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Review: Gears of War 2
Ah... Gears of War 2. Now, all co-op fans has just got to get this!
I went through the full campaign with my cousin on hardcore... big mistake...
Guess we were a bit too cocky, eh... Anyways, it actually went quite well, just a few places where we'd get stuck.
If you're thinking of getting this game for your Xbox 360, hit read more for my review.
Heck, if it's too much of a bother to read it you can at least have a look at the pictures!
[Console review - Xbox 360]
It began as always, with a desire for power, the need to conquer,
the hunger to consume.
Inevitably, this led to conflict. Humanity fought an endless battle against us, until it was forced to unite against a power far greater than it had ever known. But even united humanity left only destruction in its wake.
Despite their best efforts at survival, the humans of Ceria continued to march blindly to their imminent doom, unaware that their misguided attempts at retaliation were only leading them ever closer to extinction.
They had thought us crippled by their weapons of mass destruction, but to survive is to endure and prosper, and we have most certainly survived. Jacinto now stands as the last bastion of humanity, a final desperate defense in the face of impossible armies. In a way, I pity them. But humanity, as always, brought this war upon itself.
This is the intro speech of the game, I really like it.
In order not to spoil it for you I'll just say that this is a locust narrating.
Oh, and, it's not entirely accurate because I had to listen to it and type it down as I listened.
It should however, be quite accurate.
At the beginning of the game you (Marcus Fenix) and Dom are in a somewhat safe city (well, for the time being).
You're greeted with a new rookie, Benjamin Carmine. If you played the first Gears of War you'll think; Carmine?!
So in order to not spoil the game for those who haven't played the first you'll have to buy the game and figure it out yourself.
At this point you can either choose: train the rookie or just simply, skip the training and get right into the action.
You'll be informed that locust has entered a hospital and you head there to get rid of the attackers.
I can't really tell you much about the plot because one little thing would ruin it all.
Oh, that's one thing I totally LOVE in GoW 2 and that's the chainsaw duels in versus modes!
What's more satisfying than knowing you cut someone in half with a chainsaw? (Okay, that makes me sound like a madman, but come on! It's great!).
Chainsaw duels are won by tapping B as fast as you can, well, faster than your opponent.
I'm quite proud to say I haven't lost a single one yet, I have however been sawn to death but not in a duel.
Are you one of those people who just have to have the full packages of games? Like, collector's editions, legendary editions and so forth?
Well, if you get the limited edition you'll get a code with the game that'll grant you a golden lancer (this has been presented before on our site, as news).
Feeling that's not enough? You'll want the legendary edition then, no?
The legendary edition will grant you a full-size golden lancer.
Cool, no? I'm afraid there's little use in having a toy lancer in one of your rooms, but if you're a hardcore Gears of War 2 fan, go for it!
Beautiful, isn't it?
Right. I bet you want to know about the multiplayer part by now so here are the game modes:
Warzone
COG versus locust, this is a simple versus mode, if you're downed you can't be revived.
Be careful and make sure you kill the enemies first!
Guardian
Love this game mode, not many around playing it though, I've noticed!
Both teams have a leader, while your team's leader is alive you can respawn.
The goal is to kill the enemy leader and finish off his goons.
Wingman
This is a five-team 2 vs 2 vs 2 vs 2 vs 2.
The goal is to, with your wingman's help, kill the other players and get as many kills as possible.
Kills are points in this game mode.
Submission
In the twist on capture the flag, players must down a stranded character, capture him as an enemy shield, and carry him inside a ring located on the map. When a player delivers the “flag” to this ring, his team must hold the flag there for a set amount of time to win the round. If the “flag” escapes before he’s taken to the ring, then the team must recapture him. Beware: The stranded character is armed and dangerous, so capture him can be a deadly challenge.
Execution
Basic versus mode, unlike in warzone you can get revived or revive on your own if downed.
The only way to die is to get one-hit-killed or chainsawed, you can also get downed and then if you don't revive in time the opposing team can finish you off.
Annex
This is an interesting game mode, a cog team versus a locust team.
In this gamemode you may respawn as many times as you'd like until the match is over, however there is a spawn delay.
The goal of annex is to hold specific points on a map (one at a time) and hold it until the point is moved somewhere else.
King of the hill
This gamemode is pretty common in most FPS games, a team of players against another team.
What it basically is is well, what it says! Hold the hill and don't let your enemies steal it from you.
You get points over time if you have the hill.
Horde mode
This is a must for anyone who has Gears of War 2 - it's brilliant!
Up to five players can join forces to survive up to 50 waves of locust.
Really, really, really fun!
The graphics are brilliant, the story is simple, yet very good.
Multiplayer... well, it's one of the best games I've ever played online!
Get it. If you own a Xbox 360, get it.
You'll be sorry if you didn't, you simply can't miss out on this great game...
I'll give Gears of War 2:
5/5
It's bloody damn good!
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I'm sorry about the review being a bit short, but it is simply because I'd put much more of the plot in there, but as one revealing would ruin the whole game, I think this is for the better.
I hope you enjoyed it, still!
