Gears of War 2

*drools*

Looks insane, but it feels like an expansion more than a sequel. I don't see a difference.

Feels like an expansion after a brief video clip? Really? :P

Well the footage doesn't show a big difference with the first game. Control scheme and graphics look to be the same. Except for the using one of them as a locust shield.

That's what i meant.
Though i loved the insanity of that level. That brumak and all the shit going on was terrific. And reminiscent of what i consider the best level of the first one, the train.

They wouldn't have built a whole new engine for a sequel this soon after the original - i'm pretty sure you can expect some higher texturing and better models from the original, but mostly it'll be performance issues to create bigger battles and stuff like that. It's easier to tweak those things.

I do agree it looks like more of the same, but when the original was pretty damn good - why change a selling formula this soon?

Wait till the inevitable third and fourth games for that

Looking good. I wasn't a fan of the multi, but I love the campaign dearly. Can't wait.

If they can fix the multiplayer in this it shall be glorious. The chainsaw fight was pretty sweet looking. I'll definately be picking this one up.

I liked the first one to a degree, but I didn't have the love for it that others did. Of course it looked gorgeous, but the campaign was too short and I never got that into the multiplayer. It's a moot point anyways seeing as though I'll be picking this up.

I played on the PC and i thought that the campaign was actually too long. Graphics looked great, but it wasn't as good for me as i had hoped it had been.

I loved some levels of it. Specially the underground mines, the train, and a few more.

But as a whole, i never got the love it gets.

Only thing I didn't like about the first one was the boss battle against the general. Pretty weak stuff. But this looks awsome even if it isn't much of a sequel and is more of an expansion. I'm getting it no matter what it is.

9.5 from IGN

HERE

Sounds good to me... I was a big fan of the first one (still am) and this sounds like they bump it up a few notches in the ways everybody might have been hoping they would.

Drowning In Games! Blahaarlarharhahrlhlharg!!

Hey as long as it's gritty! and dark!, I'm there.

And I know the last two months are the best time to release games, but come on developers! You know this isn't a 2 hour movie we're watching here! I don't have time for all of the awesomeness you've unleashed upon us.

I look to this to give MGS4 stiff competition for game of the year.

That's pretty much about where I'm at. I want this game, but I know I'm getting Left 4 Dead on launch day so this would just get lost in the shuffle with Fallout 3 and Fable 2.

I think I'll wait for Gears of War 3.

ETA: Holy shit, that IGN review is six pages long! And right off the bat, it contains gems like "For example, one of my concerns when hearing of the new additions -- Tai Kaliso, Dizzy Wallin and Anthony Carmine – was that they would take focus off of the main focus of Dom and Marcus."

Games journalism is absurd.

I'm kind of right there as well. I was originally heading into the season with a Gears of War 2 pre-order in line and telling myself that I'd pass on lots of the other stuff since I've already got a backlog of stuff to get to. Since then I've gotten a few of the other big releases (like Dead Space) and while my pre-order is still in place there's a nagging little voice in the back of my mind telling me to hold off for now (of course I'm not going to listen though). I'm choosing to attempt to ignore some other games (for now), like Fallout 3 and Little Big Planet...

I'm not a big fan of the game engine - but I do so love the adverts.

I don't know what's worse the wretched grammar or the assertion that Dom and Marcus are somehow decent characters.

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/42156.html

9.5 as well

My stack of games just keeps growing. I'm starting to feel like I'm just throwing money away, as I'd be able to get them used for twenty bucks less by the time I get to them.

I'm pretty sure I said this would happen, yet my prediction didn't take into account people would actually buy all the bloody games coming out this season.

Fools, all of you. Rental be the way forward!

Perhaps we are spiritual gaming brothers then, and we share broken wallets and ill conceived stacks of gaming merchandise. We punish ourselves, but we can't help it. I love tracking price drops on games I own and STILL haven't played. It hurts so good. I'm getting to be a little bit better though, mostly because I am married now and fear death and dismemberment if I buy too much crap.

Ugh. A kindred spirit for sure. I'm watching Far Cry 2 track ever downward, while my pre-orders of Fallout3, GeOW2, and Left 4 Dead are facing a similar fate. At least I held off on Dead Space. Mirror's Edge is being pushed back on my gaming calendar to February.

I almost forgot about catching up on all my Gamecube and Dreamcast titles. Ugh.

Hmm...am i the only one who was underwhelmed by Gears 1? I thought the single player was interesting, but quite short and lacked the big boss encounters that I was expecting, and the multiplayer was just broken from day 1 with all the chainsaw glitching, roadie run glitching, etc etc.

I also thought the cover system was infinitely better in the Rainbow Six: vegas series.

Nothing about Gears 2 has me really excited. it seems like a lot of the same old stuff.

If you didn't like the original, it's hard to imagine a sequel appealing - no matter what the title.

Circuit City was offering a 1600 Microsoft points card with a GOW2 purchase but good luck in trying to find an existing store with the company circling the drain.
Plus, I'm doubtful that any of their ad specials will be honored.

I loved GOW 1 - both the single player and multiplayer side

I am reading GOW prequel book by Karen Traviss now - good book and worth it for fans'

SO, I am crazy pumped for GOW 2 -

After a few hours of single player, I'm itching to go back to play Fallout 3.

If you can find a non-liquidation Circuit City, they are still offering a 1600 point Live card with purchase of GOW2.

I had to drive 40 minutes to find one but its worth it, IMO.

Single player is pretty much just more of the same. Its a bit more...epic. More like your fighting a war as opposed to just a small squad doing some recon work.

MP is really cleaned up though. Borrows alot from Halo. You can have a party and go through a matchmaking system and vote on game types and maps. Sadly, they didnt add in the ability to mute someone in the game menus.

It's always great to unwrap a shiny new game, boot it up, and just shortly after starting gameplay you find progression stopping bugs...

Dom and Chakotay decided to crouch in front of a doorway making it impossible to go through said doorway to start playing the game.

After reloading the checkpoint I run into combat and discover the AI went on vacation and let me walk up to them for chainsaw kills.

Add to that huge stutters/slow down in the set piece cut scenes.

When it worked it was nice, but you can't let this shit happen in a supposed AAA game man.

I'm surprised by how un-enthusiastic I am for this game now. A few months ago I couldn't wait. Now for some reason I don't really give a shit.

3 for 3 the matches i tried to play tonight have been unbearably laggy. This isnt looking too good....

You were able to connect to a match? All I got was "Remote parties reset the matchmaking process" .

EDIT: Took 7 minutes, but finally connected.

Second EDIT: First words heard upon connecting: "You fagots are about to get your dicks pwnd."

Horde carries the rest of this game on its back.

Playing horde via split screen now. Great. Wave 6 on normal gets nasty. Wave 9 is brutal.

Horde is fun, but campaign is laughable. At least with Co-op you have someone there to laugh at the game with you.

If I had paid $60 for this, I would be pissed (instead I used a free rental at Blockbuster).

Oh, I thought they used the Dialogue Appendix from the Big Book of Stereotypes. But you may be correct.

Worst last boss ever?

Still, a really fun game, and a much better sequel than Halo 3's campaign.

Now on to Horde...

Tell my ma.....and brothers.....I love....them.

I was kind of down on the single player campaign, but running around inside the giant worm is a lot of fun

Haven't played single player, and I am looking forward to Hoard mode, but what the heck were they thinking with MP?

NO public, player matches - I can only do private and have to invite people, or play again NPC bots? Matchmaking is AWFUL - why does it take many minutes to get in a match? And I am using a hardline!!!!

What? No. You're doing something wrong. Of course it has public matches.

Everything is set up kinda weird but yeah, it has public matches. Ive been having trouble finding a game as well though. I picked it up thursday night and didnt have problems getting on till the next day.

I really dont understand the hate with the campaign and this game. Its basically dumb stupid action movie fun in a game.