We remember Epic’s uber violent Locust slaying shooter as a game that defined the rising of the current generation. Gears of War screamed out with its visuals and gameplay techniques that no other action game had successfully knitted into the third person shooter genre (even thought pop and shoot mechanic originated with Winback and was later transitioned with Kill.switch). With Gears came forth the monochromatic color palette which has somehow become a staple of any modern shooter that tries to touch upon the context of an invasion or a war.
However this critical acclaim that the game had garnered flew right out when its sequel which boasted off versatile graphical engine and the infamous “horde mode.” The game multiplayer was buggy and broken. The story of war was subsumed within a “quest” to hunt for the queen, who was not confronted or killed during combat.
Along came Uncharted 2, a game which mashed numerous genres together to produce the most authentic transition of Harrison Ford’s treasure seeking Hollywood avatar. The game is fantastically paced and portrays a sense of immersion which has not quite been explored by any modern generation game. The game literally “looks” to put Epic effort to shame by giving audiences a much more accurate definition of what was perceived to be a part of this generation almost five long years ago.
All is not lost however, if the talented guys at Naughty Dog learnt the mechanics of creating a constantly evolving gameplay mechanism from their own talented bunch of developers and a bit of help from Bungie and Infinity Ward whose involvement with the project was graciously acknowledged at the end.
We feel that Epic Games can learn a lot of things that were present in Uncharted 2 that will make the inevitable sequel “bigger, better and more badass,” than Fenix’s last outing. We do not mean that the game adopt platforming sequences into the sequel, for the COG suit is meant purely for combat and nothing else.
Tighter Combat Sequences:
Gears 2 had a leeward system of combat. It was distanced and punctuated with incessant walks from point A to B. Uncharted 2 though follows the similar pattern manages to incorporate a free flowing and natural (albeit scripted) sequential flow of situations that require an overt display of heroic behavior from the protagonist. A classic example where such situations rise in Uncharted 2 are in Nepal when encountering the Russian chopper and the tank that one encounters trenched deep in combat. These sequences of a tight combat were present in ample amounts in the original Gears. If our rustic memory serves us right pushing the half-exploded car whilst ploughing through the horde had a greater immersive role to play than moving around in the castle shooting down enemies perched on a higher plane.
Dynamic Action Sequences:
Though Uncharted 2 did not quite feature the context of magnanimous boss battles and the final one was plain pansy, we thought the one we battled within the confines of the train and the strange Yeti-like creature were showcase of the model of dynamism the guys at Naughty Dog were able to bring into the Uncharted 2 universe. A similar theme was strangely felt in Gears 2 as the battle sequence started with Skorge. However, because of random inaccuracies the entire segment felt disjoint from the overall context as it was showcased in. Even the feature of dueling with chainsaws was broken into an extremely random encounter with an enemy featuring the Locust horde carrying the “Lancer.”
Since Uncharted 2 featured a healthy hand to hand combat sequence, any segment where the player created a scenario for hand to hand combat was natural and unobtrusive. If Epic could somehow incorporate more sequences where the dynamics of gore with chainsaws could feel a tad bit more fulfilling, it could take the entire game into a whole new direction. A perfect example of what we pen down in the game can actually be witnessed in the original Gears 2 reveal trailer at GDC 08.
Including Vertical Combat:
Although Gears 2 featured multi-tiered arenas, most of the combat situations it portrayed were on a linear plane, rarely did it allow its users to take part in a vertical combat sequences. Since a significant feature of Uncharted 2 features platforming elements verticality in combat comes naturally in the flow. However, this argument of a “platformer” can easily be refuted by Modern Warfare and its glorious (albeit its cheat ridden) sequel which includes hefty doses of vertical combat which is infused to avert the player from a monotonous shooting segment.
Keeping The Player In Motion:
This is perhaps the biggest drawback of the Gears 2. The game never seemed to push the limit of combat which was more of the same in almost every encounter. There were no special moments which made the player jump with ecstasy or squeal in disgust. The Brumak sequences were staged from afar giving the player only a view from afar of the entire combat. The developers chose to show being swallowed by a Rockworm which honestly is perhaps one of the worst levels we’ve seen in quite some time.
Uncharted 2 keeps the player on the move by pushing them from one scripted boundary to another. The very first chopper sequence is another classic example, the sequence of the player required to control Drake in moments when the building is almost about to collapse sends shivers down one’s spine. The combat where the tank attacks the player in the midst of the village invasion was truly a spectacular scripted action sequence. Though the Gears universe is filled with ample amount of sequences that use more props that are more action intensive they are yet to be utilized to their maximum capacity.
Although Gears 3 has not been “officially” announced, we do have a hunch that it is every well under production. Hopefully the gruesomeness and violence of Gears shall finally seize the opportunity and the defining game that it once started out with this generation.