Gears Of War 2

[Mundi]

Gears of War 2

Debut Trailer:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30802.html

Hell yeah!

[spirited away]

Ooh, what a shocker! :P

[Mundi]

Surprise of the year :heh:

[spirited away]

Now we just need some gameplay vids :) Nice to know it's coming this year.

[Solo]

better dynamic shadows, much more definition, more advanced character lighting and lots more things on-screen - he showed a Gears of War demo with 100 Locust enemies running around.

There will be better splashes (of blood, hopefully), better sound effects, integrated cinematic creation software, and Ageia soft body physics technology that allows objects to appear gelatinous and sticky when touched, or fluid balls to have viscosity and so forth.

And last but not least, scenery is now destructible - demonstrated by a Torque Bow arrow sticking into a wooden fence then blowing it to pieces.

From Eurogamer.

Never been a big fan of Gears but I'll keep this one on the radar anyway.

[Daft]

I hope there is a jump button.

[Hero-of-Time]

I hope there is 4 player co-op.

[Stefkov]

4 player co--op would be just incredible. It really would

[Apple_NdiB]

better dynamic shadows, much more definition, more advanced character lighting and lots more things on-screen - he showed a Gears of War demo with 100 Locust enemies running around.

There will be better splashes (of blood, hopefully), better sound effects, integrated cinematic creation software, and Ageia soft body physics technology that allows objects to appear gelatinous and sticky when touched, or fluid balls to have viscosity and so forth.

And last but not least, scenery is now destructible - demonstrated by a Torque Bow arrow sticking into a wooden fence then blowing it to pieces.


All the important things you need in a game then basically.

[Stefkov]

http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/9/2008/02/gowcovers.jpg
Black is the limited edition case.
From Kotaku.

[Solo]

I doubt they will be the final box art(s).

[Calza]

Yeah they arn't just placeholders for Game etc to sell preorders.

[Bren]

and says on the bottom, ARTWORK NOT FINAL. I reckon the proper cover will be quite ugly and then they'll have a nice limited cover to sell it :P

and o yeh, WOOOOOP its gonna be good

[Dyson]

Shit yeah!

[Stefkov]

Well yeah I know that. I'm not blind.

Trailer was amazing. If that happens in the multiplayer it's gonna make Bauer less happy.

[Jordan]

Dueling chainsaws will make this game a hell of a lot more fun to play. Half the joy was sucked out of it by chainsawing ***** and shotgunning shits.

[Stefkov]

So what else you meant to use then. Next you'll be saying the use of projectiles makes this game suck...

[Jordan]

Gears was ALOT of fun at long distance. Two people on the mansion level with lancers blind firing then diving behind cover to shoot. But it turned into a run towards your enemy and spam them with shotgun fire to win kind of affair.

It turned from something quite fun into something as tactical as... Katamari Damacey.

[Calza]

What are you on about Stefkov? Everybody knows that to play gears all you do is run about and pistol whip people.

If there is Chainsaw duelling there better be pistol whip duelling, the epicness that would follow...

[Stefkov]

Gears may have been a lot of fun in the shitty once you're down you dont get back up until someone gets you up mode.
Execution is faster and quicker. Even more fun.
I can't believe you're saying it's not fun because people like to spice things up a bit.
This is just gonna end up like a Snaking in mario kart thing...

[Noodleman]

Look at all dat juice.

[Cube]

Gears of War 2

Debut Trailer:
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30802.html

Hell yeah!

Yay for Bender!

[McPhee]

As long as sticky nades are still in i'll be happy :p

[FalcoLombardi]

I loved the first one, can't wait to play the second.

[The Bard]

And just when I thought my day could not get any better...:D

[Sooj]

I know it was expected but still, very happy that its now official :D

Love the first,played it to death. Can't wait for this :D

[Dyson]

As long as I can still tag enemies with smoke grenades, I'm definitely happy :D

[The Bard]

As long as I can still tag enemies with smoke grenades, I'm definitely happy :D

:blank: *breaks 360*

:heh:

[mario_jr]

I just hope its not a F*cking glitch fest.:heh:

[spirited away]

What are you on about Stefkov? Everybody knows that to play gears all you do is run about and pistol whip people.

If there is Chainsaw duelling there better be pistol whip duelling, the epicness that would follow...

Nah, I use a longshot to keep those whippers at bay.:heh:

All this game needs is 4 player Campaign co-op and a few new weapons to spice it up. Also I want dual-wielded active reload snipers.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30825.html - here's the tech demo. The Torque Bow destructible environments part = wow.

[Hero-of-Time]

Best Gears figure ever?

http://kotaku.com/358375/gears-of-war-exploding-head-figure-is-gross

[spirited away]

Best Gears figure ever?

http://kotaku.com/358375/gears-of-war-exploding-head-figure-is-gross

OMG. I need it. :bowdown:

[Retro_Link]

Looks like this summer is gonna = 360 get!

[Stefkov]

Nah, I use a longshot to keep those whippers at bay.:heh:

All this game needs is 4 player Campaign co-op and a few new weapons to spice it up. Also I want dual-wielded active reload snipers.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30825.html - here's the tech demo. The Torque Bow destructible environments part = wow.
Gah the websites down for maintenance. If there's destructibal environments this would become better than I wanted it to be.
Not only can sissies not hide behind sold concrete blocks that you can shoot through and get a head shot, but now you can destroy the block..

[Jordan]

Well, Gears was finished on a beta Unreal 3 engine. Its gone gold since then and features are constantly being added.

I hope they got rid of that damn texture popping.

[Fandango]

Nah, I use a longshot to keep those whippers at bay.:heh:

All this game needs is 4 player Campaign co-op and a few new weapons to spice it up. Also I want dual-wielded active reload snipers.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/30825.html - here's the tech demo. The Torque Bow destructible environments part = wow.

Wow it does look pretty cool, so many Locusts on screen at once!

[Jordan]

I do have one slight dispute about that trailer.

Yes, its done in real time... but what hardware? I mean, the 360 couldn't render that many enemies with the complexity Gears did. Ie: blowing them to bits.

[Stefkov]

But nothing else is going on at that time. Sure they couldn't do that on a 360 with a full on war between 100 locust and the 4 good dudes, but all they're doing is running. Nothing really demanding. If you watched the bottom of it they were bouncing off the cars trying to get round it, probably just simple coding.

They're probably gonna limit the torque bow now. It can destroy cover so it'll be really usefull when playing. I just hope they still allow changing in multiplayer, a torque bow extravaganza ...

[FalcoLombardi]

This just reminded me of the Gary Jules song that was in Donnie Darko. Such a good song, good movie, and good commercial.

[Dyson]

Who's this CliffyB guy?

[Dilli Gee]

Who's this CliffyB guy?
The face of/spokesperson for Microsoft Xbox, and its sister brands (like Zune).

[McPhee]

The face of/spokesperson for Microsoft Xbox, and its sister brands (like Zune).

Actually he doesn't work for Microsoft. He's a Game Designer at Epic Games, one of the best in the industry.

Gears Of War is basically his baby ;)

[Stefkov]

Yes, he works for Epic. Got blonde hair, pretty cool guy.
Came onto stage at GDC, with a mock chainsaw bayonet like in Gears, through a wall or something, and just said how the first game was only a teaser for what was to come in the second.

[Dan Dare]

I swear, if this game has Wtretches in again, I'm going to personally kneecap CliffyB in front of his children.

[The Bard]

Wretches were fuckin' cool. So much fun to just put down with a shotgun to the face, it was the lambent wretches on Insane that were a bit of a bitch.

[Dan Dare]

aye, I suppose I have more issue with them. Still, a poor man's Xenomorph at best, yo.

[Cube]

The Kryll can become extinct, though. Those are very annoying, especially in co-op.

[Daft]

I've found recently I can't really enjoy a game unless it has a good/solid story. I really hope the story is better than in GoW...Like I wouldn't mind some kind of background as to why the Earth was under attack from aliens. (If that even is the story!)

[Dog-amoto]

Wretches were fuckin' cool. So much fun to just put down with a shotgun to the face, it was the lambent wretches on Insane that were a bit of a bitch.

Grrr! That bit with the minecarts on Insane pissed me off to no end. Especially on co-op!!

I've found recently I can't really enjoy a game unless it has a good/solid story. I really hope the story is better than in GoW...Like I wouldn't mind some kind of background as to why the Earth was under attack from aliens. (If that even is the story!)

No, humans colonise a planet (Sera) and the Locusts were already living underground when they got there. In the special edition of the game, you get a little book that explains a little more of the backstory, including a civil war involving the fuel that is underground

[Dyson]

Haha, I've just completed and experienced what you guys are talking about for the first time tonight :D

Me and thunderer are completing the entire game on Insane Co-op, we're on Act 3 atm. Been doing it over a few days and just done the mineshaft bit again.

I don't have a problem with having Wretches in the game..as long as they get rid of the fucking irritating screeching they make.

[Jordan]

Pistol whip the wrenches and if they're exploding ones roll back afterwards. I remember Dom dying so many fucking times on that mine cart bit. Drove me nuts!

[Mundi]

Oh god how i hated every part of the game where you split up.
Especially when the guy your playing with thinks he´s playing Counterstrike or something.
RUSH RUSH RUSH and dies

[ReZourceman]

RUSH RUSH RUSH and dies

Hahahaha! Thats awesome.

Damn this games gonna be sweet. Loved the co op single player. Made of amazing.

[Shorty]

^ co-op single player? o_O does that even make sense?

That designer dude with the lancer at GDC looked hilarious, and his speech was so short and anti-climatic. I lol'd. And that gun blatantly weighed about as much as my computer keyboard.

[ReZourceman]

^ co-op single player? o_O does that even make sense?

Errrr...no....it doesnt really. :(

The co-op storyline mode. Single player.

[Jimjebus]

Re-buying Xbox for this, near end of the year

[spirited away]

Bumpage - new info on weapons, co-op e.t.c

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/04/07/new-gears-2-info-in-latest-game-informer/

And also some story details.

About some of the Characters (from NeoGAF):

"Tai Kaliso: While Cole and Baird are still a big part of the story, they won't be attached to Delta Squad as the new game opens. The reunion with those popular characters will have some lead up first, and until then, you'll be meeting some new personalities. The most memorable of these new additions may be Tai, a spiritual and meditative warrior from a tradition of honor-bound fighters. This familiar archetype should add a fun and perhaps mystical dynamic to the squad."

"Chairman Prescott: Lots of gamers found themselves wondering if Marcus' domineering superior officer was the head of the human government. It turns out that Hoffman is only second in command. Above him stands the Chairman, an almost dictatorial military leader who nonetheless has made the hard choices necessary to keep humanity alive through decades of warfare. As Gears 2 opens, this leader of the COG forces will deliver a speech to the troops before sending them reeling into the suicidal mission ahead."

"Dizzy: In the seemingly unending struggle with the Locust Horde, the military forces of the COG have taken massive casualties. Somewhere along the way, Operation Lifeboat was enacted to bring in some fresh blood. Under this new act, the Coalition government will rescue a Stranded family and bring them into the relative story of a COG-protected zone. In return, the able-bodied men of that family join up and contribute their skills to the war effort. Such is the case with hardened soldier Dizzy, a new character who drives the massive Derrick on which Delta Squad ascends into the mountains. With a trademark drawl and an insistence on calling his truck "Betty", he's a colorful new addition to the cast."

"Maria Santiago: When Emergence Day struck, Dom's wife Maria became a victim as surely as if she had died in that first attack. On that day, her children were killed. Unable to deal with the shock and loss, Maria lost herself in the ruins of civilization. For Dominic, who joined the COG to protect his family, no priority is higher than to retrieve his lost love - his very personal quest to find her is a major part of the story that unfolds in Gears 2."


"We were shown a vast underground cave level wherein Marcus and his companions will take the fight to the Locust. Unlike the sometimes cramped and and linear subterranean paths from the first game, the cavern complex is vast and breathtaking. Branching levels and open spaces give players true tactical choices as they decide which way to tackle an assault. Whatever path you choose, bio-luminescent plants light light the faces of the new Locust Kantus enemies. These monk-like devils hum low and droning chants that can be focused into sonic attacks against you. They wield weapons like the new Gorgon burst pistol and poison grenades, both of which can become part of your arsenal if you play your cards right. However, the Kantus' true danger lies in their ability to revive their fallen brethren from afar. Where before you could rest easy after taking down an enemy soldier, now there is the constant danger of them rising back up to continue to fight. The only alternative is to brave the hail of gunfire to break through enemy ranks and kill the Kantus sulking in the rear. Along the way, you may not have access to stable cover anymore, so you'll have to make do with the moving kind. Massive Locust rock worms will emerge from the cavern walls during battle, guided by the Kantus' chanting. Luckily, the creatures are so large you can hide behind them as they slither about, and you too will be able to guide them to an advantageous firing position."
"We want to fulfill the promise - it is a war. It's more than just these four guys. The first game felt very personal, and in a lot of ways that was good," senior producer Rod Fergusson tells us. However, it's clear from our time with the team that Gears 2 will shoot for a much larger conflict. "In order to save Jacinto, they have no choice but to take the war to the Locust," Fergusson continues. "They're going to push back and go underground, and bring the battle to them."
The team at Epic is well aware that many players out there hunger for a deeper and more involved storytelling experience. Lots of emotion this time. Joshua Ortega has been brought on, he is a novelist / comic writer. Really sounds like they are working a lot on the story. Sense of depth with the characters. A "darker and more heartfelt narrative."





Please let there be 4 player co-op! The poison grenades sound pretty cool and the inclusion of the locust monks and rock worms, and the larger-scale battles look to add a new dynamic and level of statergy to battles...

New multiplayer modes utilisting the Unreal engine's ability to render locust hordes! Awesome!

Only a few details but already I'm hyped for this.

[ReZourceman]

Sounds awesome. 4 Player Co-Op is surely everyones main hope. :)

[spirited away]

Sounds awesome. 4 Player Co-Op is surely everyones main hope. :)

Yup. Love how you can play on 2 different settings for each player;but how would that work if your squad weren't split up?

The Locust Horder functionality sounds interesting - I wonder whether we'll get an Arcade-esque mode where we can take down huge hordes of them.:heh:

[Mundi]

COG - No girls allowed!

[Cube]

Yup. Love how you can play on 2 different settings for each player;but how would that work if your squad weren't split up?


I think it's pretty much "player on casual is stronger and their weapons do more damage"

[Hero-of-Time]

From Kotaku

Jonesing for your first taste of Gears of War 2 gameplay footage? Fortunately you don't have too long to wait.

Gametrailers TV just secured themselves the first in-game footage from the game. The bad news? It won't be airing until May 9 at 1 a.m. The good news? The footage, which features Marcus Fenix, includes a special introduction by bunny-loving Epic game designer Cliff Bleszinski.

[spirited away]

From Kotaku

Thanks for that. Can't wait personally. Hopefully it's a feature-length video with lots of gameplay!

[ReZourceman]

Sweeeeeet.

[Retro_Link]

To go with the above gameplay news...

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33135.html

Can't wait!!

[Mike1988uk]

Cooooooooooooooooooooool. Looking forward to May 9th now then!!!

[Retro_Link]

Shouldn't Gametrailers have the Gears video up any time now?

EDIT: Never mind, just seen they have a countdown clock on their website:

5hrs 25mins and counting!

[Coolness Bears]

On 1ups website they have a countdown for it and it says 10 hours and 23 minutes to go!

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3167745&p=44

[Retro_Link]

On 1ups website they have a countdown for it and it says 10 hours and 23 minutes to go!

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3167745&p=44Think that's cos Gametrailers have the exclusive.

And a WHOLE 5 hour one at that it would seem!

[Coolness Bears]

Think that's cos Gametrailers have the exclusive.

And a WHOLE 5 hour one at that it would seem!

Ah Nice! :D

Well in that case I shall watch it there! :)

[Hero-of-Time]

Here it is people!

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33781.html

[NotAshley]

I feel slightly underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, it looks good, but I was expecting a contender for the best-looking game on the X360; instead, the engine seems almost identical.

On a positive note it's cool you can take hostages in GOW 2, but most of all I'm looking forward to the chainsaw battles! :D

[Shorty]

Holy hell, it looks awesome. I want it now. Using a locust as a shield looks great, and the chainsaw animations... you can stick 'em from behind and when you win a battle they just get a bit chopped off and on you go! Wow.

[Jordan]

Things to note:

Frame rate seems super stable in comparison to Gears 1
Holy shit at the amount of enemies and shit going at once O_O
The lighting model has been seriously messed with, its now looking like a far lighter game.
Enviroments don't feel like "out door rooms" like they did alot in GoW1.
Curb stomping is gone...? The little context sensitive buttons on the screen only show grabbing the locast and not curb stomping.

I'm impressed... want.

[Hero-of-Time]

The video is now up on marketplace.

[Cube]

The sky/water/background/lighting make the game look much, much better - the little dose of colour from all of those things really makes a difference.

[Caris]

Looks awesome.

[Nintenchris]

Agreed it looks all kindsa awesome

[spirited away]

I feel slightly underwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, it looks good, but I was expecting a contender for the best-looking game on the X360; instead, the engine seems almost identical.

On a positive note it's cool you can take hostages in GOW 2, but most of all I'm looking forward to the chainsaw battles! :D

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33773.html

*ahem*...

Also- a scene by scene analysis. http://www.gametrailers.com/player/33775.html

[Dan Dare]

urrrrgh! shhiiiiiiitt that looks sweet

as for 'identical engine'.....eh, what? Ok so the graphics aren't a big jump but did you not notice the sheer scale they're now applied to? that battle is *massive* compared to, what, 8 enemies at a time in the first one, tops.

looking forward to this. the first game was pretty enjoyable stuff.

[spirited away]

The main thing I gather from that Comparsion is that the lighting looks so much better and the differences in scale. Surely this calls for 4 -player co-op?

[Dan Dare]

it fuckin better do. If so, I'm getting a crew together and not playing it solo, ever.

[spirited away]

it fuckin better do. If so, I'm getting a crew together and not playing it solo, ever.

Would be truly awesome.

I really hope multiplayer games won't be 8 on 8 affairs now though. I think the cover sytem and the dynamics between the weapons lend themselves well to tight, compact, strategic stages.

Epic did say there will be some new co-operative modes though - anyone for 'Behead the Undead' (Timesplitters) style arcade types?

[Dan Dare]

I was never that in to Gears MP. Maybe if I owned a copy and gave it time...but it seemed a bit clunky to me, especially in tight quarters. I was a Halo boy at heart really- now that's a game I can control effrotlessly at all times.

[ReZourceman]

Mmmmm sexy.

[Jamba]

Looks very good but I'm worried about the open scale of it. I hope that it punctuates the game rather than is used all the way through. I like the confined corridor play of the first, it's hard to keep any level of atmosphere in exterior settings.

[The Bard]

Cannot wait for this to come out, get the ol N-E Gears crew back together for nightly matches = D.

[D_prOdigy]

I think someone Epic must have stepped outside and realized that there are colours other than brown and grey.

The main problem of the original was the generic style on top of the slightly repetitive single player.

So far, this looks to have solved at least one of those problems. High hopes!

[Haver]

Has anyone played the first on PC? Joystick control really spoiled the first one for me, although I had a blast.

I heard the PC version is buggy, this is why I ask.

[Dan Dare]

Cannot wait for this to come out, get the ol N-E Gears crew back together for nightly matches = D.

not that i was part of it, but bring it on bitches!:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

oh yeah, and my mate got it on pc. he had no problems far as I know.

[Mike1988uk]

omg that looks so good! I will defo be getting a 360 again later this year for this!

[BeerMonkey]

looks awesome

liked that you can now use a enemy as a shield (then break his neck and chuck over the edge hehe)

[Stefkov]

Cannot wait for this to come out, get the ol N-E Gears crew back together for nightly matches = D.
I've yet to watch the video but this idea is a great one. Shame all the games in between the first Gears and this one, it all just fell apart.

[Coolness Bears]

Hell Yes! :D

I wish i had a 360 I loved the first Gears of War and played it all the time with my friend.

This looks much more awesome, loads of stuff was happening on screen in that video and the chainsaw screw attack thing from behind was great. :awesome:

Definately my most playe 360 game.


Bluejay take note! :heh:

[Cube]

I should probably play through the first one a second time.

I hope the ending in GoW2 doesn't just jump up out of nowhere.

[spirited away]

Cannot wait for this to come out, get the ol N-E Gears crew back together for nightly matches = D.

The main reason I want this game to! :smile:

[Stefkov]

Holy shit.
That video was intense. Using a locust as shield. The chainsaw battle looks like it's whoever can press the b button the quickest will come oout on top.
That's no excuse to only use that weapon online though...:blank:

[Nintenchris]

Holy shit.
That video was intense. Using a locust as shield. The chainsaw battle looks like it's whoever can press the b button the quickest will come oout on top.
That's no excuse to only use that weapon online though...:blank:

Haha will we see the return of the guys who only chainsaw, will we have to shout and them again.... i think so

[Dyson]

Don't let Tellyn see this. :D

[Goron_3]

OMG.

The amount of enemies...that was insane! jesus just imagine some of the set pieces they could pull off!

[Mr. Bananagrabber]

It's amazing what a little bit of blue sky does to the look of a game.

[Letty]

It's amazing what a little bit of blue sky does to the look of a game.

Yeah, I was just thinking that!

Now Im completely rubbish at Gears, but will probably put a bit more effort in for this game.

[spirited away]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/05/14/gow2-details-multiplayer-vehicles-carmines-back/

In a recent interview with GameTrailers at Microsoft's Spring Showcase event, Gears of War 2 maestro Cliff Bleszinski dropped a ton of details regarding Marcus Fenix's second outing. Cliffy had plenty to talk about, including new details on Gears of War 2 multiplayer, storyline, vehicles, and the return of a certain fan-favorite character. Here's a quick rundown of exactly what CliffyB had to say:

Gears 2 will feature 5-on-5 multiplayer with more modes and more maps out of the box than Gears 1. Online functionality wasn't detailed, but Cliffy promises it will be "very competitive with other titles in this space." Dare we hope for a Halo-inspired party system?
About executions:
Chainsaw duels can end in a draw, but only occasionally.

The curb stomp is back
Players are no longer invulnerable when performing executions
Once a duel is over, the actual chainsawing is faster, making the entire duel last about as long as a normal chainsaw kill.
Players who are down but not out can now attempt to crawl away, tapping the A button to crawl faster.
The game will have "buckets and buckets" of blood. For example, Marcus will leave trails of blood on a wall while taking cover after being injured. "Meat shields" (i.e. hostages) will also drip blood as they are dragged around.
Players will be able to drive the new Centaur tank, which is something like a cross between a tank and a monster truck (we think it's briefly in the video at around 3:50)
Carmine (most famous for being on the receiving end of a headshot in the first Gears) will return ... somehow.

[spirited away]

New gears info, supposively from the latest edition of OXM.

http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=408593&page=1

New Gears of war 2 details posted 1 Day Ago

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i just bought this months x360 magazine and it has a lot of details on gears 2 multiplayer.

-New weapon Scorcher (Flamethrower) "most realistic fire in a game we've ever seen"
-5 vs 5
-Assasination gametype altered. everyone respawns until their leader is dead. when the leader is killed they stop rewpawing and the game ends when everyone is dead on one team.
-Assasination renamed 'Guardian'.
-New gametype 'Wingman' 10 players split into teams of two.each team is played as different character (eg marcus and marcus vs Dom and Dom etc)
-Features Matchmaking
-Exectucions now vary on the weapon you holding (eg sniper rifle will be used like a golf club)
-Curb stomp returns
-'Y' will cause your character to unleach several brutal punches to a downed enemy, killing him.
-'A' will cause you to pick up the enemy and use him as a shield. The player your using as a shield will go to the respawn line.
-New gametype 'meatflag' sort of like CTF but epic have done this in their own way. The flag will instead be character wandering around the centre of the map. He has his own weapons and even a place on the leaderboard.
To capture him you will need to down him and pick him up as a meatshield and take him back, slowly, to your base. If you shoot the meatflag enough times while he's being dragged back to base, his captor will loose him and he'll go crazy on everyone around him.
-Specific weapons will cycle round the maps.
-Stopping power - if your running towards an enemy but he is firing straight into your chest, you will slow down.
-The oppurtunity to spawn with either the lancer or hammerburst.
-Hammerburst gone through significant alterations. The faster you tap the the right trigger, the faster it fires. quicker shooting = more recoil however.
-New weapon Medusa. could be considered a power weapon. 6 shots per burst.
-Bullet shields. big metal shield that stops you from getting hit. can be planted into the ground to make a new cover. enemies can kick it down though if they get close enough.
-Grenades can be stuck anywhere. not just on enemies. they can be planted on the ground,walls,doors etc to produce a proximity mine.
-smoke grenades carry a stun effect that ragdolls anyone in range.
-new weapon poison gas grenade. produces a cloud of smoke that kills anything that lingers in it. they can be stuck onto enemies were the will slowly die. people stuck by the gas grenade can also injure team-mates if the get too close.
-On games with no respawn, when you are dead you can fly around the map as a "ghost cam". You can even take screenshots that will be uploaded to the community.
-Gridlock returns. However its more overgrown now, plants and grass growing.
(everything is still the same though- cars are where they where etc)
-New map - 'river' - symetrical map, each team has a thin strip of land with a house and sniping tower, and inbetween them a river.
-New map - 'Security' - long thin map. to the left and right are stairs leading to veranda's that run the entire length of the map. you are barred access however by red lasers, which will kill you if attempting to pass through. A power weapon is barred on the other side of the map while at the other it is defended by sentry guns. There is a button in the middle of the map that turns the lasers and sentry's off for 20 seconds.
-New locust 'hammerhead' (helmet makes him look sorta like a hammerhead shark)
-New locust 'Grenadier' (this is the guy we saw in the video were marcus punches him to death)
-Two people can chainsaw one guy at the same time.
-New cog 'Tai' has aboriginal tattoo's.
-New cog 'Dizzy' "looks like chuck Norris"
-Cole returns for multiplayer at least.

Thats all folks.

Scans:

NEW HAMMERBURST

http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000149eh9.jpg

NEW GRIDLOCK

http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000138xx2.jpg

NEW MAPS

http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000106fu5.jpg

BULLET SHIELD

http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0001510pj4.jpg

HAMMERHEAD LOCUST

http://img144.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000117io9.jpg

GRENADIER LOCUST

http://img149.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000095hv8.jpg

DIZZY LOCUST

http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000073dh3.jpg

NEW COG: TAI

http://img143.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc000051bf1.jpg


WOW! Shaping up really well.

[Hero-of-Time]

Gears 2 Multiplayer Footage
http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/06/25/video-gears-of-war-2-multiplayer-revealed/

Gears 2 Screens
http://www.gamersyde.com/news_6693_en.html

Gears 2 Multiplayer Preview
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3168403

Enjoy! :)

[The fish]

It appears they've fixed most of the things I hated...

Excellent. :smile:

[Stefkov]

I'm only look at the screens now but 2 man chainsawing in multiplayer would be epic.

[Tellyn]

I'm only look at the screens now but 2 man chainsawing in multiplayer would be epic.

But my victims can now fight back. :(

[spirited away]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/ - The new vid found within UT3. At 2:36 the Cog kills the locust by knocking his head off with a beatdown:P Awesome!

[That Guy]

This game is looking fucking sweet. Hopefully I suck a bit less at it this time.

[spirited away]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/06/29/gears-of-war-2s-active-sniper-will-not-insta-down/
Nooooooooo! :(

[Nintenchris]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/06/29/gears-of-war-2s-active-sniper-will-not-insta-down/
Yessssssssss! :smile:


Now all those snipers will have to stop being pussys and come and fight like a man!

[The Bard]

Yeah, I don't mind tbh, but I hope it's still one headshot = kill with the longshot, otherwise it'll be fucking useless as a weapon.

[Dan Dare]

Yeah i'm not too fussed.

[Calza]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/06/29/gears-of-war-2s-active-sniper-will-not-insta-down/
Nooooooooo! :(

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/06/29/gears-of-war-2s-active-sniper-will-not-insta-down/
Yessssssssss! :smile:


Now all those snipers will have to stop being pussys and come and fight like a man!

:blank:

Fair enough if it was on a different page but it was the post right before yours.

[Dyson]

:blank:

Fair enough if it was on a different page but it was the post right before yours.

I'm fairly certain it was parody.

[The Bard]

I'm fairly certain it was a parody.

Has the message sunk in yet?

[Nintenchris]

Dyson was right

[Stefkov]

That news is Frosties. No more ghey little snipers sitting back and downing you from behind a wall.

[Calza]

I see the errors of my ways, :(

[Shorty]

But my victims can now fight back. :(I don't think it's going to be a chainsaw battle every time. I mean if you get there first, you win, surely? Or yknow... if they don't have a Lancer out.

[Stefkov]

Video (http://kotaku.com/5022864/gears-of-war-2-packed-with-watercooler-moments) not sure if people have seen.
Some great additions they've added in. More ways to kill people when they're down. Crawling away when you're down. The bullets have stopping power so you slow down when getting shot.
This game is sounding better and better.

[The fish]

The bullets have stopping power so you slow down when getting shot.

Thank god for that - I played Gears yesterday with a mate splitscreen online, and the fact people can snipe you perfectly whilst having a Lancer magazine emptied into them is massively frustrating.

[Hero-of-Time]

Has Gears 2 date been revealed?

A new splash page at the official Gears of War web site may have just revealed the launch date of Epic Games' next. The Xbox 360 shooter was previously rumored to hit November 16, but it looks like Emergence Day for Gears of War 2 will actually be a week earlier. How do we know this? The dog tags being held on the splash page read 033-116-117-126-071. That, in ASCII octal values, translates to ESC-N-O-V-9. Sneaky, Epic, sneaky.

We imagine that we'll know, without a shadow of a doubt, exactly when Gears of War 2 will "escape" by next Monday, when Microsoft holds its E3 press conference. Still, it might not be a bad idea to schedule this as a sick day with your boss early as a courtesy.

[Jimjebus]

Omfg i saw the gears new trailers , it pulled from buying a new pc/tv to rebuying xbox360 , which meens im so comming back to xbl for gears to play it regardless who i play with

[spirited away]

Thank god for that - I played Gears yesterday with a mate splitscreen online, and the fact people can snipe you perfectly whilst having a Lancer magazine emptied into them is massively frustrating.

That won't make a difference to you're accuracy though, I don't think. They implemented the mechanic to prevent people blindly roadie-running into people, with the shotgun - which was a rather annoying tactic!

[ReZourceman]

Gears 2. Wow Im looking forward to this. The storys gonna be intense and y'all know it. I wonder if there will be a cliff hanger? Wait....are they making another? I assume.

[Stefkov]

That won't make a difference to you're accuracy though, I don't think. They implemented the mechanic to prevent people blindly roadie-running into people, with the shotgun - which was a rather annoying tactic!
I remember my first game when this happened. My first game I decided to play just randomly I join a game where the first thing they did was swap to shotguns. You had no chance if you went in with the Lancer. From then on it was shotguns ahoy.
I don't think it's an annoying tactic, you just gotta learn to get out the way of it.

[spirited away]

I remember my first game when this happened. My first game I decided to play just randomly I join a game where the first thing they did was swap to shotguns. You had no chance if you went in with the Lancer. From then on it was shotguns ahoy.
I don't think it's an annoying tactic, you just gotta learn to get out the way of it.

That's the whole point of this tweak though: to make the lancer a more useful weapon in solitary battles - so it doesn't become a stagnant weapon again. Certainly adds a new element of thought into weapon usage and tactics.

Hopefully they will sort out host advantage, as they so promised.

[Stefkov]

That's the whole point of this tweak though: to make the lancer a more useful weapon in solitary battles - so it doesn't become a stagnant weapon again. Certainly adds a new element of thought into weapon usage and tactics.

Hopefully they will sort out host advantage, as they so promised.
Yeah I know and I like that it now has the power to slow someone down.
Gears was never really about tactics though, it was more run and gun.
I'm not sure, I hope it's more of the same but I do like tactic games like R6V so an bit of tactics in the game would make it superb.
The flamethrower looks like a great addition aswell. I hope it's not really weak that someone can plough through and shoot you in the face.

[spirited away]

Yeah I know and I like that it now has the power to slow someone down.
Gears was never really about tactics though, it was more run and gun.
I'm not sure, I hope it's more of the same but I do like tactic games like R6V so an bit of tactics in the game would make it superb.
The flamethrower looks like a great addition aswell. I hope it's not really weak that someone can plough through and shoot you in the face.

You could use the usual tactics though: flanking, grouping, covering e.t.c and it worked quite well against disorganised groups. I guess the slow-paced, long-ranged focus of RSV lended itself alot better to tactics though. The new uses of all the various grenade types, and the Meat shield/placeable shields look to add some interesting new facets to the gameplay as well. I'm partictualy looking forward to sticking frags on walls, to cover my back when I'm sniping :heh:.

[Stefkov]

You could use the usual tactics though: flanking, grouping, covering e.t.c and it worked quite well against disorganised groups. I guess the slow-paced, long-ranged focus of RSV lended itself alot better to tactics though. The new uses of all the various grenade types, and the Meat shield/placeable shields look to add some interesting new facets to the gameplay as well. I'm partictualy looking forward to sticking frags on walls, to cover my back when I'm sniping :heh:.
Sticking grenades against the wall sounds like a great addition. I hope there are more types like C4 types, claymores, etc.
In the video it looked as if that one was a C4 type with his planting it then hiding round a corner. Gonna have a great time with grenades in this.

[Dan Dare]

that looked like a standard frag to me- ball and chain style thing with the spikes being used to latch the wall.


flamethrower looks a bit whack- I was hoping for a wall of incineration and fear.

How long is it going to take before someone makes a realistic flamethrower? Anyone familiar with Saving Private Ryan and Letters from Iwo Jima knows what I mean- hulking death machines that filled entire bunkers with flaming jets of fuel and napalm etc.

[spirited away]

that looked like a standard frag to me- ball and chain style thing with the spikes being used to latch the wall.


flamethrower looks a bit whack- I was hoping for a wall of incineration and fear.

How long is it going to take before someone makes a realistic flamethrower? Anyone familiar with Saving Private Ryan and Letters from Iwo Jima knows what I mean- hulking death machines that filled entire bunkers with flaming jets of fuel and napalm etc.

Yer that was a standard Frag. I like how they've improved the smoke grenades to make them a more viable tactic - although the stun effect seems a little cheap though, i.e throw a smoke, then a frag, Kaboom.

Apparently Epic's aim was to make the most realistic flamethrower ever seen in a game, and they've spent a conisderable amount of time researching and refining the weapon. :heh:

[Dan Dare]

but did you see it? it was all piddly and shit!

[ReZourceman]

Apparently Epic's aim was to make the most realistic flamethrower ever seen in a game, and they've spent a conisderable amount of time researching and refining the weapon. :heh:

Good to know they are going for realism.........


....Anyway Im off to play Gears, and use my gun to chainsaw an aliens face off.

[spirited away]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/07/12/gow2-day-one-revealed-bots-confirmed-and-more/

New Info people!

[Mike1988uk]

http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/07/12/gow2-day-one-revealed-bots-confirmed-and-more/

New Info people!

Excellent!

Shame about the arm being pulled off and hitting ppl with it as been pulled, oh well..... lol.

[Retro_Link]

New Video

http://www.gamekyo.com/video12517_gears-of-war-2-new-video.html

[Hero-of-Time]

Details from Comic Con

Gears 2 will use what's being called Linked Achievements. Players who played Gears 1 and completed Act 1 will be able to play as Carmine in Gears 2's multiplayer. If you killed Raam at the end of Gears 1 his character model will be available as well. There will be more Linked Achievements in Gears 2, but those were the only examples given.

Steve Jablonsky recently finished the last recording session at Skywalker Sound for the soundtrack. He also did Transformers and the remake of Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

You'll see Carmine brother Anthony in the game.

There's a 130 dollar bundle of Gears 2 that will include an actual Lancer. No, it's not a functioning gun. Note: The information about the bundle -- including pricing and what it will include -- is unconfirmed by Microsoft and is subject to change.

Gears 2 is "just as much Dom's story as Marcus'."

Dizzy's hat can be shot off in multiplayer. Dizzy is voiced by Peter Jason from Deadwood.

The collector's edition of Gears 2 will include the photo of Dom and his wife that Dom actually carries through the campaign. He pulls it out to ask people if they've seen Maria.

Both the comic and the novel are prequels to Gears 2 but take place after the first game. The comic stars a new COG soldier who makes a cameo in the campaign mode of the second game.

Jack, the helpful little robot from Gears 1 has much more screen time in Gears 2.

The panel showed off a Gears of War Xbox 360 adorned with fancy artwork and a red paint job. One side of the console showed frenzied Locust and the other showed COG soldiers.

The Gears novel comes out on October 28. Karen Travis also wrote the Republic Commando novels and love writing about war. She quizzed the folks at Epic asking, "How do the soldiers clean the chainsaw bayonet? What does their armor feel like?" Cliff had no answer when she originally posed the question. At one point Ortega suggested that they use "Lancer floss."

The Corpser is in the game.

Dom's older brother Carlos, who is a friend of Marcus', is in the novel.

Len Wiseman is directing the Gears movie, Chris Morgan is doing the script and Legendary Pictures is co-financing. Cliff is an executive producer on the project.

The actor playing the lead role might not be the massive buff guy that people expect.

Cliff enjoyed lighting things on fire and dressing as a ninja as a kid.

Thirty percent of Gears 2 takes place in The Hollow (the Locust lair). Cliff made the distinction to ensure that people didn't think it was a "cave game."

People think Jon DiMaggio is hilarious. Especially when he converses with himself in the Bender and Marcus Fenix voices.

I want me that fullsized Lancer!

[Retro_Link]

Some good new info!

30% of the game being underground sounds just about OK for me. I'm glad it's not anymore than that because the underground chapter of the original was the one I enjoyed least. I much prefered seeing the scenery and playing through the exteriors and interiors of the city, the power station etc...

[Retro_Link]

I want me that fullsized Lancer!
GOW2 Special Edition Lancer Bungle:

[bad translation]
http://www.gamekyo.com/news28556_gears-of-war-2-l-arme-de-marcus-en-pack-collector.html

GEARs off War 2: l' arms with Marcus in pack collector!

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/65641320080707_224054_3_big.jpg

Amazon will off market as of the exit of GEARs War 2 on Xbox 360 (on November 7) a rather special pack named Lancer Bundle since including/understanding, in addition to the play him even, a counterpart of Launching, l' qu' arms; use the majority of the characters of the licence. A manner like another of shining in company, on the condition of spending the moderate amount of 139 dollars (93€ HT). Nothing of envisaged with regard to l' Europe but the amateurs of butchery request already.

http://www.gamekyo.com/Webmasters/Images/65641320080812_091536_0_big.jpg

[Hero-of-Time]

Seriously achievement is back!!

Certainly one of the most sought after questions concerning Gears of War 2 for any achievement junky is the incorporation of another Seriously achievement. Well, revealed by Cliff Bleszinski today at the Canadian X08 event, there will be a second Seriously achievement to hit Gears of War 2. Dubbed "Seriously 2.0", it will require players to get 100,000 kills as opposed to the 10,000 kills in the first installment. Yes, you read that correctly, 100,000 kills. However, all kills from single player and co-op campaigns will count, presumably kills from the new Horde mode as well. However, apparently, kills gotten in multiplayer will not count.

[Mundi]

If I get that lancer as a part of the SE I´m putting it on my wall.

[Hero-of-Time]

Here's the full list of achievements which look alot easier than the first game.


Green as Grass Train the rook (any difficulty) 10

It's a Trap! Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 2 10

Escort Service Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 4 10

Girl About Town Story progression in Act 1, Chapter 6 10

That Sinking Feeling Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 4 10

Freebaird! Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 5 10

Heartbroken Story progression in Act 2, Chapter 6 10

Longitude and Attitude Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 3 10

Tanks for the Memories Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 4 10

Water Sports Story progression in Act 3, Chapter 6 10

There's a Time for Us Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 2 10

Better Wrapped in Beacon Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 3 10

Have Fun Storming the Castle Story progression in Act 4, Chapter 6 10

And the Horse You Rode in On Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 1 10

You Are the Support, Son Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 2 10

Brumak Rodeo Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 4 10

Does This Look Infected to You? Story progression in Act 5, Chapter 5 10

Tourist of Duty Complete all campaign acts on Casual Difficulty 25

Guerilla Tactician Complete all campaign acts on Normal Difficulty 50

Artist of War Complete all campaign acts on Hardcore Difficulty 75

Suicide Missionary Complete all campaign acts on Insane Difficulty 150

Collector Recover 5 collectibles (any difficulty) 5

Pack Rat Recover 20 collectibles (any difficulty) 15

Completionist Recover all 41 collectibles (any difficulty) 30

One-Night Stand Complete 1 chapter in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom) 10

Open Relationship Complete 10 chapters in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom) 30

Friends with Benefits Complete all acts in co-op on any difficulty (Marcus or Dom) 50

Once More, With Feeling Perform 30 perfect active reloads (any mode) 10

Takes a Licking Melee 30 Tickers (any mode) 30

Organ Grinder Kill 30 enemies with a cover mounted Mulcher (any mode) 10

Shock and Awe Kill 30 enemies with the heavy Mortar (any mode) 10

Said the Spider to the Fly Kill 10 enemies with a planted grenade (any mode) 10

Crowd Control Melee 10 enemies down with the Boomshield equipped (any mode) 10

Smells Like Victory Kill 30 enemies with the Scorcher Flamethrower (any mode) 10

Variety Is the Spice of Death Kill an enemy with every weapon in the game (any mode) 30

Seriously 2.0 Kill 100,000 enemies (any mode) 50

Standing Here, Beside Myself Win 3 matches of Wingman (public) 10

Beat the Meatflag Capture 10 meatflags in Submission (public) 10

It's Good to be the King Win 10 rounds of Guardian as the leader (public) 10

You Go Ahead, I'll Be Fine Win three matches of King of the Hill (public) 10

Back to Basic Successfully complete the 5 lessons of multiplayer Training Grounds 10

Party Like It's 1999 Play 1999 rounds of multiplayer (any mode) 30

Around the World, Again Win a multiplayer match on each map (any mode) 30

Dirty, Dirty Horde Survive the first 10 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map) 20

Hoard the Horde Survive all 50 waves of Horde (any difficulty, any map) 30
IGN didnt have the last 5 listed but they were on the Gears website.

Crossed Swords – Points 10
Win 10 chainsaw duels (any mode).

A Parting Gift – Points 20
Kill 10 enemies with a grenade while down but not out (any mode).

Pound of Flesh – Points 10
Use a meatshield to save your life 10 times (any mode).

Photojournalist – Points 10
Submit a spectator photo.

Kick 'Em When They're Down – Points 10
Perform all 11 unique executions on a downed enemy.

Also the linked achievement rewards have now been confirmed as...

Complete Act 1 in Gears of War: Unlock Anthony Carmine multiplayer skin in Gears of War 2.
Find 10 COG tags in Gears of War: Unlock Minh Young Kim multiplayer skin in Gears of War 2.
Defeat RAAM in Gears of War: Unlock RAAM multiplayer skin in Gears of War 2.

[Mike1988uk]

Cool, just reading that list makes me want it some more!

[Dan Dare]

This game is going to kick so much ass. really, really want it :smile:

Tempted to prioritise Left4Dead first though. that looks genius.

[Cube]

I hope the Acts are longer in this. The GoW ending seemed to appear out of nowhere.

[Dan Dare]

I always thought the GoW campaign was actually a perfect length. It's badly strung together with the plot and writing, but gameplay wise it's a good game. I'm playing it through on co-op again atm and it's really good.

[Chuck]

Im sure those 100,000 locust are ready to be killed in a giffy Adam.

[Hero-of-Time]

Im sure those 100,000 locust are ready to be killed in a giffy Adam.

Yup

Just checked out my nephews Gears progress this morning and he has finally got all 1250 points off it. I should think so aswell, hes never off the thing.

[Chuck]

Yup

Just checked out my nephews Gears progress this morning and he has finally got all 1250 points off it. I should think so aswell, hes never off the thing.

WTF isnt he like 5 or something

[Hero-of-Time]

WTF isnt he like 5 or something

Nah, hes 13. He loves Gears to bits and is very excited about the 2nd one. Hes an awesome little Gears player :)

[Dog-amoto]

Why's this thread not been posted on since August?

Anyway - if you get this game on launch, you can download some revamped classic maps from the first game

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/915/915989p1.html

I hope you can still play Horde on them. Mansion will be awesome.

[Mike1988uk]

Why's this thread not been posted on since August?

Anyway - if you get this game on launch, you can download some revamped classic maps from the first game

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/915/915989p1.html

I hope you can still play Horde on them. Mansion will be awesome.

Cool, thats more maps for me then :)

[Dog-amoto]

Pretty cool multiplayer video. Nothing we've not seen before

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/videopage?videoId=3631512&categoryId=3208334&n8pe6c=3

[Hero-of-Time]

Here's Kotakus hands on with the campaign mode. Gentlemen, start your drooling now!

I held back talking about the Gears campaign last week since a substantial amount of what I played was on co-op, which technically fell under the multiplayer embargo that expired today. held back talking about the Gears campaign last week since a substantial amount of what I played was on co-op, which technically fell under the multiplayer embargo that expired today.

So, without further ado, my real thoughts on Gears of War 2.

Gears of War 2 is everything it’s supposed to be – the same loud, visceral war epic with a few new weapons, a few new characters and a whole lot more explosions. The plot has just as many cliffhangers as the first one (though it does wrap up the Maria storyline), and the conflict between Locusts and Humans is less resolved at the end of Gears 2 than it was at the end of Gears 1.

In short, Gears 2 is The Empire Strikes Back. And I, for one, think that’s a good thing.

I started out with the campaign. At first I entertained noob notions that I ought to try the Hardcore difficulty and then wisely went with Casual instead. We picked up (sort of) where we left off at the end of Gears – only now we were told during the intro cutscene that we hadn’t wiped out the Locusts with the Lightmass bomb and that the only city that hadn’t been sunk was Jacinto.

The tutorial (which I think you can skip) has you training green recruit Benjamin Carmine who bears a striking resemblance to Metal Gear Solid 4’s Akiba in many ways. Training is cut short when Locusts show up and you’ve got to run and gun through a hospital while waiting for an extraction team to save your ass.

Next up was a moving cutscene, complete with cheesy epic music and sprawling scenes of COG forces marching off to war.

Now the gameplay got a little harder. We were set up on transports (Jawa sandcrawler-looking things) and had to defend both our transport and other transports from Locust attacks in the air and on the ground. The best strategy I came up with was manning the transport turret and alternating between mashing the trigger button and mashing the Left Shoulder to cool down the gun. This worked well enough against the swarms of ground forces that overtook one of the other transports out of my turret’s range; but it failed miserably when I had to take out the Locust that actually started driving the transport. I was summarily rammed off a bridge and down a cliff to my fiery doom.

Luckily, Gears 2 is pretty patient with you if you die and I loaded right back to a checkpoint just before the bridge with barely any downtime to seethe. Getting the message that the game wanted me to complete the level with a dominant strategy (shotgun), I left the turret to get right up against the “bulletproof” windshield of the offending transport and shoot it (and the driver) to high hell.

By now I had completely forgot what the plot was and why my unit was out in the middle of nowhere. On cue, a cutscene occurred, telling me I had to go to a specific point on a map so I could be shot down into the earth where we could look for the Locusts that were supposedly digging the ground out from beneath human cities to sink them.

At this point, another game journo wanted to jump into my game. I was at an auto-save point, so I quit out and then opened up the options to host a co-op game. (Still had to go through that tedious Xbox Dashboard exercise of accepting a friend request and firing off an invite… hopefully we won’t have to suffer that for long.)

Instantly, my partner dropped in as Dom and the two of us entered the next level where we were shot down into the earth.

I’ve always liked co-op; I’m what they call a social gamer. So I’m happy that Gears of War 2 improves the co-op from the first one by giving the other guy more to do – more enemies to shoot, an NPC to protect, stuff like that. And whenever we need to take diverging paths (which the game forces you to do about once every other level – otherwise, you’re free to go anywhere until a player hits a checkpoint and then you’re rubber-banded to the same area), each player gets a different weapon to specialize in. Like the guy who takes the high road gets the sniper rifle while the guy on the low road gets a mortar.

I wound up taking a path that provided me with a sniper rifle. Thus, I thought I’d have to provide cover for my co-op buddy who was down below with mulcher – but nope! I had to target weird orange fruits hanging from the ceiling and shoot them down one by one. This brought out an indigenous worm that functioned as living cover for my buddy down below – leaving me free to run ahead and start harrying Locusts holding choke points throughout the cave.

I seem to remember the moving cover from the first Gears – I think it was with cars.

We made it to the end of the level where we began to encounter some of that religious junk the Gears 2 plot was peddling in some previews. At the risk of comparing Gears to Halo – I have to ask: what’s with shooters and religious organizations? Is it mere coincidence that Halo 2 featured the Arbiter as a primary antagonist and Gears 2 features Skorge, a leader of a Locust religious sect?

Whatever – it’s not like I thought I’d actually get to see Skorge before the day was out. The campaign mode on Casual takes a pretty solid 8 hours for the average gamer (maybe only 6 if you’re a hardcore gamer and you know where you’re going); that’s five acts with at least five chapters each. Normal mode took one of my fellow journalists about 12 hours (and was nice enough to let me come watch the ending cutscene). And Hardcore mode? We’re talking like 20 hours, give or take a few massive coronaries.

Anyway, my co-op buddy and I took on the priest-like Locust that was summoning (and healing) more hordes to shoot at us. We ran into some trouble since Carmine was tagging along with Dom – for the most part, Carmine can hold his own, but periodically he’d need babysitting. My co-op buddy thought he was with me, I thought he was with my co-op buddy. So when he went down, neither of us could find him in time to heal him and we lost the level when he bit it.

Stupid Carmine. I wish him a horrible death.

The next level was really gross. I checked the embargo info and it looks like I’m not supposed to talk about it at all – but seriously. Ew.

Moving onto the next level was the greatest joy of my life because we finally got a “story”
cutscene that teased us with info about Maria. I’ve been dying to find out what happened to her since the last game and it looked like I was finally going to get my answer when…

A PR rep tapped my shoulder. “We’ve got an hour left before we throw you out. Did you want to see Horde mode?”

What?! It had been five hours already?

I was blown away – I never get that lost in anything but RTS games, simulations games and Zelda. And I hadn’t gotten the game over screen more than twice.

This magic epiphany of mine is the one you’re all hoping your girlfriend has when you play these games in front of her. I can’t guarantee that Gears will give it to her the way it did to me, but I think it’s a testament to how well made Gears of War 2 is that a non-shooter like me can become so wrapped up in the experience that we forget what makes us not like these games in the first place.

Gears of War 2 is out November 7. I’m buying it so I can co-op with Manfriend.

P.S. You might have heard that Gears of War 2 was adopting the cover system from Uncharted. I didn’t really notice the difference, but I still stuck to things once in a while while. Overall, it was smoother than the first game – but that’s what you expect from a sequel, isn’t it?

P.P.S. Fuck that fucking water boss. You'll know who I'm talking about. *seethes*

[Bren]

spoiler tags please :)

I aint readin that

[Hero-of-Time]

spoiler tags please :)

I aint readin that

All done :)

Also here is the impressions for Horde mode.

http://kotaku.com/5063520/gears-of-war-2--horde-mode-is-the-way-to-go

[Hero-of-Time]

Heres the latest Gears 2 trailer and I think its stunning.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/280565.html?playlist=featured

[Retro_Link]

Heres the latest Gears 2 trailer and I think its stunning.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/usermovies/280565.html?playlist=featuredWhat an awesome trailer!! Can't wait!!

[Hero-of-Time]

Here is the final gears 2 trailer.

http://kotaku.com/5070031/final-gears-of-war-2-trailer-full-of-gameplay-explosions-juice

BELIEVE....THE....HYPE!!!!

[Goron_3]

Here is the final gears 2 trailer.

http://kotaku.com/5070031/final-gears-of-war-2-trailer-full-of-gameplay-explosions-juice

BELIEVE....THE....HYPE!!!!

That trailer is actually incredible! God i can't bloody wait!

:yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay: :yay:

[Mike1988uk]

That trailer was cool!

Not long to go now ppl!!!!!!!

[spirited away]

This game is as awesome as I expected - the multiplayer anyway! Played a few games of annex and the new additions just make the whole experience that much sweeter.

[Choze]

Played this at the expo was great fun. Still not a fan of the saw button bashing but the rest was fun. Killed tons of people at the expo. Even took a guy half alive and used him as my bodyguard for afew kills. Looks slightly improved over previous Unreal engine games as well.

Did not play single player.

[dwarf gourami]

Nowhere near as good as Resistance 2
[/Thread] eeek!

[Dyson]

Nice try for flamebait btw

[dwarf gourami]

No I wasn't, just seeing if anyone in the 360 board agreed... No? Ok.

[Choze]

Nowhere near as good as Resistance 2
[/Thread] eeek!

Apart from shooting they are not that alike. RE5 probably has more in common.

[Caris]

Played this yesterday when i was on a trip with work.

I only had a rushed 5 minutes but from what i saw it was good, it looked exactly like Gears 1 but it was the multiplayer and god knows what TV settings were used.

Can't wait for the launch now!

Sorry for the shit pictures.

http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/2548/img0030wk8.jpg
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/1155/img0032zz1.jpg

[Stefkov]

Where do you work mate?

[Shorty]

A resolution that high but it's blurry? Methinks you should have the flash on :heh: looks awesome though. Lucky bastard.



Can't believe this game is under a week away!

[Caris]

Where do you work mate?

Puc World!

It was on my iPhone and i was walking at the time, it was the best i could do.

[Dyson]

I love the pillar over on the left that looks like a Wii disc slot :heh:

[Hero-of-Time]

Can't believe this game is under a week away!

Agreed. Im playing through the first game come monday, just for a refresher :)

EDIT: Eurogamer review is up!

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=281039

EDIT 2: GT review is up!

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42156.html

EDIT 3: IGN review is up!

http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/926/926305p1.html

[Chuck]

Nice GT review.

[Nintenchris]

Mines pre-ordered at Game
its said this since sunday
02/11/2008 Your order is currently being picked and packed

tho i very much doubt they will send it before wednesday

[Dog-amoto]

I was wondering when the first "my order is XXXXXX" post would come up! :p

Let's make it more fun by playing "Where's my order? Bingo" in which people score points as such:

1 point for telling us where they ordered it from and for how much
1 point for telling us when their order has changed to despatched status (with a bonus point for a happy smilie)
1 point for doubting that they will get it before release date (bonus point for a sad smilie)
1 point for complaining about who they ordered it from
2 points for calling Royal Mail/their postie a lazy wanker
and a whopping 5 points for being the first smug git to post a picture of their game causing all other forum members to call them a jammy sod.

[Nintenchris]

LMAO your post made me laugh :smile:

[Hero-of-Time]

Ive just finished playing through Gears 1 again and I found it to be a really meh experience. I forgot how little story there is to the game and the lack of set pieces made the game seem boring. I know ive finished the game before but I have played other games single player campaigns more than once and still enjoyed them. Im hoping I enjoy the 2nd more than the 1st.

[S.C.G]

Ordered my copy on 05/06/08 from Play, the limited edition for £44.99... order hasn't changed to dispatched yet but Guitar Hero : WT has :) but as for Gears 2 I doubt I will get it before the release date :( bloody Play >< and even if I do get it on release / day after the postman will probably get here at about 1PM (lazy wanker >>) oh well... let the waiting game commence. :heh:

that'll be 6 pts so far please Dog-amoto :P

[Cube]

but as for Gears 2 I doubt I will get it before the release date :( bloody Play ><

All my pre-orders from Play get dispatched on the Wednesday and arrive on the Thursday.

[S.C.G]

All my pre-orders from Play get dispatched on the Wednesday and arrive on the Thursday.

heh I know, mine too :heh: I was only being semi serious, read up for Dog-amoto's post and all will be revealed. :smile:

But fuck yeah, hopefully I'll get it on Thursday. : peace:

[Shorty]

All my pre-orders from Play get dispatched on the Wednesday and arrive on the Thursday.
I used to find that the case but I think they've switched to 2nd class or something because play have been a lot slower for me over the last 6-12 months :/ I ordered from woolies (bingo points plz) because its £39.99 for the ltd ed, plus quidco, and they apparently guarantee release date delivery.

Made of win: I have next week off.

[Mike1988uk]

lol @ dogs post.

I pre-ordered from GAME's website in september my status is as follows:

Order status log

02/11/2008 Your order is currently being picked and packed.
02/11/2008 Your credit/ debit card has been authorised and your order is now being released for packing.
Funds will not be debited until your order is shipped.
01/11/2008 Your order is waiting for authorisation and release for packing.
21/09/2008 Your order is currently held as a Preorder

I thought it might have got dispatched today since they have apparantly been packing it since Sunday, lol. I'm prob goin to miss it when they deliver it anyway and will have to pick it up from royal mail sorting office the next day... :(

[Bren]

02/11/2008 Your order is currently being picked and packed.

wooo, jumpin on the band wagon, they must have a shit load of orders to start that early :/

[Mike1988uk]

Mine has been updated! (i ordered the collectors edition)

Order status log

04/11/2008 Your order has been dispatched.
02/11/2008 Your order is currently being picked and packed.
02/11/2008 Your credit/ debit card has been authorised and your order is now being released for packing.
Funds will not be debited until your order is shipped.
01/11/2008 Your order is waiting for authorisation and release for packing.
21/09/2008 Your order is currently held as a Preorder

[Chuck]

I think Im going to forget about that £2.50 Im saving and switch my pre-order to GAME.co.uk from shopto.net. Watching them over the past few weeks they havent been that sharp on the stock intake.

EDIT ordered another limited edition from GAME and will cancel my shopto one around midday tommorow. Worst case scenario: I have two copies:D

[S.C.G]

Packing. :smile:

[Jordan]

02/11/2008 Your order is currently being picked and packed.

Mines not moved since...

[Caris]

I think Im going to forget about that £2.50 Im saving and switch my pre-order to GAME.co.uk from shopto.net. Watching them over the past few weeks they havent been that sharp on the stock intake.

EDIT ordered another limited edition from GAME and will cancel my shopto one around midday tommorow. Worst case scenario: I have two copies:D

Why?_______

[Nintenchris]

my order is on it's way! :smile:

[Jordan]

Why?_______

This is Chuck, he needs no reason... ;)

[Caris]

Getting mine today, from the same shop that i got Halo 3 from.

Woop.

[S.C.G]

Wootage, GH:WT just shipped (according to on my account) thats due for Friday as well so Gears should follow. :smile:

[Haden]

Should I order this online now or I will I be able to get it at blockbusters on friday? Oh or indeed sainsburys they usually do games for 30 quid on release I heard.

Also anyone up for N Europe Horde and coop and multiplayer fun?

[S.C.G]

Still packing, ffs...

[Jordan]

Still packing, ffs...

Same here SCG :(

[S.C.G]

And yep it's still packing >> sod it, if it's not sent by the time I have to go out then I'm gonna just get it from my local independent retailer on Thursday.

[Hero-of-Time]

Mines been shipped from GAME but after playing through the first game again im not too excited by it.

[S.C.G]

Mines been shipped from GAME but after playing through the first game again im not too excited by it.

Actually the more I think about it the less I really want it, of course it's a desirable game but then I haven't finished Fable 2 yet... and I will probably have GH:WT on Friday anyway so meh... sod it, I'll keep my Play order, ride the wave of hype a little later and yeah... it'll be all the more sweeter when it actually arrives. :smile:

[Jordan]

Thing about Gears is, its only really, really great the first time. After that? Its a little tiresome. Besides, Gears 2 is supposed to be utterly amazing.

[Ganepark32]

I should really get round to playing the first one. I'm sitting on the fence as to whether I should get this or not and at the moment, I'm thinking I might just buy the first one, see what it's like and then decide based on that because I really don't want to shell out £40 for a game and not like it. And seeing as the first one is cheap now, it seems like the best way to do things.

From the footage I've seen of this, it doesn't look all to great a game, but then I haven't played it or the original yet. The online looked rather laggy shall we say, especially when players were actually turning to shoot one another and because of the lag ended up facing the opposite direction from where they should be aiming.

[Shorty]

Thing about Gears is, its only really, really great the first time. After that? Its a little tiresome. Besides, Gears 2 is supposed to be utterly amazing.
:/ not for me, I've completed it with jayseven about 5 times, and again with Nami.

[nightwolf]

I'm actually quite surprised by gears, I quite enjoy watching it and if I could aim properly I'd play it. Interesting.

[Chuck]

Me and Caris just got our copies:D

[Nintenchris]

Me and Caris just got our copies:D
So two copies not enuff rob?
you had to get a third

[Chuck]

The more the merrier. I said I was going to cancel shopto.net because they haven't even got games in the day before release ready to send.

[Dog-amoto]

Mines been shipped today so hopefully will get it tomorrow!

Will work out great as I have the whole day off tomorrow!

[Stefkov]

It slipped my mind that tomorrow was thursday. I lost track of days. Hopefully it's here tomorrow.

I propose the old crew get back together. This weekend?

[Jordan]

Mine hasn't been shipped... wtf?

[Hero-of-Time]

Mine hasn't been shipped... wtf?

Did you order from GAME, Jordan?

[S.C.G]

I ordered from Play and apparently mine shipped about 4pm today... I'll be lucky to get it on release day I guess.

[Chuck]

Mine hasn't been shipped... wtf?

I ordered mine yesterday at 11pm and it got dispatched today. A bit late, but dispatched none the less.

[Jordan]

Still not shipped and yeah, with game...

[Mike1988uk]

Still not shipped and yeah, with game...

Thats odd...

I got my dispatched message at 21:00 Tuesday night.

[Chuck]

This is £29 at Sainsburys on release and £30 at ASDA

[Hero-of-Time]

You been enjoying it then, Rob? I would have thought you and Matt would have been doing it on co-op yet everytime I checked you guys were at different places.

[Haden]

This is £29 at Sainsburys on release and £30 at ASDA

Thanks very much for the info man I will be trying to get my mitts on this on release day dam I have no idea where an asda is though I only see one when I visit my grandad in bristol.

[Jordan]

I rang up game to see if everything was okay.

Money has gone out of my account they're apparently just taking a while to ship stuff and its due to go out today. Meaning I ain't gunna get it till Monday. Ah well, LBP to play... Offline ¬_¬.

[CoolFunkMan]

Well, my post just arrived, and it appears that Royal Fail have forgotten to post my copy of GoW2. I'm going away this weekend, so I won't get to play it till Monday either. :/

Ah well, at least this'll give me some more time to play the Left 4 Dead demo, and to complete RA3.

[Bren]

if my copy arrives today, anyone up for doing some co op tonight from about 5-6pm?

[Dog-amoto]

Bah, have just seen Nintenchris playing it! Looking at the achievements, I don't see any that look too hard.

Still waiting for my postie...

[Caris]

Bah, have just seen Nintenchris playing it! Looking at the achievements, I don't see any that look too hard.

Still waiting for my postie...

Getting to level 50 in Horde will be a challenge and a half. Me and Rob played a little last night and it got pretty naughty at level 8-9.

[Jordan]

Question:
Are there still Boomers and do they go "Boom."? :D

[Caris]

Yes but they go LOLOLOL instead.

[Nintenchris]

this game is EPIC

[S.C.G]

and a whopping 5 points for being the first smug git to post a picture of their game causing all other forum members to call them a jammy sod.

http://i38.tinypic.com/2edwgo8.jpg

^___________^

[Jordan]

Asshole ¬_¬

[Jimbob]

I played the first one, it was great to begin with but like many have mentioned, it got tiresome to me as well. Which is one of the reasons why i got put off buying GoW2 and chose Fable II instead.

May pick it up at a later date though, if my interest builds up for it again.

[S.C.G]

Damn this game is good... and tbh me getting it early does kind of make up for two years ago when I ordered the original Gears ltd edition and it got lost in the post :shakehead as a result I missed out on it and ended up buying it a year later or something.

Anyway, balance has been restored now (sort of) t'is truly an epic game. :smile:

[Bren]

woo got me hands on it at last,

anyone up for starting the campaign on co-op? will be startin in like nxt 30 mins if anyones up for it.

also, anyone for some 5 player horde later?

[Stefkov]

Holy shit this game rocks.

[Mike1988uk]

Mine came this morning but i am still in work... i should get a chance to play it tonight though!

[Bren]

Ha Cole is a fucking beast, his intro's amazin, WOOO COLE TRAIN BABBY

[Jordan]

Mine didn't get shipped again today. There is sure as hell something wrong with my order.

Going to buy it in town tomorrow, ring Game on Monday and get my money back.

[Stefkov]

Well, what a game.
Game was amazing. Ending was amazing.
So much more fun than LBP and Fable 2.
The little bit after the credits is interesting.
Now to do it on co-op on insane. Then try out the other game modes.

[Dog-amoto]

Well, what a game.
Game was amazing. Ending was amazing.
So much more fun than LBP and Fable 2.
The little bit after the credits is interesting.
Now to do it on co-op on insane. Then try out the other game modes.

You've finished it already??

I've mainly been playing Horde and Submission (meatflag) and haven't even done the first act of the campaign!

This game is awesome. I even have fun playing against the bots in multiplayer!

[Hero-of-Time]

Yesterday after work I had a good 6 hours session on this bad boy and im having a blast. Im playing it on Hardcore in co-op mode with my mate and we are having so much fun with the campaign, definetly better than the 1st game by far.

One thing that did annoy us was...

During the Leviathan fight the game kept glitching and getting myself and my mate stuck behind boxes. With us not being able to move properly the tentacles kept squashing us or we couldnt get to them in time so we could cut them. It took us about 6 attempts to do it purely because of this gltich.

Just 8 hours before I can get back in from work and fire this up again.

[killer kirby]

Hmmm.....will be picking this up next week, but for now....I will have to wait >_<

[Stefkov]

You've finished it already??
Yeah dude.
I got it at about 2 ish yesterday. Had I think altogether 2 hours break, spread over the time it took. Finished it 20 past 12 this morning.
Such a good game.

[ReZourceman]

Actually can't wait. Can't believe I'm being made to go shopping tomorrow. Just wanna blast this all day.

[Mike1988uk]

Well i had a good 3 hour session on this last night on campaign. Really enjoying it :) Such a good game!

[S.C.G]

The single player is soo good :) and the multiplayer is epic. ^^

[Mike1988uk]

The single player is soo good :) and the multiplayer is epic. ^^

I have not touched the multiplayer yet, i prob wont till i have completed the campaign but i shall see.

[Chuck]

This is £30 at Morrisons aswell

[ReZourceman]

£35 at Currys if anyone cares.

[Stefkov]

This is £30 at Morrisons aswell
Didn't accept the invite cos I wanted to play the campaign last night.
soz mayt

[Dog-amoto]

Just managed to clear all 50 waves on Horde.

We did it on Normal and got our nostrils raped on quite a regular basis. Can't imagine how hard this is on Insane!

River is the best map for Horde by far.