GoW 2 – The Teabag Prevention Team Gets a Hands On
The newest jewel of Microsoft hasn’t been brighter. Multiple tweaks have been added to an already great game. I was at E for All and I played Gears 2 for a solid two hours. I played three maps, all in the Horde gametype. There is a slight learning curve, even being a veteran to the previous title. For those of you who know my sensitivity on Halo 2 & 3, you’ll know default setting ain’t my thing.
Learning Curve?
During my first playthrough, my accuracy was a little off. I didn’t really see any change in graphics other than some slight detail enhancements on a regular (Carmine) helmet. The weapons are somewhat different. For instance, when they’re available for pick-up, there’s a shine that goes over there which makes it easy to spot. The level detail was outstanding at some points. One one of the levels I played, the water looked no different. The parts that were amazing was the detail inside buildings. Vines grew inside a destroyed two story house I was sniping from.
Weapons
I have to admit, I was surprised at one weapon in particular. This was the Motar. You carry it around Missile Pod style (Halo 3), there fore you cant run with it and in fact walk slow with it. To use it properly, you must hold the left trigger for your character to set it down, aim, then fire with the R trigger.
The Flamethrower. I was afraid of this being a letdown after seeing some videos of it being used on the enemy. For example, I would see that the character would not catch on fire and would just fall down. Not the case here. They BURN. Their armor/skin glows red and black. When they fall, there’s great satisfaction of burning them literally to the ground.The Boomers that wield it are frightening. First, its hard enough bring down a Boomer. Combine that with the wide range of flames the flamethrower has, and it becomes a serious threat. Also, this is not the type of weapon you have to haul around. You CAN sprint with it. The ammo for the Hammer is displayed through a bar. Like the Hammer, you can also get an Active Reload.
Now this is what surprised me the most. The Hammer of Dawn no longer has unlimited ammo. I discovered this when I needed the Hammer most.
The portable shield is a nice touch. It will save many, especially in “Horde.”
All of the other weapons are relatively the same.
Enemies
I saw roughly six new Locusts. I say roughly because two might have been the same. I’ll start with the Butcher. This is a giant Boomer walking around with a giant butcher knife. That is all. Another Boomer I saw was one wielding a machine gun turret. Another Boomer wielded a chain with The final Boomer I saw was the Flamethrower one. Seeing any Boomer go hand-to-hand combat was funny to watch, but painful to endure. I witnessed my buddy get thrown to the wall. He died shortly after. Imagine the Cave Troll battle in LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring…..but Gears style.
A new Locust class I encountered was one called “Bolter.” This can have to meanings because for one, this guy runs fast, but that’s only because he carries around a Boltok Pistol. Just imagine a Locust running around really fast shooting his pistol….got it?……yeeaaaah.
So this is where it gets confusing. I saw one Locust that scared the crap out of me because it also ran fast and had tentacles on it’s back. It reminds me of those flying ants in the movie, “Ants.” They seem to resemble an all around warrior class, but hold superiority over its kin. Now I saw another that looked like this one on another map. This time it screamed really loud which brought the COG fighting it to the ground. He was immobilized for less than thirty seconds which made him vulnerable to other Locusts.
Wretches are the same only they seemed less of a threat. They are the “Grunts” of Halo. Get swarmed/cornered by them, then there’s the real threat. All Locusts are the same, except for minor costume changes.
The “xO“ of Gears of War 2
What stood out above the rest was the way every one of the game models moved. It’s much more realistic than the first. If a Locust is running at you and you shoot it with a shotgun, his whole body flies back. If you shoot it in the shoulder, that shoulder goes back. Also, you don’t “ice skate” when you slide to a wall you want to use for cover. The player models are a definite upgrade.
Executions. I can honestly say I didn’t see one curb stomp. A good thing? Could be. I saw the swinging of the shotgun decapitating a Locust, a burning corpse, and the whole fist-to-the-face.
The Cherry on Top
While in the camera mode in-game, I was able to use a screenshot function similar to Halo 3. Now, this is in-game. It’s unknown whether or not there will be a Theater mode. Also, I was able to switch between players and set camera positions, just like the first Gears. What’s so different? Ghost Cam. This allows you to free roam around the entire map. Though it’s controls aren’t that well done, it’s a damn good idea, especially in Horde mode. Hopefully it’s touched up before release.
Written by
-jake108
Edited by
Jonathan London
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