Gears of War 2 (2008)

When I recently finished playing Gears of War, I was surprisingly disappointed. I had remember this franchise being tighter, more exciting, varied in level design and with an actual emotional story. Gears of War, however, had been a run-and-gun shooter with little narrative, wildly fluctuating difficulties and a sameness to the action. Thankfully, Gears of War 2 was exactly what I had remembered this franchise to be.

Right away, the controls and various game mechanics of Gears of War 2 are tighter than the game that game before it. Everything just feels more natural and consistent. When I play as Marcus Fenix, the feeling of controlling this character becomes second nature. This is all through tiny tweaks, but going from playing the first to almost immediately going on to the second, the difference can certainly be felt.

Gears of War 2 is also all about variety and impressiveness in level design. Every new area is completely different than the one before it, and you're always given some new way to play the game that keeps the game exciting. Each level is distinct, and while Gears of War felt like one extended level of dark, gritty post-apocalyptic battlegrounds, Gears of War 2 brings variety to every section of this game.

But what I've always admired about the Gears of War franchise, which really starts with this installment, is at least the attempt to be something more than the typical shooter. Hiding behind walls and planning your attacks take more consideration and care than just running up to a character and filling them with bullets. Gears of War 2 wants the player to be careful in how they play, and that element of strategy makes this franchise one of my favorite shooters.

Yet what has always stuck with me when it comes to Gears of War - and with Gears of War 2 in particular - is the story. While it's not as great as I remember it being, Gears of War 2 at least tries to present an impactful story with stakes. The obvious example here is with Dom, as he searches for his wife. It's kind of fascinating how the game at one point goes from a fantasy sequence of Dom back home with his wife, only for it to turn into the most disgusting battle site possible.

I also have an appreciation for the way this game subtlety gives more to Marcus Fenix, other than just a gigantic war machine. I'm impressed with how Gears of War 2 shows that he cares about his teammates, whether it's his concern about the new rookie, trying to help Dom find his wife, or the hinted at problems with his father. But what always strikes me is his reaction to finding Tai, after he's been tortured. Gears of War wanted us to see these men as unstoppable killing machines, but Gears of War 2 wants us to see that underneath these hard facades, there are scared men, worried about the future.

I still see Gears of War 2 as the pinnacle of this franchise, a massive leap forward from the first game that tries a lot of new ideas, even when the series could've easily kept going with business as usual. Gears of War 2 amps up the variety and attempts at an emotionally resonate story, all while crafting a game that is extremely fun to control and play. Gears of War 2 might be my favorite Xbox 360 exclusive game still to this day, and I'm glad the greatness of this game hasn't been diminished over the years.

Precious few lines of dialog in video game history have captured so much nuance, threaded the needle of self-satire, and hit the nail directly on the head quite like this one. It's like sipping a fine wine distilled from the most purely inane, melodramatic, self-aggrandizing, unintentionally stupid ingredients possible. It's in moments like these that you have to take a step back, remove yourself from your own perspective, and look objectively at the absurdity of the broader picture of video games; as a hobby, as an art form, as a commercial product, as a culture, and take stock. Everything that happened up to the point that this line was conceived, written, performed and captured, was merely leading up to that point. We, and those who came before us, are the reason it happened. We have to reckon with that. We can't ignore it. It's a hell of a thing to think about.

Incidentally, I remember absolutely nothing else about this video game.

I recently replayed the first 2 Gears games for the first time since they were released. This one is still a lot of fun. The last act feels a little rushed (especially the first half), but then buildings keep collapsing when you're inside them and you get to ride a Brumak so all is forgiven. Also, no RAAM, who I absolutely despise.

The locations are a lot more varied and memorable than the first game (though Act 2 and 3 are still solid despite the clumsy driving section), which looks so drab in comparison, . At one point you chainsaw your way out of a giant worm. This still makes me very happy.

Even when I was 15 playing this for the first time the Maria stuff felt really icky and gross. It feels even worse now. A blight on an otherwise silly, fun game. I recommend leaving the room. It doesn't help that Dom is probably the dullest character in any videogame ever. I scream with joy when the game pairs me with Baird instead, and who the hell actually likes Baird?

The aspect of the game that has impressed me the most replaying these two is the active reload. Such a tiny mechanic that makes every encounter far more satisfying then it otherwise would be.

I am also a big fan of when characters loudly exclaim the name of the enemies when they arrive: "BOOOMMMMEEERRRRR!!!"

I haven't played any of the Gears games outside of the original trilogy. I enjoyed this enough that I'll replay the 3rd game at some point, and might even take a swing at Judgment. But that's probably a Baird idea...

I was so down on the first Gears game but this one is night-and-day better! Even the UI is better!

That one came later because it was a remaster but unfortunately it kept all the cruddy levels, controls, bugs, and annoying bits.

This one is still a bit greedy with checkpoints and the controls are too stiff to feel like I am moving as smoothly as an FPS, BUT, this one was actually more fun to get through.

To the point where I could focus on things like the goofy story and such. It nailed the basics so I could think about other things, like a VERY SERIOUS SCENE that was laughably silly.

Also, the way they tried not to address the imperialism of the leads. Fenix just shouting "I do not know but I do want to shoot EVERYTHING!" as if that answers every complicated question this war game brings up.

Anyway, at least this was fun to play, I was thinking I might not even play them all after the first one but now I am in.