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07 Nov 2008 at 15:11:42 by Andy Alderson
Systems used to review this title: (360)

Gears is at its best when you’re outside as you feel part of a larger conflict, and the claustrophobic indoor levels unfortunately highlight just how linear the game is in places. For a game with such slick presentation and intuitive gameplay, it is genuinely disappointing when you encounter invisible walls or knee-high obstacles that you inexplicably can’t vault over. A little more freedom in the level design could elevate Epic’s shooter high above the competition and it would be nice to feel like you weren’t being ushered through the game with doors slamming behind you.

Despite an awful lot of tweaking, there are also still a few control issues at the heart of the game. Whilst the cover system works better than anything else on the 360, there are still moments when you’ll find yourself sticking to scenery when you intended to sprint past it. These aren’t as frequent in the first game but can be problematic when precision is called for. But, in general, the controls have been improved and feel slick and responsive.

The AI has also been enhanced, although it was always one of Gears’ strongest points. The enemy AI is as impressive as ever and, if anything, the Locust are even more aggressive than in the first game. Whilst some will be content to pop at you from behind cover, others will actively flank you and the more powerful beasts might just charge terrifyingly straight towards you.  Fail to finish off a downed enemy and his Locust comrades will revive him, like your team-mates do for you. Friendly AI has also undergone some surgery and has improved dramatically. Whilst too much of the first game was spent reviving Dom, he now has some game and can hold his own in most scenarios. Teammates aren’t ineffectual bullet magnets – they play as big a part in the battles as you do and you’ll quickly realise this as the cold wave of vulnerability descends upon you in the infrequent lone wolf sections.

Of course, friendly AI will never be as good as a human buddy and Gears of War2 was clearly designed with co-operative play in mind. The levels, on the whole, are perfectly laid out for co-ordinated tactical assaults and the most impressive aspect of the co-op game is in the way it demands teamwork. Having played the entire campaign in co-op, at no point did we stop talking. Every single battle required detailed communication, if only to keep track of the aggressive enemy AI. It’s a superb experience in co-op and one which is currently without equal on next-gen consoles. Too often co-op modes seem like an afterthought, tagged on to increase a game’s appeal and longevity but thankfully this is not the case with Gears 2. You definitely get a sense that this is a game that was designed for co-op.

So “bigger, better and more badass” was the promise but is that what Gears of War 2 provides? Undoubtedly. Epic’s sequel may not pack the initial “wow” factor of the original, but it is a better game in every way. The scale of the action has been magnified and, whilst the pace does drop a little in the middle,  it’s impossible to leave the game without wanting to replay the bombastic, action-packed set pieces. Knowing the Gears saga is unfinished, it’s hard to imagine how Epic can improve on this.

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