Like any good sequel, Army of Two: 40th Day maintains enough familiarity. To start, you choose either Rios or Salem and a difficulty for each player, then hop into whatever chapter is available. In the first Army of Two, we traveled the globe with the two mercenaries. Following those events, Rios and Salem form T.W.O., TransWorld Operations. Their most recent job lands them in Shanghai, China.
It’s a lovely day in Shanghai, and tourists are excitedly filming the city during their tour. An amateur video captures the mostly uneventful bus ride, occasionally catching sight of unusually heavily armored (and armed) men. When night falls, what appears to be a terrorist attack rocks the entire city, killing countless civilians. Apparently, no one saw this coming, even with the shady mercenaries bearing skull emblems.
Anyway, following the catastrophic attack, we’re tossed back to a previous time, when Salem and Rios are just getting their bearings. You play through something like a prologue, going over the basics with your contact, JB, before the fireworks really start, placing us back in present day.
Weapon customization is back and vastly improved. The expanded features allow the player to buy and tweak their arsenal at any time outside of combat with just about anything they can find. In addition to buying goods, you can scavenge supply crates for equipment, use “junk” found in the environment, or earn them by being a good person. Basically, aside from “real” upgrades, you can attach found items like “soda can silencer” or a screwdriver as a bayonet. Supply crates scattered around the place are another source of equipment, but you’ve got be fast in order to use them; the enemy will lock the crates permanently if you don’t kill them quickly.
Aggro returns, so players can once again use their partners as bait. As before, the one holding enemy Aggro is highlighted in orange, while the other player gets a lovely blue aura. If you feel like being sneaky, Feign Death is still an option, or you can try Mock Surrender for a laugh. Either you or your partner (or both) can pretend to surrender when prompted, by dropping your main weapon and follow instructions to reduce suspicion. Quick Draw with your sidearm at any time to trigger slo-mo and pick off enemies while they’re caught by surprise.
To avoid killing, either player can sneak up behind a high-ranking unit and take him hostage, forcing subordinates to surrender — keep in mind enemies can take you or your partner hostage as well. Then while one person holds the officer, the other player can go ahead and subdue the rest, thus earning some Morality.
Morality is something new. Whenever Salem and Rios subdue enemies, they are given a choice to either tie them up or kill them. Killing enemies will subtract Morality points can sometimes alert others, but hey, if you shot one guy, what’s a few more? Alternatively, preserving civilian lives or showing mercy to enemies will award Morality and other goodies, from money to weapon upgrades. Your overall Morality score also dictates what sort of loot you receive later on. Opportunities to earn these Morality perks pop up throughout the game, meaning you’re really forced to think twice before pulling the trigger or running into a situation without any regard for hostages.
Every decision also comes with its own consequences. As you progress, you’ll encounter more opportunities to flex your decision-making skills, and whatever you decide will impact more than just Morality; the lives of other characters can be affected, and their perception of Salem and Rios can change. Nothing is black ‘n’ white here, so even if you think you’re making the “right” choice (like sparing a life), later events may prove otherwise. Each time a moral dilemma is resolved, a cutscene reveals the immediate and long-term aftermath.
