Gears 2: Out helljumping the helljumpers

[Stark]

I was also worried Epic would respond to the ridiculous 'omg need story' complaints by making it a JRPG stuffed with endless soliloquies on how MAN IS THE REAL MONSTER. Thankfully, they've just thrown a bit more detail (and the nature of the story being several missions allows more 'so this is what we're doing' discussion). Frankly I think the first game had an excellent story and people just complained because main characters didn't constantly stop and explain in grating detail how they feel about the events of the game or constantly remind you what was going on; it was even possible to predict the tone of GoW2 from the first game's 'non-existent' story. I really think that Epic has been quite 'brave' with the Gears story; for people with a brain who don't expect to be spoonfed it's interesting, and the events of Gears2 are really not the kind of shit you expect to see in a shooter.

The unique executions are interesting, and I really like the achivement progress popups. I'm just rubbish at getting them.

[JointStrikeFighter]

I was also worried Epic would respond to the ridiculous 'omg need story' complaints by making it a JRPG stuffed with endless soliloquies on how MAN IS THE REAL MONSTER. Thankfully, they've just thrown a bit more detail (and the nature of the story being several missions allows more 'so this is what we're doing' discussion). Frankly I think the first game had an excellent story and people just complained because main characters didn't constantly stop and explain in grating detail how they feel about the events of the game or constantly remind you what was going on; it was even possible to predict the tone of GoW2 from the first game's 'non-existent' story. I really think that Epic has been quite 'brave' with the Gears story; for people with a brain who don't expect to be spoonfed it's interesting, and the events of Gears2 are really not the kind of shit you expect to see in a shooter.

The unique executions are interesting, and I really like the achivement progress popups. I'm just rubbish at getting them.

Do you even have the perfect reload yet lol? I got it in 5min with the sniper lol

[Andrew_Fireborn]

The 11 executions are as follows:

B with the Lancer (Tap not chainsaw), sniper rifle, Shotgun, and Torq Bow.
Picking them up as a shield, and then hitting X.
X on a downed enemy
Y specific for the Boomshield, Torque bow, Boltok, and Sniper Rifle.
Y generic for everything else.

Also, appearently Pound of Flesh is done by getting hit with something that would kill you in one hit with a meatshield. Easiest way is to grenade tag them then pick them up as a shield.

[Peptuck]

I was also worried Epic would respond to the ridiculous 'omg need story' complaints by making it a JRPG stuffed with endless soliloquies on how MAN IS THE REAL MONSTER.

I'm actually surprised (pleasantly) that Epic didn't try to make the Locust sympathetic, and in fact went in the exact opposite direction of making them complete unsympathetic monsters, while somehow still managing to keep a personality and culture to them. I was worried they would try to be all avant garde to paint the COG as the real bad guys, but thankfully they made sure that the humans were by far the lesser of the two evils.

[Stark]

Do you even have the perfect reload yet lol? I got it in 5min with the sniper lol

I had it before you even showed up, smart guy.

Thanks for the execution breakdown; I got the y-shield one just now playing through on insane. I hadn't thought of using tagged nades on meatshields - I usually just wander around in front of therons waiting to catch an rpg.

[Peptuck]

Damn Horde mode is insane. I managed to get up to level 9 on Avalanche before I quit.

I can handle everything except those damn Maulers. Even the Maulers aren't that troublesome except when they've got backup. Mauler + Grinder = ohfuckohfuckohfuckfuckshitfuck.

Also, Kantus monks can go die in a fire. I'd almost prefer Lambent Wretches to those assholes.

[Jordie]

You're going to love level 10 and every tenth level after that. Bloodmounts, lots of them. And no one notices that the rider is still alive after they take out the beast.

[apocolypse]

Also, Kantus monks can go die in a fire. I'd almost prefer Lambent Wretches to those assholes.

Lords of Kobol the monks are a pain aren't they? They jump around like hamsters on crack making it hard to get a sustained attack on them.

As a general aside, I managed to clear level 50 in Horde with some friends, but didn't get the achievement. As it turns out I skipped some earlier levels (I think it was like 10 through 17) when joining their party, so I have to play it over. Fortunately Horde kicks ass.

[Peptuck]

Also, Kantus monks can go die in a fire. I'd almost prefer Lambent Wretches to those assholes.

Lords of Kobol the monks are a pain aren't they? They jump around like hamsters on crack making it hard to get a sustained attack on them.

That and that goddamn sonic bullshit attack they use literally inches away from a successful chainsaw kill.

Also, as an aside, I just learned today that the Locust can and will curbstomp you, or beat you down with their weapons. I even got grabbed and used as a human shield at one point!

[Laird]

You Pansy's haven't gotten to level 50 on horde yet? Sheesh! Best level to do it on is Security, hide behind the laser fences in the court yard with your 5 man team grab the respawning mulcher/mortar, booby trap all the entry ways with grenades, and blast everything that survives. Took me and my friends on Hardcore about hour and a half to do.(5 mins avg per round)

[Stark]

Yeah, I hear the point of Horde is to get to 50 as quick as possible, right? And not to extend the longevity of the game? LOL

Where's my Gears of Warfare UT3 mod, that's what I want to know. Who cares about story, I want battles over decent sized (ie, not Goldeneye level-sized) maps.

[apocolypse]

That and that goddamn sonic bullshit attack they use literally inches away from a successful chainsaw kill.

Ahh, is that what that is? I've never tried getting close enough to one to physically attack them and was wondering what the hell they were always screaming about.

I hadn't heard about them using meatshields either till now.

[Darksider]

I think the screaming attack also restores any Locust who are on the ground and bleeding as well.

I could swear i've seen drones getting up without getting healed by a partner whenever those damn priests are in play.

[Andrew_Fireborn]

I think the screaming attack also restores any Locust who are on the ground and bleeding as well.

Aye, it's the main reason they're priority targets. Combined with their ability to force you out of cover, and the deadliness of that little pistol... (Currently it's my favorite to use with a boomshield.)

[apocolypse]

I think the screaming attack also restores any Locust who are on the ground and bleeding as well.

I could swear i've seen drones getting up without getting healed by a partner whenever those damn priests are in play.

You're right, it does do that too. But my confusion was because there have been several times when the damn monks started screaming and they were the only ones around in those instances. I'm like, "dude, what the hell are you screaming about? You're the only one left!" lol

[Ma Deuce]

The Kantus can restore dead (not just crawling and bleeding) locusts as well, provided they're not dismembered. Add to that their ink grenades, sonic attack and ability to spawn Tickers, and they make perhaps the most annoying enemy in the game. I derive much satisfaction from getting the opportunity to roast them with the flamethrower.

[Stark]

They only start dodging when they're 'aware' of an immediate threat; if you can get them early, or while they think they're safe behind something, they're easy to kill. If everyone just hoses at them constantly, they never go idle and are complete cunts cartwheeling all over the show. Choose your moment and one-shot them with a Boltok, Hammerburst or Longshot.

The rez'd guys do their whole HALLELUJAH thing and can but put down again if you've got the firepower before they do anything.

[Ma Deuce]

They only start dodging when they're 'aware' of an immediate threat; if you can get them early, or while they think they're safe behind something, they're easy to kill.

That's why I didn't mention that particular aspect of their behavior. Even if you can't drop them before they spot you, I find the tickers they summon to be far more effective in keeping them alive than their acrobatics: Distraction is a better defense than evasion.

[Ford Prefect]

the events of Gears2 are really not the kind of shit you expect to see in a shooter.

Something I liked about Gears 1 was Dom's missing wife. It was just a part of his backstory and wans't overbearing, and it gave him a little more depth beyond being an excitable, but likable, slab of muscle. Something which I was expecting, and to be honest hoping for, was a continuation of this. Something which I was worried about was that this element would be overplayed, which is basically an outgrowth of the 'worried about the story getting laid on too thickly' thing. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see how it was handled from beginning to end. I mean, pleasantly up until the end. In them idst of blood, sweat and grinding muscles, those elements of the story were surprisingly touching. Though I did not expect a happy ending for Dom, I think what they did with it was pretty ballsy.

If I might be allowed to put on my games r literature hat for a moment, I was just generally impressed with the writing all 'round. Like in the first games it laid enough hints that I feel like I must learn (play) more; originally it was Adam Fenix's secret lab and his strangely detailed map of the Hollow. Gears 2 continued that and added in the stuff happening in New Hope, which is pretty intruiging in itself. There's a lot of meet to Gears 2 without it being a stupid exposition fest. The characters reclaimed that unusually energy and charisma they had in the original game; Cole, for example, has very little actual depth but I just can't get enough of him, simply because of how irrepresible he is. His entrance was not quite as ridiculous as Skorge's, but it still pushed believability but I still didn't care. It's been said before that Gears of War thrives despite itself, and I think Gears 2 is an improvement on that.

Actually, speaking of Skorge, I thought he was a striking foe. Like RAAM, he made his full impact in only one scene. It was not as striking a piece of direction compared Kim's death scene, but he jumps on in and cuts a tank in half with a chainsaw! Holy shit! I'm going to have to fight that dude! His bossfight was enjoyable, but not an exercise in frustration. Chainsaw duels are silly as hell, but I was chomping at the bit to say to my friend 'leave this guy to me' and whipping out my Lancer. Also, he hinted at a the fundamental changes going down with the Locust - the changes in tactics and the new hard-on for capturing and torturing prisoners could be attributed to Skorge and his Kantus dudes getting more power with RAAM's death. This is how it seemed implied to me, but it was not rammed down our throats, leaving a goodly amount of speculation. On a slightly related note, I was pleased to see that Anya's somewhat increased prominence was not marred by her getting rammed down our throats, which happened with Cortana in Halo 2 and 3.

Art design is still stellar. The deep Hollow and the Locust structures, especially the Nexus, are standouts, but I was impressed elsewhere as well. New Hope was familiar in terms of how it was broken and abandonned, but had it own eerie 'charm'. In general, it retains the tight gameplay of Gears 1 with superior balance and a wider array of enemies such as Tickers and Flame Grenadiers. New weapons and equipment were included well, and the tweaked weapons balance was welcome, especially that of the Hammerburst. I was especially impressed by the boomshield and how it operated. It seemed very clever how even when you didn't have it up it provided defense to your left flank. The set-pieces were good as well. The opening moves of Operation Hollow Storm in Tip of the Spear really did make you feel like a 'gear', and the stuff with the Riftworm and being on the underground river were tense and exciting. I still love Markus' reaction to seeing the Riftworm, as he's shouting over the radio to Anya. They're using a giant worm! It's better paced, less frustrating but still challenging and it has a very large variety of sequences which were kind of jaw-dropping. It did a whole lot more than Gears 1 (shit, I was playing Panzer Dragoon at one point and it worked), and even though it does suffer from being them iddle game, I still think it's pretty self-contained. It raises more questions than Gears 1 did, but it more or less finished in the same way: humanity pulls their big curbstomp on the Locust and it ends, but it's clear that the curbstomp didn't work. Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to Gears 3.

[Vendetta]

It raises more questions than Gears 1 did, but it more or less finished in the same way: humanity pulls their big curbstomp on the Locust and it ends, but it's clear that the curbstomp didn't work. Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to Gears 3.

The third game will almost certainly deal with how humanity just made it's life a whole lot shittier at the end of Gears 2, with the Lambent being an increasing threat to both COG and Locust.

[Peptuck]

One thing I liked about Gears 2 was the sort of subtle implication that Sera is a world that, by its very nature, breeds complete hardasses. I mean, dude, razorhail. You have got to have some balls to survive on a planet where winter throws clouds of tank-killing, skin-flaying ice shards at you.

The best part is that its completely natural. The characters don't go off into an expository tangent about the razorhail, Baird just mentions it, ad it leaves the player wondering what the hell razorhail is, because it doesn't sound good, and then the glass in the room shatters and you see a squad of Locust torn limb from limb by a storm of ice. Does more to convey the danger of that shit than five minutes of exposition ever would.

Also, anyone else get the vibe that there's something going on between Marcus and Anya? Nothing gets said outright, but there were some subtle yet quite deliberate cues in their dialogue, particularly at the end when Marcus is trying to contact Anya and the look on his face when he thinks she didn't make it out of Jacinto in time.

[apocolypse]

It raises more questions than Gears 1 did, but it more or less finished in the same way: humanity pulls their big curbstomp on the Locust and it ends, but it's clear that the curbstomp didn't work. Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to Gears 3.

The third game will almost certainly deal with how humanity just made it's life a whole lot shittier at the end of Gears 2, with the Lambent being an increasing threat to both COG and Locust.

You know what I noticed too during a replay was some quote by the Queen (when she's broadcasting) that says something more or like, "when water meets fire then our enemies shall see their doom", something along those lines. That gave a "huh....oh shit!" moment.

While I guess it was probably meant for the Lambent, it also gives a nice play into humanity's future as well.

[Stark]

Also, anyone else get the vibe that there's something going on between Marcus and Anya? Nothing gets said outright, but there were some subtle yet quite deliberate cues in their dialogue, particularly at the end when Marcus is trying to contact Anya and the look on his face when he thinks she didn't make it out of Jacinto in time.

I think that while it's hopelessly obvious there's something going on there to even the blindest of the blind, it's an example of the writing tone that most people apparently don't like or understand. From the moment Marcus and Anya meet in Gears1 there's something there, and her 'hearting' him at the end of Gears2 is about as clear as it gets... but there's no giant chat where Dom keeps bringing it up to drive it home to the audience in the middle of a war, there's no OH REMEMBER THE TIME silliness; it's just obvious there's shit going down but Marcus has a goddamn job to do saving the goddamn world. It's a deliberate contrast to Dom's collapse when Marcus is shitting his pants thinking he just killed Anya before she could escape, and even Cole the Walking Black Stereotype knows he did good by saving her. The characterisation of these men works in an 'action movie' context because they don't say what they don't need to say... which means idiots think there's no story.

Just like the contrast nobody noticed between Prescott's desperate last-ditch fight the good fight speech and the Queen doing the same thing later, it's not bad writing because nobody pays attention. I like the Gears style becasue all the content is there but they don't have their giant soldiers breaking out into ridiculous exposition in the middle of a combat zone, but there's plenty of content there. I think the Dom/Marcus dynamic and contrast drives most of the game, and Marcus' political 'evolution' from a reluctant, COG-despising ex-con to a dynamic, optimistic saviour of mankind no matter the cost is pretty cool by itself.

Oh and Gears3 better have hovercraft levels.

I'm curious about the definite link between New Hope, the Sires (obvious Locust) and Mount Kantus and the Kantus monks - the changes in Locust culture (and probably the queen herself) are probably mankind's fault. The old chairman (who wouldn't authorise the use of vehicles to get up Kantus but would authorise experimenting on 15yo girls) and the Queen are both using their entire species in a war to seize the future, and the monks, the gears, the lambent, and all the crazy shit is just the fallout.

[Ford Prefect]

One thing I liked about Gears 2 was the sort of subtle implication that Sera is a world that, by its very nature, breeds complete hardasses. I mean, dude, razorhail. You have got to have some balls to survive on a planet where winter throws clouds of tank-killing, skin-flaying ice shards at you.

It is quite telling that basically every single male character that appears on screen is fucking enormous. The smallest Gear we've ever seen is Ben Carmine, and even then he's actually pretty big.

Actually, speaking of Beta Carmine, I rather liked his line in the Hollow about dust filters in his helmet. It was a nice jab at the tendancy for every character to not bother with helmets. Dom's reply to him was pretty harsh though.

Also, anyone else get the vibe that there's something going on between Marcus and Anya? Nothing gets said outright, but there were some subtle yet quite deliberate cues in their dialogue, particularly at the end when Marcus is trying to contact Anya and the look on his face when he thinks she didn't make it out of Jacinto in time.

It should have been obvious from her four second physical appearance in the first game that she's the closest thing to a love interest in the entire game.


PS. STRAK is a total Gears scholar.

[Havok]

Not being a complete gamer nerd like the rest of you.... HOW THE FUCK do I keep those stupid flying fucking shrimp away from my big slow tank thing after I shoot down the mortars?!

Yes, that is where I am stuck. Fuck you. Just help.

Edit: Nevermind. Fuck you guys.