Gears of War is the Xbox 360's killer app and is carrying the 360 into 2007. Gears of War has been praised for its graphics, its innovative gameplay, and its visceral artstyle, but everyone soon started to find some small problems. The multiplayer seemed rushed and bugs were plentiful, but everyone has played on. The Xbox community has been vocal with their complaints and suggestions as to what needs to be fixed and has been a patient group. We've waited a long time, but we still don't have answers. So, let's delve into what the problems are, what can be done to correct them, and who needs to make fixes as we look into a Gears of War multiplayer hangover.
The first issue that surfaced soon after release was when fans attacked the multiplayer setup and questioned why it wasn't the same as our golden boy, Halo 2. Epic's response was that they utilized Microsoft's TrueSkill matchmaking system and that they couldn't take advantage of the party system under Microsoft's rules. Yes, it's fact that the TrueSkill system doesn't allow friends in ranked games, but why choose such a system when Gears is a team oriented game? The lobby system was Epic's answer to cheaters rigging games and boosting scores, but stacking teams still occurs. You can't send friend invites to ranked games, but one can easily workaround this "security feature". Have a friend create a room, join said room, and you'll be playing with them in no time. Why on Earth would Epic push the team mentality of co-op over Live and co-op style combat yet purposely force us to battle out multiplayer style with complete strangers? No game planning, no community aspect, no team element ... just killing without friends. We don't get it.
The second problem that arose was how unbalanced the weapons are in multiplayer. Three weapons that have faced the most scrutiny have been the Boomshot, Gnasher and grenades. The Boomshot is a devastating weapon when it works as planned, but you have to hit the intended target dead-on with no room for error. There is absolutely no splash damage or magnetism and it lacks the "startle" effect when it detonates (similar to when grenades detonate nearby an enemy, temporarily stunning them). The developers probably knew if they made the Boomshot too powerful it would be the only go-to weapon, but why is it so damn weak? Heck, it only carries two rounds! The Gnasher has also received some heat due to dreaded host lag. Similar to Halo 2, when the host is wielding a Gnasher watch out, because that split second of lag makes your shots less than effective against theirs. Finally, the grenade tags in Gears are very unbalanced. Gears lends itself to hiding, firing, and taking cover and the grenade tag is too easily pulled off. Nothing is more annoying than an enemy going all rambo-style and tagging you from a good five feet away. The magnetism of the weapon is so great that continuous sticks can be accomplished within seconds. And then there's the suicide radius when you're the grenade sticker. Sometimes you can stand next to your victim when they blow to bits and come out alive. Other times you stick and run around some crates, stand fifteen feet away, and still be blown to bits. Simply put, multiplayer fans just want balanced weapons.
A third problem involves those annoying little bugs. We understand that Gears's multiplayer was implemented late in the development cycle, so we accept some bugs ... but there are a lot of them. Everything from missing features like changing options in the lobby system, to not being able to hear teammates. Sometimes people will be able to get out of maps, other times players will be stuck in one position after a failed attempt at a chainsaw kill, and other instances where players fall through geometry or float in the air. Bugs, bugs, bugs ... just squash them and we'll smile with joy.
Finally, one last problem that is the most easily remedied of all, communication. Numerous fans have tried to get in contact with Epic, the press, and even us, but still no answers have emerged. It seems that Epic is taking all of our feedback into account, but refuses to discuss what changes will be implemented and when. Will multiplayer issues like the ones discussed above be fixed? Will display issues with the VGA cable be corrected in a timely manner? Will we be getting new maps sometime soon? The lips at Epic have been sealed and to this day remain tightly closed. A few weeks ago when news broke of a possible patch to be released on Christmas Eve Epic's Mark Rein told the fans and media not to spread such rumors. Instead he advised everyone to contact him before publishing such things. We tried Mark, we've tried to get in touch with you, but you haven't answered. If we may compare, Bungie has always been open with what they're doing, always kept the dialog open with their fans, and have openly discussed changes. Maybe Bungie has been so open with their fans that we sometimes expect all great studios to act the same. No matter, please inform us. Your fans just want to know what the hell is going on behind the scenes.
This post may have came across as a Gears of War or Epic bashing, but that is far from what is really intended. Yes we're annoyed, yes, we're getting impatient, and yes, we're being overly forceful ... but it's because we care. When fans love a game they want it to be the best it can be. We're behind you Epic, we love Gears and accept its minor faults, but we want you to tell us what's happening so we don't feel ignored. You should be honored that your fans have complained so much about minor issues, because it only shows that we're obsessed with the game. Epic, you have the power to make the multiplayer shine.
