The May 2008 issue of Game Informer, available in red and gray flavors, promises a "world exclusive first look at Gears of War 2" – lucky for us, a poster at NeoGAF took the time to share the juiciest Locust-filled bits with the rest of the class. Of course Marcus and Dom are back, but so are several new characters like Chairman Prescott ("an almost dictatorial military leader"), Tai Kaliso ("a spiritual and meditative warrior from a tradition of honor-bound fighters"), and Maria Santiago (Dom's "lost love"); the Locust also have some new additions like the chanting "Kantus" who can focus those chants into concentrated sonic blasts (you're going to start acting quizzical now? They're underground monsters ...), and resurrect fallen Locust warriors.
New functionality includes upgrades to Unreal Engine 3 as demoed during Microsoft's GDC keynote (obviously), a "SHUT UP" button to skip the yacking and get back to the shooting of the bug people, "drop in and drop out co-op" with different difficulty settings for different players, chainsaw duels, refined cover mechanics that should make it "harder to get hit while protected," a fourth even-more-casual Casual mode, and more. One area they aren't quite talking about yet is multiplayer. Game Informer writes, "We hear hints of ... multiplayer content that takes advantage of Unreal's new ability to deliver huge numbers of the Locust horde at one time, but confirmed details will have to wait until a later date." With most gamers, ourselves included, finding Gears' almost-excellent multiplayer implementation regrettably spartan, this is the one area we want to hear a haloff a lot more about.
Reader Comments (63)
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:32AM (Unverified) said
Gears of War 2 is cool, but I hate Game Informer.
Reply
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:41AM (Unverified) said
They do what they can, knowing that their medium is dying.
Reply
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 1:24PM (Unverified) said
@ rv
"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," -GI
Mag Pics...
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8391/digi0006cz9.jpg
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2133/digi0008yp2.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9859/digi0009wy5.jpg
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http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/318/digi0018ns5.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8018/digi0019mq6.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1712/digi0020so1.jpg
Reply
"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," -GI
Mag Pics...
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8391/digi0006cz9.jpg
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/2133/digi0008yp2.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/9859/digi0009wy5.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/3214/digi0010oj0.jpg
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/8961/digi0011lb4.jpg
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/8620/digi0013tq3.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/391/digi0015mj7.jpg
http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/318/digi0018ns5.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/8018/digi0019mq6.jpg
http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/1712/digi0020so1.jpg
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 1:44PM (Unverified) said
"They do what they can, knowing that their medium is dying."
True. I picked up a Gamepro after not getting one for 3 years (was a subscriber for 10 years before i stopped) and it's the size of a montly dell catalog for 6 dollars. It's a shame that magazines are dying off, but that's the way it goes i guess.
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True. I picked up a Gamepro after not getting one for 3 years (was a subscriber for 10 years before i stopped) and it's the size of a montly dell catalog for 6 dollars. It's a shame that magazines are dying off, but that's the way it goes i guess.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:39AM (Unverified) said
they might as well come out and say it's basically gears of war 1.5 cause the more i hear the more it sounds like that. It'll be a good rental at least
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:43AM CountNoobula said
Gears 1.5? Ok, we can say that about almost every sequel out there. Star Wars KOTOR2 is just 1.5, Resistance 2 is 1.5, Call of Duty is on 1.9 right now. That is just a really stupid comment, its the continuation of the story, and like most games it retains the core mechanics of the original.
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:49AM (Unverified) said
why bother making it then? I haven't heard anyone say gears' story was awesome, hell even good. If they want to update the multiplayer and add an expansion they should just use xbox live for that. They won't do that cause then they couldn't get a few million to waste $60 instead of 30-40
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:49AM 007craft said
if you want a 1.5 game look at vegas 2. It came out like a year after the first and was announced just months before release and was basically the first game with new maps.
GOW2 is 2 years later, it uses the updated unreal engine, so new stuff is possible like effects, mass enemies, water, destructable environments, etc etc. GOW2 will also have new enemies, new maps, new modes, better co-op, new story, more multiplayer stuff, new netcode + alot more. Trust me this one is deffenitly a sequel, not a 1.5
Im just hoping they focus a little more on the multiplayer this time around. It was clear and mentioned that the multiplaayer was somewhat of a last minute edition for GOW1, which lead to the lack of missing features like a better type of ranking system or rematch options and lobby options. Not to mention there where a couple multiplayer maps which were sections ripped right out of the 1 player. Oh and only 3 very similar modes, of which later the 4th annex mode was added. Hopefully GOW 2 will have like 8 different modes from the get go.
Reply
GOW2 is 2 years later, it uses the updated unreal engine, so new stuff is possible like effects, mass enemies, water, destructable environments, etc etc. GOW2 will also have new enemies, new maps, new modes, better co-op, new story, more multiplayer stuff, new netcode + alot more. Trust me this one is deffenitly a sequel, not a 1.5
Im just hoping they focus a little more on the multiplayer this time around. It was clear and mentioned that the multiplaayer was somewhat of a last minute edition for GOW1, which lead to the lack of missing features like a better type of ranking system or rematch options and lobby options. Not to mention there where a couple multiplayer maps which were sections ripped right out of the 1 player. Oh and only 3 very similar modes, of which later the 4th annex mode was added. Hopefully GOW 2 will have like 8 different modes from the get go.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 12:09PM (Unverified) said
Hit the nail on the head mike! +1
"Gears of War 2 is real, and it looks every bit as formidable and impressive as we could imagine. It's bigger and better than before, and the people making it are insistent that you'll be playing it in its entirety in just over half a year." -Game Informer
They said theres gonna be a Gridlock remake, TEH HAWTNESS!
Reply
"Gears of War 2 is real, and it looks every bit as formidable and impressive as we could imagine. It's bigger and better than before, and the people making it are insistent that you'll be playing it in its entirety in just over half a year." -Game Informer
They said theres gonna be a Gridlock remake, TEH HAWTNESS!
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 12:16PM (Unverified) said
"why bother making it then? I haven't heard anyone say gears' story was awesome, hell even good."
Never own a business, thx.
Reply
Never own a business, thx.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 12:24PM (Unverified) said
i understand how business works, if you would have read more than that first sentence you would see. A better choice of words would have been why buy it at full price then
Reply
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 2:43PM (Unverified) said
so now i'm a sony fanboy because I don't like a popular xbox game? tell me, how's it feel to live a sheep's life?
I currently have 0 ps3 games and 12 360 games (13 when gta comes out), so try again hotshot.
Reply
I currently have 0 ps3 games and 12 360 games (13 when gta comes out), so try again hotshot.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 4:19PM leobebes said
Dude come on. You are being intricately obnoxious, your pettiness is apparent, and you probably smell like old broccoli that has been sitting under the sun for 8 hours straight. Enough of the trolling and go back to your regularly scheduled 8 hour shift of mopping your mom and dad's patio for waking up on it every morning from a night of heavy drinking.
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 12:15PM jumpshot said
Well, you could always play it while standing on your head while singing show tunes. That would both be very difficult AND to someone walking into the room, you'd look quite insane. ;-)
Seriously tho, I hope they don't nerf the difficulty level too much...
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Seriously tho, I hope they don't nerf the difficulty level too much...
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 3:09PM (Unverified) said
ok, I don't understand, when people are given a really hard mode, they bitch about it, but when they are given a casual one, they also bitch about it?
Devil May Cry 3:
Countless number of people bitched at no end about the game being so difficult that it was frustrating, then they are given a less difficult mode for DMC4 and they bitch about it...
GHIII:
I remember having seen so many people claiming that they were "guitar gods" with GHII and that they wanted more of a challenge, then GHIII comes and now they bitch that the game is too difficult and so on...
Reply
Devil May Cry 3:
Countless number of people bitched at no end about the game being so difficult that it was frustrating, then they are given a less difficult mode for DMC4 and they bitch about it...
GHIII:
I remember having seen so many people claiming that they were "guitar gods" with GHII and that they wanted more of a challenge, then GHIII comes and now they bitch that the game is too difficult and so on...
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 3:15PM Cal said
Well personally a like a struggle, and, apart from not getting blown up by lambent wretches, gears on insane felt easy.
Also the reason you think everyone complains is because those who aren't happy are the most vocal, those who are happy are too busy using said feature.
Reply
Also the reason you think everyone complains is because those who aren't happy are the most vocal, those who are happy are too busy using said feature.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 4:46PM (Unverified) said
yah, agree with you on that Cal
AcidMonkey,
"Nuthin' wrong with multiple difficulty levels too. People complain less when they have a choice."
I somewhat agree with you, people still complain, just like the 2 examples that I gave, despite the fact that they were given choices, people still complained about them...
Nowadays almost everyone wants to show off, they will try the hardest difficulty setting and if it is too hard, then they'll just claim that the game itself is too hard instead of accepting that they are the ones that aren't that good, or not good at all, at it...
Reply
AcidMonkey,
"Nuthin' wrong with multiple difficulty levels too. People complain less when they have a choice."
I somewhat agree with you, people still complain, just like the 2 examples that I gave, despite the fact that they were given choices, people still complained about them...
Nowadays almost everyone wants to show off, they will try the hardest difficulty setting and if it is too hard, then they'll just claim that the game itself is too hard instead of accepting that they are the ones that aren't that good, or not good at all, at it...
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 5:05PM jumpshot said
@ Noshino:
Agreed. I just meant they have less reason to complain. If they're given the choice, then the developers have basically done all they humanly can to please the most people. (though not all devs do this well, I'll admit)
You certainly can't please 'em all, but if a choice silences the most people, then I say giddy up, give us the option to choose and we can simply down-vote the whiners. (as sad as it is)
Reply
Agreed. I just meant they have less reason to complain. If they're given the choice, then the developers have basically done all they humanly can to please the most people. (though not all devs do this well, I'll admit)
You certainly can't please 'em all, but if a choice silences the most people, then I say giddy up, give us the option to choose and we can simply down-vote the whiners. (as sad as it is)
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:49AM (Unverified) said
I predict Assault Mode for a new gametype in multiplayer.
Also something like swarm mode in UT2k4 that have you holed up in a building and you have to fight off waves upon waves of Locust.
Reply
Also something like swarm mode in UT2k4 that have you holed up in a building and you have to fight off waves upon waves of Locust.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 11:52AM (Unverified) said
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 1:19PM (Unverified) said
Yes sir! I feel for any game coming out around that time trying to compete in the "shooter" genre lolololol!
Reply
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 12:01PM The Wicker Man said
I am torn between what to declare as king of awesome 08...Gears 2, Brutal, or RE5 (if it does show up) and then there is Fallout 3.Whoa, looks like this holiday season is gonna be better than the last. (gears 2 looks so fuc*ing awesome.)
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 1:06PM The Wicker Man said
i think you may be correct. I crave good bethesda games. Too bad they didnt do call of cthulhu as an rpg/detective/adventure game. It would have been the tits. Shadow over Hackdirt in Elder IV was such a tease of what should have been.
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 1:15PM Tez said
Shadow over Hackdirt was the one where you have to rescue that Argonian from the cult village, yes? One of my favorites- I had stored up a ton of Fire Storm scrolls and wasted the entire group when they rushed us all at once with a few casts. Grim, satisfying stuff.
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 5:36PM The Wicker Man said
Yes that was the one. I went in a tank and walked out a woman. I was chased by a bear through hackdirt and by its cultist. I had to hide on the roof tops and let the bear fight the hackdirtians (lol) the deepones bible was cool, and so were the creepy noises in the caves.
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Posted: Apr 8th 2008 12:14PM (Unverified) said
"Of course Marcus and Dom are back, but so are several new characters"...
How can new characters be back?
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How can new characters be back?
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 1:23PM Vegeta has a ps3 said
oooh nice comeback.
If you really were expecting some complex story telling, or DEEP characters from this game, you deserve to be disappointed.
This game is about sweaty soldiers with heavy armors killing things. Anyone could see that from the first time the game was previewed.
Reply
If you really were expecting some complex story telling, or DEEP characters from this game, you deserve to be disappointed.
This game is about sweaty soldiers with heavy armors killing things. Anyone could see that from the first time the game was previewed.
Posted: Apr 8th 2008 3:29PM 343 Guilty Fart said
There's a difference between a lame story and lack of story. It's not that GoW had a bad story, it's that the story didn't make a lick of sense and was unfollowable.
"Ok, why are are we going to your father's mansion who just happens to have a secret lab with the maps of all the underground tunnels inside?"
Reply
"Ok, why are are we going to your father's mansion who just happens to have a secret lab with the maps of all the underground tunnels inside?"
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