Gears of War 2

[ezee ryder]

Ezee, I'd give the campaign a 6/10 and the multiplayer 9/10 - it's not as nerfed as some people thing, it just plays differently and a patch to iron out the issues I've discussed before would make it even better (though still not a 10 imo).

It is interesting that we score the campaign and multiplayer differently! I thoroughly enjoyed the campaign, played it in co-op and by myself but enjoyed it more in co-op.

Multiplayer wise, I played the original Gears alot and while it had its issues it was still fun to play hence I kept going back to it even if I had a bad night on it. I don't feel that way with Gears 2 multiplayer, it just feels too different and there are way too many issues. I have said it before (and will say it again), the up close and personal feel to the multiplayer has been lost. Weapons such as the mortar are all well and good in the single player but don't work too well in multiplayer, they just totally unbalance the gameplay. I also don't like the grenade tagging on walls as it promotes camping and Gears is not about that. Add to that the supremely overpowered chainsawing action (I mean how can someone keeping running at me with a chainsaw when I am shooting them....stopping power my arse!) and you have a very unbalanced/messed up version of Gears multiplayer. All they needed to do was tweak issues from the first one, not make it totally different.

[Dogg Thang]

I've played through GoW2, then replayed GoW1 and I'm well into GoW2 again (at the end of the fourth act). I still think the campaign is great and much of it works really well. The vehicle sections, in my opinion, while not absolutely fantastic by a long shot are a massive improvement over the vehicle section in the original and have more than enough variety to keep them interesting. I really enjoyed the

->Open Spoiler<-

Panzer Dragoon and Brumak bits

in particular.

My main criticisms in comparing the two aren't massive. The location design, as I mentioned before, I didn't find all that great in some sections, particularly Act 4. Just didn't seem well thought out to me and doesn't have anything as beautiful as that botanical building in the original. But it couldn't just repeat the same sort of thing I guess.

But I also found that, somehow, the enemies lost a huge amount of power. Not actual firepower. Psychological power. In the original, when I saw a Boomer, I cacked myself. Every time. Even going back and playing it after GoW2. And the Beserkers got my adrenalin going instantly. A real sense of danger.

In GoW2, nothing really held the same intimidating feel, even the Boomers. I'm not really 100&#37; sure why not either. The landed Reavers should have been terrifying. And the mounted guys, and Grinders. But they didn't. I think it might be a distance thing. In GoW2, there was so often a large distance between me and my enemies. Or I first encountered them on something large or with a huge weapon like the mortar so it really took away their power. I'm not sure.

Whatever the reason, the enemies often blended in together.

And the only other comparision where 2 came out losing I feel is the sense of destruction. Whatever way they did it, 1 felt more destructable. I felt things shattering around me in the gunfire.

But I love the big feel of GoW2. Love that the AI isn't useless. Love the variety. I think it's a great sequel and would mark the campaign highly.

[Matt]

All valid points Ezee, and I agree with many - the Mortar has little place in multiplayer (except Horde). The chainsaw is too cheap, no arguments at all - though isn't that the personification of Gears "up close and personal" combat? I think what most people have an issue with is the shotgun. Most games of Gears degenerated in to forward-roll-shotgun. Now the Lancer can keep players back, that's not so easy. Plus the shotgun now needs to be aimed. Blind firing was too accurate before. The shotgun is almost as powerful (I'd have said 95&#37 you just have to aim, else you always shoot the ground. I think that's a valid fix the roll-shotgun gamestyle that dominated Gears 1.

Gears was meant to be about cover, I think this is much closer to the original vision.

The chainsaw must be changed. Not only can people run through your bullets with it, it just takes a little tap on B to insta-kill. It needs to be a more skill based weapon given it's "uber" power. I reckon it needs to be revved up a little before a kill, and ANY damage instantly lowers it. Increase the amount a bullet hit slows a player down (just a little more) and it will be there.

It should be a humilation kill, not the default weapon. It's also rendered the Hammerburst next to worthless with the increased power of the Lancer bullets as well.

Multiplayer is certainly different to Gears1, but I think on the whole it's better. Still needs some patching to be "perfect". I have issues NOT sticking to walls (I was one of the few who didn't get too frustrated with the Gears 1 system) and it buffering my A bashes so I spin around when I don't want to. And the lobby system, though slow, is fine for Ranked matches, but for Private games it sucks.

I've not played co-op so my appreciation of the campaign may increase, but after one play through I'm disappointed.

[Matt]

But I also found that, somehow, the enemies lost a huge amount of power. Not actual firepower. Psychological power. In the original, when I saw a Boomer, I cacked myself. Every time. Even going back and playing it after GoW2. And the Beserkers got my adrenalin going instantly. A real sense of danger.

In GoW2, nothing really held the same intimidating feel, even the Boomers. I'm not really 100% sure why not either. The landed Reavers should have been terrifying. And the mounted guys, and Grinders. But they didn't. I think it might be a distance thing. In GoW2, there was so often a large distance between me and my enemies. Or I first encountered them on something large or with a huge weapon like the mortar so it really took away their power. I'm not sure.

Whatever the reason, the enemies often blended in together.

I think that's because of poor design. "Hey, why not have THREE Reavers at a time instead of one! That's WAY more BADARSE!!".

When you overuse the "big" enemies, they simply become "normal" enemies. They're no longer the climax of a scene, they're window dressing - and seemingly they've made them far easier to kill to accommodate this.

Then they've added "real bosses", which are out of place, nonsensical, and not enjoyable to play. Regardless how great they look!

[ezee ryder]

All valid points Ezee, and I agree with many - the Mortar has little place in multiplayer (except Horde). The chainsaw is too cheap, no arguments at all - though isn't that the personification of Gears "up close and personal" combat? I think what most people have an issue with is the shotgun. Most games of Gears degenerated in to forward-roll-shotgun. Now the Lancer can keep players back, that's not so easy. Plus the shotgun now needs to be aimed. Blind firing was too accurate before. The shotgun is almost as powerful (I'd have said 95%) you just have to aim, else you always shoot the ground. I think that's a valid fix the roll-shotgun gamestyle that dominated Gears 1.

Gears was meant to be about cover, I think this is much closer to the original vision.

The chainsaw must be changed. Not only can people run through your bullets with it, it just takes a little tap on B to insta-kill. It needs to be a more skill based weapon given it's "uber" power. I reckon it needs to be revved up a little before a kill, and ANY damage instantly lowers it. Increase the amount a bullet hit slows a player down (just a little more) and it will be there.

It should be a humilation kill, not the default weapon. It's also rendered the Hammerburst next to worthless with the increased power of the Lancer bullets as well.

Multiplayer is certainly different to Gears1, but I think on the whole it's better. Still needs some patching to be "perfect". I have issues NOT sticking to walls (I was one of the few who didn't get too frustrated with the Gears 1 system) and it buffering my A bashes so I spin around when I don't want to. And the lobby system, though slow, is fine for Ranked matches, but for Private games it sucks.

I've not played co-op so my appreciation of the campaign may increase, but after one play through I'm disappointed.

You're right the chainsaw is the the symbol of the Gears gameplay but when it is so cheap like it is right now it just doesn't feel right. You're spot on with the humiliation kill comment, that is what the chainsaw kills are really. The satisfaction when you sneak up behind someone, rev it up and slice them in half is immense. There is no satisfaction or skill is just pressing B and running around chainsawing people as they shoot you, it's just annoying.

Regarding the shotgun, you're again 100% correct. If you don't aim and shoot with it you are basically a walking kill for someone. I actually tried shooting without aiming and some shots went straight and some hit the ground even though the shotgun wasn't pointing in that direction. If that is Epic's way of "fixing" the shotgun-roll then that is ridiculous, in my opinion. They have added stopping power (which actually works against someone armed with a shotgun) so if an opponent rolls towards you with and shotgun and you shoot him/her then they will be stopped. The fix is there, they didn't really need to tone the shotgun down. Also aiming with a shotgun is rather silly, it isn't a weapon you generally stop and precisely aim with. The shotgun it is all about shooting from the hip and casuing mayhem!

[Matt]

I can see where you're coming from with the shotgun. The only other way they could have "fixed" it would have been making the spread much larger if you don't aim. At least it would go in the general direction you pointed it, but increase spread by 150&#37; and you've an incentive to aim, but also a viable weapon to use from the hip.

We need to start writing these things down send them to Cliffy!

Edit - I'm glad they have altered the Shotgun as it was the defacto weapon in Gears1. I believe the gun should be for emergency close quarter battles, instead of the weapon every switches to at the start of the round. I think it's more balanced this way, as the other weapons are all med-long ranged so get a better look in.

[nonny]

Yeh I think the shotgun hip-aiming needs to be improved but thats about it. The weapon isnt totally nerfed but at the moment you're forced to use it as a close-range aimed weapon when hip firing wouldnt necessarily change that too much.

My pet hate right now... changing the map as the host and not being able to back track to alter it once selected. How stupid is that, especially when in GOW1 you could pick a whole map cycle and run with it.

I also dont like how a private match isnt private. Friends can still join in when really I want to play against bots with a selected team of my mates. In the end we've resorted to appearing offline. Small annoyance there.

Im liking the multiplayer though... once you get used to the fact its now a medium range battle you change tactics and adapt. Only other thing that is now being abused online is the new NXE ability to have group chat. I've come up against several teams that arent chatting in-game, but in the NXE group chat lobby so when they die they can spectate and give advice to their teammates from the grave.

/

[Matt]

Had a funny game last night. 8 of us including myself. A mixture of real life mates and a few others I've never met; one of whom I'd only played a brief game with on Monday night, mate of a mate of a mate kind of thing.

So it's the first game, we're playing Annex. As you all know, it's a team game, and communication is paramount! We're on River, probably the best new map. I can be quite vocal in games, saying when I see an enemy, where they're attacking, keeping tabs on the moving control location, that kind of thing. My mate was hosting, and I always insist Team Damage is ON - helps stop spamming, and just makes life more entertaining

I get killed, respawn, and run to pick up the grenades. BANG! Killed by a planted grenade, from my own team mate. Now, he'd not told us he'd done this, and TBH he'd planted it in a really dumb spot for a cheap kill.

Me "XXXXX (no-one on here, but name hidden to protect the dumb), can you not plant grenades randomly, it just killed me."

Him "Don't tell me what to do!"

Me "Team damage is on, planting them randomly isn't helping us. You just killed me"

Him "I'm here for a laugh not to be told what to do!"

Me "I'm not telling you what to do! But you killed me, so please stop it."

Him "**** OFF DON'T ****ING TELL ME WHAT TO DO!!!!!"

Me "It's a team game mate, we've got to play together"

Was really funny by now. It was only the first game, within the first minute or so, so it's not like tensions were running high and this was a serious game! He then said he'd leave so I encouraged him on his way

Tellingly, his actual mate stayed on with us for another 2 hours.

Got to laugh at some people on Live. Is it really too much to ask that people use a little common sense??

[Richard.John]

Question time. It's not mentioned in the XB360 region free thread but is this region free? NTSC-UC will work on NTSC-J, I mean.

EDIt: Play Asia was my friend. Forget!!

[Matt]

I'd like to thank Epic for such great modes! There's always a mode to suit, depending on how many friends are online.

If you've got 3 to 5, Horde is hilarious - once you've convinced people NOT to play it on Casual all the ****ing time! I don't understand why some want to play this purely on Day One all the time. Yawn. It's much more fun working out each level.

Once you reach 6, then WingMan and Guardian are popular. WingMan didn't sound good on paper to me, but it suits the game brilliantly, providing a lean team orientated game. Guardian is what Assassination should have been, now they've ditch those stupid rules and have something that works really well with 3v3 or 4v4.

And once you get 8 to 10 players, the classic Execution is still fun, and Annex is now enjoyable as the engine doesn't drop that many frames.

Thoroughly enjoying this online

[tokyochojin]

Just a quick question guys, is the pal version region free? Would love to play this on my Japanese Xbox....

[Ajay1986]

Im on to the last chapter of the story and i've got to say this has been a massive disappointment, im really struggling to bring myself to finish it. The single player feels really rushed and unpolished and has some of the most irritating stupid levels in recent memory.

The vehicle section was laughably bad and crossing the ice was like playing something from a decade ago. The reaver chase section was equally annoying and infuriating.

Even the actual shooting parts of the game just dont have the impact, excitment or tension of the first GoW.

[rmoxon]

Im on to the last chapter of the story and i've got to say this has been a massive disappointment, im really struggling to bring myself to finish it. The single player feels really rushed and unpolished and has some of the most irritating stupid levels in recent memory.

The vehicle section was laughably bad and crossing the ice was like playing something from a decade ago. The reaver chase section was equally annoying and infuriating.

Even the actual shooting parts of the game just dont have the impact, excitment or tension of the first GoW.

As someone else suggested earlier in this thread I think you will have to revisit the original game again to realise just how much of an improvment this game in terms of pacing and level design.

Youre complaining about the vehicle section, yet the one in the original game was much worse for instance.

This is just a much better game in every respect, but like most over hyped games some people were always gonna be a bit disapointed with it.

[Matt]

Just because the vehicle sucked in the first game, that doesn't mean the improvements in the sequel are enough. None of the vehicles felt right to me, and I agree, the ice thing was a right throwback.

I don't think the game is better really, it's improved visually a lot, and the scope is much larger. Yet the story didn't engage me, the set pieces (despite being larger) less impressive.

Obviously, I'm enjoying the multiplayer far more

[Charlie]

As someone else suggested earlier in this thread I think you will have to revisit the original game again to realise just how much of an improvment this game in terms of pacing and level design.

This is just a much better game in every respect.

That's a matter of opinion.

Visual splendour aside, I'd say the original betters the sequel in every department. And if I'm honest, despite the obvious improvements to the Unreal engine, I think the original, at times, still looks better as none of it's settings were as drab, dreary and unimaginative as Gears 2's Act 4 Locust Hive.