Tag Archives: Multiplayer Gaming

Gears of War 2 for Xbox 360

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When I first played Gears of War 1, my mind was blown away. I was amazed by the graphics and the unique gameplay. Sure it borrowed elements from other games, but the way it combined everything was definitely unlike any other game before it. I consider the first game to be one of my all time favorite games (which says alot because I’ve been gaming for a while).

When Gears 2 was set to come out, the hype machine was in full effect. Not since GTA IV had I been so excited about a new game. Did it live up to the hype? read on….

The graphics are even more gorgeous than the first game. Somehow EPIC managed to add even more details to the characters and their environments. The textures are all very detailed and the settings and environments are varied from stage to stage. Occasionally textures may take a few extra seconds to load, which can be distracting. Once they do load, you automatically forget about the distraction because the game looks so damn good.

GAMEPLAY 10/10

The gameplay is similar to the first game, with a few new additions that make the gameplay even deeper. New execution moves have been added, giving gameplay a new dimension. It is hard to resist running up to a downed enemy to execute them, even with tons of gunfire directed at you. The executions are that much fun that it almost makes it worth the risk of dying. Also new is the ability to plant grenades like proximity mines. This in itself adds another dimension to play as you need to be more cautious in pursuit of your prey. You can’t just run in guns blazing anymore. As with any sequel, Gears 2 features loads of new enemies requiring different strategies to defeat.

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Halo 3 vs. Call of Duty 4

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HaloCOD4It took a bit of time to get through both titles, but I finally had the chance to complete both campaigns and experience enough online gaming to make a fair comparison between two of the hottest games of this year.

When it came to graphics and sound quality Call of Duty 4 completely blew away Halo 3 in comparison. CoD4 is graphically the most realistic video game I’ve played to date. Everything from the grass to the computer keyboards are meticulously rendered, and at times it feels as if you are walking through an online movie rather than a interactive video game.

The sound quality and responses from the A.I are also far more advanced in Cod4 than Halo 3. This is most notable in the campaign mode. When you hear your fellow soldiers call for help or relay commands, its as realistic as it can get. The score was also very well written and I particularly love the drums or war being played as we prepare for battle.

In multiplayer mode however, Halo 3 definitely has the advantage over Call of Duty 4. I remember my first experience playing Halo 3 online and being able to compete with my opponents. As I increased in rank, the opponents got tougher, but I improved as my rank went up, so the competition level was pretty fair. Halo 3′s matchmaking system is definitely the best in the business, and I really hope future multiplayer shooters will follow suit with Halo 3′s matchmaking system.

With CoD4, it was a different experience altogether. It was as if I was just thrown to the wolves. I guess they wanted to make it more realistic? When does a guy go to war with easier enemies than harder ones right? From the get go I was matched up with insanely advanced players and I recall being completely destroyed (PWNED) by the competition. It took a bit of luck to find a enemy team that I could play well against. The more I played the better it got, but it didn’t come easy and I was mocked quite a bit before I actually started doing well enough to keep my opponents mouths shut.

Finally, there is the game’s replayability. This one was so close I really could not decide. Both titles had great components to them that keep you wanting more. The best part with Halo 3 is without a doubt its matchmaking. This alone makes you want to play the game over and over. I recall playing Halo 2 for over 3 years before Halo 3 was released because of its matchmaking on XBOX Live and LAN games at friends homes.

With CoD4, I love the fact that you can unlock more weapons and armor. It takes sometime to unlock them all, so you get really familiar with the different types of weapons the game has to offer and your skill set becomes better as you learn to master the use of a set of weapons before unlocking the next. The campaign is also really fun and it was actually the first campaign I have ever played at least twice!

So I guess at the end of the day these games are deadlocked in a tie as far as I’m concerned. Each have something the other is lacking yet both have a very high replayability value. It basically comes down to what type of game you are looking for. A highly realistic game in CoD4, or just a fun shoot’em up with great matchmaking in Halo 3.