Gears 1 was a setup. It was an appetizer for all the characters, all the environments, the gameplay mechanics we introduced in the first. Gears 2 is going to be bigger, better, and far more badass than the first game in every way.
Cliff Bleszinski, GDC 2008
Way back in March, these claims were a feast for the skeptics, and a absolute tease for the fans. I’ll be honest, too, I was a skeptic. I knew Gears of War [1] could have benefited from a few choice areas, but I didn’t expect it to amount to much more than new weapons and bigger baddies. Now that I’ve played it, I understand. Gears of War 2, is truly, in every sense bigger, better, and FAR more badass than the first. It truly is so much so that it makes Gears of War looks sort of shameful.
Every aspect of the game has been tweaked and optimized. If you’ve played Gears of War [1], I can explain it to you this way: If you had any problems with the original Gears of War, they have been fixed and revitalized far beyond the bare minimum. You need not read further, but should. Why not?
At the risk of sounding like a fan boy, I would like to let it be known that I’m not. I played the original Gears of War, liked it and let it be, because the multiplayer was so uninteresting. Rest assured that what you’re reading is genuinely honest opinions from a [former] skeptic.
One of the features Epic Games wished to put more emphasis on was story and depth. They semi-succeeded. What they really did was initiate lore, and create melodrama between characters that is more often than not, unnecessary. Personally, I think it’s great that they’re taking more into the lore and creating more side-stories and back-stories, but the drama is unfitting; I’m playing a big badass that kicks ass and too busy to take names. It’s hard to remember that they have feelings, and the attempt to make theirs seem authentic are appreciable at best.
The overall movement and controls is also severely heightened. They are the root of Gears of War 2′s success in a very unsung way. Sprinting is no longer a chore now that you can maneuver yourself without having to stop completely to move 10 degrees to the left or right. Every thing, even the cover is seamless. It’s difficult for me to explain it, simply because everything just works. It works so well that even plopping the original Gears of War into my Xbox 360 feels like torture.
Visually, Gears of War 2 isn’t better, per se. The environments and lighting, however, are. I remember playing the original and loving the graphics, but most of it was just recycled between all of the zones, give or take two or three unique zone. In 2, all of the zones are exponentially different, unique and most of all, impressive; there’s not just one zone that looks incredible, because every zone looks incredible.
It’s hard to explain what Gears of War 2 is as a sequel, other than near perfect. I couldn’t remember anything else while playing it other than being damned impressed, and how much fun I was having. If you are on the fence on whether Gears of War 2 is worth purchasing, get the hell off it. If you like shooters, get this game — no question. If you don’t like shooters, but see yourself even a little bit interested, at least try it out. You’ll be surprised.
[Rating: 5/5]
