Gears of War 2 -- Collector Edition Details Revealed!

Bamelin

July 22nd Update:

Collector's Edition Details Revealed! (Thanks UndeadScotsman!)

Gears of War 2 Collector's Edition comes with Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2, a 48-page hardbound book including character profiles, exclusive concept art, and foreword by Design Director Cliff Bleszinski, a bonus DVD including exclusive making-of-the-game video footage, design galleries with audio commentary by Epic Games and promotional videos including the E3 2008 trailer, a Dominic and Maria keepsake photo, steel DVD case and an exclusive Xbox LIVE code to unlock a gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle for online play.

Source: http://www.gamershell.com/news_55982.html




If this has been posted already please don't kill me ... I did a quick search but I've been drinking rum and coke's all night.

Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Details Unveiled

New multiplayer details have been leaked on the much-anticipated follow-up to last year's visceral shooter, Gears of War.

British magazine X360 reports that Gears of War 2 will feature some noticeable improvements to the original, including a maximum of five versus five multiplayer and multiple finishing moves.

The game will ship with 12 maps in total, including a redone Gridlock and another map boasting security lasers that can be deactivated.

The finishing moves will include the well-known - although among its victims, certainly not well-loved - curbstomp, leveraging a body as a shield, weapon-specific kills, and ravaging the enemy's face.

The sequel will further feature a new mode dubbed "Wingman" where two players can control one character. Another mode called "Meatflag" will see an AI-run mobile flag that will kill nearby players.

Source: ArsTechnica.com

I wonder how the Wingman mode will work? One guy guns while the other controls movement? Sounds like a hoot.

Redone Gridlock is awesome news as it was one of my favorite's from the original. Multiple finishing moves is also sweet news, as Gears of War is the first title since Mortal Kombat that really made the player feel that sweet sensation when you tear somebody in two.

Zonkytonkman

tl;dr

Evil Multifarious

if one guy controls movement in Wingman, he gets the shit end of the stick. whenever you reach cover he can just go grab a beer while the shooter mows down some Locust.

Tiemler

Evil Multifarious wrote: »

if one guy controls movement in Wingman, he gets the shit end of the stick. whenever you reach cover he can just go grab a beer while the shooter mows down some Locust.

When you meet some Locusts, he takes the uglier one.

Profs

The best changes, I think, are just to the combat mechanics. Weapons now with stopping power, destructible cover, being able to crawl when bleeding out, the ability to cancel out of the swat-style cover swapping animations, meat shields, and at least some player effect on chainsaw battles. Plus, the probable addition of bots for multiplayer make me excited, as I hated the host advantage and lag over Live and preferred lan with friends.

Hopefully the plot, writing, and voice acting isn't absolutely fucking atrocious again.

subedii

Another mode called "Meatflag" will see an AI-run mobile flag that will kill nearby players.

Official: Cube of meat now confirmed as making an appearance in GoW 2.

Game mode could be interesting if it was something like a rogue Berserker (possibly damageable by more conventional weapons).

Tiemler

subedii wrote: »

Another mode called "Meatflag" will see an AI-run mobile flag that will kill nearby players.

Official: Cube of meat now confirmed as making an appearance in GoW 2.

Whoa. Will he do Samurai Lincoln? Or just the igloo, hot dog, igloo bit?

Snare

The multiplayer is probably what will sell this to me, I sucked at GoW1 online, but it was still fun, definitely a challenge to learn how to play.

Renzo

I think wingman is a 2v2v2v2v2 gametype. Each team of two can only use one player model, but each player still controls their own character. So you'll have 2 Carmines v 2 Doms v 2 Marcuses v 2 Heron Guard v 2 Locust or something.

Sireath

ravaging the enemy's face.

best gif I could find

Klyka

Renzo wrote: »

I think wingman is a 2v2v2v2v2 gametype. Each team of two can only use one player model, but each player still controls their own character. So you'll have 2 Carmines v 2 Doms v 2 Marcuses v 2 Heron Guard v 2 Locust or something.

And the sense in that is where?

Lux

The bullet point of features on the back of the box should read:
* 5 v 5 Multiplayer!
* Wingman mode!
* Curbstomping!!

Klyka

Lux wrote: »

The bullet point of features on the back of the box should read:
* 5 v 5 Multiplayer!
* Wingman mode!
* Curbstomping!!

"Curbstomping eh?"

MYTHOS20000

Klyka wrote: »

"Curbstomping eh?"

Well Done!!

YardGnome

The meatflag is actually a person. They are one of the Stranded from the story mode. They have their own AI and a weapon, which they will use to shoot at both teams with. What you have to do is damage him enough to down him (don't worry, you can't kill him), take him as a hostage, and move him back to your base.

capable heart

deleted

Fawst

Well, if it was meatflagpole, that would be one thing...

davincie

Í'm pretty sure this information already was released earlier, I remember the sniper rifle finishing move was using it as a golfclub!

fragglefart

There is the UT Gears 2 video up on Gamersyde;

http://www.gamersyde.com/news_6715_en.html

God this game looks fucking amazing.

The fixes to some of the more broken multiplayer elements are more than welcome. For all it's faults, Gears multi was so, so awesome.

And Holy shit the graphics are so good. The snow covered trees, highlighted by sunshine and wafting in the breeze at the 4:45 mark are mesmerising.

Also flamethrower Hell yes.

Smashism

Watching players slow down while getting pounded on from the lancer made me give out a round of internet high fives.
This game will blow minds.

subedii

YEah it really looks as if they're trying to do the multiplayer properly this time around.

Some thoughts:

- I've played Gears plenty enough already, but some of the stuff in that video seriously made me cringe. I'm half wondering whether going so over the top with the finishers actually makes the game feel less "brutal warfare" and sliding instead more towards the "comically overdone". I'm usually of the opinion that having fewer instances makes those events have much more of an effect when compared to the rest of the gameplay. Revelling too much in the outright gore can make it have less impact and just make things look silly. Well, the jury's still out on that anyway.

- Grenade mines look like a cool addition, I just hope it doesn't lead to people spamming traps and stuff. Might feel unfair if you round a corner and get blown up. Although in the video it looked as if there was a warning bleep and a short delay before it detonated, so that probably ought to give people enough time to react.

- Adding concussive force to the smoke grenade sounds like a good idea.

- As do the area denial "poison" grenades and the mobile cover dynamic.

- I like the idea of the change they're making to assassination, the losing team still has a chance but without the respawns.

squirly

Why can't they just make a normal CTF mode? The one they've proposed sounds idiotic.

subedii

squirly wrote: »

Why can't they just make a normal CTF mode? The one they've proposed sounds idiotic.

Maybe they figured it would be encroaching on the Unreal franchise or something.

Faffel

Yeah, the guys who made Unreal are squeamish about using CTF because it encroaches on a series whose last good game was like 7 years ago.

Sanius

So this looks awesome. I was a big fan of Gears 1, but after playing co-op a few times and doing several hundred online matches, I finally got tired. Glad they are tweaking and messing with Gears 2 a lot to make it all worth coming back again. The multiplayer tweaks give me hope that i'll stick around longer.

subedii

Faffel wrote: »

Yeah, the guys who made Unreal are squeamish about using CTF because it encroaches on a series whose last good game was like 7 years ago.

I really enjoyed 2004.

UT3 good too, it's just that I felt it was the same game as 2004 but with updated visuals.. I was too busy playing TF2 to be honest.

Faffel

Read my post again. I was implying that Quake III was the final good Quake title. I haven't tried UT3, but UT99, 03, and 04 are 3 of my favourite FPS's.

DeMoN

Oh thank god they added stopping power to the weapons. I hated how people in Gears 1 could just roll towards and kick your ass with a shotgun or grenade.
I played one game where literally the entire other team would do this. Even if we all took cover and shot hem at the same time they would shotgun us and win.

subedii

DeMoN wrote: »

Oh thank god they added stopping power to the weapons. I hated how people in Gears 1 could just roll towards and kick your ass with a shotgun or grenade.
I played one game where literally the entire other team would do this. Even if we all took cover and shot hem at the same time they would shotgun us and win.

I have to wonder why they didn't patch this out in the first game. It's not as if this wasn't evident right from the very beginning.

I understand that there's issues with patching Live games in that you need to have the patch certified and pay for the process, but they did release updates in the meantime so they ought to have been able to change that as well.

Well, it's a moot point anyway I suppose.

Children

So from the trailer It looks like gears 2 is going to be gears 1 + flamethrowers, more death animations, and the hostage holding thing.

Thoughts?

METAzraeL

wow, it looks like the multi will be way better this time. That means I'll actually keep the game once I've gone through co-op five or so times.

Fawst

Well, it looks very similar, sure. But the story is supposed to be there this time. The graphical enhancements are pretty major, even if they don't "seem" like it. At this point, it's almost a case of diminishing returns. The original was pretty fucking beautiful. This one is a little bit better. The addition of the "swarm" mechanic will make things very interesting, and provide us with some intense fire-fights. The idea of moving cover (as seen with those giant rock worm things) is pretty cool.

Look at something like God of War. The original was badass. The second one was badasser, with minimal graphical enhancements, and honestly, not that much different in gameplay. What did we get? Ceiling crawling and grapple points. The new gear was cool, but not groundbreaking. The biggest change there was the story. They turned it up to eleven, and left us with an epic cliffhanger.

Bottom line, if the story in Gears 2 is in the least bit competent, bordering on good, then this will be better than Gears 1.

DeMoN

I liked God of War 2 better because of the excellent bosses and more of those deadly quicktime events things.

Sure Gears 2 would be better if it had some story, but give me some new interesting enemies fight and different ways to kill them and I will be a happy camper.

fragglefart

Children wrote: »

So from the trailer It looks like gears 2 is going to be gears 1 + flamethrowers, more death animations, and the hostage holding thing.

Plus 5 vs 5, plus tactical grenade use, plus movable shield cover.

Plus the graphical upgrade.

Plus the tweaks to reloads, damage impacting speed / rolls, host advantage, the online party system and the cover system.

Plus whatever else Cliify said we have not been told about yet.

Sounds pretty damned good to me.

Fawst

Stopping power is one of the greatest things to come to this series. That is fucking AWESOME. Nothing weaker than running into a shotgun blast like it's nothing.

Dusda

Stopping power and the tactical use of grenades are the most interesting to me. Those might finally mix things up a bit, so that tactics beyond "Shotgun, Shotgun?, Shotgun!" are feasible.

subedii

Dusda wrote: »

Stopping power and the tactical use of grenades are the most interesting to me. Those might finally mix things up a bit, so that tactics beyond "Shotgun, Sniper?, Shotgun!" are feasible.

Fixed for the marginal decision that takes place occasionally.

Lave II

So I wrote this script detailing the plot of the first game for a different forum earlier today, so if you want a recap of what happened click the spoiler.

Which contains spoilers obviously.

Gears of War: The Script: By CliffyB/Lave Station

Dom: Hey I've bust you from jail!
Marcus: Yeay!

*Escape - shoot - escape - shoot.*

Marcus: Why did you help me escape?
Dom: To help me drop a 'map bomb' in their underground nest in order to make a map of it to allow us to find a weak point for massive damage type situation!
Marcus: Ah, Ok, Death Star Plans Plot. Got you.
Dom: Oh look these people will help us, say hello
Cole Train: Hello I am what a white person imagines a black person is like!
Marcus: Oh Hello!
Mr Head of Miltary: Oh and Marcus, I'll put you in charge, though it doesn't make sense for me to do so, and it goes against the little characterisation I have!
White guy: Hello! I'm here to be annoyed about that decision!

*A few minutes later*

Dom: Oh it didn't work
Marcus: No worry my dad has a map already!
Dom: What?
Marcus: Quick to my dad's house!
Dom: What!

* A few minutes later*

Marcus: Look it's my house!
Dom: Marcus, under no surcumstances would you ever have lived here, this makes no sense.
Marcus: Here's the map! Yeay!
Dom: Why would your dad have a map, why would you live in a mansion, this doesn't make any sense!
Marcus: Rightey oh then, lets leave. Off to the train station.
White Guy: OK, but I wish I was in charge.
Dom: ... grumble, grumble...
Cole Train: Did I mention how black I was?

They get on a passing train. The scene changes

Marcus: Shit the trains going to blow!
Dom: What!? Since when!?
Marcus: We need to get to the bomb!
Dom: WHAT?! What Bomb! Did I miss something!?
Cole Train: I AM BLACK - I PLAY SPORTS!
White Guy: I have grudgingly excepted your authority, well I guess I have, It's kinda just been forgotten about.
Marcus: Yeay we've found the bomb!
Dom: No one mentioned any fucking Bomb, what are we doing here! This was just a passing train. Are we meant to diffuse it?! What, the fucking fuck is going on?!
Marcus: Oh no it's the Enemy General I have a history with!
Dom: Since when!?
Marcus: Yeay I killed him! I've fired it the bomb into their nest! Yeay!
Dom: FUCK THIS SHIT
Cole Train: I'M BLACK SO I'LL RAP THE THEME TUNE!

* Congratulations you've completed Gears of War, have like 50 gamerpoints. *

subedii

The PC version added the marginal extra of explaining how their SUPAH WEPON got on the train in the first place. It was literally a few lines interspersed throughout chapter 5 and I have no idea why they didn't just tack them on in the 360 version.

Dixon

Children wrote: »

So from the trailer It looks like gears 2 is going to be gears 1 + flamethrowers, more death animations, and the hostage holding thing.

Thoughts?

You need to watch the graphical enhancement trailer, there's a lot of neat stuff there.

Snork

Lave II wrote: »

So I wrote this script detailing the plot of the first game for a different forum earlier today, so if you want a recap of what happened click the spoiler.

Which contains spoilers obviously.

Gears of War: The Script: By CliffyB/Lave Station

Dom: Hey I've bust you from jail!
Marcus: Yeay!

*Escape - shoot - escape - shoot.*

Marcus: Why did you help me escape?
Dom: To help me drop a 'map bomb' in their underground nest in order to make a map of it to allow us to find a weak point for massive damage type situation!
Marcus: Ah, Ok, Death Star Plans Plot. Got you.
Dom: Oh look these people will help us, say hello
Cole Train: Hello I am what a white person imagines a black person is like!
Marcus: Oh Hello!
Mr Head of Miltary: Oh and Marcus, I'll put you in charge, though it doesn't make sense for me to do so, and it goes against the little characterisation I have!
White guy: Hello! I'm here to be annoyed about that decision!

*A few minutes later*

Dom: Oh it didn't work
Marcus: No worry my dad has a map already!
Dom: What?
Marcus: Quick to my dad's house!
Dom: What!

* A few minutes later*

Marcus: Look it's my house!
Dom: Marcus, under no surcumstances would you ever have lived here, this makes no sense.
Marcus: Here's the map! Yeay!
Dom: Why would your dad have a map, why would you live in a mansion, this doesn't make any sense!
Marcus: Rightey oh then, lets leave. Off to the train station.
White Guy: OK, but I wish I was in charge.
Dom: ... grumble, grumble...
Cole Train: Did I mention how black I was?

They get on a passing train. The scene changes

Marcus: Shit the trains going to blow!
Dom: What!? Since when!?
Marcus: We need to get to the bomb!
Dom: WHAT?! What Bomb! Did I miss something!?
Cole Train: I AM BLACK - I PLAY SPORTS!
White Guy: I have grudgingly excepted your authority, well I guess I have, It's kinda just been forgotten about.
Marcus: Yeay we've found the bomb!
Dom: No one mentioned any fucking Bomb, what are we doing here! This was just a passing train. Are we meant to diffuse it?! What, the fucking fuck is going on?!
Marcus: Oh no it's the Enemy General I have a history with!
Dom: Since when!?
Marcus: Yeay I killed him! I've fired it the bomb into their nest! Yeay!
Dom: FUCK THIS SHIT
Cole Train: I'M BLACK SO I'LL RAP THE THEME TUNE!

* Congratulations you've completed Gears of War, have like 50 gamerpoints. *

what kind of freak spells yay with an 'e'