released so far, why did you integrate the mask idea into the game? Can the player customize or remove them? Do you feel that players could have trouble relating to masked characters? They look cool and scary. You can buy new ones. You can’t take them off. You see the characters faces in the cinematics.

· In previous interviews you stated that objects in the environment wouldn't be destructible because you wanted to focus on the AI driven enemies. What impact will this have on the game and how are you going to avoid making the same mistakes as your competitors (such as sending one enemy wave after another at the player from unrealistic locations)?
Smarter AI that is harder to kill, not just numbers. You have to use tactics to kill the AI not just run and gun. It makes for a better game-play experience where you have to think and are challenged by the AI as opposed to just having pretty explosions and trees that fall down.

· Recently EA released an Army of Two graphic novel – what connection is there between the novel and the game storyline? Will the reader learn more about the game's characters and the SSC organization?
The stories are directly tied together and the reader will absolutely learn more about the characters and SSC. It’s a great little book.

· Army of Two could be considered just another third person shooter, what really differentiates the game from its competitors?
AO2 is built for COOP from the ground up. Other games may have COOP features but AO2 is COOP. COOP is the game.

· Early videos suggested that there would be a strong comedy element. Is this still a feature, how does comedy fit into this type of action game?
Think of your classic Buddy-Cop movie. That’s how these guys relate to each other. It works really well.

· What downloadable content do you plan on releasing?
I can’t tell you but there is lots coming!

· Will there be a strong story-line to the game? Or is it more of a casual gaming experience?
The story is detailed, fun and engaging.

· How does the PAI mode ensure the game AI (particularly your team mate AI) avoids clumsy mistakes like walking into walls?
Complex Nav meshes and programming.

· Recently we saw many games abandoning offline console multiplayer in favour of online-only multiplayer. Why do you think this is, and will Army of Two allow us to play with a friend on the same console?
You can play split screen if you want on the same console. The reason people are going towards online multiplayer is because it is increasingly accessible and reliable. It also offers a better experience.

· The game videos seem to only demonstrate a small number of on screen enemies, will the game feature larger battles with many enemies on screen as well?
Yes.

· How does the ‘Aggrometer’ work? The red glow and the sudden transparency are kind of jarring, especially due to the somewhat realistic appearance of the setting.
If you are drawing the attention of the enemy you start to glow red. The more aggro you pull the redder you get. The opposite is when your partner is pulling the aggro and the enemy isn’t paying attention to you turn more and more transparent to depict heightened stealth abilities. We use it as a tool to help the players know they are pulling or shedding attention.

· With such a variety of skills and tricks to perform, what are the different moves and how have you kept them intuitive and easy to pull off?
We organically teach you and give you little prompts along the way. By the end of the game you don’t even realize you are doing them...

· Are there any new additions other than online play to add to the games 'replay ability'?
Versus mode will offer some and the game itself is highly re-playable.

· Many gamers are saying there haven't been enough co-op games this generation, is EA going to develop more co-op games after Army of Two?
There is definitely talk about it. There is nothing for sure yet.

· What changes or improvements have been made since Army of Two was delayed?
Lots of little things. The health system was reworked, the through the gun experience changed for the better, the lighting got a fresh pass and we cut a few things as well.

· The weapons in Army of Two will have a plethora of customisation options, are these primarily cosmetic or functional too (such as accuracy enhancement)? Are the multiplayer weapons customizable too?
The multiplayer weapons are not customizable. But all the upgrades in the campaign mode are completely functional in game. A barrel gives you more power, clip gives you ammo...etc. Even ‘pimping’ your gun gives you more aggro.

· How long is the campaign mode?
About 8-10 hours.

· Why are there only 4 players in the multiplayer mode? Could you shed some light on how this will work? And what other modes do you offer other than co-op in multiplayer mode?
All multiplayer modes are Two vs. Two. They are objectives based maps where the two teams are competing against each other to complete the objectives to make money. They can kill each other as well as the NPCs that are in the environment. The team with the most cash at the end of the time limit wins.

· How many weapons does the game feature?
30.

· Is the graphic and texture level reduced during online gameplay?
Not it in the least.

· Is a release still planned for Germany and will it be a cut version of the game?
Nope. Sorry.

Thanks for your time!