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The Army of Two team celebrated the announcement that Chris Bachalo and Jock were lending their artistic talents to Army of Two: The 40^th Day by appearing at the San Diego Comic-Con last week, joining an EA showcase that also included Brutal Legend, Dante's Inferno, The Saboteur, and Warhammer Online.

The EA booth was packed from the preview night on Wednesday through to show close on Sunday, and Army of Two contributed to the action by hosting Chris Bachalo for two autograph sessions. While a lucky few were able to also get an on-the-spot Bachalo sketch, the focus was on Chris signing an SDCC exclusive Army of Two poster that reflected one of the key moral decisions players have to make in the course of gameplay.

After the long lines on Friday, visitors the next day received an unexpected shock: Salem & Rios, live and in person provided security at the booth!

In fact, Salem & Rios were not actually EA employees, but fans of the game inspired to recreate the outfits with an incredible amount of detail. And not only did they look good, but the pair recreated a number of action poses familiar to anybody who played the first Army of Two: ranging from dragging a wounded comrade to shelter, to playing air guitar with a rifle, these guys impressed booth goers and EA employees alike, creating a number of great photo ops (including one with everyone's favorite boy scout).

Army of Two also hosted a panel on Sunday, where Reid Schneider (executive producer) and Alex Hutchinson (creative director) presented a first-look at how the sequel is shaping up. The presentation walked the audience through an overview of the game's design and creative direction, the @Army_of_Two twitter account keeping pace along the way. Information shared included:

-          15,000 photos were generated on location during the scouting tour in China, to create a genuine sense of place

-          The moral choices the players are asked to make carry practical consequences: some weapons are only available as the result of one choice or another

-          Because the game can track player behavior, the team will track (and share) how ‘moral' gamers are in North America vs. Europe

-          The main story branches, with two distinct endings

-          Propaganda is a huge part of the game's visual language - this is more than just a military goal, the invading force has a message to deliver

-          Yes, weapon customization is back... and can you still pimp your weapon? Yes, you can!

From there, the tables were turned and the assembled fans had the opportunity to ask Reid & Alex what they wanted to know, revealing:

-          Weapon customization can now happen in-mission, and is much deeper. For example, any rifle part can attach to any rifle. Almost like "lego with guns."

-          Big boss type battles will be more challenging, with certain enemy types (‘heavies') requiring more elaborate tactics

-          Multiplayer details will be coming soon, but teasing the SDCC audience Alex & Reid did say that multiplayer will be much bigger, with more modes and maps, be fully client-server, and really focused on co-op. The pair promised that all the feedback around the first game's multiplayer had been heard and addressed.

-          There is no live day/night cycle in the game, but different missions do take place at different times of day. Some missions happen at night.

-          The goal is for all achievements to be unlockable in two play throughs (and Alex copped to being an Achievement junkie)

-          Post-ship DLC is definitely planned, and while the team has no details, they're looking to create more variety than "just another map."

A sincere thank-you from the entire Army of Two team to all the fans who came out to the booth and to the panel - we had an excellent San Diego Comic-Con and are looking forward to seeing you again! Next up, check for us at the Cologne Games Con (Aug. 19-22) and PAX (Sept 4-6).

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