Gears of War 2 - Review

At the end of last year, I played Gears 5 and I was surprised as to how good it.  Playing it reminded me of the first few games in the series and I had the desire to play them all again, but this time I would have a partner in crime to play with (Hi Nollsy!). We already completed the original Gears of War together, and as  I reviewed it previously there was no point doing it again.  But with Gears of War 2, I never reviewed it and was looking forward to it.


I like Snickers, there are reliable, tasty, a good bit of bite and they have nuts! The only thing better than a normal Snickers is a peanut butter one or an ice-cream one. Being honest, if it is a Snickers bar of any description I don't think you can go too wrong.  Playing Gear of War 2 I found myself asking was it as reliable as a normal Snickers or was it even better?

Story


The first installment of Gears of War introduced us to the Gears Universe but was sparse on a lot of details.  With Gears of War 2, it really builds up the Gears Universe and answers a number of questions along with asking a few more. At the end of the first Gears of War, it was thought that the Locust might be beaten, it turns out this could not be further from the truth. The Locust are eager to take over the surface of the planet, but before doing that they want to sink all the cities. But why? Well, you will have to play to find out, I'm not telling you.  There is more effort gone into character development , and not only between Marcus, Dom, Baird and Cole.  We also see Dom struggling to try and find his wife and Marcus hoping to find his father who seems to have a deep knowledge of the Locust.


Overall the story is really good and focuses on so many different things without it feeling jumbled.  There is a real sense of feeling like you are a team.  There are some highs but many sad lows which left me feeling a little emotional.  The story of Gears of War 2 is it all it could be and more.

Visuals


The Gears of War world is dark and gritty, not only because of the damage done by the Locust (and the humans) but also because the buildings have a very industrial feel to them.  When I found out we would be spending some time underground I was a little nervous.  Not because I'm afraid of the dark but because in the first Gears of War I found it a little tough on the eyes and while there were some cool visuals the lighting was so low it made it hard sometimes to work out where you were going.  This time is very different it well lit, you can enjoy the underground rivers and some of the Locust architecture which is very standout and ornate.  There are many more types of enemies this time, they are big, bad and won't go down without a lot of bullets.


Overall the visuals look really good and the developers have taken more risks and it has paid off.  The world feels much more organic than the original Gears of War and we felt more engaged with it.



Music 


The world is dark and the music in the game is a great reminder of this, and when it isn't doing that it provides some great battle music that helps you keep pushing forward.  The score is put together by American composer Steve Jablonsky. He has a rich body of working including; Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, The SIMs 3 and Prince of Persia: Forgotten Sands. On top of this, he also penned the scores for movies such as Transformer, The Island, Pain and Gain and a host of TV series.


The score is almost two hours longs and features some great tracks, my favourite being...all of them. It is one of the rare cases where I enjoyed the whole soundtrack. It is perfectly suited for the game and helps add to an already enjoyable experience.

Gameplay


The gameplay is in third-person and the mechanics are much improved in Gears of War 2, the cover system is much stronger and responsive. The weapons feel more varied and the constant looming of battle helps keep you on your toes.  The Lancer weapon now has a chainsaw that feels much more responsive than the first Gears of War.  There is now a range of weapons including the Hammerburst, Poison Grenades, along with bigger weapons like a minigun and mortar canon.


Down but not out. This is big thing in Gears of War 2, your allies will pick you up if you are down but enemies will also help each other.  This time you can carry out executions on downed enemies which can vary depending on what weapon you have. It's pretty fun and nasty at the same time especially with the noises being made.


There are some larger enemies like the Brumak and Reavers which offer tough resistance but offer more fun when you can actually use them yourself. Yep, that right you have a mount, kind of, it is short-lived but a lot of fun.


Outside of the main campaign is Horde Mode which sees you take on wave after wave of enemies. It can be done solo but is not as much fun.  There are a number of maps to pick from Avalanche being my favourite by far.  If you just want some mostly mindless fun for a short time this will suit you down to the ground.


Overall the gameplay is awesome and much improved over the original.




Final Thoughts

So, after twelve hours or playing how did we feel?  Pretty damn good. The story was really good, as were the visuals, music and gameplay. I am really happy and getting to play it with someone else was a lot of fun.  Gears of War 2 still holds up well and gets a solid 5 out of 5

Death Stranding - Review

Last year Kojima Productions released their first game, Death Stranding. There was a lot of hype around it, primarily because it was created by the mastermind behind the Metal Gear Series, Hideo Kojima. Sometimes the hype is validated and other times not so much. I was hesitant to purchase when it was first released so I said I would hold off and pick it up in January, which actually ended up being February.


Ever tried a Portuguese Tart?  They are pretty damn good, especially with a coffee.  The strange thing about them is that the two main parts; the custard and tart by themselves they are okay but kind of dull. Somehow though when you put the two together they form something amazing.  Playing Death Stranding I found myself asking was this the perfect combination of custard and tart?

Story


America has changed after an event referred to as the 'Death Stranding' and now beings not of our world roam and destroy humans. If that wasn't bad enough they bring with them rain called 'Timefall' which even a mere drop of can cause aging and decay, and can kill humans, animals, and plant life.  President Bridget Strand (Lindsey Wagner), the last President of America has the vision to reconnect all the towns and cities spread throughout the country. Unfortunately, she is close to death and needs help, enter Sam Porter Bridges (Norman Reedus).  A courier who just wants to do his job, survive the day and be left the hell alone. Unfortunately, fate has other things in store for him. His mother is President Strand, and she has two final wishes; to help complete her vision and to save his sister Amelie. Reluctantly Sam agrees to help. He won't have to do it alone as he will have people who want to help him along with what is the most important delivery he has ever done.


When I started I wasn't sure what to think, it seemed interesting, but there were characters called Mama, Die-Hardman, Deadman, and Fragile. I thought are these just gimmicky names attached to characters who are just background figures.  But no, they are all so much more than that.  Each character gets their own episode, you get to learn who they are, what their story is and quickly they became real people to me who really mattered and I felt connected to and I think essentially at the heart of it all that is what the game is about. One of my favorite characters in the game is Cliff Unger played by Mads Mikkelsen, who just fantastic.  There are side missions that provide some extra stories which help show you what is left of America and what you are fighting for.


Overall an amazing story that is very different from any game I have played before.  Watching the final credits roll I really felt like I had been on a journey and while I enjoyed my time I was sad it was over.

Visuals


The visuals are not good in Death Stranding, they are amazing. It is such a beautiful world - well, apart from the constant threat of death, beings try to kill everything and the bad weather. But hey, you have to take the rough with the smooth.  The open world you traverse is filled with lakes, streams, low rolling hills, cliffs, and snow-capped mountains. There are so many times playing the game I had to take a moment to just take in my surroundings. The snow effects were probably my favorite as it really looks and feels like you are moving through the snow. Everything looks so sharps and there is so much detail that it is hard to fathom how much time Kojima Productions must have spent on the game.


Overall the game is and was easily the best looking game of 2019. I am curious to see if in 2020 anyone can match the visual wonderment of Death Stranding.


Music


The music of Death Stranding is separated into two very distinct sounds; there is the tranquil, and melodic sound that helps provide a relaxing vibe when traversing America. Then there is the futuristic, often intense and foreboding sound that is ever-present. The chilled sound is provided by the American-Icelandic folk band Low Roar. Kojima is a fan of their music and getting them to create songs for the game essentially helped save them from going broke. 

The rest of the soundtrack was created by Swedish composer Ludvig Forsell who worked on Metal Gear Solid V The Phantom Pain, Ground Zeroes and Silent Hill 10.


There is hours worth of music and for a game this big it makes sense.  The music is really good, and some of my favorites tracks are; 'Don't Be Serious', 'Patience', 'Beached Things', 'Chiral Carcus Culling', 'BB's Theme', 'The Severed Bond', 'Claws of The Dead', 'Stick vs Rope', 'Strands', and 'Flowers of Fingers'.

Overall the soundtrack is both diverse and interesting, it really stands out in the not only in the game but against many other games where the music is simply there rather than being part of the game as a whole.

Gameplay


If you are like I was at first glance, you could say the game is just you being a courier and what makes interesting is the backdrop. As the hours flew by the less I felt this way.  Of course, you will may a lot of deliveries as you are a courier but it is often not as simple as that. Going from A to B often involves you traversing difficult to reach areas, stealthily trying to move around enemies and other times having to all-out fight.  The game has a lot to offer but this isn't evident in the first couple of hours, but in many ways, that is a good thing.  The slow build-up helps you get used to the world before getting too crazy.


First, there is Sam, he is pretty tough and carries a lot on his back, facilitated by his suit, but that doesn't mean it's easy.  Move too quickly, don't watch where you are stepping you can end up losing your balance and falling over. It is possible to shift your weight to stop this happening but if you get sloppy you fall, hurt yourself, damage your packages and upset BB.  Who's BB? Well, he is a baby that lives in container attached to you. I know that may sound weird but you get used to it and it does make sense in the context of the story. He helps you detect danger and plays a bigger role in the story later on. When BB gets upset you need to soothe him by rocking him and this helps increase your bond with him.


Sam is special, he along with a few other characters in the game have abilities called DOOMS.  It allows him to sense BT's (Beached Things) even without BB. What makes him really special is that he is a repatriate which means he can come back from the dead. On top of this is that his urine, sweat and blood can harm and destroy BT's. These can be infused into bullets and grenades and is really necessary later in the game. BT's themselves can be avoided if you are careful but if they catch you and pull you into their place tar they will drag you away and lead you to a mini-boss.  While the bosses are never too tough you equally don't have time to stand around enjoying the view. Another enemy in the game are MULE's they are human enemies who like to steal packages, generally, you can give them what for.


There is no leveling up system as such. When you do something good, you get likes, the more likes the higher your level - by the end I was over 200.  The higher your level the more upgrades you unlock which gives you materials and helps increase your stamina.  In most games, I like a leveling system as I find it really helps me focus, but it was quite refreshing not having the same pressure that I might ordinarily and helped me put my focus into other elements of the game.


Weapons and even transport can be fabricated by using materials you find in the world or by completing missions.  I mainly used materials to help build new roads, bridges, generators and even safe houses. While Death Stranding is not strictly a multiplayer game (you won't see anyone wandering around) you can see things that others have built and vice versa. Make sure to leave a like when you use something as this helps everyone level which is really cool and gives the feeling of being part of a community.


There are side missions available in the game and while they help you level and gain more materials I generally did not complete them unless they happened to be on my way to another delivery.  I think they are designed mostly for the completionist, at some point I might try them all but that won't be for a while.


Overall the gameplay is really really good, it took me a while to get the hang of everything. It is very different from anything I have played before, and I mean that in a good way.  I enjoyed my experience and one day look forward to doing it all again.





Final Thoughts


So, after forty hours plus how did I feel?  Shocked, amazed and really taken aback it was like no other game I have played before. The story was immersive and interesting, I cared greatly for the characters. The visuals were absolutely stunning and I feel it will be a while until I see a game that looks that good. There was something really special about the music and it felt almost as important as the story itself.  The gameplay could be challenging at times but never really stopped being fun and rewarding. It's hard to even after writing this to fully do the game justice. There were three games released last year that I gave 5 out of 5; Katana Zero, Observation and Gears 5. I now give Death Stranding the same score and think it might be the best game of last year. 'Keep on keeping on'.