Gears of War replica weapons and armor to be produced
Cosplayers on ‘roids rejoice! TriForce Sales, a creator of licensed 1:1 scale replica from video games, films, TV, and comics, is going to produce the weapons and armor from the Gears of War universe. TriForce has partnered with sculptor Sid Garrand of Nightmare Armor Studios to recreate the gear worn by Marcus Fenix’s Delta Squad.
So what’s in the lineup of replicas? You can order the COG armor, helmet and the Lancer assault rifle. Advance orders can be placed online beginning July 8 at www.projecttriforce.com.
Killzone 2 video shows cover mechanics
I never thought cover mechanics popularized by third-person shooter Gears of War could be implemented in an FPS. The following Killzone 2 video tells me otherwise:
Watch first Gears of War 2 gameplay video
You’ve seen the Gears of War 2 tech demo, but you’ve never seen how the sequel plays. Now’s your chance. Just make sure that you don’t spill your drool all over the keyboard.
Gears Cheers #1: Bosses rule for a reason
I’ve have ranted about Gears of War’s PC port for quite a bit, but that’s only because I had high expectations. The Xbox 360 version was the next best thing since sliced bread. However, I wanted to experience the same thing without the risk of a certain console’s insufficient cooling.
Gears of War’s technical problems may have pushed me to the brink of an aneurysm, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the game. When a crucial update finally took away my agony, I knew my time to enjoy the game was due.
And you know what? I was right. I’ve been having a blast.
My first reason to cheer: The boss fights are immensely satisfying. You’re looking at the PC equivalent of those Zelda bosses that caused your heart to pound like a jackhammer. The battle against the Corpser, for example, had me thinking how to take down the nasty arachnid before it destroys the ground I’m standing on.
Watch how to beat the Corpser after the jump.
Gears of War 2 looks even better than the original
So you don’t have a 360. That’s too bad because Gears of War is going to have a sequel. We’ve shown you a teaser recently announcing this, but what you haven’t seen is how sweet part two is going to look. Good news: there’s a tech demo available, and you can watch it here:
Gears of War annoyances #5: Armed conflict is hell, but so are choppy visuals
So my PC isn’t exactly cutting edge. I can accept that. It’s why I love tweaking so much. But when tweaking my settings doesn’t bear fruit no matter what combination I do, then I know I’m screwed.
This is one of my new problems in the “improved” Gears of War for the PC. Whether I tune down or crank up the visual settings, I get the same result: choppy visuals, especially when the action heats up.
How tricky does it get? For one, aiming can be a pain. If you factor in recoil, it’s tougher to get a bead on the Locust. Active reloading is also crazy because pressing “R” has to be timed exactly. If not, the gun jams. Now imagine going through all that while a nasty alien is pumping your big-ass COG hide full of hot lead.
Gears of War image courtesy of Microsoft and Epic Games.
New Gears of War update fixes crashing problem
So I finally installed Gears of War on my PC (for the umpteenth time). Now why would I want to do a thing like that when the game keeps crashing? Because there was an update released, and who knows? It just might get me past the point where the game always fails.
FYI, I’ve never managed to cross the river with Dom before. After I installed the update, I’ve finally gotten past the river and met the Kryll, those bat-like creatures that kill in the dark. See the screenshot I took?
Looks like a review is in order.
Confirmed: Gears of War 2 is for real and it’s coming soon
Look what I stumbled into today. Yes, that’s right. It’s the trailer for Gears of War 2. Good old Marcus is back, straight from the Game Developers Conference.
GDC - Gears Of War 2 from Joy Stiq on Vimeo.
Uncharted first impressions
From what I’ve played so far, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is more satisfying than the PC version of Gears of War. They may seem like apples and oranges to you, but these two games are more similar than you think.
Of course, there are the obvious differences: Aside from not crashing every so often, Uncharted provides some light puzzle solving, copious platforming, and an Indiana Jones-like treasure hunt.
Gears of War action figures coming out in late spring
Ahh, action figures. Geek or not, you’ve just gotta love them. When I was a kid, these toys were mainly from movies and TV shows. Today, even video games get the miniature treatment. According to the National Entertainment Collectibles Association, action figures for Gears of War are due in stores in late spring of 2008.
The first assortment includes Marcus Fenix, Augustus Cole, and the Locust Drone. If you’re not used to the action figures of today, know that they come with a lot of detail and numerous points of articulation. In other words, they’re too delicate to be toys.
