Gears of War 2
Run, shoot, hide, run, shoot, blow something up. Gears of War is back with Gears of War 2. Correctly named as it is the sequel to the original game; Gears of War 2 picks up (story wise) six months after the end of the first game. Gameplay is very similar, but now with the aid of new weapons and stunning environments to use them in, Gears of War 2 will definitely excite any blood crazed action shooter fan. Let’s find out why.
I’m going to break this down, and not in a ‘take it to the bridge’ James Brown kind of way. Firstly the story. Like I said at the start, it’s six months later and the Locust (bad guys) are now super powerful, destroying everything in their way. To make things worse the humans (good guys) have to also deal with a new disease called ‘rust lung.’
Things are not looking good for your city Jacinto. Of course Marcus Fenix (you) and his war buddy Dominic Santiago are the only ones who can do anything. It’s the final stand and you must die defending something or other with honour and this and that... The plot is weak because a game like this is not really about the story; it’s about shooting!
The old assault rifle is still there but now you get a plethora of new killing toys to tantalise your alpha male senses. Flame-throwers, with their short range, are awesome for taking care of groups of nasties that get too close. The mulcher, a high-calibre chain gun, will cut through your enemy like a baseball bat to fine china. Even the grenades have been super-sized. They come in all-new flavours and you can stick them to surfaces so they can become proximity mines.
The first Gears of War title was pretty violent and the second takes it to a new level. I’m not going to lie to you folks; this is one brutal game. You better get used to using your enemy as a shield after you kill them. Also, now when you are ready to execute the enemy you have the choice of four different kills. All as gruesome as each other.
The environments you kill in are a lot different from the first instalment. Whereas previously you battled through the gritty rundown city, Gears of War 2 sees you spend most of your time out in wide open areas, or deep in underground caverns. There are also more vehicles to use, but these things are still just as annoying to use. Luckily there are not too many missions that require them. It’s mostly run and shoot action.
This game is best served cold and played with friends. People can drop in and out of your campaign and the extra players can choose their own difficulty. Multiplayer mode has a heap of new modes like: Warezone, Execution, Assassination, and Annex. I have no friends though so I couldn’t try them out, but I’ve been told they are to die for.
Finally, Gears of War 2 is visually amazing. It’s just as good as it’s predecessor but with added detail to really mesmerise your eyes. The environment around you reacts to your gunfire and the constant enemy onslaught. The sound effects and voice acting is brilliant and put together with the high quality graphics and cinematic score makes for one killer title.
If you loved the first Gears of War then you are going to really enjoy this one. It’s everything a sequel should be, all the stuff you love, just done better. Three thumbs up.