2008 video game

2008 video game

Gears of State of war 2
Programmer(s)	Epic Games
Publisher(s)	Microsoft Game Studios
Producer(due south)	Rod Fergusson
Designer(southward)	Cliff Bleszinski
Programmer(s)	Ray Davis
Creative person(s)	Chris Perna
Writer(due south)	Joshua Ortega
Composer(south)	Steve Jablonsky
Series	Gears of War
Engine	Unreal Engine three
Platform(s)	Xbox 360
Release	Nov vii, 2008
Genre(s)	Tertiary-person shooter
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Gears of War 2 is a tertiary-person shooter video game developed by Ballsy Games and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360. It is the second installment of the Gears of War serial, with lead design by Cliff Bleszinski. The game was released in North America, Europe and Australia on Nov 7, 2008, and was released in Japan on July thirty, 2009. The game expands technically on the previous game by using a modified Unreal Engine 3. The development team brought in comic book author Joshua Ortega to assistance write the plot for the game.

In Gears of War 2, the COG continues its fight confronting the Locust, who are attempting to sink all of the cities on the planet Sera. Sergeant Marcus Fenix leads Delta Squad into the depths of the planet to try to stop the Locust during the assault upon Locust territory. The thespian controls Fenix in the primary mission campaign, with the ability to play cooperatively with a second histrion decision-making Fenix's best friend and fellow Squad member Dominic "Dom" Santiago. The game includes several existing and new multiplayer modes including 5-on-five battles betwixt man and Locust forces, and a "Horde" mode that challenges up to v players against waves of Locust forces with always-increasing forcefulness. New weapons and gameplay mechanics such every bit "chainsaw duels" and the ability to use downed foes as "human shields" were added to the game.

On its release weekend, Gears of War 2 sold over two 1000000 copies, and within two months of release, had sold iv million copies. It was the seventh best selling video game of 2009 and received several accolades. The game received similar praise equally its predecessor, with the new gameplay and multiplayer modes seen as outstanding additions. It was followed past Gears of War three in 2011.

Gameplay [edit]

Gears of War two is a 3rd-person shooter with an emphasis on the tactical use of cover, and retains much of the same gameplay from the beginning game. The actor, playing equally either Marcus or Dominic in the campaign style, or as any of the human or Locust characters in multiplayer fashion, can only carry a pistol, i type of grenade, and two other weapons at any fourth dimension, though they may swap these for weapons plant in strategic locations or left by downed foes or fallen allies. Each weapon can be used for normal fire also as for melee attacks; the game'due south signature Lancer Attack Burglarize tin can exist used to instantly kill foes in melee with its mounted chainsaw bayonet. The game introduces the ability to engage in chainsaw duels should the thespian attempt to chainsaw an opponent likewise using the Lancer; the actor is presented with a controller button to printing apace to effort to win the duel and avoid expiry.^[one] Gears of War two rebalances the ability of the existing weapons while introducing five new ones: a flamethrower, a concatenation gun, a mortar cannon, a "Gorgon" Pistol, and the Ink Grenade. The chain gun and the mortar are heavy weapons, forcing the player to move at walking speed while carrying it in both easily. The Gorgon Pistol is an SMG-like car pistol that fires 4 four-shot bursts per magazine. The Ink Grenade doesn't damage with its detonation, simply instead temporarily poisons the area it was thrown, making it very useful for driving enemies out of embrace. Grenades can be planted on walls or floors every bit proximity traps that go off when an enemy nears, just only fragmentation grenades have the ability to impale foes when they go off.^[2]

The player'due south health is represented by a red "Ruby Omen" that fades onto the screen the more damage the player takes; staying out of the line of fire allows the player to recover their health. Depending on the game style or difficulty, if the player takes too much impairment, they enter a downed state where they can clamber effectually the map to leave of boxing and seek help. During this fourth dimension, a teammate can revive him, an enemy may brutally execute the downed player, or the player may drain out if also much time has passed. The actor can also grab a downed character and apply them every bit a meatshield, allowing the trunk to absorb damage but forcing the role player to use a one-handed pistol.^[3] Explosive weapons will simply destroy the grapheme they strike.^[iv] Like its predecessor, Gears of War 2 features an optional mature content filter, which, when agile, makes blood appear every bit sparks and removes harsh language from the dialogue.^[5] Furthermore, progress towards most of the Xbox achievements for the game tin can exist earned in either campaign or multiplayer modes.^[1]

Campaign mode [edit]

The campaign mode in Gears of War two allows for a single player or ii players playing cooperatively equally Marcus or Dom. A new "Normal" difficulty was added betwixt the game's "Casual" and "Hardcore" difficulties. In that location is also an 'Insane' difficulty that is unlocked subsequently the role player completes the game at to the lowest degree once. Players in co-op manner tin can select different difficulties, and a "communal gainsay system" will adjust the game's bogus intelligence to give both players a fair challenge.^[i] The co-op entrada tin can be played in a drib in/drib out manner, with the 2nd player able to join the outset histrion'southward game in progress.^{[half dozen]} Every bit well as collecting some COG tags every bit in the outset game, players tin can search other story-based items such as personal letters and medical records, with discovered items being added to a state of war journal.^[ane]

The campaign features a deeper story with new characters, new weapons, and new enemies according to John DiMaggio, the voice actor for Marcus Fenix.^[7] New vehicles have been added to the game, such every bit the Centaur Tank, which lead designer Cliff Bleszinski describes as a "tank with monster truck wheels."^[eight] Players will also ride a Brumak and Reavers in the game.^[9] Cut-scenes use the ameliorate facial rendering technology of Ballsy's Unreal engine, and engage in more dramatic angles for the conversation, as well equally using a video screen on Jack (the all-purpose robot used by Delta squad) to talk with their commanders face-to-face.^[ane]

Multiplayer [edit]

Gears of War 2 features an upgraded multiplayer style that allows upwards to 10 users to simultaneously play in teams of five-on-five.^[x] Gears of War two includes virtually of the multiplayer modes, including Execution, Warzone, Annex and King of the Loma, and adds in three new modes.^{[2] [10]} Guardian is a modified version of Assassination from the original Gears of War, but allows players to continue fighting afterwards the leader has been killed, but losing the ability to respawn.^[10] Wingman splits all x players into v teams of 2, where both members of a squad play every bit the same character.^[10] Submission, formerly known every bit Meat Flag,^[2] is a version of capture the flag in which players attempt to "down" an enemy controlled by the game'south AI and move its body to their team's base of operations or objective to earn points. The ten maps shipped with the game originally are Avalanche, Blood Bulldoze, Twenty-four hour period Ane, Hail, Jacinto, Pavilion, River, Ruins, Security and Stasis^[10] A Halo-like matchmaking system has been utilized for the online multiplayer^[i] Players can at present engage in multiplayer scenarios with whatsoever combination of human players and artificial intelligence controlled by the game, with the ability to set the AI's intelligence level.^[11] Horde is a new co-op mode for five players, fighting off waves of attacking Locust together, with each moving ridge becoming more difficult.^[9] Horde Way does not feature bot back up as in competitive multiplayer, and can exist played alone.^[12]

Players can pan around a map every bit the camera focuses on areas of intense fighting, and the Ghost Cam allows a thespian to roam freely effectually a map. The ability to take photographs is also featured, which enables the player to take a photo, which can exist uploaded to the Gears of State of war website and is rated on the quality of action in the shot.^[ii]

Synopsis [edit]

Setting [edit]

Gears of War 2 takes place vi months afterward the detonation of the Lightmass Bomb at the cease of the start game. Though virtually of the underground ground forces of the Locust Horde was destroyed, the explosion also caused much of the liquid Imulsion clandestine to vaporize, causing a fatal illness called Rustlung to spread among the macerated human population. After months of peace, the cities of Tollen and Montevado suddenly and mysteriously disappear underground, leading the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) to suspect the resurgence of the Locust.^[13] Soon after, the one time impenetrable Jacinto, one of the last remaining condom havens for humans, begins to show signs that the same fate awaits it. To stop the fall of Jacinto, the COG responds with a large-calibration counter-offensive against the Locust.^{[1] [13]} Senior Producer Rod Fergusson says "In order to relieve Jacinto, [the COG] accept no choice just to have the war to the Locust."^[1]

Characters [edit]

Returning characters includes the main protagonists of the series Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago and others from the first game, including Marcus and Dom's boyfriend Delta Squad COG soldiers, Augustus 'Cole Railroad train' Cole and Damon Baird. Besides returning in supporting roles are radio dispatcher Anya Stroud and senior officer Colonel Hoffman. Lead designer Cliff Bleszinski confirmed that the character Carmine would exist returning, just did not reveal how or in what capacity equally Cherry was killed in the original Gears of War.^[14] It was after revealed that the original Anthony Carmine would non be present in the Gears of War 2 campaign, but rather his brother, Benjamin,^[fifteen] would brand an appearance.^[16] The game besides introduces several new characters. They include Chairman Prescott, the noble, even so near-dictatorial war machine leader of COG; Tai Kaliso, "a spiritual and meditative warrior from a tradition of accolade bound fighters;" and Dizzy Wallin, a erstwhile Stranded who joined the COG to keep his family unit condom. Dom'south wife Maria likewise makes an appearance, and Dom's search for her plays an important part in the story.^[1]

Plot [edit]

As Gears of War 2 begins, the COG army is mobilizing to ship forces into the depths of Sera to attack the Locust directly. The COG deploy several units into the Locust Tunnels, known as 'The Hollow', despite sustaining heavy casualties. Delta Team, consisting of Marcus Fenix, Dom Santiago, Benjamin Cerise, and later on Augustus Cole and Damon Baird, continues to search the Hollow and discovers that the Locust are using a giant Riftworm to sink the man occupied cities. The Locust plan to destroy the stone structures at the outskirts of Jacinto, the final major Human urban center, in hopes of sinking information technology into the ground.

Delta Team kills the Riftworm before it can sink Jacinto, but lose Ruby-red in the procedure. They and then manage to return to the surface.^[17] They are ordered to investigate a nearby abased COG outpost where they encounter experimented creatures of unknown origin and larn of a dorsum door entrance to the Hollow in the nearby Kadar Mountains. They notice prisoner cages and Dom convinces Marcus that Maria (Dom's married woman) must be inside one of them. They manage to detect her, merely the Locust imprisonment and torture has left her severely disfigured and traumatized, unable to communicate. Faced with the well-nigh-vegetative country Maria is in, Dom tearfully chooses to euthanize her.^[iv] Marcus and Dom so charge into the Locust stronghold.

Inside, Delta Team discovers the Locust Horde is locked in a civil state of war against the "Lambent", a group of Locust who accept been exposed to Imulsion. They decide to destroy both the Locust and Lambent forces by detonating a bomb under Jacinto, which will sink the city and overflowing the Locust tunnels. Marcus and Dom boxing their mode through the Locust tunnels with a hijacked Brumak, while Cole and Baird use a helicopter to transport a bomb into the cavern. Their Brumak goes Lambent later touching Imulsion and destroys the flop earlier it can exist detonated. Marcus improvises by using a satellite targeting solution to bombard the Brumak with the Hammer of Dawn orbital laser, which causes information technology to violently explode. Jacinto begins to sink and sea-water floods into the sinkhole, destroying the remaining Locust forces. As the COG forces and civilians evacuate, a voiceover of the Locust Queen talks most unintended legacies. After the credits, a terminal voice over of Adam Fenix is heard, a radio manual of a call for help, and a cry of agony, revealing he is yet alive.^{[4] [17]}

Development [edit]

Gears of State of war designer Cliff Bleszinski has washed several interviews to highlight improvements to the game. Heavy Netcode optimization has been done to negate the host reward problem in the first title^[xviii] and hundreds of tweaks accept gone into improving the cover system and move.^[19] To provide a deeper story, the team brought aboard novelist Joshua Ortega every bit to comprise more than personal drama inside the sci-fi setting.^[1] Steve Jablonsky provided the music for the game.^[20] Epic Games besides considered making the game easier after complaints nigh Gears of War. Senior producer Rod Fergusson admitted that — for the first game — "We overshot on [the Casual] difficulty and a game that was a little harder than we intended."^[one]

A teaser prototype posted to the Gears of War 2 website on July eight, 2008, suggested that the game was to be released on November 9, 2008, but it was confirmed during the Microsoft E3 2008 press conference that the game would be released on November 7, 2008.^{[9] [21]} On July 14, 2008, the teaser image was removed and the website relaunched and updated for Gears of War 2.^[22]

Gears of War two was a focal bespeak during Microsoft's E3 2008 presentation on July 15, 2008, which included a "hands-on" demo.^{[23] [24]} A 2d trailer, entitled "Rendezvous," was made available on July 14, 2008, as a part of E3. The Joseph Kosinski-directed trailer,^[25] which features the Trans Am track "Diabolical Cracker" from the album Ruddy Line, takes its title and spoken words from Alan Seeger's World War I verse form I Have a Rendezvous with Death.^[26] The game's release date was also set, with a worldwide release to occur on Nov 7, 2008.^[9] Microsoft and Epic Games announced on October 10, 2008, that Gears of War 2 had gone gold.^[27] It was stated by Cliff Bleszinski that, dissimilar Gears of State of war, the previous installment, Gears of War two will not feature a PC port.^[28]

Graphics [edit]

At the 2008 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, as a showcase for the functionality of the Unreal Engine iii, Gears of State of war creators Ballsy Games showed various improvements to the engine with specific reference to the sequel itself. The video showed several demonstrations of the improvements, the initial being improvements to the in-game lighting through Screen Space Ambient Occlusion, in which dynamic shadows could be generated through the use of a pixel shading technique to render more realistically lit and shaded objects and actors, illustrated through comparison betwixt character and environment models in the original game engine to that of Unreal Engine three. Besides showcased was the ability of the engine to render hordes of actors within the engine, as demonstrated with a big oversupply of locust flocking through the "Gridlock" multiplayer map from the original game. Alongside this technology was improvements to "Matinee," an creative tool used for the rendering and editing 3-dimensional scenes within the game.^[29]

Other physics-related features included improvements to the rendering of water in which specular light and physical interactions with were displayed more realistically, improvements to soft body entities demonstrated with a "Meat Cube" and a floating brawl possessing backdrop similar to that of liquid helium. The largest of these physics engine related changes was the introduction of destructible environments due to the implementation of real-time structural analysis tools to generate the harm of the materials and subsequently their plain-featured shapes based upon resultant forces placed upon them. This was demonstrated with the employ of explosive arrows fired from the "Torque Bow" of the original game causing harm to wooden planks, and also revealing rebar nowadays after destroying areas of a stone structure.^[29]

Downloadable content and updates [edit]

On February xx, 2008, coinciding with the game's announcement at the Game Developers Conference, a gratuitous set of gamer pictures and a dashboard theme, as well as a teaser trailer titled "Duel," were made available via the Xbox Live Market place.^[30] The kickoff footage of gameplay from the entrada, highlighting new features of the game, was released online and to the Marketplace on May 9, 2008.^[31] After the Microsoft E3 press briefing, the "Rendezvous" trailer and the press conference demonstration was bachelor for download likewise as a new gratuitous set of gamer pictures and a dashboard theme.^[26] Upon release, every new re-create of Gears of War ii features a code to download the "Flashback Map Pack," which includes five enhanced multiplayer maps from the original game. Customers who attended the GameStop Midnight Madness game release event received a code to unlock a aureate-plated Hammerburst rifle for utilize in multiplayer and a code for an sectional Xbox 360 Dashboard theme optimized for the New Xbox Experience.^[32]

The get-go downloadable content released afterwards Gears of State of war ii was the "Combustible Map Pack," which consists of three new multiplayer maps. This add-on was announced and released on Dec 15, 2008.^[33] The second title update was released on Jan 21, 2009, featuring several adjustments to gameplay and adding boosted Achievements, the patch attempts to right many of the "glitches" that players accept discovered since the game'southward release.^{[34] [35]}

A 3rd update was applied to Gears of War 2 on March 24, 2009. The update added an experience-based ranking system in which the histrion is given a numerical value based on their number of feel points, which are gained past shooting or killing enemies in public multiplayer. The update as well addressed several issues with matchmaking, including adding bots in place of players who have quit or lost connection to the game.^[36]

In early July 2009, Epic Games practical a fourth update to Gears of War 2, which added the ability to gain feel from the multiplayer Horde Fashion, likewise as applying several more gameplay fixes.^{[37] [38]} On July 28, 2009, the "Dark Corners" add-on was released. This add-on consisted of vii new multiplayer maps, and an boosted campaign chapter that was originally deleted from the game.^[39] The deleted scene takes place after Maria'due south decease, where the user can choose to either sneak into the stronghold every bit Theron Guards or charge in as in the original game, though the level is dissimilar from the one that appeared in the final game and features a cameo from a Stranded character from the original Gears.

All Fronts Collection [edit]

On May half-dozen, 2009, Microsoft and Ballsy Games issued a articulation press release announcing the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Drove, to be released on July 28, 2009. The All Fronts Collection was to be sold equally a retail package, and would have included all add together-ons released for Gears of State of war 2, a poster, and a strategy guide for the game.^[40] In response to complaints that the All Fronts Collection had identical pricing to the Dark Corners addition, only significantly more content, too equally the All Fronts Collection retail package not beingness made available in sure regions, Epic Games adjusted the release programme; the All Fronts Collection was released digitally via Xbox Live and the Night Corners add-on was reduced in price.^[41]

Stereoscopic 3D [edit]

In June 2010 during the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2010 Marker Rein (vice president of Ballsy Games) was showcasing a tech demo of Gears of War 2 in stereoscopic 3D running on an Xbox 360 thanks to the TriOviz for Games Engineering."This technology'south cracking because it works on normal Hard disk drive TVs, as well as the very high end 3DTVs," Rein commented to Figurer and Video Games. "We're not planning to re-release this in 3D - unless Microsoft want u.s.a. to - but I'yard sure its engineering may exist not bad to put in the games developed by our partners."^[42]

In October 2010 TriOviz for Games Engineering has been integrated in Unreal Engine 3, allowing to easily convert in stereoscopic 3D, numerous past and upcoming games developed with this engine.^{[43] [44]}

Marketing [edit]

A Limited Edition of the game was confirmed on February 20, 2008.^[45] On July 14, 2008, more information nigh the Limited Edition's contents was revealed. The edition features culling cover art, a SteelBook case with a bonus content DVD, a volume entitled Below the Surface: An Inside Await at Gears of War 2, which includes concept art and story-related data, a keepsake photo of Dominic and Maria, and an sectional Xbox Live code to unlock a gold-plated Lancer for online play.^{[46] [47]} As a bonus item promoted by electronics store Best Buy, customers who preordered the Limited Edition as well received a bonus Remote Control Centaur Tank replica, just like the new vehicle introduced in the game, free of charge.^[48]

Reception [edit]

Critical reception [edit]

Gears of War 2 received widespread disquisitional acclaim. It currently holds a 93.32% amass review score at GameRankings,^[49] and a 93/100 from the aggregate review website Metacritic.^[50]

While the game has been praised for the addition of a deeper plot than the original Gears of War and existence highly polished, reviewers noted that the multiplayer experience did not resemble the previous game especially in its quick pace and enjoyability. IGN noted that while the outset four acts of the game were satisfying, in the final human action "the last boss is a consummate joke and the ending feels just a tad likewise abrupt," and that in that location were some bugs and lag in the online multiplayer. Overall, IGN stated that "[Gears of War 2] has its flaws when it comes to the technical side of multiplayer and the last act of the campaign and the voice acting might plough some off. Still, none of that comes shut to holding dorsum Gears of War ii from its destiny: being one of the all-time games available on the Xbox 360."^[4] Also, fifty-fifty though the new plot was praised, critics such as Official Xbox Magazine scrutinized the game'southward center acts saying that most of the plot "falls flat."^[17]

Both IGN^[four] and Eurogamer, among others, positively mentioned the new "Horde Manner" feature, with Eurogamer proverb that "Horde is a weighty slab of fun that can plough almost any of them into a time-sink, and the leaderboards are probable to be as compelling a reason to stick with Gears of War 2 equally the leveling arrangement has been for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare."^[65] 10-Play praised the game for its "polished cover organization" and cooperative campaign mode. X-Play likewise praised the new weapons and characters and its "brilliant" multiplayer experience.^[62] Game Informer chosen the single-player campaign "satisfying" and called the co-op campaign amazing and goes on to call online multiplayer "an outstanding contrast to team deathmatch or capture-the-flag scenarios."^[55]

Sales [edit]

Gears of State of war 2 has accomplished significant success afterward its release. In its opening weekend, the game sold over two one thousand thousand units,^[66] and fix a new record for the number of simultaneous players on Xbox Live, with over 1 meg people logging on to play the game.^[67] The game went on to sell over three million copies worldwide within the first calendar month of its release,^[68] and pushed by four million in sales inside the first ii months.^[69] It was the 6th best-selling game of Dec 2008 in the United States, selling in excess of 745,000 copies.^[seventy] It was also the 10th top-selling game in the United States in 2008, with over 1.3  million copies sold.^[71] It received a "Double Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),^[72] indicating sales of at least 600,000 copies in the United Kingdom.^[73] As of May 7, 2009, Gears of State of war 2 had sold over five million units worldwide, bringing the franchise total to 11 one thousand thousand units sold.^[74]

Awards [edit]

Gears of State of war 2 won several awards post-obit its presentation at E3 2008. IGN gave it the awards Overall All-time Shooting Game and Overall Best Graphics Technology of E3 2008.^[75] Game Critics Awards gave the game All-time Action Game of E3 2008.^[76] Gears of War 2 besides won Best Shooter^[77] and Best Xbox 360 Game at the 2008 Spike Video Game Awards.^[78]

Sequel [edit]

On April 13, 2010, on Belatedly Night with Jimmy Fallon, Cliff Bleszinski announced Gears of War three and debuted a trailer, titled "Ashes to Ashes." The game is set 18 months afterwards the events of Gears of War 2. Information technology was originally going to exist released on April 8, 2011, only was delayed and was finally released on September 20, 2011.^{[79] [80]}

References [edit]

External links [edit]

• Official website