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Army of Two: The 40th Day co-op video is fist bump free

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 9th 2009 at 7:31PM }

While we must absolutely stress that the above headline is true, it's also misleading. It's true that the video above contains no fist bumps whatsoever; the bulk is comprised of the various co-op tactics that can be performed in Army of Two: The 40th Day, including back-to-back gun play, lifting, hostage grabbing and -- our personal favorite -- mock surrender. That said, there is bumping in the video, specifically the bumping of forearms.

So why the change? What is the social significance of the forearm bump? Is it a sign of greater manliness, or are the characters in Army of Two simply trying to fight the spread of deadly germs? Please, contribute your theories in the comments.

PSA: Army of Two, Midnight Club, Sonic Unleashed now on demand

by Richard Mitchell { Oct 20th 2009 at 4:45PM }

Major Nelson has shared with the internet the following facts: Army of Two, Midnight Club: LA and Sonic Unleashed are now available on Xbox Live Games on Demand. Army of Two and Midnight Club are available everywhere except Japan and North Korea, while the madness that is Sonic Unleashed is available worldwide. In North America, Army of Two is $19.99 and Midnight Club is $29.99. Sonic Unleashed will cost you $29.99 and the immediate forfeit of your immortal soul. Prices in other regions will vary (except for the soul part; we're pretty sure that's constant).

New Army of Two: The 40th Day viral video has its priorities straight

by David Hinkle { Oct 12th 2009 at 11:00PM }

All work and no play may make Jack a dull boy, but for the folks at EA Montreal making Army of Two: The 40th Day, playing is no longer an option -- unless they're playing their own game as a part of their job. That's what this latest viral video marketing the game shows, as Rios and Salem continue checking in with their developers and try to keep them on the right track.

One thing we will say is that this new video is decidedly more downbeat than the pair's previous jaunt through the office. What's the matter, guys? Does somebody have a case of the Mondays?

300 and Watchmen composer Tyler Bates scoring The 40th Day

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 10th 2009 at 5:30PM }

Remember that scene in 300 where that guy is giving that other guy lip, and that guy's all like "No sir!" and he kicks him into that big pit? And then the music's all like "DUHN DUHN DUHN, DUHN DAAH?" What about that scene in the latest episode of Californication where that girl is giving David Duchnovny lip, and Duchovny's all like "No sir!" and he kicks her into that big pit? And then the music's all like "DUHN DUHN DUHN, DUHN DAAH?"

We'll be experiencing similar situations in a video game context soon, as Tyler Bates, the composer for both of those projects (as well as Watchmen, Dawn of the Dead and The Day The Earth Stood Still), will be providing musical accompanyment for Army of Two: The 40th Day. Check out the above video to get a sampling of his mood-altering rock, which carries a surprising amount of intensity, even when divorced from acts of brutal pit-kicking.

GTA IV, Dead Space coming to Xbox 360 Games on Demand this month

by David Hinkle { Oct 9th 2009 at 10:00AM }

The Xbox 360's Games on Demand service is getting quite the booster shot this month, as Microsoft has announced six new titles coming to the service in October. The festivities kicked off earlier this week with the release of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and Call of Duty 3. Here's what the rest of this month has in store:

October 13

Grand Theft Auto IV

October 20

October 27

Dead Space
DiRT

There's no word on price for any of these titles right now, so we've checked with Microsoft and will be sure to update you when we hear back.

IDW producing Dragon Age and Army of Two comics

by David Hinkle { Oct 7th 2009 at 3:01AM }

Through a joint collaboration with IDW Publishing and EA's new EA Comics brand, comic versions of Dragon Age and Army of Two will find themselves on shelves and available for download on iTunes in monthly runs. The comics will be backed by some pretty heavy hitters; Orson Scott Card will be penning the story for Dragon Age and veteran Peter Milligan will be handling the story for Army of Two, which is due to start its run sometime in January 2010.

There's no information on the Dragon Age comic at this time, however we know the events of the Army of Two bromic (see what we did there?) will bridge the gap between the conclusion of the first game and the events of The 40th Day.

TGS 2009: Hands-on: Army of Two: The 40th Day

by Andrew Yoon { Sep 24th 2009 at 10:01AM }

Andrew: "Oh my god, you shot her in the face!"
Ross: "Hey, we're an army of two. I don't want a third wheel."

Seconds after booting up the Tokyo Game Show demo of Army of Two: The 40th Day, we managed to completely botch a hostage "rescue" operation, while brutally murdering the four terrorists involved. Our morality meter went down quite significantly after that, we're sure. Had we managed to progress with some more finesse, we would've been able to sneak behind two enemies, grab them and "negotiate" a solution for the others. Is there a morally "good" way out of a situation like that? Perhaps, but we'll never know.

While it's easy to simply accuse Ross of insatiable bloodthirstiness, his less-than-graceful approach at this scenario could be blamed on the (admittedly early) build's choppy framerate, and the sometimes confusing controls. Ross found it difficult to stick to cover, and move from one place to another; I found myself inadvertently switching between crouching, cover and something in between.

Gallery: Army of Two: The 40th Day (TGS 2009)

Continued →

New AoT: 40th Day screens drop shield, charge head first

by Ben Gilbert { Sep 23rd 2009 at 12:31PM }

We're misleading you a bit. The screenshots aren't quite dropping anything themselves, so much as the stars of upcoming bromance sequel, Army of Two: The 40th Day, are putting down their shields. Donning masks with flames -- so as to terrify enemies into thinking they're being advanced upon by White Zombie, of course -- Salem and Rio are clearly concerned with meeting attire standards for the professional workplace: sporty, yet hardcore.

That's what those bad guys get for standing in the way of movie night!

Gallery: Army of Two: The 40th Day (TGS 2009)

Hands-on: Army of Two: The 40th Day (PSP)

by Randy Nelson { Sep 21st 2009 at 4:20PM }

When we recently had the opportunity to play EA's version of Army of Two: The 40th Day for PSP, we went into it with the realistic expectation that it would be the console game pared down to accommodate the portable's controls and capabilities. What we quickly found was a game designed specifically for PSP that conjures memories of top-down arcade shooters such as Mercs and Ikari Warriors.

It's very much an arcade game, with its own unique art style and controls, but it still sticks to the console game's plot -- and employs its unique Aggro mechanic with some nice results.

Gallery: Army of Two: The 40th Day (PSP)

Continued →

EA Montreal VP unconvinced by movies that 'really respect' games

by David Hinkle { Sep 14th 2009 at 12:00PM }

During an interview with Videogamer, EA Montreal VP Alain Tascan expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming Army of Two movie, most notably for Scott Z. Burns' script. Tascan seems to be satisfied with what he's seen so far, describing EA's approach to the film as being quite hands-off. "We're working together," he said. "We explain what the world is about, what the missions are about, and then we leave the guy to do his job."

While this shows confidence in Burns, Tascan seems worried about the effects of an overbearing game bible. "So far, when movies try to really respect the games they're not always the best quality," Tascan remarked.

Well, that explains it: game adaptations have just been too slavishly devoted to the source material. Oh, if only DOA: Dead or Alive hadn't been so intent on including the franchise's trademark nanobots and assassin sunglasses.

Army of Two: The 40th Day just got even more serious

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 19th 2009 at 2:02AM }

We're not entirely sure what's going on with the mood swings of Army of Two: The 40th Day. On one hand, it's a bromance buddy comedy. On the other hand, it is about some serious stuff. The latest trailer debuted at GamesCom looks intense, showing feats of terrorism that send chills down our spines. Split-screen co-op is highlighted in this trailer, reminding us of the series' emphasis on teamwork. In spite of the first game's faults, The 40th Day looks like a strong contender in the crowded Q1 lineup.

Army of Two: The 40th Day joins the Q1 2010 party

by David Hinkle { Aug 13th 2009 at 11:00AM }

EA has announced that Rios and Salam's latest outing, Army of Two: The 40th Day, is headed to the crowded Q1 2010 quarter, specifically January 12 in the US and January 8 in Europe. It's a good time to release a game, really. Look at every one of these other games doing the same thing!

The press release also mentions a pre-order bonus for the game in "Extraction," a multiplayer mode available to those who pre-order The 40th Day. Everyone else will gain access one month later.

Salem and Rios visit EA Montreal in bizarre Army of Two trailer

by Andrew Yoon { Aug 5th 2009 at 10:30PM }

We're not exactly sure what this new trailer for Army of Two: The 40th Day is supposed to tell us. Salem and Rios, the two masked stars of the series, stop by EA Montreal's office to play their own game and goof off. The ensuing mayhem results in the destruction of a defenseless copy machine -- without it, the game is certainly going to miss a 2009 release!

Perhaps this bizarre trailer is meant to emphasize that the game isn't all about serious stuff, like morality ... and explosions. Perhaps this marks the return of the series' trademark "bromance"?

New Army of Two: 40th Day trailer takes aim at morality

by David Hinkle { Jul 23rd 2009 at 9:30PM }

Rios and Salem have a tough choice to make in this latest trailer for Army of Two: The 40th Day. The clip highlights the game's new morality system, a set of scripted events where the player (or players, if you're rocking co-op) must make a choice, shaping the way the game plays out. In the video above, the same scene we saw at E3, Rios and Salem find a gun stash, but a nearby officer walks in and catches the two in the act. As one might assume, he's not to happy with what he sees. Do Rios and Salem put the guns back? Do they take them anyway? Do they just shoot the crap out of the cop? You'll just have to watch to find out! (We've already made our choice.)

The trailer also reveals that noted comic artists Chris Bachalo and Jock have signed up to do some illustrations for the game. Bachalo's even on hand at Comic-Con right now signing stuff, so if you're attending, hit up booth #5213.

Gallery: Army of Two: 40th Day Illustrations

Army of Two: The 40th Day: All the gunplay, half the bromance

by David Hinkle { Jun 17th 2009 at 9:00PM }

Army of Two: The 40th Day will tone down the gratuitous bouts of fist-bumping and other high-octane manlove celebrations so liberally sprinkled throughout the first game, developers have told USA Today. The shoot-everything-then-chest-bump-each-other mechanic of the first game will receive less emphasis than moral choices, which will require you to make difficult decisions at certain intervals throughout the game.

It's a shame about all of the brolebrations, though, because we think they added a lot to the game. Well, okay, a lot for us to make fun of.