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Coming to Xbox 360 and PS3 sometime in 2007!

In 2003, EA started a new studio, from the ground up, in downtown Montreal. EA Montreal's 1st release, Army of Two, is an intriguing third-person shooter coming to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 sometime in 2007. It focuses on the exploits of two mercenaries, Salem and Rios, in the employ of a PMC (private military corporation.)

As for its setting, EA promises to "throw gamers into hot spots ripped from current day headlines" and assures us that the plot will entail "war, political turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world."  Fine and dandy, but what will seperate Army of Two from the innumerable, better-established military shooters? EA is banking on an innovative style of cooperative gameplay to differentiate themselves from the competition and, thus far, it appears they are succeeding!

It's clear from the demo that cooperative tactics are integral to the gameplay in a number of ways, some fairly simple, others far more complex. Some of the more basic examples include throwing a clip to your partner when he's out of ammo, driving a humvee while he fires a mounted gun on top, and, if your partner is hit, throwing your arm around his shoulder and helping him to safety. If your partner is gravely injured, walking up to him will initiate a CPR mini game in which you must rythmically push buttons to pump on his chest. The 2nd, injured player finds themselves in a black tunnel running away from a fast-encroaching white light.

An interesting example of a more complex cooperative task is co-op sniping. Basically, the screen is split, allowing you to see through your own sniper rifle scope and that of your partner. When you both have clear shots, you can use a voice command to initiate a countdown and fire simultaneously, taking out two adversaries at once.

Another interesting example of Army of Two's cooperative gameplay style are the rappeling sequences. Co-op rappeling allows one player to scale a wall or cliff face, even when there is nothing at the top with which to secure a rope. Say, for example, that one player needed to descend down a 30 foot cliff. The other stands at the top of the cliff, about 30 feet from the edge, and secures a rope around their waist.