In 2010, the shooter genre was basically a contest to see who could be the most "tactical" or the most "cinematic." Then came Army of Two: The 40th Day. It didn't care about being a military sim or a gritty documentary. It cared about you and your buddy back-to-back in a collapsing Shanghai. Honestly, we don't see games like this anymore. It was loud, it was clunky in a charming way, and it featured a weapon customization system that put modern Call of Duty to shame.
The game follows Salem and Rios, two mercenaries who find themselves in the middle of a literal apocalypse. A private military company called the 40th Day Initiative starts leveling Shanghai with explosives. It’s chaotic. One minute you’re checking your gear, the next, skyscrapers are falling around you like dominoes. This wasn't just a sequel that added a few new guns; it was a fundamental shift in how co-op mechanics could influence a narrative.
The Aggro System Was Actually Genius
If you played the original Army of Two, you knew the drill. One person draws fire, the other flanks. In Army of Two: The 40th Day, EA Montreal polished this to a mirror finish. It wasn't just a gimmick. It was survival. If you didn't manage your "Aggro," you died. Simple as that. Your HUD would glow red or blue to show who the enemies were focused on.
Imagine this: your partner is suppressed behind a concrete pillar. You pop out with a gold-plated LMG—yes, you could make your guns gold—and spray wildly. Suddenly, the enemies forget your friend exists. They focus entirely on you. This opens up a window for your partner to go transparent, literally "cloaking" in the chaos to line up a sniper shot or perform a mock surrender.
The mock surrender was peak gaming. You’d drop your weapons, put your hands up, and the AI would actually hesitate. It felt like a gamble every time. While they were busy shouting orders at the "surrendering" player, the other guy was lining up a headshot. It was dirty. It was merc life.
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Weapon Customization That Went Way Too Hard
I need to talk about the guns. Most games give you a silencer and maybe a red dot. Army of Two: The 40th Day gave you a screwdriver and told you to go nuts. You could put a soda can on the end of your barrel as a makeshift suppressor. You could attach a bayonet that was basically a kitchen knife duct-taped to the front.
It was ridiculous.
But it worked because every part changed the stats in a meaningful way. You weren't just looking for "damage up." you were looking for the right balance of Aggro generation and handling. If you wanted to be the tank, you built a loud, terrifying beast of a weapon. If you were the stealth guy, you used that soda can. The "pimping" system returned too, allowing for diamond-encrusted skins that made no sense in a war zone but felt incredibly satisfying to earn.
Morality in a World of Greed
The moral choices in this game were surprisingly dark. Usually, in games, the "good" choice gives you a reward and the "bad" choice gives you a different reward. In Shanghai, the consequences were often delayed and devastating.
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Take the encounter with the zoo. You find a guy guarding the animals. You can kill him and take his high-tier sniper rifle, or you can let him live. If you kill him, the game shows you a comic-book style cutscene of what happens later—usually something depressing like the animals starving or being slaughtered. It gave the game a soul that the first entry lacked. It wasn't just about the paycheck anymore; it was about whether Salem and Rios were actually "good" guys or just slightly less-bad guys.
Why the Level Design Still Holds Up
The verticality of Shanghai was a character in itself. You weren't just walking through corridors. You were fighting through falling hotels, crumbling malls, and debris-strewn streets. The 40th Day Initiative felt like an overwhelming force because they weren't just shooting at you; they were destroying the world around you.
There's a specific sequence in a hospital that sticks with me. The lighting is flickering, the corridors are tight, and the sense of claustrophobia is real. It forced you to use the "Back-to-Back" mechanic where the camera spins in 360 degrees while you and your partner fend off waves of enemies. It was scripted, sure, but it felt like a choreographed dance of lead and muzzle flares.
The Tragedy of the Third Game
We can't talk about the greatness of the second game without acknowledging how The Devil's Cartel kinda ruined the momentum. It dropped the Aggro system. It dropped the quirky customization. It felt like a generic third-person shooter. It's why fans keep coming back to Army of Two: The 40th Day. It was the last time the series felt like it had an identity.
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The chemistry between Salem and Rios was at its peak here. Their fist-bumps, their rock-paper-scissors matches, and their constant bickering made them feel like actual partners. Most co-op games today just give you "Player 1" and "Player 2." This game gave you a brotherhood.
Getting It to Run in 2026
If you're trying to play this today, you have a few options. It’s not on modern consoles through standard digital storefronts in most regions, which is a crime. However, if you have an Xbox, the backwards compatibility program sometimes features it, or you can hunt down a physical disc. For PC players, emulation via RPCS3 (PS3) or Xenia (Xbox 360) has come a long way.
Running the game on an emulator actually breathes new life into it. You can push the resolution to 4K, and the stylized art direction—which was already great—looks incredibly sharp. The textures on the masks especially pop.
Actionable Steps for a Modern Playthrough
If you’re diving back in or experiencing it for the first time, don’t play it like Gears of War. You’ll get bored. Play it like a merc.
- Lean into the Aggro: One person should intentionally build the loudest, most obnoxious LMG possible. The other should stay light with a suppressed rifle.
- Explore the Customization: Don't just stick to the "best" parts. Experiment with the weird stuff. Use the shield. Use the mock surrender.
- Check the Morality: Pay attention to the comic slides after a big decision. They provide a lot of the context that the main dialogue skips over.
- Co-op is Mandatory: Technically, you can play with an AI partner, but it’s 10% of the fun. Find a friend, grab a drink, and argue over who gets to carry the riot shield.
Army of Two: The 40th Day remains a masterclass in how to build a game around two people. It didn't try to be everything to everyone. It just tried to be the best co-op experience on the shelf. Decades later, it still holds that crown for many of us who remember the golden age of couch play.