Get your daily dose of murder with this Gears of War 2 Multiplayer preview

by Griffin McElroy { Jun 29th 2008 at 3:00PM }

While most of the "new" gameplay elements and maps discussed in the above preview for Gears of War 2 aren't really "new" to the video game news consuming populous, it's still nice to see some of the game's fresh features in action. The preview is fairly comprehensive -- there's looks at some of the soon-to-be-covered-in-gore locales, the new gametypes (we absolutely cannot wait for meatflag), chainsaw duels, new weapons and executions, and brand new, colorful ways of describing acts of grisly violence from the game's all-growed-up iconic lead designer, Cliff Bleszinski. We can't think of a better way to spend eight and a half minutes of a Sunday afternoon than to watch beefy combatants get halved.

Tags: chainsaw, cliff-bleszinski, cliffyb, epic, epicgames, gears-of-war, gears-of-war-2, multiplayer, preview

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

That Boy Baked @ Jun 29th 2008 3:26PM

Looks fucking ACE. I'm craving some gear multiplayer now :).

Tiptup300 @ Jun 29th 2008 11:23PM

I don't know, but I never could get into Gears 1. I thought the single player was great the first [five] time[s] I beat it, but after that I never really felt like going back and giving it a play. The multiplayer wasn't that engaging either. I hated the matchmaking system.

JetPogi @ Jun 29th 2008 3:26PM

Is it confirmed that this game will have 4 or 5 co-op sp?

GuardedMarman @ Jun 29th 2008 4:14PM

Ya 4-player coop

Obie @ Jun 29th 2008 6:55PM

No, single player is still 2 player co-op. 5 players in multi.

Obie @ Jun 29th 2008 6:56PM

5 players per side I mean,so 10 total.

Warbuff @ Jun 29th 2008 3:33PM

They are implementing Team leader from Vegas 2 into Gears 2

Jtenma @ Jun 29th 2008 3:42PM

Wow this looks and plays just like Geow 1.......ok.

That's a good thing :) Can't wait!

velocitySTRIKE @ Jun 29th 2008 3:53PM

Excuse my ignorance, but was multiplayer in the first Gears any good?

Hashbrown Hunter @ Jun 29th 2008 4:04PM

You're right. You are ignorant.

caramelzappa @ Jun 29th 2008 4:11PM

It was awesome. Check it out if you've got the time.

Jtenma @ Jun 29th 2008 4:35PM

No...I wouldn't tell him to go on there now...he won't have any fun. Similar to any online game, when you buy the game when it first comes out, you are essentially paying the full price of the game to play first and learn the maps/tactics first. If he goes on there now..he will get his ass handed to him left and right. Then he'll probably end up not liking this game, which is sad really because there is tons of fun to be had in this cover-based shooter.

No one likes to lose.

modified @ Jun 29th 2008 5:11PM

Multiplayer was a lot of fun. It's just the whole business of getting into a game that was the problem. Thankfully in Gears 2 we'll have a party system.

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 5:18PM

Well depends on the game. Some games are still playable for everyone even if they didn't play it for a while depending on how broken they are (Diablo 1 is unplayable because everyone cheats, Halo 1 PC due camping f*ggots).

What could happen is that you'll die a lot and people in the xbox live will only add insult to the injury but you should be able to play the game online normally after a few days, watch some youtube videos to know what is going on and how most players play the game. Reading strategy guides also helps.

Knowledge is power.

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 5:18PM

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 5:25PM

Ops double post.

Obie @ Jun 29th 2008 7:04PM

It had potential, but lacked polish..also the douchebaggery was pretty bad. Now the sequel should fix some of those so I will test em out with an open mind.

JohnHeist @ Jun 29th 2008 3:57PM

Yeah, but in pieces. Things kept getting changed and improved over time.

Looks like in Gears 2 they've listened and are fixing everything people asked for.
Party System FTW

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 5:03PM

I just want to earn achievements in the normal player matches not in True skill ranked BS.

Playing with friends > Playing with random xbox live players. Some of them are good people but most of them well I just wished their parents had used condoms.

I also want text communication via some sort of keyboard or something; voice communication is not for everyone especially in ranked since people all over the world play so is hard to know what they are saying. I mean I can understand 4 languages but my knowledge is very basic, I’m not going to take 4 years of French to say a bunch idiots they should go eff themselves perfectly yet some of them just insult U.S players.

007craft @ Jun 29th 2008 5:08PM

i hope your joking. Text communication. ROFL. There is absoultly no reason to use it. Cant understand french palyer? So you think your gonna understand french written words? give me a break. This is also a FPS. 100% action. any sort of stopping to type something will certainly get you killed. Games have evolved to voice chat. Even pc games are now starting to support built in voice chat.

And about achievements in player matches, theres no need, becasue now theres a party system, so you can play ranked with your friends.

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 5:24PM

I actually understand people better in words than in voice, especially because I don't have to hear their high pitched voice.Also all practice I have done sp far is in words not really via voice since there isn't anyone else to speak with, except classmates that happen to speak as broken as me.

Well as long I can get achievements while playing with people that don't suck or aren't complete dbags Awwwright.

j.howlett @ Jun 29th 2008 8:47PM

maybe if they had basic quick text to choose from like mgo, or they had phrases that translated liked i heard ff11 has. i've run into trouble understanding people before in counter strike awhile back. its happened recently with resistence but it was sp death match so it didn't matter much.

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 9:09PM

I just like to learn new languages, it makes you look smart (It actually improves your neuronal connection) and it sometimes necessary. The only drawback is that some expressions can’t be translated without losing their context.

I agree with you, quick text command would be handy especially in a game with 8 to 10 players.

Keith @ Jun 29th 2008 3:57PM

Am I the only person who has never played Gears 1 online? The single player itself was fun as hell, but I just thought it would not translate well to multiplayer. Maybe I should have tried it though.

Having said that, this does look pretty sweet and cant wait to check it out.

Benny @ Jun 29th 2008 4:01PM

Personally I found Gears 1 the most fun online game I've played. I still play it now, 18 months after first getting it!

RobLink (Alex Kidd incarnate) @ Jun 29th 2008 5:54PM

Nope, I never played it. Well, I played 2 or 3 matches a good 6 months after it came out, but got shot down so damn quick it just wasn't fun. Maybe this will prove better - I was able to hold my own in Halo 3 and CoD4 MP despite never playing the MP aspects of the previous iterations. It sure as hell looks fun.

Vcize @ Jun 29th 2008 5:55PM

Ditto, still playing it nightly 18 months later.

Charlie_Six @ Jun 29th 2008 11:20PM

Gears 1 online was pretty weak, IMO. It became "Shotguns of War" and the cover system became largely useless. This was due to the weak damage of the assault rifle weaponry. Previews for Gears 2 say that assault rifle weaponry will be much more lethal and thus the cover system will be more useful.

Gun Barrier (Gamer Tag) @ Jun 29th 2008 4:00PM

Wow! this looks worth playing on live!

gears 1 was a pain to play.

Hashbrown Hunter @ Jun 29th 2008 4:02PM

Is anybody else kinda disappointed by the Chainsaw Duels?? It seems more like a QTE than an actual challenge.

Then again the game will be awesome so I'll just keep my mouth shut.

caramelzappa @ Jun 29th 2008 4:11PM

I think chainsaw duels is a bad idea in general =/

Hopefully it'll work out well, though.

Jtenma @ Jun 29th 2008 4:42PM

Yeah if they were going to QTE it..they should have made it similar to GOW(the REAL GOW) series...where you had to press certain buttons as they popped up on the screen to kill the bosses.

They could do it like that...but make it random button presses of course (never the same button combinations). While pressing these buttons your characters are dueling light-saber style until one person messes up/doesn't press in time.

And then all that's left is a big LOL!
(I'm typing way too much today...)

Mr.ESC @ Jun 29th 2008 4:49PM

More like button mashing, QTE would've been better. People with a slightly better connection will always win.

I didn’t see a Final move with the flamethrower, what gives? Stomping is okay but I would like to BBQ my enemies.

Obie @ Jun 29th 2008 8:33PM

Button mashing is soooo foolish. How will I ever win against some douche with a turbo controller?

EshuElegbara @ Jun 29th 2008 5:39PM

Well, it certainly looks like Gears of War. I do have to admit though, as little as I like Gears, the idea of a living flag-bot that fights back is pretty awesome. I just wish that wasn't the only thing that was vaguely interesting in this video. :-/

Vcize @ Jun 29th 2008 5:46PM

Nothing really new in the video, just going through the new maps/gamemodes/weapons that we already knew about, with some more footage of each.

Frags (and smoke grenades as well) look crazy overpowered now.

The lancer bullets slow the person down to an utter crawl with only a couple bullets.

The players also look weird running around with the way they hold the weapons now way up around their neck.

The flames on the scorcher look incredible, and so far it doesn't look overpowered as it seems to take a little while to down people. Honestly, it looked like the lancer downed people faster than it did.

Steve @ Jun 29th 2008 5:52PM

Looks like GOW1 part 2......

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 29th 2008 6:36PM

It looks pretty good for multiplayer. The Gears story was awful in the first game but that was not the appeal of the game. It has great game play mechanics and is just plain fun. This is the only reason I still have a 360.

My 3 big complaints with Gears 1 are --

1. Shotgun Whores- It was just plain awful at times.
2. Active reload is hella cheap. It turns every match into a reloading festival. Everyone just empties their clips and then gets a quick active reload for a cheap down.
3. Glitching - Lets just hope this is fixed because it single handedly ruined the first Gears IMO.

Looks like they fixed the shotgun whores with the slowdown. It got to the point where I was doing the shotgun square dance every match.

They need to remove the active reload. There is no reason a sniper rifle shot to the foot should down me because you loaded it quickly. This was my least favorite aspect of Gears 1.

Glitching - I can almost guarantee this will not be fixed.

Its a good game but Cliffy B needs to fix all the bugs before making it bigger, badder and more bad ass.

Vcize @ Jun 29th 2008 7:05PM

They removed the one-hit down from Sniper active reloads (you can see the article on X3F).

Basically, Gears appears to be going the same way as Madden did a few years ago in that they're killing the hardcore fans in order to cater to the casual fans. Now, Madden sucks.

They're headed down the same path in Gears. They're beefing up the more noob-friendly weapons (Lancer, Frags) and nerfing the guns that take skill to use.

And don't give me this bullshit about the sniper being too easy to hit someone with a triple down with. 95% of the players out there become instantly weaker when picking up a Longshot vs. just using any of the 3 spawn weapons.

xFenixKnightx @ Jun 29th 2008 7:31PM

Vcize

Thats your take on it? I see them make it it better all around. The noobs will get pwnt no matter what. Comparing it to Madden is a bit harsh. Madden started off as an easy game for the avreaghe gamer to pick up but now, its hard as hell for a noob to pick it up and play. Gears is the opposite, it was noob friendly with cheap chainsaw kills and active reload downs and now they are making it so you have to be more skilled to get kills. I'm all for it.

I know you play a lot these days but I doubt youve logged more hours than me on that game and Ive been playing it more lately. Still an awesome MP game which is why it doesnt drop out of the LIVE Top 10. Oh and Mcpoop, there are very few glitches in GoW now. Check it out, dont hate on a game because you werent good at it.

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 29th 2008 10:22PM

@Fenix

Who said I was hating on the game?

I was just giving my opinion on the game. In fact, it was one of the more fun MP games on this next generation of consoles. If they fixed the glitches then I haven't noticed because I haven't played it in months. Falling through maps, running off maps into the background, rolling your way to the top of the stage are just some of the many glitches that ruined the multiplayer FOR ME. Saying I must have sucked at the game because I hated obvious faults just makes you look like a meat head.

If you want to be a Gears homer and blindly announce your love for the game and rail on anyone with an honest opinion thats your agenda. I just stated my opinion from experience with the game. Gears 2 looks like a big improvement over Gears 1 in every way. Thats not saying much in reference to the story but that is saying a lot about the MP. Yes the story sucked complete balls and thats the truth. However, no one in their right mind is playing Gears for the fantastic story. We have games like Bioshock & MGS 4 for that. We all know how it will end anyway. Humans kill aliens! THE END.

If blind fanboys of the game had their way it would be the same exact game with different multiplayer maps. Because people voiced an honest opinion changes are being made for the better. I can't wait for the game although I have a sneaking suspicion it will be delayed until early 2009.

I love how you can stick the frags into the environment now as well as the meat shield. Flamethrower & Gorgan Burst FTW!! Weapon specific executions!! The game looks awesome and I can't wait for it.

BTW Fenix -

Did you see the preview of UFC 2009 with Rampage and Forrest Griffin? Holy shit that game looks amazing. All the other UFC games have sucked but this one looks to have a lot of potential. I can't wait for it at all!

If you want to see some sick ass cel shading check out the Naruto game for PS3. They have some new videos on PS3 fanboy. I won't get it day 1 because I am not a big Naruto fan but it looks like a live action anime.

Gears 2 & Champion Online might help me turn on my 360 again!!

xFenixKnightx @ Jun 29th 2008 6:57PM

Don't call a winner for GOTY just yet. :D And even if it doesn't win its still going to be the most fun game to play (campaign and MP) this year PERIOD! I'm loving everything except for the smoke grenade effect on the player, shoulda stayed the same. Ive been playing Gears again lately and these graphics definitely look better. I just hope they deliver on the 12-15 hour campaign they promised earlier.

Come November, my social life is over...

John McPoop (PSN:johnnynumber5) @ Jun 29th 2008 10:26PM

I still think MGS 4 is the best game ever made. That one has to win GOTY for 2008. That or maybe GTA IV. You are correct that Gears II will probably be the most fun game to play this year not named GTA IV. Is it true that it has 4 player co-op?

I don't see a game releasing this year that is better than MGS 4. Thats just me. I know some people "want to play games and not watch them". I just loved the overall feel of the game. It looks like GOTY will be a 3 horse race unless Fable II gets some good PR.

GTA IV
MGS 4
GOW II
Wii Fit???

KingOfGods @ Jun 29th 2008 10:12PM

comment system sucks

Rofl Waffle @ Jun 29th 2008 10:49PM

Cant wait to play online with my friends:)
Although, I'm pretty sure the next generation of loud and annoying kids are getting they're hands on this as well...

Cyro @ Jun 29th 2008 11:07PM

This is game looks Amazing! The first thing I thought after I saw that video is that this game is going to be extremely fun to play. Can't wait for november!

Some good times on Xbox Live indeed!

PS: I was playing Gears of War lately and this definitely looks better. Its the same Art style but there is much more detail on everthing on this one. We'll see when it comes out and the comparison videos come out.