Game Review: Gears of War 2

Ah yes, the ever popular Gears of War franchise. With its breathtaking graphics and fast paced action, how could it not be adored by millions. The first Gears of War was praised by many and even received the 2006 "Game of the Year" award from multiple media outlets. With shoes as big as that to fill, the next in the franchise had better be as good, if not superior. But as many in the entertainment industry know, the sequel is rarely as good as the first in the series. No pressure Epic Games (for those of you who have never heard of them or their ever popular Unreal Engine, they are the developers of the franchise.).

I have what one may consider to be a love-hate relationship with the Gears of War series. I don't so much hate it as think it is overrated and lacks any real creativity or story; instead substituting the latter with big guns, meathead characters, and great graphics. Though don't get me wrong, I still very much enjoy playing the games and can see why they are so entertaining. I just don't think they are "Game of the Year" material. But alas, that is only my opinion and it is obviously not viewed the same way by others. Moving on though, let's get into Gears of War 2 and see whether or not it made the grade.

Gameplay: Gears of War 2, like its predecessor, has two parts to its gameplay. First there is the campaign mode (either single player or co-op), which follows the story of the game, and there is also the multiplayer mode, which is best played over Xbox Live but can also be played locally or via a system link. They are both great in their own right, but are a completely different experience. Since I mentioned the campaign mode first, I'll start with that. Not much has changed here since the first Gears of War. If you look past the additions of some new, more powerful, weapons and enemies, it is structurally the same. Aside from the brand new story line, not much has changed. Most of the time you are involved in intense shootouts where you are constantly forced to take cover, which is good as it adds variety to what would otherwise be a run and gun shooter. Pepper in some vehicle based levels (which I thought to be much better this time around, even if they were still somewhat annoying) and you have yourself a bona fide Gears of War game. As for the environments, I would have liked spend more time above ground in this game. All the surface levels were pretty cool and fun to explore and play through, but I found the subterranean levels to be rather repetitive and they got old fairly quickly. Overall I enjoyed the campaign mode. I played through it twice and was satisfied each time. With the co-op mode, both off and online, (not a new feature) it has definitely replayability, even if the story doesn't have much lasting appeal.

Now on to the multiplayer. Gears of War 2 is one of those rare games that incorporates a multiplayer aspect and actually makes it so enjoyable that it could be a standalone game in itself. The original was also like this and quickly became a hit with Xbox Live fraggers all over the world. This newer version takes those concepts and adds to it, making a very enjoyable online experience. There are some modes that make a return (Warzone and Execution) as well as a few nifty additions (Horde and Wingman), which makes for quite a nice variety. I personally enjoy Horde Mode, which spawns increasingly difficult waves of enemies for you, and up to four friends, to fight in the map of your choice. Also worth mentioning is the Submission mode where you and your team must capture a human "meat flag" (which fights back and be quite surly at times) and bring them to a designated location while fighting against the opposing team. There is even a mode (Wingman) that lets teams of two face off against other bite sized teams for some good old death match style fragging where the key to survival becomes watching each other's backs. Whatever it is that you're looking for in an online shooter multiplayer game, chances are Gears of War 2 has it. With great variety and gameplay that goes beyond the somewhat played out team vs. team standoff that is found in most shooters, Gears of War 2 is definitely worth checking out (that is of course if online multiplayer is your bag).

Graphics & Sound: Gears of War is known for its beautiful graphics and its sequel does not disappoint. In fact, this time around it looks like they pushed the graphical capability and it really shows. There are multiple vistas throughout the game which look good enough to make you take a break from slaughtering Locusts to enjoy the view. Graphically this game is strong and is best enjoyed in HD resolution of some kind. If this is any indication of where games are headed graphically, than I am more than pleased. The sound in this game is pretty good too. The voice acting seems solid and the sound effects are immersive enough to pull you into the game. Although, I did grow tired of listening to Locusts growl about half way through the game. While I have definitely heard better, the audio is not terrible, and that is worth mentioning. Overall the audio-visual experience is where it should be with a game of this scale.

Achievements: Now for the section I have been waiting for. The achievements for the original Gears of War were one of the main reasons that I stopped playing the game in the first place. Not only were they rigid in the rules of how to obtain them, dealing with the unpredictability of other online players really made for some frustrating gameplay in my quest to reach 1,000 points. Needless to say I never got there, but I did develop a disdain for multiplayer achievements along the way. This time around they were a bit more lenient with the rules. Like last time, there is an even mix of multiplayer and story-based achievements, but, unlike last time, the way that you choose to obtain these achievements varies. Some are specific to their mode and can only be won by playing that game type (ex: "Brumak Rodeo" and "Party Like It's 1999"), but there are quite a few that can be earned in either multiplayer or campaign mode (ex: "Shock and Awe" and "Crossed Swords"). The infamous "Seriously" achievement is back and the ante is upped this time around. Instead of 10,000 kills you need 100,000, but they can be obtained in any mode which can make it much easier if you are willing to put the time in. Overall it can take a while to get all 1,000 points if you choose to, but compared to last time it is much easier to do so. Personally I don't like the game enough to go for it, but if you love Gears of War and achievements then by all means pick this game up, as there can be some entertaining opportunities to beef up your gamerscore.

Final Thoughts: Gears of War 2 is pretty much right on par with what I expected it to be. An action packed continuation of the franchise with shiny graphics and a big budget. The game is entertaining, but it lacks the appeal to keep me coming back for more once have played through it a few times. Based on what I have seen from this franchise so far, I am going to predict a new Gears every two to three years that continues to get "bigger, better, and more badass" until it gets so massive that it implodes in on itself and everyone loses interest and moves on to the next big thing. But for now enjoy it for what it is worth; the videogame equivalent of an over-the-top Hollywood popcorn flick.

The Wrap-up: If you are like me and take in so much information on a daily basis that the only way to get through it all is to read the summary, than this is the section for you. Four pages condensed into one paragraph. Enjoy!

Gameplay: A good campaign experience with a decent storyline that is definitely enhanced by the addition of online co-op play. Multiplayer is even better this time around and there are a lot of different modes to satisfy even the most obscure craving. The horde mode is also a welcome addition. Let's hope it becomes a trend for development companies to think outside the box when it comes to online multiplayer gaming.

Graphics & Sound: The graphics really shine in this game and that makes it even more enjoyable to explore its environments or curb stomp foes, whichever floats your boat. I suggest taking time out every now and then to pay attention to the details in the scenery and notice how great this game really looks. Sound is meh. Not bad, but I have definitely come across better. Voice acting holds up and can be believable at times, which is more than I expected from a game like this.

Achievements: The achievements are much more dynamic this time around, but not overly creative or entertaining. Most of them are tied directly to the story or revolve around killing opponents in creative ways (in some cases over and over again). The addition of an achievement tracker is also a welcome change. Let's hope that is another gaming trend that is here to stay. Overall these achievements are not super easy and can require some time to get. See my mention earlier about killing 100,000 enemies (you read that right. It kind of makes the "Zombie Genocidest" achievement seem like a walk in the park).

Final Recommendation: Worth Checking Out

This is a game to get if you are looking for some fun gameplay with over-the-top action and a mediocre story. The multiplayer gives it some replayability, but even that gets old if you aren't a true fan. This game is rated M (Mature) because of its violence and strong language. There is a content filter, but having never used it I'm not sure exactly what it does or how it detracts from the game. We now know that Gears of War 2 didn't win game of the year this time around, but that doesn't mean that it isn't playable. Overall this is a great series and definitely deserves some attention and respect, but I think its missing that unique appeal that could make it great.