Gears of War 2

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Gears of War 2

Gears picks some outstanding music for their trailers.

First Gary Jules with "Mad World" and now Devotchka "How it ends".

The music, although untraditional, sets the mood for the games perfectly... its bittersweet and kind of depressing, and you know you're headed into hell... but you play on anyways.

+1

13 More Days people.

[chadskee]

Re: Gears of War 2

I got an e-mail yesterday saying the repair center got my xbox. I really hope that I'll have it by the time this is released.

[chippered]

Re: Gears of War 2

I got an e-mail yesterday saying the repair center got my xbox. I really hope that I'll have it by the time this is released.

You should. Once they received mine, they had it for two days and it was shipped. Four days later, I had it. This was last week, BTW.

[chadskee]

Re: Gears of War 2

You should. Once they received mine, they had it for two days and it was shipped. Four days later, I had it. This was last week, BTW.

Thanks for the info man, I'm going crazy in my down time without it. Especially with all these good games coming out lately.

[Brandwin]

Re: Gears of War 2

About 10 days left!

[CS10029]

Re: Gears of War 2

You guys are crazy for this game.

I might pick it up depending on my money situation. Which should improve drastically soon.

[SportsAce]

Re: Gears of War 2

About 10 days left!

BUYAH

[RunN1st]

Re: Gears of War 2

You guys are crazy for this game.

I might pick it up depending on my money situation. Which should improve drastically soon.

Sounds like you read that in a fortune cookie!

[CS10029]

Re: Gears of War 2

Sounds like you read that in a fortune cookie!

Hahaha, it does.

[Flawless]

Re: Gears of War 2

IGN: Gears of War 2: Making It Bigger

The first Gears of War was a showpiece for the buzzwords "Destroyed Beauty." Unreal Engine 3 expertly crafted dilapidated environments and broken down cityscapes, delivering what many considered to be the most visually impressive title on Xbox 360. Gears of War 2 does what a good sequel must do and expands on the mold set forth in the first game. When Cliff Bleszinski delivered his now infamous marketing line of "Bigger, Better, and More Badass," I'd guess that the first portion was not only a descriptor for the physical scale of the environments in the second Gears, but also the feeling that the player derives from blasting their way through the five act adventure.

SPOILER ALERT: Not to dissuade you from reading the first part of our Gears of War 2 week-long coverage, but the next several paragraphs discuss (usually dealing in vagaries) locations and some specifics to Gears 2. While I personally don't consider them spoilers, some of you might. You've been warned.

Spoiler

Having played through Gears of War 2 on the hardcore difficulty setting, I can say that it's certainly a longer game than the first. Thankfully for the armada of Gears fans out there the North Carolina-based developer did not drop the ball in terms of delivering entirely new gameplay situations that span a far greater number of diversified settings. Gone are the days of ripping your way through building after building and courtyard after courtyard.

The first game had three strong deviations from the aforementioned formula: the final act on the train, the underground levels, and the vehicular level that has you taking out swarms of Krill. For all but the Locust infested underground, which was a fairly lengthy few chapters that included the revelation of the Theron Guard, the changes were small. It didn't hurt the core gameplay much but it would have been nice to explore more unique parts of Sera.

Gears of War 2, almost as if it's aware that the core gameplay doesn't stray far from the first, does a much better job of keeping the levels feeling fresh. Without spoiling anything, I can think of five strong variations on locale that are totally unlike the experience of the first. Beyond that, nearly every mission feels larger in scope and importance than what transpired in Gears 1. This feeling of importance and meaning has little to do with the actual size of the levels. We've shown Marcus and Dom escaping the underground on the back of Reavers and on the top of Derricks battling Brumaks in the side of cliffs but it's not the size of these locations that delivers the feel that Epic Games promised so long ago.

Instead it's an amalgam of everything from Steve Jablonsky's score, the voice acting from the likes of the inspirational Chairman Prescott, all tied together by the actions done by the player. Gears of War 2 is a story of a last gasp for humanity, the tale of a group of warriors trying to land a blow deep into the heart of the Locust horde. Those who have seen the recent Last Day trailer know that Marcus and Dom are launching themselves down underneath the crust of Sera in an attempt to stop the Locust at their source.

The feeling of being Bigger is also accentuated by unearthing more of Sera than we've seen before. New characters like Tai Kaliso and Dizzy Wallin and the interesting way that they're handled in the story helps bring the player closer to understanding the feeling of Dom and Marcus' struggle against the Locust. The Stranded are another tool that helps flesh out the feeling of hope that drives the COG soldiers. They're a sect of citizens who didn't make it into the safe confines of Jacinto and instead have remained on the perilous war torn surface of the planet. Dom and Marcus stumble on a group of Stranded in search of Maria and the player is given a look at the resiliency that continues to hold the people of Sera together.

It's important to remember (while avoiding spoilers) where Gears of War 2 takes players. It starts above ground in a hospital, venture onto a Derrick and trudges toward the broken down, Locust infested city of Landown, then continues to throw locales that differ in gameplay style, color palette and architecture at the player. It all culminates with an adventure into the Locust lair itself. Those who have heard us talk about the multiplayer map Ruins know the layout. Locust carvings and drawings cover the ceilings, ground and walls as players are greeted with swarms of the subterranean creatures trying to protect their home turf (or are they up to something else?). There are elements like retractable cover that allow players to sculpt the battlefield here and there, again creating a new definition for the term "Bigger" than what some might have originally thought.

It should be no surprise that Gears of War 2 delivers the bigger "aesthetic pleasures" that most will be expecting, but it's the undercurrents in the game that truly do the marketing moniker justice. From the emotional responses to some of the climactic events to learning more about the people of Sera to fighting some truly massive enemies, Gears of War 2 is indeed bigger than the first in just about every way imaginable.

[Brandwin]

Re: Gears of War 2

So you have to get the limited edition to get some of this? I know some of this isn't based on LE only, but I didn't think any of it was.

I got this from IGN.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/920/920013p3.html

Okay, so here's a refresher course: on November 7 if you get the Limited Edition and wait in line at midnight you'll get the gold Lancer and Hammerburst unlock, you'll get fifteen multiplayer maps, you'll get Horde mode, you'll get six competitive multiplayer modes (Guardian, Wingman, Submission, Annex, Warzone, and King of the Hill), you'll get eight unlockable character models for use in multiplayer, and you'll get a longer campaign mode than you saw the first time around.

[ExtremeGamer]

Re: Gears of War 2

So you have to get the limited edition to get some of this? I know some of this isn't based on LE only, but I didn't think any of it was.

I got this from IGN.
http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/920/920013p3.html

The LE only has the 2 weapons, everything else is for everyone.

[Altimus]

Re: Gears of War 2

Got the LE preordered at BB. I'm a sucker for LE or CE for games like these.

[Altimus]

Re: Gears of War 2

Although I might be switching over to CC.

1600 MS points with purchase of Gears. ($19.99 value.)

[trobinson97]

Re: Gears of War 2

Although I might be switching over to CC.

1600 MS points with purchase of Gears. ($19.99 value.)

Oooh good looking out. I'm going with that. I can get Castle Crashers as well with that deal.