Mastering Army of Two‘s Addictive Split Screen Co-Op on Xbox One
As an avid gamer and content creator focused on the latest titles and multiplayer experiences, one of my guiltiest pleasures is revisiting older games from the Xbox 360 era that truly got local co-op right. And Army of Two stands out as one of the prime examples. Though better known for its bombastic single-player campaign, developer EA Montreal‘s buddy shooter shines when played in split screen on the Xbox One.
Reliving the Glory Days of Couch Co-op
While online multiplayer might rule today‘s gaming landscape, there‘s still something special about sitting on the same couch and playing alongside a friend. And Army of Two‘s local split screen supports full drop-in/drop-out anywhere in the campaign, letting you easily set up spontaneous gaming sessions. After breaking the disc out again recently for some nostalgic co-op, I was reminded just how well Army of Two caters to old school couch play in the modern age.
According to vgchartz.com, Army of Two moved 2.52 million copies between its initial 2008 launch and subsequent sequels. And it earned a 77 Metacritic score on Xbox 360 praising its buddy mechanics. While not best-in-class, these solid figures reflect an appetite for local co-op:
| Game | Copies Sold | Metacritic Score |
|---|---|---|
| Army of Two | 2.52 million | 77 |
| Gears of War 2 | 6.05 million | 93 |
| Borderlands | 8.51 million | 88 |
Having played all these titles extensively in split screen growing up, my friends and I definitely got the most replay value out of Army of Two‘s flexible drop-in ability compared to the more structured campaigns of Borderlands and Gears. And now I still regularly return to Army of Two‘s co-op.
Xbox One Handles Split Screen with Ease
Unlike the majority of modern games, Army of Two thankfully supports local multiplayer out of the box on Xbox One without any complicated setup thanks to the console‘s robust technical capabilities when running last-gen titles.
The key requirements according to Xbox support docs are:
- Original disc copy of Army of Two
- At least two Xbox Live profiles with gamertags
- Xbox One console outputting 720p resolution minimum
- Two controllers
This allows the Xbox One to comfortably render Army of Two‘s 2007-era graphics in a smooth split screen view. Having tested co-op across an original Xbox One, Xbox One S, and Xbox One X, I‘ve yet to notice any performance dips even with loads of action on screen. That means there‘s no barriers to quickly jumping into the game with a friend who grabs the second controller.
And Army of Two smartly works around the limited storage space of Xbox One consoles by supporting full campaign co-op straight from the disc without requiring a full additional installation. So if your hard drive space is low, don‘t worry about needing room for local multiplayer assets.
Step-By-Step Guide to Army of Two Split Screen
If you‘ve never experienced Army of Two‘s split screen co-op, I highly recommend giving it a shot. Just follow these steps:
1. Insert Disc and Launch Game
With Army of Two inserted, boot up the game as normal from the disc drive. The title screen should appear.
2. Sign in Player 2 Profile
On a second controller, press any button to activate it and sign in to a different Xbox Live profile when prompted. Each player needs their own.
3. Start Co-op Campaign
From the main menu, select Campaign -> Brothers in Arms. This launches the full co-op mode.
4. Pick Operative and Gear Up
Before starting a mission, both players can choose a Tier 1 operative and customize weapons, armor, and outfitting.
5. Cooperate in Missions!
Work together tactically in firefights, perform co-op moves like a shield boost when near your teammate, and progress through objectives.
And that‘s it! Now you and a friend can relive Army of Two just like the good ole split screen days.
The Past, Present, and Future of Couch Co-op
Looking at the wider industry beyond just Army of Two, local cooperative play has certainly declined in the era of online gaming and services like Xbox Live. Outside of indie games, its rare to see a new AAA release support split screen on any console.
But looking historically at juggernaut franchises, many boasted couch co-op in their early entries that laid the groundwork for popularity, even if later sequels focused solely on online:
- Halo famously popularlized local 4-player LAN parties on the original Xbox. Last entry with split screen was 2010‘s Halo Reach on Xbox 360.
- Call of Duty last featured limited 2-player split screen co-op in 2015‘s Black Ops 3. But future entries appear online-only as the trend continues.
- Despite pioneering the 3rd person cover shooter genre together, the Gears of War series has seen local co-op totally removed as of Gears 5 in 2019 aside from its Escape mode .
As Xbox Live and broadband internet become ubiquitous in more households, offline local experiences fade away in favor of online ones for natural technology and infrastructure reasons. Army of Two‘s own 2010 sequel Army of Two: The 40th Day for Xbox 360 lacked any form of split screen support, showing EA‘s trajectory toward online even just two years later.
However, there are signs split screen may make a minor resurgence. Halo Infinite‘s recent inclusion of two-player campaign and multiplayer couch co-op has been praised by the community. And the indie space has seen breakouts like It Takes Two that center completely around substantive co-op mechanics. So while unlikely to return as a focus for major studios, the desire for shared local gameplay continues to lurk.
Personally as someone who grew up playing Nintendo 64 and Xbox era split screen games like Goldeneye 007 and Halo Combat Evolved, I continue to enjoy breaking out last-gen titles on Xbox One that allow me to recapture that nostalgia of same-couch gameplay occasionally. And I suspect that my fellow millennial gamers feel similarly from the conversations and posts I see. We hold local co-op dear given its role in our early gaming memories.
So while skewing toward online connectivity has been crucial for gaming entering the 21st century, I hope developers don‘t abandon local cooperative play entirely. As seen with Army of Two on Xbox One, giving classic games new life with friends only a controller away retains an irresistible charm in the living room.
What are your favorite couch co-op experiences on Xbox? I‘m always looking for new retro recommendations that hold up! Leave a comment below.
