Gears of War 2: Enemies

We have all been waiting for this. Gears of War 2 is to be out today, and things are hotting up as the game release gets closer. Last night, I got some hands-on time with the game. As expected, it looks awesome. It takes some time to fully familiarize yourself with the minute details. At first glance, the game looks just like its predecessor. Once you spend time on it, you come to know the post processing effects that make this game visually superior to the first game. Another noticeable change is the size and scope of battle. Enemies this time come in packs, expect to see hordes of them. No two ways about it, this is Gears of War with much more action, more blood, and more chainsaw action.

I tried my hand at the single-player campaign on a huge projector screen, which was sweet!!!! The sound effects, cover system, and voice acting seem to have undergone an overhaul and have come out perfect. The single player puts you in the shoes of Marcus again, who always seems to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The Locusts, who after the defeat in the earlier game should have gone into hiding, have launched a counter attack and have started sinking entire cities. Humanity take charge of the situation and decide to pull a fast one on the Locusts by attacking them; this is the basic plot, plain and simple.

Gears of War 2 promises more battles and more enemies, and they deliver. Enemies have more than doubled in number while maintaining a stable frame rate. One level puts you on top of a huge carrier, which is part of a much bigger convoy. This will be the first time you will see hundreds of Locusts on screen charging to devour you. Luckily, there happens to be a mounted mini-gun that's just waiting to be utilized. Ripping apart a huge group of locusts is very satisfying; the chunks of meat flying around was reminiscent of Zack Synder's version of 300, sadistic but fun. The post processing effects give more color than the original and really brings the battlefield to life.

I tried all the other cool stuff as well, the chainsaw duels and the new meat shield. Chainsaw duels are mini-battles that are won by a player who is more adept at button mashing. The winner gets the reward of seeing his opponent's blood splashed on his screen in HD. The duel is good fun, but I find it getting monotonous very soon. Then, again, the timing has to be perfect to actually be a part of the duel. The meat shield on the other hand is one feature I really enjoyed; nothing is more fun than having the locusts become shields against bullets from their own kind. If you guys remember, there are times when the enemy is on the ground and you get to execute a finishing move; this time around you can just pick them up and use them as shields instead. The shield provides cover when you need it the most, aka, in the open. You can execute a finishing move like in the earlier game, only this time you are provided with more ways of ending your enemy's misery; my favorite is the rifle-head-smash. I tried co-op play as well. The split screen tones the graphics down to a minimum, but it is good fun to play. There is a new game mode called Horde, which puts you against hordes of enemies coming toward you in waves. You have to survive the waves as they get tougher and tougher; this is played in co-op and is really addictive. There was a similar mode in Epic's Unreal Tournament as well.

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