Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Army of Two: The 40th Day places you directly into the boots of Rios and Salem as they attempt to survive a city under siege. From the opening moments, the game’s organic co-op shines, allowing you and a partner to seamlessly communicate, coordinate flanking maneuvers, and execute powerful twin-team attacks. The mission design rewards creativity, letting you choose from stealthy infiltrations to all-out firefights, depending on your preferred style of play.

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One of the most satisfying facets is the new co-op moves. By tagging a teammate, you can throw grenades over walls, set up tandem takedowns, or even combine suppressing fire with a dash maneuver to break through enemy lines. Each sequence brings a cinematic quality to combat, reinforcing the bond between Rios and Salem and making every encounter feel like a carefully orchestrated operation rather than a run-and-gun firefight.

Weapon customization returns with a vengeance, offering more parts, paint jobs, and tactical add-ons than ever before. Whether you want a silenced submachine gun for quiet rescues or a high-caliber rifle outfitted with an under-barrel shotgun for close-quarters chaos, the interface is intuitive and the choices meaningful. Loadouts feel genuinely personal, reflecting the way each team adapts to the unfolding crisis in Shanghai.

Graphics

The 40th Day Initiative leaves no corner of Shanghai untouched, and the game’s visuals underline that devastation. Buildings crumble under artillery fire, streets are littered with burning cars, and smoke hangs heavy in the air. These set pieces aren’t merely background—they react dynamically to your actions, making every bullet hole and explosion feel consequential.

Character models for Rios, Salem, and a host of NPCs exhibit impressive detail, from pained expressions on trapped hostages to the shrapnel scars on enemy mercenaries. Lighting effects shift in real time as you move between bombed-out alleyways and sunlit rooftops, casting realistic shadows that can aid or hinder your stealth approaches.

Texture quality remains sharp across PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3, though performance dips can occur in the busiest firefights if your hardware is dated. Nevertheless, Ubisoft’s commitment to maintaining a consistent frame rate pays dividends when precision aiming and split-second decisions are required. Overall, the graphical fidelity amplifies the sense of urgency as Shanghai falls apart around you.

Story

Everything begins innocuously with a low-risk contract in Shanghai, but events quickly spiral into chaos when the “40th Day Initiative” unleashes terror across the city. Rios and Salem find themselves caught in a labyrinth of intrigue, forced to question who hired them and why. Unraveling the Initiative’s true purpose becomes a driving force, pushing the duo deeper into Shanghai’s war-torn streets.

Throughout your journey, moral choices pepper the narrative. Do you rescue innocent bystanders at the expense of precious time, or do you maintain ruthless efficiency to secure your extraction? These dilemmas enhance replayability, as choosing to save or abandon hostages yields different dialogue snippets, mission hazards, and character reactions.

While the central plot remains relatively linear, the interplay between Rios and Salem adds emotional weight. Their banter, occasional disagreements, and unspoken loyalty play out against the backdrop of a city in chaos. This personal dynamic makes the broader conspiracy feel more immediate, rooting large-scale destruction in the stakes of two mercenaries fighting for survival.

Overall Experience

Army of Two: The 40th Day excels when played with a partner, transforming routine cover-and-shoot segments into cooperative set-pieces. Even solo players benefit from the AI companion, whose reliability ensures you’re never left exposed. The blend of strategy and adrenaline creates a rhythm that keeps you returning for “just one more mission.”

The revamped multiplayer mode further extends the game’s lifespan. Partner Deathmatch and Warzone matches bring chaotic ten-man battles, while Control and Extraction introduce objective-based twists that reward teamwork and map knowledge. Whether you’re competing or cooperating, the multiplayer modes leverage the same co-op mechanics that shine in the campaign.

Despite occasional pacing hiccups in its middle chapters and a handful of predictable narrative beats, the game’s strengths—co-op innovation, environmental destruction, and meaningful choices—far outweigh its shortcomings. Players looking for a third-person shooter that emphasizes camaraderie over lone-wolf heroics will find plenty to love here.

In the end, The 40th Day Initiative may have shattered Shanghai, but Army of Two: The 40th Day pieces together an experience that’s as explosive as it is engaging. Whether you’re drawn to the strategic freedom, the satisfying destruction, or the tug-of-war between profit and principle, this title delivers a co-op campaign that lives up to its ambitious premise.

Retro Replay Score

7.4/10