We’re all in a tizzy over Gears of War 2’s long matchmaking wait times, shielded shotguns, and invincible chainsaws, but there’s something about the game that’s bothered me far more than those trifles.
This dates back to the first game, and in fact hits upon the very premise on which the series is founded. It’s a flaw in the combat system, a crack in Gears of War’s foundation that spreads from the single player to the multiplayer, and persists into the sequel. Would you believe it’s something as seemingly minor as regenerating health?
Stay with me. Like any great shooter, Gears of War hinges upon the idea that the humans face nearly impossible odds in their battle with the Locust. After seeing so many of your comrades become easy fodder for the enemy’s rifles and torque bows, it’s satisfying to step in as the muscular hero and lay the opposition to rest.
But this battle gives no perception that the odds are stacked against you because Marcus and Dom have an unfair advantage. It’s never explained why, but when damaged, you can recover fully by finding a place to hide and waiting until the so-called “Crimson Omen” fades from view. This mechanism has become all the rage in video games since Halo popularized it, but only that series creates a rationale in the form of Master Chief’s special armor.
Still, I’m less concerned with the plot implications of regenerating health than what it means for the combat. Because the Locust aren’t given the same luxury, the winning strategy usually consists of finding a good place to hide and gradually working each enemy with the Lancer until they run out of health and drop to the floor. You don’t have to rely on any overall tactics for each challenge; it’s just a matter of having enough ammo and patience. Not only is this tedious, but it undermines the spirit of the game.
Now, let’s stoke the fanboy flames a little and compare this to...Halo: Combat Evolved. Your main enemies in this game were the Covenant Elites, and they were menacing not because of their appearance, but because they were essentially an equal match to your abilities. If you started shooting one of them, but got distracted or had to hide and recover damage, the Elite would recover as well, and you’d be back to square one with less ammo. As a result, each Elite created its own individual puzzle, and heaven help you if there were more than one of them hanging about.
You had to strategize, plan a route, duck out of cover and draw the Elites into view with a grenade, then concentrate all your fire on one of them before slipping back into the shadows. You reloaded, took a quick peak at who was left and stepped into the open for another precision attack. It was exhilarating and -- when you finally stood among the wrecked corpses of your foes -- immensely satisfying.
Community
349 days ago
It depends on what you were looking for from Epic.
If you like Gears of War, Gears of War 2 is smashing success as it’s very similar to the original game, just improved in nearly every way (except matching making at the moment).
If you didn’t like Gears of War, Gears of War 2 is a failure as it’s very similar to the original game, just improved in nearly every way (except matching making at the moment).