Gears of War 2 review

It is a tricky process to portray a blockbuster style scale and grandeur in a video game. Ultimately the ideal can either make or break it because of how much of a fine line it is to balance upon. As you can see from previous big budget releases, even the thought of a blockbuster game sequel brings in huge amounts of sales. The question of whether the game is enjoyable becomes a part of the thought process that comes after opinions based upon mass advertising and trust in the developer to '1-up' it's own prequel.


'Gears of War' has become a "no halo" escape clause for Microsoft if they need a talking point in conferences. However bleak that just sounded, the team at Epic Games have created sort of a "diamond in the rough.”



‘Gears of War 2,’ continues the story from where the previous iteration left of. The human race is on the brink of extinction as the Locust Horde start sinking entire cities. The final option for Jacinto, the last standing city, is to take the fight straight into the nest and destroy them from the inside out. It’s all very Epic, and the development team, no matter how small it is, have taken this word and applied it to the rest of the aspects.



The game doesn’t aim to revolutionise; it’s all about improvements and niche touches to attempt to perfect the formula. On many fronts, you can see improvements through the way the game feels, looks and sounds; but there are some slight niggles that inhibit GOW2 from being truly perfected.

The ‘roadie run,’ still acts up unfortunately. It’s more minimized this time round, but the problem is noticeable when you’re in the middle of a huge gunfight. The Chainsaw duels are just button-bashing contests that can end in quite unfairly if another player takes you out from behind with a shotgun. Such things like this don’t break the game at all; they’re more just tiny issues that you get used to, almost like a second nature.



If anybody followed this game, you would have seen all the promotion put into the renovation of the ‘unreal engine.’ You can most certainly see why. This is an extremely aesthetically pleasing game. Every nook and cranny of the in-game world is detailed to an extent that it makes what is, essentially, a linear experience feel like it’s within the contexts of a huge landscape. This trick-of-the-eye is one of the game’s presentation strengths, as well as the fact that GOW2 is a much gorier affair. Blood pours everywhere, almost needlessly. The soundtrack and acting is of a Hollywood grade; giving the game’s cut-scenes a vast palette of atmosphere. The plot however is questionable at times.



Some of the game's sequences are intended to make you judge your actions and feel loss. In one occasion, this really works; giving you a bittersweet ending and a feeling of responsibility for the destruction that you caused on your trip to the centre. Unfortunately, Rico’s search and eventual discovery of his wife is presented in such a corny and clichéd fashion. I’m not going to describe further, at the risk of revealing any of the other gripping storyline aspects. I don’t need to, as you probably will notice the same Hollywood blockbuster-esque emotion like I did.



As I said before, Epic games have only improved the formula. This is obvious with added gameplay and multiplayer. You can feel the dramatic progress over GOW1 as there is so much more to the game then just the cover-and-move mechanic. There is some classic affair on-rail sections, adding a new defensive gameplay style; but there is also some odd additions that you never see coming. If I began to explain these complexities, it would ruin this quirky charm that GOW2 has on the side. You have to play it to believe it.



The multiplayer remains mainly untouched which, in blunt terms, means it’s a truly gripping experience. One excellent addition that I’ll give light to is the horde mode. Simple rules, you and other players team up to take on waves of locust, growing in strength and numbers with each wave completed. It’s this simplicity that makes this mode so enslaving to play, you’ll keep persevering towards that jewel-in-the-sky 50th wave.

Gears of War 2 is equivalent to owning an old house. You know to kick the door in the right spot to shut it properly, in the same way that you know when to press the B button to execute your foe. This game, in no short terms, is a blockbuster. The minor problems don’t make it feel like a persevering task, but add more to the overall splendor. Hardcore fans of this shall already be playing it, and I strongly advise newcomers to savor the experience!


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