E3 07: Army of Two - hands-on

More interesting still is the idea of mobile cover, which we got to see in action. After finding a truck parked in the middle of a combat zone, the pair blew the door off it (you'll also be able to drive vehicles, of course, but this turned out to be cooler). Then, Rios crouched down, picked up the door and held it up like a shield, then proceeded to crouch-walk forward as Salem sauntered behind him, shooting everything that moved from the relative safety of the impromptu riot shield. The two can also stand back-to-back and fire in a circle, quickly taking down all attackers when surrounded.

The pair can also do less-friendly things, such as smack each other around. We're not talking light, playful slaps, either - one player will be able to headbutt, gut-punch or just pimp-slap the other at any time, which will probably come in useful for blowing off steam when your buddy (or the computer, if you're playing solo) inevitably messes up.

Finally, teamwork comes into play when one of you gets shot down. Rather than simply dying and failing the mission, you'll get a second chance if your partner can grab you and drag you to a safe place. (You'll be able to make it safe by shooting anyone who follows you while you're being dragged away, which is awesome). Once you're covered, you'll be able to begin a two-player CPR minigame that requires you to hit buttons in tandem, thereby keeping an onscreen tampon from filling up with blood. (Apparently, this is because real soldiers use tampons to plug wounds in the field - not so feminine now, are they?)

We've had doubts in the past, but now that we've seen it in full swing, Army of Two actually looks pretty impressive - especially with little bells and whistles like a GPS system that can automatically superimpose a path to your next objective onto the landscape. Our time actually playing it was short, but if the action and plot turn out to be anywhere as fascinating as they look, this could wind up a surprise hit.