Gears of War 2

[Pared]

Re: Gears of War 2

There was only a relevant story if you read the book... as far as the game goes... Locusts came out of the ground and waged war on the humans on Sera... beyond that, I know nothing but that's because Epic didn't really present you with a story... it felt like they designed the levels first, threw players in there, and made the story around it...

I guess they figured people would have just wanted to get the guns, kill bad guys, move to the next location, rinse, repeat.

I would have never known what happened to Marcus and his dad had it not been for someone referencing material from the book. Hopefully they present the story MUCH MUCH better this time around... and they should since they signed on a writer to do it.

Ahh... that would explain it then. Thanks.

Never did care enough to read any book about it. The story should have been in the game IMO.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

Gears of War 2: Bigger, Badder, Etc...

Recently, Microsoft unveiled a demo of the Gears of War 2 single-player campaign to members of the press. At that same time we had the opportunity to talk about Gears of War 2 with Kudo Tsunoda, General Manager, Microsoft Game Studios. Though Tsunoda talked in broad terms about the improvements we'll see in Gears 2, he had some interesting insights.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

Glad to hear that host advantage is high on their list of things to make right and that the shotgun rolling crap is going to be less effective.


10 Questions: Epic Games' Cliff Bleszinski

Regarding other games and their features that we see as a benchmark, I'd have to say the biggest thing taken into consideration is the overall richness of the online experience. The first Gears established a new world with a great twist on the shooter formula. (Granted, other games have had cover, but I believe we're well on the road to really getting it right.) Now with the sequel, we're able to significantly streamline the online experience with a far more robust package that enables players to kick more *** online with their friends.

In addition, I've realized that while you need your core combat loop to be great sometimes it's all about the extras, the "gravy," the little cool things you're able to do between combat scenarios that switch things up keep the game surprising. In Gears 2, we've got dozens of surprises in every level that will keep people talking for months to come.

3. With all the new awesome upgrades to the Unreal Engine 3 (new shaders that allow many characters, destructible environments, soft body physics), can you give us just a little tiny hint at any new gameplay elements that could be introduced (specifically into multiplayer)?

I can't reveal too much at this point, unfortunately. One can deduce that with the gameplay and technology improvements featured in Gears 2 that there are going to be many, many more palm sweat-inducing moments in multiplayer. Let's just say that when a torquebow shot hits right next to you and misses, and the wall busts into chunks, you'll be glad your foe had poor aim. Players will really feel like they're in a sci-fi multiplayer version of Black Hawk Down.

5. What do you think is the biggest change from Gears 1 to Gears 2?

It's everything coming together; the sum of its parts. Less grey pillars. More blood. More destroyable stuff. Bigger monsters. Larger battlefield scenarios. More memorable, "OMG" moments. A better, darker story. More intimate violence. Oh, and that cheesy online technique of shotgun rolling to gib people is suddenly going to be less effective as bullets taken from the front will slow you down. Most importantly, we're finally able to answer some of the nagging questions that gamers have had since the first game. And no, I'm not going to spoil it, so don't even try!

7. Is there any way to remove the Host Advantage in Gears of War?

We have many, many optimizations planned for Gears 2 that will *drastically* reduce these issues as well as another few tricks up our sleeves that I'm not able to reveal quite yet. Trust me that it's really high on our list of things to make right.

Regarding the characters and their humanity, yes, we're definitely exploring it more in the sequel. Dom's growing increasingly desperate in his search for his wife Maria, and he demands answers. In the first game, humanity's back was up against the wall, and now they're about to be tossed over that wall as their one last safe city is now threatened. Tensions flare and the stakes are higher than ever, and the game really ventures down into some really dark places. Story-wise we take some risks that I've never seen in a videogame before. I think people will be a little surprised.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

Some multiplayer details from an Xbox 360 magazine:

• New weapon Scorcher (Flamethrower) "most realistic fire in a game we've ever seen".
• 5 vs 5
• Assassination gametype altered. Everyone respawns until their leader is dead. When the leader is killed they stop rewpawing and the game ends when everyone is dead on one team. Assassination renamed 'Guardian'.
• New gametype 'Wingman' 10 players split into teams of two. Each team is played as different character (eg; Marcus and Marcus vs Dom and Dom etc).
• Matchmaking and party system.
• Executions now vary on the weapon you holding (eg; sniper rifle will be used like a golf club).
• Curb stomp returns.
• 'Y' will cause your character to unleash several brutal punches to a downed enemy, killing him.
• 'A' will cause you to pick up the enemy and use him as a shield. The player your using as a shield will go to the respawn line.
• New gametype 'MeatFlag' sort of like CTF, but Epic have done this in their own way. The flag will instead be a character wandering around the center of the map. He has his own weapons and even a place on the leaderboard. To capture him you will need to down him and pick him up as a meatshield and take him back, slowly, to your base. If you shoot the meatflag enough times while he's being dragged back to base, his captor will loose him and he'll go crazy on everyone around him.
• Specific weapons will cycle around the maps.
• Stopping power - if your running towards an enemy, but he is firing straight into your chest, you will slow down.
• The opportunity to spawn with either the Lancer or Hammerburst.
• Hammerburst gone through significant alterations. The faster you tap the the right trigger, the faster it fires. Quicker shooting = more recoil however.

• New weapon Medusa. Could be considered a power weapon. 6 shots per burst.
• Bullet shields. Big metal shield that stops you from getting hit. Can be planted into the ground to make a new cover. Enemies can kick it down though, if they get close enough.
• Grenades can be stuck anywhere. Not just on enemies. They can be planted on the ground, walls, doors, ect to produce a proximity mine.
• Smoke grenades carry a stun effect that ragdolls anyone in range.
• New weapon poison gas grenade. Produces a cloud of smoke that kills anything that lingers in it. They can be stuck onto enemies were the will slowly die. People stuck by the gas grenade can also injure team-mates if the get too close.
• On games with no respawns, when you are dead, you can fly around the map as a "ghost cam".
• You can take screenshots that will be uploaded to the community.
• Gridlock returns. However its more overgrown now, plants and grass growing.
  (everything is still the same though- cars are where they where etc)
• New map - 'River' - symetrical map, each team has a thin strip of land with a house and sniping tower, and in between them a river.
• New map - 'Security' - long thin map. To the left and right are stairs leading to veranda's that run the entire length of the map. You are barred access however by red lasers, which will kill you if attempting to pass through. A power weapon is barred on the other side of the map while at the other it is defended by sentry guns. There is a button in the middle of the map that turns the lasers and sentry's off for 20 seconds.
• New locust 'Hammerhead' (helmet makes him look sorta like a hammerhead shark)
• New locust 'Grenadier' (this is the guy we saw in the video were Marcus punches him to death)
• Two people can chainsaw one guy at the same time.
• New cog 'Tai' has aboriginal tattoo's.
• New cog 'Dizzy' "looks like Chuck Norris". His cowboy hat can get shot off.

[Pared]

Re: Gears of War 2

Damn, I will re-up XBL just for this game. Maybe for 3 months only though haha.

[sportsdude]

Re: Gears of War 2

thanks, now I have to go change my pants.

[ThaGenecyst]

Re: Gears of War 2

Two people can chainsaw one guy at the same time.





*faints*

[garnettrules21]

Re: Gears of War 2

Did they confirm 4 player co-op?

[SportsAce]

Re: Gears of War 2

Did they confirm 4 player co-op?

Not to my knowledge.

[ThaGenecyst]

Re: Gears of War 2

Here's some multiplayer screenshots:

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

The July EGM has some more multilayer details. The previous info, if you missed it.

• Only returning MP maps are Gridlock and Subway.
  
• Locust Y execution will rip a guy's arm off and beat him to death with it.
  
• If you go down with a frag in your hand, you can detonate it while you're downed, and take-out anyone trying to execute you.
  
• You can call for help while downed and your indicator will flash on teammates screens.
  
• According to EGM the Gnasher is the one with the golf club finisher, and the Longshot gets slammed straight down on the enemy's skull, butt-first. Looks like the melee executions will still be the quickest way to execute someone up close, taking reportedly, a half-second.
  
• ARing the Scorcher increases its effective range.
  
• All grenades can be stuck to walls, and the smoke's blast will knock shields out of enemy hands.
  
• The Y button allows for a variety of executions, including the fist-pummeling for the COGs, the rip-the-arm-off move above for the Locust, and many weapon-specific executions, for instance, you can take the enemy's head, place it on the Torque's blade tip, and rip it off with your foot.
  
• When using a shield, any exposed body parts are still fair game.
  
• Passing mention of a new "Wall hugging" ability.
  
• Screenshots taken while dead will be scored based on variables such as how many particle effects are present, or how close to centered the enemies are, is there blood or an execution present... The system was likened to Pokemon Snap or Dead Rising. The images will have their own Leaderboards so players can compete for who has the best screenshots.
  
• The meatflag in Meatflag is a loudmouth Stranded. The scoring area in MF will move around to various locations after a while.
  
• Solid cover will not be completely destructible (at least in MP) but you will be able to chip away a couple inches to get a slight angle on someone.
  
• Players can vote for which map they want to play next in the lobby.
  
• Epic is considering implementing a live, on-screen scoring ticker to show you how much damage you're dealing and how many points you're earning during a match.
  
• EGM got word during their visit that Gears 2 might offer AI bots.

EGM: "BauerStyle" asks if you ever plan on releasing the [PC-only] Brumak chapter for 360.

Cliff: That's not gonna happen.

EGM: Why not?

Cliff: Because you will be up to your ears in so many ****ing Brumaks in Gears 2 that you won't know what to do with them.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

TeamXbox

Furthermore, EGM saw a “Watching a Video” status instead of a “Playing Gears of War 2” message in some of the Xbox Live users playtesting the demo, which led the magazine to think that Gears of War 2 could also incorporate some video-capture functionality such as that seen in Halo 3.

Saved films would be so awesome.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

Feature: Cliff Bleszinski talks controls, enhanced multiplayer in Gears of War 2

Epic has made a lot of buzz about their new Unreal Engine 3 tech, but how will this make the world of Gears of War 2 come alive? We've heard of better lighting, better water effects, and "soft body processing." It alls sounds fancy, but how will it improve Gears 2 from a gamer's perspective?

I think you can directly look at every single tech video we've released and you can extrapolate a lot of how that's going to be used in the world. When you see hundreds of Locusts pouring out into the street and you're unloading a certain unannounced weapon into them, you're going to be a happy camper. Just the other day I was driving in this icy level with a tank and power-sliding through Locusts and Gus goes, "Locust roadkill, baby. Squish. Squish. Squash. Squash." It was just freakin' great. And then when you shoot you're knocking over trees because we have more destroyable objects and you shoot your Boomshot and everything shatters apart. Gears was heavy and Gears was chunky and Gears felt satisfying. And Gears 2 is just really taking that to the next level. It's just cooler and more visceral.

Will the new tech allow for destructible environments? If so, how might this impact gameplay?

That's what the fractuables allow. You really feel like you're chipping away at stuff and really interacting with the world. In a game like this, not only does Marcus slam into the wall, but shooting is your base form of interaction. When you're targeting a guy and he goes back behind cover and you have another unannounced weapon which is doing serious damage...We have this whole chart of things we've announced and things we haven't...I always have to cross-reference it in my head. Let's just say we leverage as much as we can whore the feature.

Is Epic streamlining or refining the controls in Gears of War 2?

Eight billion tasks have been cycled on for improving the cover system. You can interrupt the swat turn and go right into a roady run so you're not stuck swat turning. The angle of cover entry for roady run has been tweaked so you don't necessarily get suked into cover as often when you roady run. Mantling's a little more crisp. Just evading into cover is more crisp. Every single last action has been tweaked. The angle at which you cover slip when you move forward has been tweaked. Every single bit of the cover system has been massaged this time. I went back and played Gears 1 and I still think it's a great cover system, but what I missed was tremendous and I'm so happy with a lot of the results that have come out of the tweaking for Gears 2.

There were some complaints of players getting "stuck" to walls when trying to hide behind scenery. How will you refine that?

I felt like the Gears cover system worked like 85 percent of the time and we want to get as close to 100 percent as we can. We also offer an alternate control scheme, which is pretty similar to Uncharted, where we decouple the cover and the evade button so players can have those on separate buttons if they want.

So you played Uncharted and thought their cover style was a good idea?

Well, we thought some players would want it. Personally, I can't stand it. I like our system, but it's okay to have that option. I don't like my Y-axis inverted but some people do, so we want to make everybody happy.

What feedback did you receive from the multiplayer modes in Gears 1?

People loved it but they didn't like the host advantage. They got tired of the shotgun inconsistencies. We're fixing all of that. They didn't like the randomness of the chainsaw, so we put the chainsaw duel in -- may the best man win! A lot of players wanted respawning, but we added in some modes for downloadable content on Gears 1 that added respawning, but even then it was a 15-second cue. So we have game modes now, like Guardian, where players cycle in and out a lot more often. And Wingman, which is kind of like our version of Last Man Standing Free-for-All, where you have five teams of two each. So it's you and a buddy versus the world, which feels really good. We've added a lot more depth to the multiplayer.

It seems like close-quarters combat has seen an overhaul, based on the GDC teaser video. Will close-quarters chainsaw battles see any changes?

To be honest, it's just a really intense moment because you don't always expect it to happen. What happens is when you come at somebody with a chainsaw and they're just holding the chainsaw, it will automatically engage in the duel. The guy doesn't have to press B to engage in the duel initially. And then of course he needs to press the B button to win. We've tightened it up a bit since it was last demonstrated. It's a little bit faster now. In multiplayer, the length within maybe 200 milliseconds or so is basically the same as if you were to chainsaw and win somebody. The time that you spend dueling, once a guy wins he slices through the other guy really quickly. That's by design so that you're not a sitting duck for five seconds, since you're no longer in God mode when you're chainsawing, which is important to keep in mind. In keeping with all of that, it's a nice way to solve the whole random thing with the chainsaw when players go at each other. It's a cool cinematic moment to see the chainsaw teeth grinding on each other with the sparks and the sounds and everything.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

Forgot to post this. Multiplayer footage tomorrow.

And then on Wednesday is our long-awaited (at least, internally) Gears of War 2 multiplayer coverage, which includes the first MP gameplay footage. And, hopefully, some details on the evolution of sticky grenades there.

Also, Microsoft will be releasing new screens and concept art tomorrow.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

Interview with Cliff Bleszinkski and first look at multiplayer gameplay.

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