Gears of War 2 multiplayer detail explosion
by Xav de Matos 
{ May 28th 2008 at 1:15PM }
The July issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly has an extensive 13-page blowout of Gears of War 2 multiplayer details. Earlier last week, some information leaked from and article in X360 Magazine, but the EGM cover-story by outgoing editorial director Dan Hsu includes a world of new information ripe for the picking.Some information between the X360 and EGM article is slightly different. Most notably, some of the buttons involved in getting rid of a downed enemy are strangely different. However, since we don't talk about Gears 2 enough around here, we have all the info you need here.
From new weapon stats, the possibility of bots and the ability to blow you and your enemies up with a diabolical grenade--here is the newest info from EGM's fantastic July cover story. The issue also includes an extensive interview with Cliff Bleszinski, so any Gears fan should check it out.
All the info we got from EGM's cover story, after the jump!
Quick details
- When a reader submitted question asked about a 4-player co-op possibility, Cliff Bleszinski only reiterated the "Bigger, Better and more Badass" mantra behind Gears of War 2.
- There will be a screenshot capture in Gears of War 2 which will allow players to upload the images they take to a website and vote on submitted images.
- The photo-mode scores you in-game based on the action around you (think, Dead Rising).
- During the playtest, EGM spotted an Xbox LIVE status message that said someone at Epic was in Gears of War 2 watching a video--not playing a game. Saved film possibility?
- Epic is considering implementing a live onscreen ticker that displays how much damage you are dealing and how many points you earn per match.
- Gears of War 2 may offer A.I. bots for multiplayer to help fill the new 10-man limit.
- The dev team calls chainsaw kills from behind, "Chainsodomy"
- "Gorgon Burst Pistol" is the official name of one of the newest weapons. The double-clipped handheld has a high rate of fire and shoots in short bursts for an extra punch while hiding behind a shield--meat or otherwise.
- "Scorcher" flamethrower detail: Power weapon, only appears once on a map (similar to the Boom Shot). Short burst weapon, perfect active reload increases its range.
- "Boltok Pistol" detail: Perfect active reload allows the old pistol to fire much faster.
- Epic says plenty of more weapons are on the way, including new additions to the superweapons class (alongside the Hammer of Dawn) which EGM speculates could include a mortar type of weapon.
- 'X' button: Curb Stomp -- The original curb stomp kill returns
- 'Y' button: Execution -- Longer to execute, so riskier, the executions are a sight. Race, and sometimes weapon, specific kills that promise to earn the expected 'M' rating. COG soldiers will punch an enemy to death, Locusts will rip off arms and beat an enemy with them and in the example for a Torque Bow specific kill the attacker will take the victim's head and place it on a Torque Bow's blade tip, then use his foot to pop it off. Wiiiiiiicked.
- 'A' button: Grab -- Take a downed enemy and use them as a human shield. Considered dead as soon as it happens, the shield can actually respawn (if it's allowed in that mode) and their body can take quite a bit of damage before disintegrating. The 'B' button ends the encounter with a neck-snap.
- 'B' button: Melee -- End it quickly and without all the flash.
- 'R' Trigger: With Grenade Equipped -- Martyrdom
Had a frag grenade equipped when you got cut down? Wait for an enemy to approach for a killing move (listed above) and make them pay. Press the 'R' Trigger to detonate your frag and send you both into oblivion in a wet, gooey mess. - 'R' Trigger: Without Grenade Equipped -- Raise your hand and request assistance from your squad. Doing so will flash your 'man down' icon for friends to spot.
- 'A' button: Crawl -- Crawl to safety as you bleed out. Your dragging body will leave a trail behind you and you will eventually die, unless someone comes to revive you ... which we hope still doesn't look like a firm pat on the back.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Viridium @ May 28th 2008 1:34PM
Such awesomeness! Where in Canada other than frakking EB can I preorder the LE?
Xav de Matos @ May 28th 2008 1:35PM
Gamestop.
LAWL.
Conor @ May 28th 2008 1:37PM
The Locust and Torque bow executions sound so good!
I can't wait for this game.The only thing missing from multiplayer is the character building that COD4 has =(
itsburnsie @ May 28th 2008 1:39PM
Gawd I hope that issue of EGM is waiting for me when I get home from work today, thanks for the heads up X3F!
PerfectStrategy @ May 28th 2008 1:46PM
That's cool about the martydom, it just happens if you have a grenade available and happened to have it out at the time you were downed.
Everything else sounds awesome of course. They might really be going nuts with the amount of stuff they are adding or improving. The saved film thing would be ridiculous if that turned out true. That's my favorite thing in Halo 3, recording your best moments and uploading them for others to see how you got that 5-kill streak, etc.
Trogdor @ May 28th 2008 1:46PM
Awesome, can't wait for this.
B Tizo @ May 28th 2008 1:51PM
Is it November yet?
DjDATZ @ May 28th 2008 1:54PM
Wow. This game is going to be ridiculous. Killzone what? Resistance what?
ZEBRA NINER @ May 28th 2008 2:26PM
What what, in the butt? Sorry, I had to. :)
Grimm @ May 28th 2008 1:59PM
Wow....just wow. I mean I liked the first Gears it just got stale after awhile. They seem to be fixing every single complaint I had with the original. I don't think I've ever seen a company improve this much in a sequel before. Bravo, Epic, Bravo...
Ryan Hartman @ May 28th 2008 2:09PM
I'm glad they are spoiling all this info for Gears 2, because it gives me a massive, raging hard-on, but I'm kinda bummed at the same time in a perverse way.
Even though I eat all this spoiler crap up with a fork, it's things I won't be surprised about when I actually play the game in November, ya know? It's a double edged sword it is, it is. Blimey!
Plus with all the info gushing out about this game in the last month, what are they going to tell me in August to get my rocks off? I would have thought the trickle of info would have been in effect to keep people from burning out on this game before it's release. I've got 5 full months of fappin' my bacon before this comes out. By that time if the game doesn't cure cancer I'm bound to feel a measure of let down. This game is astonomical in my head right now. It's bigger than Allah, all blessings and praise be upon him.
Vcize @ May 28th 2008 2:28PM
Sir, that was awesome to read. Well done.
Paul @ Jun 5th 2008 5:57PM
lmfaoo "Awesome to read"
Dom @ May 28th 2008 2:09PM
I just came. ALOT!!!
Andrew @ May 28th 2008 2:16PM
I think you could of kept that to yourself...
deltaloko @ May 28th 2008 4:09PM
second that movement
Triforceowner @ May 28th 2008 2:14PM
Are the meat physics applicable to all people. Like, will there no longer be weird rag doll bodies around, but completely destroyable bodies?
Vcize @ May 28th 2008 2:24PM
"'B' button: Melee -- End it quickly and without all the flash. "
Oh thank god. When X360 said that the weapon specific executions would take over the "B" button I was worried it would ruin the game by making it such that the only way to finish off a downed opponent was going to be going into some long execution animation.
But man, if half of this stuff is true I'm going to have to take longer than just a couple days off come November.
Vcize @ May 28th 2008 2:26PM
Although the martyrdom thing sounds really lame. That was one of the few things I hated in CoD4.
B Tizo @ May 28th 2008 3:23PM
The martyrdom in CoD4 is totally different than the GoW2 version. In CoD4 you drop a live a grenade and it blows up every single time you die. Here, it only applies if you have the grenades equipped when you're downed. Also, it will only be especially useful in Execution, as in Warzone you can simply kill them from afar or let them bleed out.
I think it's a new and exciting twist on the original gameplay and I for one can barely sit still waiting for this game.
And to those who fear all this information is too much, relax, there are plenty of maps to detail, plenty of unconfirmed features to confirm (4 player co-op? party system? these have been "confirmed" but not CONFIRMED!), and god knows what else Epic has up their sleeves (like how Carmine is returning?!)
For me, November can't come soon enough!
Vcize @ May 28th 2008 3:57PM
True, it won't be as bad as CoD since it will be far less frequent, though still frag tagging can get pretty out of hand in GoW1 when someone chooses to abuse it, and now it will only be harder to stop as you can't even down them anymore since you'll just die when you try to finish them off.
In general though I'm right there with you. The features they've announced so far are beyond anything I could've imagined and we're still 5 months away. If I wasn't still so happy playing GoW1 in the meantime I might have to try cryogenically freezing myself until November or something. I don't think that I've ever been this excited about a game.
ghigh @ May 28th 2008 3:13PM
game is lame....uh o the bugs are back.....
Flakundenga @ May 28th 2008 7:23PM
WICKED!!!!
LaughingMan @ May 28th 2008 11:47PM
"There will be a screenshot capture in Gears of War 2 which will allow players to upload the images they
take to a website and vote on submitted images.
The photo-mode scores you in-game based on the action around you (think, Dead Rising). "
Is this going to be in single player or just in multi? Anyone know?
Cuge @ May 29th 2008 2:57PM
I JUST CAME
JohnHeist @ May 30th 2008 8:24AM
Sweet, I'm especially psyched about the CRAWL option! It sucks getting downed repeatedly by a sniper watching you. If you could move just enough that he'll at least have to re-aim, sweet.