Gears of War 2

[Colossal Spoons]

Yeah, I ain't buyin those maps :

 

[Balthus Dire]

800 MS points is used for Halo too.

Err, I thought Halo's were 600 and came with 5 maps? This one is 800 and comes with 3. Geez, even the first Gears had a free map pack that came with four maps! And Halo 3's first map pack was free, too.

Not a great idea to overcharge for your first map pack especially when so many people are complaining about the MP times and insane amounts of glitches. If anything they should've released it for dirt cheap to say "Oops! We screwed up!"

 

[jdlynch1]

But it's not technically their first map pack, GoW2 included a pack with the old maps for free. Also, what is up with the "Fuel Station" map, why didn't they just recreate "Fuel Depot"??

 

[Team Andino]

Wont these new maps eventually be free or is it Halo that only does that??

 

[Balthus Dire]

But it's not technically their first map pack, GoW2 included a pack with the old maps for free. Also, what is up with the "Fuel Station" map, why didn't they just recreate "Fuel Depot"??

Those maps essentially came with the game unless you bought it used, so I hardly count that as "free" IMO.

And like I said, no matter how you slice it 800 MS points is too much for 3 lousy maps.

 

[Team Andino]

Does anyone on this board have no life an already gotten the 100,000 kills achievement?

How for along are most of you anyway?

 

[jdlynch1]

I'm at about 6000.

 

[The Apocalypse]

Fake walls in the game... ?

http://gameroom.mlgpro.com/view/ZqpCH0KsbZM.html?video_page=2

 

[Nightwatcher11]

I'm gonna play this while being blazed. lol. We'll see how this goes... LOL

 

[Balthus Dire]

Does anyone on this board have no life an already gotten the 100,000 kills achievement?

How for along are most of you anyway?

I'm somewhere in the 7000's. I don't think I'll ever hit 100,000...that's just insane. I'm sure I'll stop playing Gears 2 before I ever hit 100,000 kills legitimately.

Especially if they don't patch it soon. I don't even play MP anymore cause so many people glitch it's just not fun.

 

[D4rkShaDoWz]

I play private matches now with bots. If you think they're too easy, try insane. They headshot you every time without aiming.

 

[Raiden]

In a somewhat related note, I'm playing GOW1 and have completed Act I, but I have no found any COG tag. Any idea where and how I can find them?

 

[The Apocalypse]

In a somewhat related note, I'm playing GOW1 and have completed Act I, but I have no found any COG tag. Any idea where and how I can find them?

If you see the red GOW symbol around on a wall a COG tag is around.

 

[Raiden]

If you see the red GOW symbol around on a wall a COG tag is around.

Ah, I see. Do I just pick them up using the 'X' button?

 

[The Apocalypse]

Ah, I see. Do I just pick them up using the 'X' button?

Yeah, I think so.

 

[Grievous]

Yeah, I ain't buyin those maps :

I got the maps and they were worth it, Flood is a real good map idea.

 

[Spade]

I got this game for Christmas. I've completed the training levels and am playing through the story. I'm at the part where you first encounter razorhail, and I refuse to look at a strategy guide so I'm not sure if that means I still have a lot more to see or that I'm nearing the end.

Either way, my first impression: It's okay. Maybe above average. The graphics are solid; Epic Games put effort into giving their world vibrance, even if it exists in this hyperrealistic world where skin has texture but the weather may not be as convincing. The gameplay is okay. The chainsaw/rifle hybrid you start off with is pretty much all you need, save some Locust weapons here and there and heavy artillery for kicks. The story is average; nothing has been outright bad so far, but, as someone who didn't play the first installment, this sequel isn't very involving on its own merit. It reminds me a little of the movie Predator, in that it offers enough grizzly action and one-liners for you to overlook any shortcomings. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

Can't give it an overall rating yet. Maybe tomorrow. But that's my take so far. I'm not a fan of Xbox Live, so I may or may not be playing it online. From the tutorial, I'm going to make an educated guess that it's in multiplayer where the game shines. So maybe that's why I'm somewhat cynical so far.

 

[Raiden]

If you have two 2-handed weapons and you want to pick up another 2-headed weapon, can you dictate which one to drop? It seems like the game always make that decision for you and it irks me.

 

[Team Andino]

If you have two 2-handed weapons and you want to pick up another 2-headed weapon, can you dictate which one to drop? It seems like the game always make that decision for you and it irks me.

It drops whatever weapon you have in your hand when you go to pick up the new weapon

 

[Spade]

More specifically, it drops whichever of the two two-handed weapons you have that is currently equipped. Don't know why that is. Guess they wanted to make it somewhat realistic in terms of weight and placement on Marcus.

 

[Spade]

Well, I'm done with the game. Here's my review:

I finally played through Gears of War 2's solo campaign on Casual difficulty. Here's a brief rundown of my thoughts, straight and to the point.

First off, my overall thoughts- so read this one paragraph if you want to skip the details- boil down to "it was good." About three-fourths of the way through, when I formed my first real impression, it seemed pedestrian. I was coming to see it as just another shooter with a third-person view motif, since I didn't play the first installment before. But, when it was all said and done, I enjoyed myself amidst the chainsaw-wielding havoc and never-ending tumult of hot lead. Would I suggest that you buy it or rent it? That's hard to say. It was entertaining enough that I would play it on Xbox Live if I had an online connection set up for my Xbox 360. But if you're looking to have fun for a day or two, maybe you'd rather pick this up at your local Blockbuster. Either way, I don't think you'd be wasting too much hard-earned cash if you rented it and decided to buy it later on. I haven't played online, though I have a good idea of what it's like given the training tutorial based around it, so perhaps that's where the game excels. The overall playtime for solo campaign, if you'd like to know, is comparable to a stay in a motel. Sure, you might stay there a while, but there's nothing of real comfort or attachment, as it'll outlive its usefulness before you know it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, of course…but maybe I should stop prattling and get on with the review.

The graphics for the game are fairly impressive. Gears of War 2 does not strive to be a realistic game, simply a hyperrealistic one. While I wasn't wowed by the look chosen, it fits that Ron Cobb style of sci-fi architecture and garb that's so prevalent in modern American video games. When it sticks to that motif, as well as the creation of outlandish creatures for you to maim into ruby red or fluorescent milk white chunks, it does well. The game's appearance is less convincing when weather and Earth-like landscape comes into play, but since there's no big attempt to make it incredibly realistic I won't complain about that. The only big issue is lighting or, as I have come to call the issue in the medium most popularized, "Transformers Syndrome." For some reason, many game developers have come to the conclusion that people, metal, trees, rocks, large bodies of water…anything that takes up space, really…glistens and shines like an oiled-up porn star's derriere whether it does or does not in reality. While video games shouldn't be expected to be incredibly realistic, especially not Gears of War 2, it does no wonders for the look. As a general rule of thumb, Gears of War 2 looks great when the shadowy subterranean and/or indoor lighting comes into play and gaudy when the music video approach creeps over this war-oriented tale. However, as a whole, it sports well-rounded visuals.

When it comes to gameplay, expect nothing complex. You equip your chainsaw/assault rifle hybrid if it isn't equipped already, you point, you shoot, you dash behind something, and repeat. Maybe you'll make the target reticule pop up on-screen to zoom in for some upper body hits or go in close range against the Abstracts or weaker Locusts so you can do some shady alley way heart surgery. But besides that, there's nothing that will make you overly frustrated nor is there anything particularly innovative- though, I must admit, I get a kick out of sawing some of the enemies in half when the firefight has gone on for too long or when I just want to do something really macho for a moment. It plays like most video games in the shooter genre, only with a third-person angle for a broader perspective and an interesting play on health that involves the darkening and ebbing of the series insignia rather than the traditional health bar. There's nothing amazing about it, though. There's also some downright bizarre logic, like how the physics allow me to cut a swath through opposing alien forces but prevents my revved up chainsaw from so much as nicking a random glass panel or a dilapidated computer monitor when common sense dictates that should be possible. Too much time spent making big baddies into playable vehicles, I suppose. Terrain I thought I could cross was similarly inaccessible, and the control scheme worked against me when I wanted to pop in and out of corners. It's difficult to pinpoint on the fly what can and cannot be ducked behind, which is not cool at all when you're surrounded and are working on the fight-or-flight mechanism to determine your next action. Chainsaw duels are not what they're cracked up to be, either. Often, I'd get riddled full of rounds and bleed out on the ground in the process of closing the distance with the occasional enemy equipped with a similar hybrid weapon, and while I did get the breathing room to enjoy one every now and then the opportunities were few and far in between. When I finally got the chance to go on an Evil Dead-style rampage, like in the labs, the Abstracts I was pitted against were so eager to get slaughtered it almost took away from the satisfaction I'd get if they put up a challenge.

I can't say much about the story. It is what it is- a thin membrane of events that gets you from point A to point B without becoming boring, even if you're not engaged with the material. Much of the game takes its beats from the last major Xbox series, Halo. In fact, I felt at many points as if I had never left the Halo universe. The similarities are that uncanny. I can't blame the developers for sticking to formula, as Halo churned out wheelbarrows worth of cash for Microsoft. But that doesn't mean it's not as derivative as the former proved to be. It reminds me, in many ways, of the movie Predator, only with less of a hook and an oversaturation of the alien element. I could bring up James Cameron's Aliens, too, but then I'd be nitpicking on tons of classic video games. I don't think you'll ever find yourself wishing it would get on with the plot- heck, you might not even notice half of my gripes if you really don't care- but what I can say from experience is that I never got hooked. Even though I must have played a little over ten hours on the entire solo campaign, it took me two days not because of a mind-boggling issue but in part because I wasn't particularly motivated to stick with it the entire time. Still, it's not all doom and gloom. It has some good moments here and there. If you like to purely visualize, the story bobs and weaves with the gameplay, so some of the more bombastic moments might captivate you more than me.

In conclusion, I can classify Gears of War 2 both as a satisfying experience and a good buy along with my new Xbox 360, even if it has its fair share of shortcomings. If you look for depth, you might be disappointed, but it's competently crafted and has more than enough of the red stuff for those amongst us who crave it by the pint. Maybe I'll play through the higher difficulties or on Xbox Live, which would doubtlessly change my outlook to some degree, but for now I'm satisfied with calling it an above average experience.

 

[Master Chief]

I'm gonna play this while being blazed. lol. We'll see how this goes... LOL

I'm too scared to try it. I still have like, 75% of my quarter left though and a week of vacation, so, we'll see. :heart:

 

[D4rkShaDoWz]

If anybody wants to know how to get easy kills, heres how a friend of mine did it...spoilers beware...

Spoiler

Start Act 5 Chapter Five where you're riding the Brumak. Shoot a rocket at the first wave of locusts that are running away together. By doing this, most of them will die. Click Start -> Restart Checkpoint and repeat the process.

 

[jdlynch1]

About the cog tags in GoW1, you can download videos in the marketplace that show you where they are at, I think. t:

 

[Balthus Dire]

They cost money though. Just youtube it.