GEARS OF WAR 2 INFORMATION

Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Lead Designer: Cliff Bleszinski
Genre: Third-Person Tactical Shooter
Game Engine: Enhanced Unreal Engine 3
Platform: Microsoft Xbox 360
Release Date: November 2008

-SECTIONS-

I. Campaign
II. Multiplayer
III. Game Modes
IV. Maps
V. Characters
VI. Weapons
VII. Executions
VIII. Vehicles
IX. Enemies
X. Game Mechanics

I. CAMPAIGN

-Darker, emotional storyline
-Longer campaign mode
-‘Bigger, Better, and more badass!’
-Most of the campaign takes place in the Locust underworld. About 30% of the battles take place underground
-Squad commands (Attack/Regroup/Hold position) have been removed
-Character-specific storylines (Doms search for his wife, Dizzy representing the Stranded, etc.)
-New technology allows for hundreds of Locust on-screen
-More vehicular sections were promised
-Takes place six months after the deployment of the lightmass bomb
-The deployment of the bomb caused the Immulsion to turn gaseous, which affected the citizens of Jacinto with a disease called ‘Rust Lung’

II. MULTIPLAYER

-Multiplayer battles are now 5v5 for a total of 10 players in a single map
-Multiplayer bots are hinted at, but not confirmed
-Improved online functionality
-Will include matchmaking
-Players can now vote for the maps they want to play in
-Will NOT include dedicated servers
-Four-player co-operative play is possible, but not confirmed
-New online optimizations to reduce issues such as ‘host advantage’
-On games with no respawn, you can fly around as a ghost cam and view the battles in any direction
-Ability to upload user-submitted images to the web
-Specific leaderboards for user-submitted images
-Images will be scored based on how many particle effects are on the screen, how close to the center the characters are, if there is an execution going on, how much blood there is on the screen, etc.
-Saved films hinted at, but not confirmed
-Live on-screen damage ticker that tracks damage points is possible
-Altered MP achievements. “If you’re going for headshots, you get one headshot that counts and any other headshots won’t count towards your Achievement, so players don’t just play to get headshots the entire round just to get Achievements.”
-Achievement progress has now been simplified & will be tracked in real-time which is viewable through a menu
-Each player can play in a different difficulty setting in co-op
-Weapons now rotate between every round. Boomshot will rotate with the Scorcher Flamethrower, Torque Bow with Longshot, Frag Grenades with Poison Grenades and Boltok Pistol with Medusa Pistol.
-Players now have the opportunity to spawn with either the Lancer or the Hammerburst
-Once grabbed as a meatshield, you are considered dead

III. GAME MODES

-Assassination renamed and altered. Now known as ‘Guardian’. Every player can respawn until the leader has been killed. The team with the remaining players is the winner
-Wingman is a new game mode focused on 2v2v2v2v2 (10 players split into teams of 2) battles. Each team will take control of the same character model. For example: Dom/Dom Vs. RAAM/RAAM Vs. Carmine/Carmine Vs. Drone/Drone Vs. Marcus/Marcus
-CTF game mode called ‘Meatflag’. The flag is an AI controlled Stranded character wandering around the center of the map. That character has his own weapons and even a place on the leaderboard. To capture him; you will need to down him first, then pick him up as a meatshield, and take him back to your base. If you shoot the ‘meatflag’ enough times while he’s being dragged back to the enemies’ base, his captor will lose him and he’ll go berserk on everyone around him. Respawning and stats for the amount of kills the AI-controlled ‘meatflag’ will appear on the intermission leaderboard. Respawning occurs in this mode, but the more that you die; the longer you’ll have to wait until you get back into the action. The scoring in this gametype will move around to different random locations after a while.

IV. MAPS

-Shipping with 10+ maps. More than the original game
-Improved Gridlock makes a return
-Subway makes a return
-New map called River. Each team has a thin strip of land with a cottage and sniping tower. Between them is a river separated by a bridge crossing it. Underneath the bridge is a power weapon
-New map called Security. To the left and right are stairs leading to verandas that run the entire length of the map. ou are barred access by red lasers, which will kill you if you attempt to pass through. A power weapon is barred on the other side of the map while the other end is defended by sentry guns. There is a button in the middle of the map that turns off the lasers and sentries for 20 seconds
-Early Adopter Tax maps (buy now, get it free after a set amount of time)

V. CHARACTERS

-Marcus Fenix returns as the main character in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Dominic Santiago returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP. Player two controls Dom in co-op
-Damon Baird returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Cole ‘Train’ returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Carmine returns for campaign and MP
-Colonel Hoffman returns as the commander of Delta Squad. He is a playable MP character
-Tai Kaliso is a new member of Delta Squad in the campaign mode and is available in MP
-Dizzy is a new member of Delta Squad in the campaign mode and is available in MP. He drives the Derrick
-Doms wife, Maria is a huge part of the campaign
-Chairman Prescott, making his first appearance in Gears of War 2 is the dictatorial military leader of the CoG
-Anya Stroud is the only female member of the CoG. She returns for the campaign mode to assist you whenever possible
-Jack, the all-purpose robot returns for the campaign mode
-Franklin, a stranded returns for the campaign mode

VI. WEAPONS

-New chainsaw duels
-Player is no longer invincible while chainsawing. Attacks can be interrupted in mid-duel
-Two people can chainsaw one person
-The Lancer has a longer barrel that extends a bit farther than the chainsaw attachment, blue targeting cross-hair on the iron sights, new muzzle flashes, and firing sound effects. Also, new active-reload HUD display animation were seen for the Lancer and Hammerburst
-Retooled Hammerburst sounds beefier and has the ability for semi-automatic. It now has a barrel extension. The faster you tap the the right trigger, the faster it fires. However, with the faster fire rate comes more recoil. It is more accurate at longer range and does more damage than the Lancer
-Stopping power. If you’re running towards an enemy and he is firing straight into your chest, you will slow down. Every weapon will have a different degree of stopping power
-Grenades can be stuck anywhere; not just on enemies. They can be planted on the ground, walls, doors, etc. to produce a proximity mine
-Smoke grenades now carry a concussive stun effect that ragdolls anyone within its blast radius and knocks any shields from their hands
-Shotgun remains unchanged
-Active reloads have been expanded. Different weapons have a different active reload effect
-Poison Gas Grenade is a new weapon. It produces a purplish, poisonous cloud that kills anyone that lingers into it. Grenades can be tagged onto enemies where they will slowly die. Grenade tagged players can also injure teammates if they get too close to them
-New weapon called the Scorcher Flamethrower. It is a power weapon that appears once in a map. Getting a perfect active reload increases the flames range. Is said to have the ‘most realistic fire in a videogame ever’
-Bullet shields. Metal shield (adorned with Locust symbols) that blocks enemy fire. You can only equip a pistol when carrying the shield. Movement will be dramatically slower when using the shield. They can be planted into the ground to create new cover by squatting behind it. Enemies can kick it down if they get close enough
-Epic says plenty more weapons are on the way, including new additions to the superweapons class (alongside the Hammer of Dawn)

VII. EXECUTIONS

-New chainsaw animation from the back going from taint to throat. Dubbed ‘ChainSAWdomy’
-Neck snap execution while holding a meat-shield
-Torque Bow execution. The attacker will take the victims head and place it on a Torque Bows blade tip, then use his foot to pop the head off
-Shotgun will be used like a golf-club
-Longshots rifle butt gets slammed down on your victims skull
-CoG execution will punch the enemy to death
-Locust execution will rip off a CoGs arm and beat him to death with it
-Curb Stomp returns, except this time the attacker flips the victim onto his back before the stomp. The result is that you now stomp them in the face, rather than in the back of the head

VIII. VEHICLES

-Derricks are the vehicles used to drill into the Locust underworld
-Centaur tank is a new vehicle. There is a level dedicated to it and the vehicle has a unique active reload

IX. ENEMIES

-Corpsers return for Gears of War 2
-Brumaks return for Gears of War 2
-Reavers return for Gears of War 2
-Nemacyst Return for Gears of War 2
-Nemacyst Mortar is an enemy making its first appearance in Gears of War 2
-Boomers return for Gears of War 2
-Drones Return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Snipers Return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Grenadiers Return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Hammerhead Locust is a new Locust enemy seen in X360/EGM magazines and is playable in MP
-Theron Guards return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Theron Sentinels return for Gears of War 2 and are playable in MP
-Kantus (priest/healer) are a new enemy seen in Game Informer magazine
-Rockworms (provide moving cover) are a new enemy seen in GI magazine
-Masked Locust is a new enemy seen in the gameplay debut trailer and is playable in MP
-Grenadier Cyclops is a new enemy seen in X360/EGM magazines and is playable in MP
-General RAAM returns for MP

X. GAME MECHANICS

-Weapon smoke and blood react to the wind and flow realistically
-Ability to use downed enemies as moving shields. Dubbed ‘meatshields’
-Meatshields will detoriate under fire, as well as drip blood on the floor as you drag them around
-Damaged players will bleed on the ground as they move and leave a blood trail
-Pressing A repeatedly while downed allows you to crawl away from danger
-Destructible cover
-The cover system has been refined, players’ guns and bodies sit tighter to cover making it harder for your enemies to get an attacking angle
-The A-button usage has now been expanded for the slide/slam into cover. By pressing it again & depending on the orientation of the thumbstick, you can change the angle approach, back up, or stop mid-slide
-Martyrdom is a new feature. If you are holding a frag while downed, press RT as the enemy is about to execute you to blow yourself up aswell as your enemy
-Pressing RT while downed allows you to raise your right hand to signal your team-mates in order for them to aid you