Previews
Gaming royalty graced the shores of Sydney last night as Cliff Bleszinski, lead designer at Epic Games, flew in for a whirlwind publicity tour to showcase the next installment in the massive Gears of War franchise. Over three hundred excited gamers converged on a popular Sydney nightspot to meet Cliff in person, and most importantly, get a sneak preview of the upcoming Gears of War 2.
Mastiha, Nonny, Spud Gun and I were able to get a brief chat in with Cliff. Funny and unassuming, Cliff was a down-to-earth character who just looked really happy to show off his new game to those who love what he does. Despite the crowds, he took some time to chat with us and talk us through some of the new elements of the game. Most of all though, he really liked Mastiha’s brand new Blackberry phone so much that he proceeded to rub it across his own body in a fit of jealously ... true story!
After waiting patiently in line for what seemed an eternity, I was able to go hands-on with Gears of War 2 multiplayer. The build that was shown featured two maps. The first was Gears of War original fan favourite Gridlock. Similar in design to the original, the map has received a cosmetic makeover with plenty of green growth inhabiting the battlefield. The second was a brand new map entitled River. This new map is brilliantly designed and will no doubt a hit when the full game lands in November. Two barns are bisected by a river that runs down the middle of the map. A bridge connecting the two sides is central and is a key territory to control. Underneath the bridge is the Boomshot which will be the go-to power weapon on this map. Alternatively, a sniper is placed on the top floor of each barn, and is in a strategic vantage point that will allow snipers to cover most of the map. Last but not least, the brand new flamethrower is located in the middle of the map. A few seconds of fire burns any foe to a crisp!
In terms of game play, the winning formula has been left unchanged. There is however a few new additions that are very cool. Firstly, “downed” players have the ability to crawl to find cover. Conversely, it is now possible to pick up a downed enemy player and use him as a hostage shield! Think of it as portable meat shield. There were also some new curb stomp moves to keep things fresh and will make rubbing in your enemy’s defeat all the more satisfying.
Overall, Gears of War 2 looks to take the great platform set by Gears 1 and expand on it every so slightly to perfect the experience. There are no surprises here; this is straight up red meat Gears of War goodness. I won’t be alone in counting down the days till November 7th!
-
|
|
|
|
|
|
|