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January 29th, 2009, 08:50 GMT · By

Gears of War 2 Creator Talks About Game Development

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In the gaming industry some old series have gained the status of cult icons, and gamers of all ages and races remember the good times they spent with them. As such, it’s pretty hard for new IPs (Intellectual Properties) to become popular and to really make an impact on the big number of gamers. But some have achieved that, one of them being Gears of War, which, despite the fact that it was launched only a few years ago, gained a massive amount of fans due to its non-stop adrenaline-filled action and great gameplay in both single and multiplayer modes.

The second iteration in the series was launched before the holiday season, and despite the fact that a lot of people complained about the game, which didn't really deliver a great online experience, it still managed to sell over 4 million units and become one of the best-selling games in recent times. Now, Cliff Bleszinski, the lead mind behind the franchise, comes to talk with 1Up about the development of this new game and how everyone on the team has had a great influence on it.

“Each lead voiced his opinion, and we then hashed through it all and came up with a game plan. It's important to have buy-in from the various talented people that are not only running the project but also helping to build it, and we've found that Epic developers respond when they feel invested. That said, we also left plenty of room for "gotta have it" moments – such as the moments that led to having a Bloodmount or to a dual-chain-saw-staff-wielding boss character. When one builds a sequel, it's incredibly important to walk that line between changing what doesn't work in the original and what needs to be changed for the better of the franchise. Weapons, player movement, cover entry – all of these things go through an additional cycle of balancing and tweaking.”

Although it seems that the whole team at Epic Games really got together behind the title, a lot of users still aren't happy, and, despite the fact that some new updates have been made to the game, a sour taste still remains among gamers. All that's left for us to do is wait and hope that the next game in the series will tie up all the loose ends and really give us the definitive Gears of War experience, much in the spirit of the original title.

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READER COMMENTS:


Comment #1 by: JJ on 31 Jan 2009, 14:25 UTC reply to this comment

After reading your review, it is obvious that Cliff Bleszinski has not played this game online. The matchmaking for GoW2 is broken. The player spends more time waiting (searching...searching...searching) than actually playing. Epic did not need to change the format for multiplayer from the original. In GoW you simply chose what type of match you wanted to play, how many rounds, what map, and presto, you were playing. GoW2 tried to copy a Halo 3 type matchmaking and failed. This has caused more players to quit matches even before they start. This is mostly due to the fact that they did not want to play the matches that the matchmaking has forced them to play, taking away from the 5v5 experience.

“Glitching” is another huge problem in GoW2. I could write all day about how bad it is and how Epic needs to patch it, but I wont. If you played online you would see how bad it is in this game and just how unenjoyable it is. Cliff should just check youtube and he will understand. Cliff said. " it's incredibly important to walk that line between changing what doesn't work in the original and what needs to be changed for the better of the franchise", but did he and his developers consider what the fans wanted? I don't think so. Just review the forums on the Gears web site and you will understand how disappointed the fans are in the dramatic change from the original. True GoW fans will agree that the original has far better graphics, sound, and intensity, especially online. This game is mostly a "noob" chainsaw and "two-oiece" festival with very little strategy when it comes to close combat. Gow would have intense shotgun battles that would keep you on the edge of your seat, now Epic has provided you with a chainsaw vacuum and a "Nerf" sounding shotgun and sniper rifle that can't stop a charging "noob".

On another note, I really enjoyed the storyline, but the last boss battle was a joke and no where near as hard or as intense as fighting General Raam in GoW. Tickers were a great addition but not to the point where Epic took out the exploding Wretches and the forever stressful Berserker charges.

For over two years, Gears of War has and continues to keep players imensed in a constant action packed online experience. Gears of War 2 just has not, and without the proper patches of what the fans want or wanted, will not succeed in doing the same. In a nutshell, Gears fans only wanted a expansion (new maps, characters, missions, weapons, etc.) of the original, not a totally new game. Thanks for nothing Cliffy!

Thank you for the opportunity to comment


Comment #2 by: Michael Vigil on 20 Aug 2009, 07:28 UTC reply to this comment

I agree with you completely on that!!! i mean i used to play GoW all the time!!! never cared bout halo or cod4 at the time because GoW was the S**T!!! but now GoW2 is S**T!!!

dont get me wrong the campaign was a lot of fun, but i hate how the online is setup. i liked the old way so much better. you got into games faster, if someone left someone could fill his spot rather than a retarded bot.

now it just takes to long to get into a match and when you finally do at least one person quits and it ruins the whole match for me. its also difficult to play with friends on the new one and yes the noob chainsaw has completely taken over. in the first one i would murder anyone and everyone who came at me with a chainsaw. now i just get killed left and right by, it pisses me off!!!

i just wish the online play was the same as the first. for now i guess im just gonna have to stick with COD5 unless they fix their online play on GoW2 :/

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