Metareview -- Gears of War 2

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 3rd 2008 at 2:00PM }

The reviews are in on the latest adventure of papa bear Marcus Fenix and the cubs of Delta Squad in Gears of War 2. For those who don't need the evaluation of a game's merits distilled down to numbers, letters, or stars, check out sister-site X3F's review of the game. The basic takeaway from all the reviews is that if you liked the original Gears, it's a pretty safe bet you'll be on board with the chainsawdomy of the sequel.

Giant Bomb (100/100): "The differences and enhancements in Gears of War 2 feel very calculated and intelligent. ... Academically, it's interesting to see this balancing act in motion. But all you really need to know is that Gears of War 2 is a terrific, kick-ass shooter with enough stuff in it to keep you busy for a pretty long time."
1UP (A): "Gears' gameplay isn't mindless warfare -- it's intensely focused, visceral fun. The cover system, despite its returning flaws, is still addictive. Likewise, hunkering down in the game's Roadie Run -- during which the camera pulls down close to your character as he ducks and runs -- again feels limited, as it's not conducive to either keeping an eye (and the camera) ahead of you or making tight turns. For such a stunning game, these held-over missteps seem odd, but they have little impact on Gears 2's impressive level of polish across the board."
IGN (95/100): "Gears of War 2 is what's going to sell Xbox 360s this holiday season. It has non-stop action, fresh gameplay, varied environments, an engrossing storyline, multiplayer that will have people busy for years to come, and some of the nastiest and coolest kills I've seen in a videogame."
EuroGamer (90/100): "As the plot ambles towards its conclusion, the weight of the game's surroundings and the distinctly downbeat narrative are tangibly claustrophobic. Above all else, one of the biggest surprises is how uncomfortable it can make you feel, as story and setting come together to provide memorable moments in amongst the muzzle flashes and kerb-stomping."

Tags: epic, epic-games, gears-of-war-2, microsoft

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

Joe Smith @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:05PM

"Chainsawdomy"? Ouch, that sounds painful.

Bloo @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:40PM

Chainsodomy is the pain I feel waiting for this game

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:52PM

I hear and feel ya man. Wish it were out tomorrow. BTW, its currently sitting on a 96 on Metacritic :)

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/gearsofwar2

Bloo @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:08PM

96 now?! Oh man, finally something to stop me from playing Gears 1 everyday LOL

umm....hello??? @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:05PM

definitely a no-brainer for me to pick up....here's to another expensive week in gaming!!

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:05PM

Cheers!

Courtney @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:33PM

That's funny fenix, I wouldn't have figured you would be interested in this.

:-P

xFenixKnightx @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:55PM

Yeah, I figured I'd give this one a shot. Take a chance. Might be good for a weekend...

reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:37PM

yeah i can say from personal experience, the campaign is pretty good. just the ending... spoilers... theres a part 3. the baddies have buddies on a different planet. and they send backup. sucks. and they are super hard.

R @ Nov 4th 2008 1:04AM

Dear reign of love,
Thank you so much for being an asshat and ruining the ending of a game I was very much looking forward too. I really cant imagine what life would be like without dicks like you that get off on ruining peoples fun, but I would think it would be a very nice, happier, better world. I will pray hard tonight that your house gets struck by lightning and your internet, computer, TV, and 360 get fried.

Sincerly,
R

reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Nov 4th 2008 11:39AM

so yeah actually dont believe gametrailers that the horde is all of them. these from outer space have gas masks on cause its too much oxygen and if you shoot the hoses on their backs they die so much quicker. but they know that so try getting them to turn around! its not going to be easy...

reign-♥-of-♥-love @ Nov 4th 2008 11:41AM

oh and the last battle is on their space ship. its actually the coolest setting ever. there colorful plants and shit.

i feel like being an asshole today...

Shagittarius @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:08PM

I hard Cole Train got renamed Cold-Sore Train due to Markus and his relationship.

They really take character development seriously there.

Chris2306 @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:39PM

"I hard"? Freudian slips ftw...

Shagittarius @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:14PM

It doesn't mean Gears isn't some macho gay fantasy though...

Shagittarius @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:20PM

The final proof is in the names, everyone knows your gay if you go by a longer first name than last name. This is written in the gay rule book apparently.

Marcus Fenix = case closed!

Its math fellas!

Chris2306 @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:27PM

I would love to see the second name that is longer than Shagittarius ;-)

Markez @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:11PM

Gay jokes, wow, how hilarious.

What's with you and all the stupid nickname jokes lately?

drsashamd @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:05PM

Chris, theres two months left in this year, but I got money on you for the best comment of the year.

copa @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:09PM

Gears of War shocked the hell out of me.

By all rights, I should have hated that game. An over-the-shoulder shooter where you are a slow, lumbering character wandering through grey and brown landscapes. An insipid, impossible to follow story. And a competitive multiplayer mode that was irreparably broken by host advantage.

And it ended up being the best, baddest, most fun cooperative gaming experience I have ever had.

I won't underestimate the series again. Picking GOW2 at launch.

Vcize @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:21PM

Haha, after all the hype of GoW1, and then hearing about some of these things after it released (I didn't get it until about a week after released), I was all ready to hate the game and declare it an overrated hunk of garbage.

Now, it's 2 years later, and it's still in my disc drive.

SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:53PM

i wasnt crazy about Gears 1. it was the first game i got when i got my 360, and after all the hype, i figured it would make me want Gears 2 but i just couldnt get excited about it really. i mean i finished it and everything but the story was just uninteresting and i think the cover system bothered me the most. it was just so clunky.

but all that said, ill probably at least rent this one later on. but i guess im still just wondering what is so awesome about this series cause i cant seem to get hooked on it like i thought i would. maybe when i play this one it will do something the other didnt.

Vcize @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:25PM

Curt, it's all about the multiplayer.

Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Nov 3rd 2008 4:06PM

I thought the first game was pretty good. It was nothing in special in terms of the campaign mode and there was no story to speak of.

The weapons were very unbalanced in the multiplayer and the glitchers killed the experience for me. I stopped playing all together after getting so frustrated with people using glitches and exploits.

At the time of release the graphics were amazing. Now, not so much at all. But Gears 2 looks to bring back the wow factor the first iteration did. In all honesty this game is the reason to own a 360. Not that other overrated space alien shooter. This is the only reason I still have a 360! After it comes and goes I plan on selling it with all my games and peripherals.

It looks like they fixed everything this time around. Great graphics, balanced weapons, an actual story, character backstory, great audio, better lighting, better environments, more locust, smarter AI, more games modes and *HOPEFULLY* NO GLITCHES OR EXPLOITS IN MULTIPLAYER.

I'm most excited about horde and wingman. I also can't wait to rain down mortar shells from a safe distance.

Gears has the right speed, damage, controls and camera view for my tastes. I can't stand COD Modern Warfare because if you get shot liek twice your dead.

KingOfGods @ Nov 3rd 2008 5:18PM

@Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5

I can't take what you write seriously anymore...you were the one who wrote Socom: Confrontation looks better that Gears.

Eh @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:11PM

I thought the game was going to be good, I was really attracted to the cool level design, but it was underwhelming. It was very repetitive and ultra linear, nothing but room clearing of the same enemies, and the story was a joke. There were some cool parts that werent room clearing but not enough cool parts. I got to the mansion and just couldnt play it anymore, I probably didnt miss anything since the first chapter was the same as all the other chapters.

sk8monroe81 @ Nov 3rd 2008 9:53PM

johnny- u realize cod4 is a more realistic shooter, where if you get shot a few times you are dead. i love when somebody wants to turn a realistic shooter into a fake sci fi shooter.

king- yeah johnny talks to much and says so many things that are wrong and nobody can tell him he is wrong. he always thinks he is right about everything on these forums. and he only likes his ps3.

Supino @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:10PM

Do you guys think there'll be a nude patch for the PC version?

Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:33PM

There is no PC version planned.

Vcize @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:12PM

Vcize's Xbox 360, meet Vcize's Gears of War 2 disc.

I'm sure you both will be spending a lot of time together for the next two years.

ExMcCloud @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:14PM

Fact:Gears of War 2 comes out Friday and nobody will be on Joystiq because they will be to busy playing "Said Game"

Fact:Gears will recieve no lower than a 90 or Locust Horde's will show up at the A$$ hole reviewers house and sinkhole the whole damn thing

Fact:Me, Fenix, Cyro, and TheTurtle will be playing Horde mode till the Xbox720 comes out and we need a fifth.....So Who's it gonna be?

Delgado @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:33PM

Buying the game at launch, and I'll be up for some horde mode with you guys after me and my friend knock out the campaign. Feel free to add me.

GT: Decrypded

Jakka @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:38PM

Good luck guys. I heard that the last wave is all Brumaks and everything you got are smoke grenades...

baby sea tuna @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:54PM

I'm definitely in for some horde!

GT: brother seamus (with a space between the words)

Duke @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:18PM

Probably take me a month or so to get a copy with all the other games stacked at home. Then I know I want to try some coop for sure.

Huey2k2 @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:40PM

I'll definitely be picking it up day one and down for some horde mode.

Gamertag: Huey2k2

Send me an invite.

DiggyStyle @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:44PM

I am in after hopefully killing deer next weekend!

GT: DiggyStyle

tmacairjordan87 @ Nov 3rd 2008 3:55PM

Uhhh I'll join you guys when I get it sometime around...christmas. It sucks being poor :(

knighty (GT: ZeraKnight) @ Nov 3rd 2008 8:42PM

I'm totally up for it.

Gamertag being Zeraknight, I'm up for Halulz of course too ;D And Left 4 Dead soon....

Zeus.:God @ Nov 4th 2008 2:05AM

Mr Clickerson if anyone wants to hear me complaining when I get raped.

DiggyStyle @ Nov 5th 2008 11:03AM

So it turns out... no Deer killing this year. I have a sister that is about to give birth so until next year you crazy animals, consider yourself lucky! I do, because now I can play gears 2 all weekend!

Wildside @ Nov 3rd 2008 2:16PM

i just got Gears of War for PC. Game is fun, runs smoother too. Now if only Epic Games could port Gears of War 2 to PC, that would be a dream come true for me :P.

who knows, this game is gonna do good for the Xbox 360 they might consider porting it to PC.