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Archived: Gears of War 2

Until the hammerburst has a chainsaw, my decision was already made!!

They did change the hammerburst completely though, you may like it better now, let me see if I can find some more info for you guys to hold you over for the next 12 hours

Here we go:

-Multiplayer battles are now 5v5 for a total of 10 players in a single map
-Multiplayer bots are confirmed to be in
-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 not available in Gears of War 2
-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.
-You have the ability to edit your saved images before uploading
-The ability to save films is NOT available in Gears of War 2
-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 Gorgon Pistol.
-Players now have the opportunity to spawn with either the Lancer or the Hammerburst
-Once grabbed as a meatshield, you are considered dead
-Players will no longer get booted to the menu once the host changes the options or game mode
-The game does not allow for customizable characters
-The game does not allow for customizable weaponry
-There are three different Stranded models for Submission
-Will include a party system
-No clan support. Might change at a later date
-Teammate icons pop up in your HUD whenever you respawn to signify their location
-There is now a notification in the bottom left when you down someone
-Weapon pickup notification now says exactly who picked up the weapon, with their team color
-There is now a notification in the bottom left of the screen when you revive someone. It shows you who exactly revived you

The first part of this post sounded like Halo3!

The last half of your post sounded like good ol' fashioned gears with beefy improvement!!

I hope this ends up as a better gears than we had before!!

That didn't ease the suffering CIA!!

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
-One vehicular level has you driving a tank through an icy environment
-Takes place six months after the deployment of the lightmass bomb
-The deployment of the bomb caused the Imulsion to turn gaseous, which affected the citizens of Jacinto with a disease called 'Rust Lung'
-Standard CoG soldiers (redshirts) will now aid you in numerous battles. Something that was missing in the first Gears of War
-The campaign is set in the winter. Expect a lot of snowy levels
-Side characters will have more of an involvement to the story
-Will have a good variety of locations and environments ranging from 'the deepest depths of the underground to the highest snow-capped peaks'
-Reavers and Brumaks are rideable
-Campaign is about 25% longer than the first game



II. MULTIPLAYER

-Multiplayer battles are now 5v5 for a total of 10 players in a single map
-Multiplayer bots are confirmed to be in
-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 not available in Gears of War 2
-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.
-You have the ability to edit your saved images before uploading
-The ability to save films is NOT available in Gears of War 2
-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 Gorgon Pistol.
-Players now have the opportunity to spawn with either the Lancer or the Hammerburst
-Once grabbed as a meatshield, you are considered dead
-Players will no longer get booted to the menu once the host changes the options or game mode
-The game does not allow for customizable characters
-The game does not allow for customizable weaponry
-There are three different Stranded models for Submission
-Will include a party system
-No clan support. Might change at a later date
-Teammate icons pop up in your HUD whenever you respawn to signify their location
-There is now a notification in the bottom left when you down someone
-Weapon pickup notification now says exactly who picked up the weapon, with their team color
-There is now a notification in the bottom left of the screen when you revive someone. It shows you who exactly revived you



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 'Submission'. 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.
-New survival mode called 'Horde' where up to 5 players take on waves of Locusts. The difficulty increases with each wave. This mode uses the 'Horde effect' where the engine can process a ridiculous amount of enemies on-screen
-New mode similar to Annex called King of the Hill. Unlike Annex, the 'hill' does not change places throughout the map, but stays in a fixed position. teams must completely control and stay within the objective target circle to score points. Enemies are killed using Execution rules.
-Classic Warzone returns for Gears of War 2
-Players can revive eachother up to six times in the Wingman game mode
-Wingman uses Execution rules. You have to get up close to the downed opponent and kill him
-Shipping with atleast 7 game modes
-Execution returns for Gears of War 2
-Annex returns for Gears of War 2



IV. MAPS

-Shipping with 12 maps. More than the original game
-Improved Gridlock makes a return
-Subway makes a return
-Mansion, Canals and Tyro Station return as part of the FREE 'Flashback map pack'. They are available for download using a redeemable voucher that is present in every new game copy
-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. It is based on an area called Landown
-New map called Security. To the left and right are stairs leading to verandas that run the entire length of the map. You 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
-New map called Day One. It is a war-torn city-based map with an emergence hole in the center where a Seeder or Rockworm will pop up and cause an earthquake from time to time
-New map called Avalanche. Snow-based level with a unique environmental hazard. True to its name, an Avalanche could occur at any time an alarm sounds to bury the unsuspecting beneath the snow
-New map called Pavillion. It is set at dusk with a church like complex and a large outdoor area.
-Rest of the new maps: Blood Drive/Hail/Jacinto/Ruins/Stasis
-Early Adopter Tax maps (buy now, get it free after a set amount of time)
-Original Gears maps set for DLC is confirmed
-Some maps have environmental hazards which force players to stay in one particular area in order to keep themselves alive



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
-Augustus Cole 'Train' returns as a part of Delta Squad in the campaign mode. Also available in MP
-Anthony Carmine returns for MP
-Anthonys brother (Benjamin Carmine) is a character in the campaign. Also available in MP
-Luitenant Kim returns for MP
-Colonel Victor 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 Wallin is a new member of Delta Squad in the campaign mode and is available in MP. He is a former stranded and drives the Derrick. He is also a part of Operation Lifeboat, a program that enlists regular people in exchange for protecting their families
-Atleast one more CoG soldier called Jace Stratton will make an apearance
-Dom's wife, Maria is a huge part of the campaign
-Chairman Richard 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 and for the Submission game mode
-Chap, a stranded from the gas station returns for the campaign and for the submission game mode
-CoG soldiers (including Carmine) have a redesigned helmet



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
-The limited edition version of the game has an exclusive code to unlock a gold Lancer assault rifle for online play
-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
-A golden version of the Locust Hammerburst is also available. In order to unlock the gold-plated Hammerburst, fans will need to participate in "Midnight Madness" launch events taking place around the country (USA) on the night of November 6th
-New weapon called the Gorgon Burst Pistol. Semi-automatic pistol that fires in 6-round bursts
-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
-Players can shoot and destroy the planted grenades from a distance
-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, except that it now fires slower
-Active reloads have been expanded. Different weapons have a different active reload effect
-Longshot no longer downs after a successful active reload. A perfect reload is just a faster way of reloading. No power effects
-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. The poison grenade is actually a baby Nemacyst inker attached to a regular grenade
-New weapon called the Scorcher Flamethrower. It is a power weapon that appears once in a map. Getting a perfect active reload causes it to glow red and 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)
-Boltok Pistol now has a quicker rate of fire after a perfect active reload
-You can now get headshots with the Torque Bow. The bow will actually decapitate the head and stick it to the nearest wall until it explodes
-Character-specific dialogue is said when stuck with a Torque Bow
-Boomshot now spawns with 3 rockets
-New weapon. A Minigun called the Mulcher that slows players down whenever equipped. It can be set on the ground much like the shield to provide cover and will overheat if used for long periods of time. A perfect active reload increases the accuracy of your shots
-New weapon. A Mortar that can be described as 'Troika meets Grenade Launcher'. A very powerful weapon that can also be planted on the ground. Also described as a 'less accurate Boomshot, but more powerful'. The Mortar shells explode in midair, dropping multiple small explosions on the ground
-Hammer of Dawn no longer has unlimited ammo



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
-Pistols are used to smack opponents on the head. Also known as 'pistol-whipping'
-Shotgun will be used like a golf-club
-Longshots rifle butt gets slammed down on your victims skull
-Hammerburst Rifle & Boomshot executions are a quick bash to the skull
-New execution where you can punch the enemy to death
-These executions can take up to three seconds to complete, and you are totally vulnerable while doing them
-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
-Chainsaw execution to downed opponents is a quick decapitation
-The Locust shield is used to decapitate opponents
-Melee execution animations usually take half a second to complete



VIII. VEHICLES

-Derricks are transport vehicles mounting grindlifts which are 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 and can now land on the ground and attack you from there
-Rhino Reavers are present in Gears of War 2
-Nemacysts Return for Gears of War 2
-Nemacyst Mortar is an enemy making its first appearance in Gears of War 2
-Seeders return for Gears of War 2
-Boomers return for Gears of War 2
-New type of Boomers carrying shields and Miniguns are present in Gears of War 2. Also known as 'Grinders'
-New type of Boomers carrying flamethrowers are present in Gears of War 2. Also called 'Flamers'
-New type of Boomers carrying large Cleavers are present in Gears of War 2. They are known as 'Butchers'
-Many of the new Boomers have a variety of helmets and headwear
-Some Boomers carry an explosive flail which is basically a grenade-like whip. These Boomers are called 'Maulers'
-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. They can summon Rockworms and Tickers. They are playable in MP
-Rockworms (provide moving cover) are a new enemy seen in GI magazine. They can be summoned by the Kantus
-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
-Flame Grenadier is a new enemy equipped with a Scorcher flamethrower. Is available in MP
-Berserkers return for Gears of War 2
-Bloodmount is a new creature that is rideable by Locust. Their main form of attack is to charge at you
-New enemies called Palace Guards. They are in the highest position in the Locust Hierarchy and are mostly seen riding Bloodmounts
-Wretches return for Gears of War 2
-Small insect-like Locust called 'Tickers' are a new enemy in Gears of War 2. They explode once they get close enough to the player. Meleeing one flips it onto it's back and flys it backwards away from you, so you can use it as an explosive trap for enemy Locust
-New creatures that are used as boats by the Locust Horde are present in Gears of War 2
-New antagonist called Skorge that makes General RAAM 'look like a cat' makes his debut in Gears 2 and is playable in MP. He is equipped with a giant double-chainsawed bo-staff.
-New creatures that make the Brumak 'look like a baby Panda bear'



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 protect the player from explosions and gunfire. The hostage can also be chainsawed, allowing the player some time to attack the chainsawer
-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. This does not only affect concrete cover, but also trees and vehicles
-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
-Over 400 tweaks have been made to the cover system
-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
-Ambient Occlusion lighting allows for more realistic lighted and shaded objects/characters
-Improved character physics (soft body). Character bodies react realistically to gunfire
-New control scheme similar to Uncharted: Drakes Fortune is available for use

oh wow i really want to read that but i just wanna play it for myself to see what its all about. i read about a game and get all the details then for some reason i just dont wanna play it or i really have to force myself to finish it. it happened to me with Bioshock, it was an amazing game and i knew it but i just didn't have a desire to continue the game. i think i just read too much into it and got sick of it before it came out, i don't want that to ever happen again...

Microsoft had a problem with the name "Meat Flag"

I think they think a meat flag is another word for penis??? lol, im not sure, but there is an achievement called "Beat the Meatflag"

A post made on Gears of War forums:

And I found the info on what changed about the Hammerburst, here it is:

It no longer fires in bursts. Pressing down on the right trigger fires slowly, but you can keep tapping on the right trigger for the weapon to fire faster. Really different from the original HBurst and much better.

Very Interesting info from EPIC about host advantage in Gears 2:

im pre-ordering this tonight XD

The game is absolutely exhillarating! My buddy and I played up to Landown, and then I had to get some sleep for work today. The WOW factor is a constant companion, without a doubt.