Unlike most combat games, which pitch the player in on his or her own, Army of Two gives you a buddy with whom to face the terror.

If you have two human players (and two controllers) you can both play in split-screen mode, or if you're on your own the computer will supply an artificial intelligence sidekick. The gameplay takes the two-person model into account: in the decent training section you're instructed how to make best use of it.

There's a clever aggro system for using one of the two to draw enemy fire while the other can sneak around and take pot-shots at the opposing characters. Predictably, the action takes place in the Middle East, with the two main characters, mercenaries Tyson and Elliot trying to put one over various warlords in the region.

It's easy to get into, and while the two-player combat model takes a while to get used to, it works reasonably well once you're into it. The learning curve is helped by the laid-back attitude of the game – there's plenty of (not-so-witty) banter going on between the two soldiers, and it's even possible for you to hand-slap and headbutt your buddy, should you wish.

It's not an easy game, though, and some of the earlier sections take several attempts to get through unscathed – if one of the characters dies, it's game over, so you must both get through each level alive.
Multiplayer mode pitches two-person teams against each other and there's a clever system for customising weapons using the shop that pops up during each level.

The guns can be souped up in several ways and you can swap weapons with your partner if you get bored. This all helps to keep things fresh in the fairly run-of-the-mill combat story, and there's just enough here to keep it interesting for a lengthy gaming session.