EA’s Army of Two franchise has been getting better with every iteration (the original scored a 5.5, with the sequel jumping to an 8.0), but standing out in a sea of shooters requires carrying the big guns. That’s why EA has fired their most potent weapon at Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel — Visceral Games. We already know the Dead Space developers know how to make gore unique — and there’s plenty of that in The Devil’s Cartel – but we were equally impressed at how they’ve been able to create insane action scenes, too.

Playing as a new duo named Alpha and Bravo (original Ao2 protags Salem and Rios will provide support as NPCs), we stormed through a pair of stages that showed off some epic set-pieces. Our first mission was “Drug Lab,” which provided ample opportunities to learn The Devil’s Cartel’s many cooperative activities. Over the course of the 15-minute stage, we went from awkwardly deciding which teammate should boost the other up a wall to saving each other’s hides with well-timed revival shots — an extremely necessary adaption on our part, since The Devil’s Cartel is not friendly to lone gunmen. Later in the stage, a boost gone awry sent our teammate through the floor on the other side, splitting the team up and forcing us to provide cover fire over a balcony at the level below.

The “Drug Lab” hit its biggest high when we reached the building’s rooftop. After cooperatively breaching the door, we entered a slowmotion sequence that made mowing down the crowd of enemies a bit more manageable. Then, when a support helicopter arrived on the scene, one teammate hopped aboard and manned the gun, defending the other as the duo moved towards an extraction point. Our first runthrough had us sprinting through the labyrinth-like highrise rooftops — all filled with baddies — before precariously moving across a final chasm via a downed antennae. Afterward, we tried the same sequence in the air, neutralizing threats from above (often blowing up gas tanks to do so), then shooting down the aforementioned makeshift bridge. The sequence ended with the two meeting up in typical high-octane fashion — the support chopper being shot down right in front of the antennae, with the rooftop runner saving the copter-tethered partner by grabbing his arm before he fell off the roof, and each of the duo using their free hand to kill the pilot of an incoming copter with their sidearm.

This guy didn’t stand a chance, but the good news is that his hat is doing just fine.

A helping hand (or two) in the middle of a co-op take-down.

Our next destination, “Ghost Town,” was not as action-packed, but still allowed for some cool set-pieces. The level began with a missile attack separating the duo and seriously wounding Bravo, after which Alpha had to navigate his way to his injured comrade during a timed sequence. With both teammates reunited and in full health, the pair made their way to a drained circular fountain, which served as the location of a “back-to-back”–style action sequence, in which bad guys attacked from all angles, forcing expert timing and teamwork in order to clear the area of hostiles. It was here where the game’s “Overkill” system really came into high use. As the two offed enemies, each of their Overkill meters built up (expert tactics like melee and flanking kills sped up the process). When the meter is completely filled, a lone gunman can use it to deploy unlimited bullets with greater stopping power (this is when you’ll see the more gruesome gunshots remove limbs and tear meat off rib cages) and take part in more brutal melee kills (you’ll be able to penetrate skulls or slice a leg off at the thigh with a knife). Synchronize Overkill deployment with a teammate, and you’ll enter a communal bullet-time, giving the team the opportunity to turn the tables on approaching enemies.

As if the game didn’t have enough helicopterbased action, “Ghost Town” concluded with Alpha and Bravo making their way to a marketplace that was soon besieged by a chopper raining down fire. The team had to make judicious use of cover and revival techniques as they alternated between drawing fire and peppering the sky-bound threat with machine-gun fire. Eventually, the chopper crashed into a nearby clock tower, proving that an Army of Two game can make crazy intense action unfold, even in a low-key locale.

Devil’s Cartel allows you to buy upgrade weapons with bigger mags, laser sights, remote cameras, and muzzles, while also giving you vital stats like kill numbers and money earned on a gun-by-gun basis.

PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts • DEVELOPER: Visceral Games • MULTIPLAYER: Yes • RELEASE DATE: March 26, 2013 • FOR FANS OF: Die Hard, Dead Space, meaningful bromances