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Two of a kind... kind of similar that is.

Salem and Rios are back, this time they take their destructive exploits to Shanghai to help the city survive from total catastrophe, without causing too much chaos themselves. Using a new engine, new A.I. and sporting a ton of new co-op moves that are both humorous and destructive while making their point, the twosome can be oh so gruesome.

The first Army of Two game was a very addictive, albeit short adventure that was only short on fun for the single player. The only real feature it lacked was more things that you and a friend could do. This has been all but rectified in Army Of Two: The 40th Day, well... all but the single player experience, which still is blah comparatively to grabbing a friend and going to town.

The multiplayer is where the game really shines as playing with a partner, using a better aggro system that detects your enemies positions, a GPS system, and morality choices make things much more interesting. It's especially more inviting when you are playing with two unlike minds to separate the forgiving and the bloodthirsty and the choices they make as a team. The story mode still feels too short for its own good, but thankfully that's not all folks. There are 3 multiplayer modes for starters, with a fourth available to download or play for a month for free if you preordered it. You have a co-op death match mode, control (i.e. capture the flag), and Warzone that randomly selects objectives to keep you on your toes as once you succeed, a new objective pops up. The last is Extraction, which is like horde mode in Gears of War 2 fighting off wave after wave of enemies. Extraction is the only one that is offered with a max of 4 players, while the others you can play up to 12.

Those who really enjoyed the customization features in the last game will be happy to see that the feature has returned, allowing for your primary weapon and face mask to be painted and "pimped out" to your liking. The developers heard your cries too as a wealth of tools are at your disposal to really personalize both your look, but your weapons as well. This even bodes well for your melee attacks as putting a butcher knife on the end of your gun like a bayonet may not seems as appealing to some of you, but to a fan of Michael Myers, I must say it is a nice weapon of choice. What's more, the game is stocked with crates throughout the campaign, and if you encounter them before you are discovered by an enemy, they will add more schemes to your palette of goodness. Be warned, once you are spotted, these become locked for good, or until you decide to replay the level.

The story is no more than your B grade action film plot, with all the expectantly "unexpected "events that take place to throw a monkey wrench into your plans. While cheesy and filled with corny dialog, the voice accompaniment is quite comical, yet somehow convincing and even uses this generation's most popular voice actor as of late, Nolan North, who plays Salem. Those who know his work, or have played any games in the last 6 months that were worth a damn like prince of Persia, Assassin's Creed II, Shadow Complex, and of course Uncharted 2 will recognize Nolan's efforts and quips right off the bat. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the work; I just feel that the developers really need to branch off as he is beginning to become overused in the business in a short amount of time. The sound track provides the perfect amount of heart thumping exhilaration you'd hope for in an action title that will get the adrenaline pumping.

The end result is that if you have any inclination of playing this title alone, I suggest renting it. The game is frantic and fun, but best played with a buddy. Not only does the two player co-op go a long way in making the story mode most enjoyable, but the multiplayer modes have enough meat on them to make the purchase much more satisfying. Fans of the first will eat up what "The 40th Day" brings to the table, and if it wasn't your cup of tea the first go round, I can't really say the sequel will change your mind, even with all its fixes and gameplay additions. To quote some great song titles when suggesting Army Of Two: The 40th Day, all I can say is that "One is the loneliest number", and "It takes two, baby."