Gears of War 2 Review
by Chad Lakkis on November 11, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Some of you may already be familiar with the fact that I didn’t play through the campaign mode of the original Gears of War the first time around, and instead spent countless hours lost in the game’s multiplayer mode. Well, being that I was going to review Gears of War 2, I felt the need to go back and complete Gears of War 1 first.
With the assistance of Dan Landis, I cleared through the Gears 1 campaign in co-op mode, and then played through the Gears 2 campaign in single player mode over the course of two nights. In terms of multiplayer, I ran through a few of the classic formats and tested out Horde Mode with Dan, Zung, Dlyan, and some 14 year old kid I’ll refer to as “Superman” because he almost always decided to run off and save the world from Locust on his own.
Alright, enough small talk, let’s “dig in baby”.
Level Design & Gameplay Variety
Gears 2 looks great. That said, I’m not one to scrutinize textures or lines of resolution. I tend to focus on the overall impact of an environment’s design as a whole. In doing so, I’d have to say that Gears 2 features some of the best map designs you’ll see in a video game today. The combination of lighting, color, structure, and interactive elements is well thought out and does its part to engross you in the fictional world.
Without giving too much away, you will be treated to a mix of different level types. Some will focus more on enemy interaction, while others will pit you against the level itself, combining aspects of puzzle solving and timed movement. I found that the change of pace was enough to keeps things moving along. The variety helped to battle any boredom that may have otherwise set in without the addition of a campaign co-op partner.
Weapon Selection
The weapons in Gears 2 feature a few new additions, but I usually found myself clinging to a sniper rifle and a lancer throughout most of the game. In the name of experimentation however, I did from time to time pick up items like the flamethrower, toasting tickers for shits and giggles. It was fun, but not something I’d let supplant my trusty longshot — not by a long shot (see what I did there?).
Other, non replacement items (won’t force you to drop a main weapon), such as the mulcher, mortar, and boomshield were definitely worth picking up when given the chance.
The mulcher is a no brainer, as its slow walking human turret capability easily plows through pretty much anything that gets in your way. The boomshield is great for situational cover on the go, and the mortar can do some serious damage with a little practice. Think of it as an alternative to the hammer of dawn that can be used indoors.
Character Development, Storyline, Enemies, and Boss Fights
Having played both the original and the sequel back to back, I felt like I was in a pretty good position to compare any advances made in the overall plot and character development.
The original Gears was pretty straight forward but it did a great job of introducing you to the various COG personalities. Gears 2 builds on that foundation, adding depth and additional insight into each character’s background. Some attempts are better illustrated than others, but considering the pace at which things move, I felt the team at Epic did a great job here.
The story itself, continues where Gears 1 left off, as you must once again team up with your fellow COG soldiers to foil the plans of the Locust horde and their demanding Queen. New enemies are introduced — both big and small — requiring you to think on your feet and employ different strategies to take them down.
I found the boss fights to be creative and climactic for the most part. The high speed chase sequences kept me on the edge of my seat, and the the environmental interaction required during certain battles forced me to stay on my toes and be aware of my surroundings.
As the game nears completion, I felt that one of the final battles (though multilayered and exciting) could have been executed better on the tail end. Something as simple as an additional camera shot clearly reestablishing the villain would have been enough to do the trick in my opinion. Instead I was left asking myself “Was he on that? Did I just kill him?”
Character Design, Animation, & Controls
The character design in Gears 2 fits the world, and subtle animation/interactions between characters add a layer of believability to their dialogue. New enemies and new allies alike are well designed and act/move as you would expect them to.
In terms of control, the game responded well, and the scheme was in line with the previous Gears setup — a simple one button mentality which makes most movements second nature and easy to perform. The result is that I rarely thought about controls, which left me free to focus on the actual gameplay.
Multiplayer and Horde Mode
Multiplayer offers up several modes and is more fun than ever, but if you want to thoroughly enjoy it against others, you will need to dedicate yourself to the art. Exploits are still there to be had, and it’s better to know them than it is to die by them. The introduction of environmental interaction during levels like Avalanche (self explanatory) make a nice addition.
Guardian, Wingman, and Submission modes are all fun in their own right. Guardian asks one player to designate themselves leader of the group, tying respawn ability to that individual. Once downed, a team will no longer be able to respawn. Wingman is a point based battle broken into multiple rounds consisting of up to five two man teams, and Submission is the meat shield version of capture the flag.
Wrapping up the multiplayer discussion is the addition of Horde Mode. A battle of up to five players against wave after wave of progressively more challenging groups of locust. If you buy this game and have internet access, Horde Mode is something you have to try. Fun times.
Closing Thoughts
Gears 2 combines practically everything I loved about being a kid into a video game. It’s G.I. Joes riding Tonka Trucks through the mud while fighting a massive army of beefed up albino Skeletor clones. It more than borrows from our pop culture past, and I don’t mind it one bit.
You will often be reminded of moments from Star Wars, and some may even see the influence of Disney’s Pinocchio — crazy, I know, but it works.
One thing you won’t be able to deny is that Gears of War 2 is a roller coaster ride of variety that keeps things fresh and fun. The action is fast paced, and the story/dialogue offers just enough depth to make you care about your cast of COGs, and motivate you to kill anything that gets in their way. If you own a 360, Gears of War 2 is a must buy.
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9.5
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I was never the biggest fan of the first Gears of War. The actual gameplay always appealed to me hugely. Gears gets all the little things right in a big way – the way every gun feels heavy and powerful, the satisfying crunch of slamming into cover. But I was never sold on the near-broken multiplayer, much less the campaign’s seemingly boneheaded tale of aliens vs. jocks. It was a huge surprise, then, that I found myself head over heels in love with Gears of War 2. Chad’s already broken it down in the text above: it’s perfectly paced, the visuals are splendid, and the levels varied and action-packed. Most of all, there’s just something so fundamentally fun about it that I’d say that any gamer, regardless of prejudices, will find something to love at the core of this game. Even the story won me over. My main issue with the game is that it manages to keep up such a perfect flow of action for most of the game that when it hits an occasional snag, it’s really freaking annoying. A handful of vehicular sections and other objectives that require you to do some serious trial-and-error to get past them drag the whole thing down. But that’s really a flaw that only manifests itself because the rest of the game sets a higher standard. Overall, Gears of War 2’s one of the best action games in recent memory, and an example of gaming (on any platform) at its finest: ceaselessly entertaining, visceral and satisfying, a blast to play from start to finish. |
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Gears of War 2 Image Gallery – Click Here To View |
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51 Comments » |
on November 11, 2008 9:42 pm
great review chad. let me know when you play horde mode again and ill join you.
on November 11, 2008 9:50 pm
Soooo many good games to buy but you convinced me Chad. I’ll add this to my list.
on November 11, 2008 9:54 pm
I remain unconvinced but will at least rent it.
on November 11, 2008 9:56 pm
i dont like playin as the locust. wish they would let you play cog vs cog in mplayer. i always get stuck playin a locust
on November 11, 2008 10:02 pm
The game is better with a 6 pack of Coors light.
on November 11, 2008 10:05 pm
I’m shocked though because of what my co worker who is a major 360 fan said about Gears 2, he said he was disappointed and liked R2 better. But even though I am not a fan of the first Gears I will most likely play this just to be non-ignorant.
Great review Chad :}
on November 11, 2008 10:08 pm
Thanks Whaler. Was your co-worker dropped on his head recently? :D
on November 11, 2008 10:17 pm
hahaha that’s what I thought to, even though I have yet to play either games but he was serious and I was surprised, he’s not the only person who said that though.
on November 11, 2008 10:18 pm
resistance 2 is teh bomb!
on November 11, 2008 10:27 pm
Interesting Whaler. Do you happen to work for Sony? :D I kid. I kid.
on November 11, 2008 10:35 pm
“Interesting Whaler. Do you happen to work for Sony? :D I kid. I kid”
Do you work for Microsoft, Chad. I don’t kid. I don’ kid….
Someone likes a PS3 exclusive more than Gears?! Something must be wrong. WHAAA.
Grow up.
on November 11, 2008 10:36 pm
The single player is probably the best shooter i’ve ever played but the online is still a little sketchy – host advantage still exists in a big way and takes a lot of the fairness out of matches. Why couldn’t microsoft spring for dedicated servers?
Also, although the graphics are absolutely amazing I think too many reviewers have failed to emphasise that they are “just” an evolution from gears 1. Which is to say that they’re awesome, but if you’re expecting a whole new experience graphics wise you’ll be disappointed. I kind of bought in to the hype a little too much on this point i suppose… i was expecting to be blown away and instead i was just merely extremely impressed, if you know what i mean. like i said, it’s awesome (probably the best i’ve seen on 360), just don’t expect the revolution some reviews have promised.
also, the environment destruction looks really bad, i sort of wish they’d just left it out or just increased the debris effects. As it is you can count the polygons on destroyed facade, it’s not good at all. that’s probably the one actual weak point with the graphics.
IMHO, it’s a must buy for the single player experience but a lot of the gremlins from gears 1 multi are still here which perhaps puts a little bit of a downer on things over the long term. I’m still waiting for a game to oust COD4 from my multiplayer top spot…
on November 11, 2008 10:39 pm
@chadstinks,
Thanks for the comment. Let us know when you hit puberty and are able to tell the difference between serious comments and jokes :D
Chad-
on November 11, 2008 10:46 pm
@Chad:
Oh, I could tell. You may have worded it like you were joking…but we all know where your loyalties lie.
Fanboys are terrible. Fanboys that work for gaming sites are even worse….
@track:
True, CoD4 is still the best online game. I play some Unreal Tournament on the PC from time to time, but thats just for the sake of things.
CoD4 is the best…maybe CoD5 will make a run for it?
on November 11, 2008 10:47 pm
Hey Track,
Thanks for sharing your well thought out opinions with us. I always appreciate the time readers take to put their thoughts into words as you just did.
I am always a bit confused when people say “graphics”. Are you talking about the actual textures or are you referring to the overall design of the levels, characters, etc?
Chad-
on November 11, 2008 10:49 pm
@chadstinks, I stand corrected. Wait…I think I hear the sound of Cliff’s Lamborghini outside.
on November 11, 2008 11:00 pm
Hey, guys. Stop fighting. R2 and Gears 2 are both freaking amazing fun.
I have all the consoles (the real ones…that means no wii) and a nice 1080p t.v. Bought R2 day one just like Gears 2. I’ve skipped about 3 days of work so far because of them. :D
I prefer Gears 2 online competitive, but Resistance 2 wins in the online co-op. Gears 2 is also easier on the eyes (even if R2 has some jaw dropping moments, its a little inconsistent in graphics)
Single player is tied for both.
Most of the time I leave both systems on and switch between the two. Come to think of it all the heat coming out of my computer, PS3 and 360 will make my 360 combust into flames one day…resulting in my house going up in flames…which then results in me living in a box for the rest of my life…
(random thoughts FTW)
on November 11, 2008 11:03 pm
@chad:
It’s not nice to keep your boyfriend waiting….run fast.
on November 11, 2008 11:06 pm
@Chad: Yes I DO work for SONY, I have 6 PS3’s, 1 in my kitchen and 1 in my pool room 2 in my own room, 1 in my bathroom, and one in my room where the stripper pole is
Giggity giggity
x)
on November 11, 2008 11:07 pm
@chadstinks,
Totally didn’t see THAT one coming. Let me put my running shoes on…
on November 11, 2008 11:08 pm
Whaler,
Tell me more about this stripper pole room you speak of…
on November 11, 2008 11:08 pm
@zerogamer:
Another Wii hater, huh? Mario Galaxy is one of the best games this gen. Better than Gears 2, R2, GTA IV. The only other game that may compete with number one spot is MGS4.
Galaxy is incredible….but let me guess…you didn’t play it because it had “kiddie graphics”
on November 11, 2008 11:10 pm
@Chad:
You set me up. It wasn’t creative…but damn…you threw me a fastball right down the middle…had to swing.
on November 11, 2008 11:14 pm
@chadstinks,
All in good fun. Now why don’t you pick a different user name and make a name for yourself. Chad Stinks is great, but I think you can do better.
Chad-
on November 11, 2008 11:15 pm
May I suggest either ‘DanStinks’ or ‘PS3 is Gimped’
on November 11, 2008 11:15 pm
how is this one?
on November 11, 2008 11:17 pm
hmmm, not bad.
on November 11, 2008 11:18 pm
I’ve had better…
on November 11, 2008 11:18 pm
@Dan:
Yes, the PS3 is gimped. MGS4 was a terrible game. The 360 is the only Legit system.
Can I get a job at ripten.com now?
on November 11, 2008 11:19 pm
Nope.
on November 11, 2008 11:23 pm
@Dan:
Come on. I have the same mindset as you two…please? Oh, I forgot to say the Wii sucks. There I said it.
Making fun of you guys is alot more entertaining than I thought. I was damn sick today, thanks for cheering me up.
on November 11, 2008 11:28 pm
If you have the same mindset as us, then that means that Cliffy is your boyfriend too, and I know that’s not true because Cliffy said Chad was his one and only (even though he also lets me ride in his Lamborghini).
Quit being such a liar.
on November 11, 2008 11:36 pm
Then I guess you guys don’t REALLY know Cliffy. Me and him goes way back. Hell, he gave me Gears 2 years ago. Said he made it especially for me and wanted me to be the first one to play it….wasn’t that sweet?
Gotta go, it’s late here. Sleep. NEED SLEEP.
I’m sure I’ll talk to you guys again, one of you will write an article or review that I will need to make fun of…
on November 11, 2008 11:43 pm
chadsucks. From the sounds of it, you’ve got a bad case of assholeitus, which is made worse since you’ve obviously been suffering from imaloserinson’s disease since birth.
on November 11, 2008 11:46 pm
thank you ice for reading my mind
on November 11, 2008 11:53 pm
No, he’s right. I’ve never met Cliffy.
It’s funny how we go from being Cliffy’s boyfriends to being not as much of a boyfriend as chadsucks is. Sounds like someone is a bit confused and perhaps should stick with IGN where nobody is ever biased.
on November 11, 2008 11:59 pm
@ice:
Yeah, because I don’t blindly follow one console, i must be an asshole.
damn…I’ll keep a note of that.
on November 11, 2008 11:59 pm
Nice review.
on November 12, 2008 12:49 am
chadsucks. People like you are so transparent. If I didn’t find it so amusing to pick you apart you wouldn’t be worth my time. Try this on for size.
You are one of the many fanboys with your own IGN/1up blog dedicated to worshiping your consoles of choice who run around the internet pissed off at those who actually found a way to make a living doing something they love.
I write for another site and I know your kind. I can smell you from a mile away and it amazes me that Ripten puts up with your garbage.
Everyone is a fan of something. What makes you despicable is that you think you are better than everyone else because you come to a site spewing righteous BS. Keep a note of that.
on November 12, 2008 1:01 am
I own a PS3. I also own a 360. I am not a big fan of shooters and can honestly say that I don’t know what the big deal is surrounding Gears of War, but I also haven’t played Resistance 2 since I didn’t care for the first one.
That being said, chadsucks should shut the fuck up with his stupid fanboy bullshit that he attempts to mask by calling other people fanboys. You are so obvious that you’re making yourself look like a total asshole and you don’t even know it.
on November 12, 2008 2:33 am
if ps3 fanboys come out to bash something on the xbox it must be good
on November 12, 2008 2:52 am
Hi Chad,
By “graphics” i meant the complete package: art, textures, geometry, image quality (frame drops, texture pop in, screen tearing, aliasing – that sort of thing). As far as the texture maps themselves go they’re superb – super high res (get the camera as close as you can to anything and there’s no pixelation) and, on an artistic level, extremely evocative (cave walls *look* like cave walls – not on a photorealistic level, perhaps, but in a way that makes you just feel kinda, well, cave-ish, like you’re in a cave).
On an artistic level I think this game is gorgeous – it’s over-the-top sci-fi space opera done right, but still with a distinctive flavour (something halo fails badly at, vehicles aside perhaps).
Image quality is also perfect: aside from some texture pop in and *maybe* a dropped frame in the odd place this game is awesome. Supposedly it uses some clever form of selective antialiasing to correct the environments but not the characters… whatever it’s doing it undoubtedly works, there’s nary a jaggie in sight. I don’t want to start a flame war but image quality was definitely the area where Uncharted fell down and although uncharted still pips gears in one or two areas (shadow maps, *perhaps* animations, which in uncharted are sometimes a little floaty but also more dynamic and responsive to geometry than in gears2) the IQ in gears2 gives it the edge over uncharted in my books. I’m a perfectionist when it comes to image quality and gears really nails it here.
All I meant by my comment was that as good as gears2 is it’s still obviously an evolution from gears1 – this is still unreal 3 and you can tell just from looking at it. My housemate (a complete nongamer) couldn’t tell the difference between this and gears 1, for instance. For gamers the differences are obvious but there’s not a night-and-day change that will make the jaws of the “average Joe” drop. I certainly don’t mean to sound critical of the game – like i said, it’s the best i’ve seen on 360 (will reserve comments on PS3 due to not having played any of this year’s big games on it, can’t really comment fairly either way there).
on November 12, 2008 3:07 am
Thanks for the clarification Track.
I understand your perspective, however the specifics you cited didn’t adversely affect my enjoyment of the game.
Of those you listed, the only one that I can say I experienced was the texture pop in, but again, I wasn’t really bothered by it.
on November 12, 2008 5:04 am
at last, another person who gives the game a 10/10, like it was meant to.
on November 12, 2008 8:30 am
@Ice:
Man, you are so “cool”
Your post is full of BS itself though, you read me wrong.
I DO NOT have an IGN/1UP/Gamespot/any type of blog. Most definitely not my thing. Hell, I don’t even surf the web much. The only time I really go on I visit sites like Kotaku or N4G to get all my gaming news pretty fast (They aren’t the best sites, but at least I get most of the news) I know my shit about games, I play as much as I can, love the hobby…just not the industry as much.
From what I could tell by going online to these sites is that most is complete BS itself. I lost any respect I had for this website when I read that BS story about PS3’s resolution of Far Cry 2. It may have only been one story, but still, I stop taking sites seriously when I read a story like that.
I also don’t care for 99% of the game reviews online. Reviewers these days get so hyped up in games that they give it a way higher score than it deserves (not Ripten specifically, but many sites) To me a 10/10 is a big deal, only to be reserved for a truly magnificent and damn-near flawless game. Played Gears 2 and enjoyed it…not a 10, though. The second reviewer hit it more on the head I think, a 9.5 seems about right. My two favorite games this gen are MGS4 and Galaxy and even those I wouldn’t give a 10/10 to, close, but still not there.
Now everyone just gives 10’s like candy. GTA IV, you may be flawed to all hell but who cares, here is a 10.
I do apologize to Chad, sort of took out all my frustrations of the internet and it’s problems, on him.
And seasonedSalt, you could shut up. Your avatar alone is reason enough why the internet gaming community has….problems.
on November 12, 2008 9:11 am
WTF, I told myself a month ago “phew what an asshole I was with Mr.Adejuyigbe,what an awkward language misunderstanding;I won’t be back to ripten,I’m too ashamed”
But man,[chadsucks] let me tell you that you’re the sole reason I came back,for I have some words for you and they are Hystrionically Exploding in my chest,so I wanted to share with you!,with all love of course : )
I want to beat you.With a Steel stick.In the Head.Several Times.
I know your ego will drive you back here to see who’s addresing you,am I wrong? No i’m not,and you’ll give me credit sooner than you think and without even realizing.
YOU are why the internet gaming community has…Problems.(I.E.Diarrhea)
on November 12, 2008 3:23 pm
@Abaddon,
I am not sure exactly what happened between you and Demi, but you have always come across as a well thought out commentor in my experience reading your comments. No need to be ashamed my friend. You are welcome here.
Chad-
on November 12, 2008 4:20 pm
Thank you,Mr.Lakkis I’ll add Kindness to Ripten’s two main assets:Humor and PATIENCE.
When I first saw UE3’s upgraded tech demo I instantly knew Gears2 was bound to be something special.Not to mention I prefer a game with PhysX over Havok any day.
It’s not A.Tarkovsky’s Stalker,but then again Mr.Bleszinski’s major ability is level design not storytelling,and it shows in the good way since Unreal 1.
A game to truly be in the edge of the knife when considering PS3vs360,and a super show-off that confuses me about what are the real hardware limits of this seventh generation.
on November 12, 2008 10:27 pm
What’s wrong with my avatar? Don’t you like girls?
on November 13, 2008 12:17 am
To clear my comment before dicklicker, I mean chadsucks went all psycho skank on everyone. I have nothing against the 360 or Gears I thought the first one was good but not a favorite game of mine. A little joke between me and Chad went into a quizzle (yes quizzle) of some fuckhoochie getting all butt hurt over a joke that I happen to have replied back to with another joke, because I have a sense of humor and so does the staff of Ripten. So good day to you “chadDOESNTsuck”
And no SeasonedSalt I don’t like girls, I LOVE girls.
>:D
on November 13, 2008 1:04 am
chadsucks apparently doesn’t. He blames my avatar for the problems in the gaming community. I never knew slutty chicks were a problem in the gaming community. I actually thought it was in need of more slutty chicks. Doesn’t the gaming community want more hot chicks that love getting naked and letting you film it?