The Official Gears of War 2 Catch-all

4dSwissCheese wrote:

In Geoff Keighley's show this week, Cliffy confirmed that there would be bots in multiplayer. Which makes sense given the tradition in UT. This'll hopefully be nice for those nights where we just can't seem to get an even number of people on.

I just had a wargazim!!!

In case you've had your head stuck in the dirt and missed it...

E3 Gears of War 2 Demo

Yeee Ha!!! Ima gonna ride me that broomack!

Horde sounds like Goodger Nirvana!!!

Seeing the changes in action is delicious. The way the new shields, grenades, roadie run slowing, and using opponents as cover works looks like how we see the battlefield tactically will alter radically. Can't wait.

I loved this bit about the meatflag gametype:

Joystiq wrote:

There is another twist though. If the flag carrier is killed or incapacitated, the hostage will spring back to life, shotgun in tow. Rather than simply warping back to the flag base, the old man will run back, shooting anyone in his way. More than once I found myself carrying the flag, only to be knocked over by a smoke grenade, thus losing my prisoner. The prisoner, naturally, takes the opportunity to blow me and my teammates away as we are blinded by smoke. Good stuff.

This map sounds awesome:

Along with the new game types, we also got to see the new maps Avalanche and Day One, both of which featured some great set pieces. Day One features a giant Seeder that erupts from the center of the map, making the ground shake. Avalanche features -- what else -- an avalanche that occurs a few minutes into play. The match begins with both teams atop walls on either side of a courtyard. On top of a gazebo in the middle of the courtyard -- too high for players to reach -- is a Boomshot grenade launcher. Once the avalanche hits, the courtyard is completely filled with snow, putting the top of the gazebo -- and the Boomshot -- at ground level with the outer walls. The best part is that the avalanche causes a nearly complete white out of the screen, sending both teams blindly rushing for the Boomshot.

Plus 4 player co-op which is it's own game mode, not the story campaign. I'm thinking that's a good thing:

Finally, we tried out the Horde multiplayer mode. Horde is a cooperative multiplayer mode that has COG soldiers fending off wave after wave of Locust soldiers. Horde is essentially an arcade style mode with scores awarded for killing enemies and multipliers awarded based on difficulty. We saw some particularly nasty Locusts in this mode. Called Butchers, these Locusts are huge and carry a very hefty blade that rests somewhere between a meat cleaver and a machete. Yeah, they don't go down easy.

Oh snap, MORTARS!

Also seen in this mode (and regular multiplayer) is a new mortar weapon. One of the more complicated weapons, it requires players to take aim with the left trigger, planting the mortar in place. Once planted, trajectory is adjusted by holding the right trigger. The longer its held, the more horizontal the trajectory. If it sounds like it's hard to aim, it's because it is. Once the shells hit though, the explosion is mighty impressive and devastating to anything caught in the blast.
souldaddy wrote:

Plus 4 player co-op which is it's own game mode, not the story campaign. I'm thinking that's a good thing:

Finally, we tried out the Horde multiplayer mode. Horde is a cooperative multiplayer mode that has COG soldiers fending off wave after wave of Locust soldiers. Horde is essentially an arcade style mode with scores awarded for killing enemies and multipliers awarded based on difficulty. We saw some particularly nasty Locusts in this mode. Called Butchers, these Locusts are huge and carry a very hefty blade that rests somewhere between a meat cleaver and a machete. Yeah, they don't go down easy.

4 player Co-op? Man, they just keep making this game better and better every time I hear about it.

Dr._J wrote:
souldaddy wrote:

Plus 4 player co-op which is it's own game mode, not the story campaign. I'm thinking that's a good thing:

Finally, we tried out the Horde multiplayer mode. Horde is a cooperative multiplayer mode that has COG soldiers fending off wave after wave of Locust soldiers. Horde is essentially an arcade style mode with scores awarded for killing enemies and multipliers awarded based on difficulty. We saw some particularly nasty Locusts in this mode. Called Butchers, these Locusts are huge and carry a very hefty blade that rests somewhere between a meat cleaver and a machete. Yeah, they don't go down easy.

4 player Co-op? Man, they just keep making this game better and better every time I hear about it.

I think that mode may actually support 5 players, since the teams have been upped to 5 people on a side. I could be wrong though.

SirRockford wrote:

I think that mode may actually support 5 players, since the teams have been upped to 5 people on a side. I could be wrong though.

That's what I read as well - five players.

"The 1UP Show E3 2008 Day 1 Special" just went live and the entire second half (15 minutes) is dedicated to a sitdown walkthrough of Gears 2 with Cliffy B.

http://www.gamevideos.com/

Now I enjoyed Gears 1 when it released and found it to be a fun romp but it wasn't my GOTY or anything. However, after seeing this new footage and info my hype meter just went through the roof!

"Bigger, Badder and Bad-Ass!" indeed. This game is looking insane.

(bonus points for the ending credits)

Gears of War 2: Limited Edition!

IMAGE(http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc98/mystic_violet/Screenshots/Video%20Games/gears2le.jpg)

The Gears of War 2: Limited Edition includes the following bonus materials:

* Collectible SteelBook™ DVD case
* "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
* 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, "Rendezvous."
* An exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle available during online play

Sold!

* An exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle available during online play

That gold won't really look that special once it's covered in blood.

firesloth wrote:
* An exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle available during online play

That gold won't really look that special once it's covered in blood.

On the other hand, the blood and gold combo is probably the reason they changed the color palette.

firesloth wrote:
* An exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle available during online play

That gold won't really look that special once it's covered in blood.

You know I normally don't go in for these, but for some reason, I think because I got so much out of the first Gears, I might just go in for the Special Edition. Plus, the gold lancer will be kind of cool.

The more I read of this game, the more I want to go to sleep and wake up in November. The end of the year is going to be great for gamers.

I love art books and making-of stuff. Sold for me, too.

WineGlass wrote:

The more I read of this game, the more I want to go to sleep and wake up in November. The end of the year is going to be great for gamers.

Bad call -- you'll miss September and October

My personal list of games I'm interested in for the coming months wrote:

September
Witcher Extended Edition
Rock Band 2
Infinite Undiscovery
Mercenaries 2
Spore
Just Cause 2

October
Saints Row 2
Fallout 3
Little Big Planet
Fable 2
Dead Space
Valkyria Chronicles

November
Gears of War 2
Prince of Persia
Mirror's Edge
Last Remnant
Animal Crossing

No, I don't want to sleep till November, I want extra months to be added between September and October, and between October and November.

zeroKFE wrote:
WineGlass wrote:

The more I read of this game, the more I want to go to sleep and wake up in November. The end of the year is going to be great for gamers.

Bad call -- you'll miss September and October

*snip list*

No, I don't want to sleep till November, I want extra months to be added between September and October, and between October and November. :D

Heh.. good call. I may need to fire up the GameFly account again. There is no way I can afford the games that I would want off that list.

I've got your back on the extra month thing

WineGlass wrote:

Heh.. good call. I may need to fire up the GameFly account again. There is no way I can afford the games that I would want off that list.

Man, I'd love to go back to Gamefly, but their service and availability seriously dropped after they started opening new distribution centers. I stuck with them for a year after that point, but after hardly being able to get the games I wanted more than once a month the entire time I had to cut them loose, and I'm not sure it's been long enough to test the waters again.

zeroKFE wrote:
WineGlass wrote:

Heh.. good call. I may need to fire up the GameFly account again. There is no way I can afford the games that I would want off that list.

Man, I'd love to go back to Gamefly, but their service and availability seriously dropped after they started opening new distribution centers. I stuck with them for a year after that point, but after hardly being able to get the games I wanted more than once a month the entire time I had to cut them loose, and I'm not sure it's been long enough to test the waters again.

I signed up with Gamefly last week. My no. 1 title had a low availability, so I did not expect to get it. I was highly surprised when, later that day, I received notification that it had shipped. That was last Friday. I received the games on Monday. So, no complaints out of me at this point. YMMV, though.

I may have to go to three games through GameFly, if only to do their "Keep It" bit.

Man, as much as we all though last fall was awesome, might this fall be just as good...better? Halo 3 didn't do it for me, so I'm more biased toward this and Left 4 Dead and Fallout 3 and...oh, I'll just stop there.

Gamestop is doing an after hours Gears of War tournament Friday, July 25th. 1vs1, single elimanation, stock weapons only on Gridlock. There will be Gears 2 promotional swag there and some new footage. The winner of the tournament wins Microsoft points but I'm not sure how much because I've heard different amounts. I think I'm gonna head out to my local Gamestop this Friday get in on the tourney.

http://igame2.com/thewire/?p=83

No torque bow on Gridlock. You're screwed.

Hemidal wrote:

No torque bow on Gridlock. You're screwed. :P

Sadly sir I'm afraid you're right.

The map wouldn't have mattered anyway because Gamestop takes out all the power weapons (which is lame), so even on Gridlock there will be no Longshot or Boomshot.

I am on media blackout. I am deleting everything GOW2 related in my rss feeds, and not even clicking a single one of those links.

I'm buying it on day one, who cares what the teasers are?

Gumbie wrote:
Hemidal wrote:

No torque bow on Gridlock. You're screwed. :P

Sadly sir I'm afraid you're right.

The map wouldn't have mattered anyway because Gamestop takes out all the power weapons (which is lame), so even on Gridlock there will be no Longshot or Boomshot.

Sounds like they're playing my song! Gears without power weapons makes it almost too easy for shotgun whores like me. Too bad I'll be out of town--and quite possibly sober.

mateo wrote:

I am on media blackout. I am deleting everything GOW2 related in my rss feeds, and not even clicking a single one of those links.

I'm buying it on day one, who cares what the teasers are?

QFT. The original was a tight little package, and it seems like they're refining it in all the right ways (e.g. roadie run stickiness, lancer stopping power, etc). YET ANOTHER expensive holiday season.

Irongut wrote:

Holy moly

Amazon may be offering another exclusive Collectors Edition for Gears of War 2 with a full-size lancer replica as part of the bundle. There is confusion I guess over the size of the lancer replica, full or mini

Here's an article on it.

No info on pricing either, but Damn a full-size Lancer replica would be cool swag.

Holy sh*t!

Forget the Halo 3 cat helmet, this is the new king of nerd swag!

Holy moly

Amazon may be offering another exclusive Collectors Edition for Gears of War 2 with a full-size lancer replica as part of the bundle. There is confusion I guess over the size of the lancer replica, full or mini and Amazon hasn't confirmed yet if it's one, the other or two seperately priced levels of Collector's bundle.

Here's an article on it. Also here.

Damn a full-size Lancer replica would be cool nerdy swag.

Gumbie wrote:

Gamestop is doing an after hours Gears of War tournament Friday, July 25th. 1vs1, single elimanation, stock weapons only on Gridlock. There will be Gears 2 promotional swag there and some new footage. The winner of the tournament wins Microsoft points but I'm not sure how much because I've heard different amounts. I think I'm gonna head out to my local Gamestop this Friday get in on the tourney.

http://igame2.com/thewire/?p=83

I just wanted to mention again I am the uncontested 1st place winner in my area!

I preordered the mofo today at a GameStop near work...