When it comes to accurately assessing whether or not “The Devil’s Cartel”, the latest entry in the Army of Two series, is in fact “good or bad” you have to take into consideration what your motivations are for playing it. If, for example, you’re a staunch and seasoned gamer that routinely reviews lots of titles you might not be as impressed by it as much as someone who likes the series or is a fan of 3rd person action / shooters. Case in point – AoT: TDC is getting pretty decent reviews from average gamers and the exact opposite from critics.
“The Devil’s Cartel” is the third game in the series and seems to be firmly rooted in its ways; it’s not particularly different in any way from what fans have come to expect from the franchise and some have even gone as far to say that it’s a step backward. Regardless, TDC follows the story of our two heroes, aptly named Alpha and Bravo, who are sent to Mexico to liberate a hostage. In other words, the plot isn’t particularly interesting or dynamic on any level; however, one might say that this is par for the course for this series.
Visuals
All things aside, there’s not much to complain about in terms of the graphics of “The Devil’s Cartel”. Yeah, the environments can seem a bit bland at times, but the visuals are certainly nothing to scoff at. Likewise, the addition of some destructible areas really adds a new element which is most welcome. All the token hallmarks of games residing in this genre are present, including lavish explosions and run-down areas ripe with baddies.
Gameplay
Simply put, some people are going to love the changes which have been made to the control scheme (seeing it as a great, long overdue simplification) while others are going to be annoyed. Furthermore, there is no conventional multiplayer to speak of (deathmatches), instead, we have only the co-op campaign to satiate our online desires.
After playing through this game some people might feel as though it was a great, stripped-down addition to the series which focused on many of the elements which they feel made the series a hit in the firs place. Others might be more inclined to see “The Devil’s Cartel” as a move in an undesirable direction due to its lack of features and repetitive gameplay.
Verdict
The bottom line is that some gamers will really enjoy this title and others will be left feeling uninspired or even betrayed. Serious fans of the franchise are likely to be split with regards to their opinions. Some will delight at the time they spent whittling away at the rather short campaign and others will simply wish they’d either stayed away. Perhaps a good measurement would be to say that this title was create for people who like cover-based shooters featuring 3rd person gameplay. Regardless, you should probably rent this one first before splurging on it just to be safe.