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.

“I have been a huge fan of Gears of War since its release in November of 2006,” said Garrand. “In my spare time I sculpted a full set of armor for myself, which I enjoyed showing off at conventions. When the fans saw it they all asked me how they could get it. I was thrilled when the team from Epic saw it, and liked it, which allowed us to move to the point to where we are today. It all truly began as a labor of love.”

I think there’s a problem or two though. When Garrand and his squad showed off the replicas to Gears developer Epic Games, they weren’t exactly the most physically-fit cosplayers. In fact, Garrand’s arms are glaringly skinny compared to Fenix’s tree trunk limbs.

Additionally, the fictional Marcus Fenix is 6’1” tall and weighs 231lbs. If Garrand was anywhere near that weight or build, then the replicas should be even larger. Call me anal, but if you start hyping these products as 1:1 scale replicas, you’ve gotta back it up.

Gears of War image courtesy of Microsoft and Epic Games.

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Gears of War replica weapons and armor to be produced

My main reason for reluctance is the view itself. The third-person camera gives the player wider peripheral vision that FPSes could never provide. As a result, hiding in cover becomes feasible because you, the player, would be able to see if your character is hidden well or if a body part is sticking out for your enemies to shoot.

Killzone 2’s “lean and peek” gameplay thrills me because I’ve never seen an FPS utilize cover mechanics. However, since the game is still under development and won’t be released until next year, we can only speculate if “lean and peek” works or not. Would the Killzone 2 gameplay be affected greatly by this mechanic, or is this just a gimmick?

For Sony’s sake, I hope it does work since Killzone 2 is a PS3-exclusive game. If it doesn’t, then Killzone is just overhyped freebie material that’s destined to be placed in a bargain shelf next to Haze.

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Killzone 2 video shows cover mechanics

Notice anything odd about the clip? I did. Cliffy B. is looking buff and decides to show it off. So he finally got rid of the geek look. Yes, it took him years to do so even if he was making truckloads of money for the longest time.

The guys over at Game Videos decided to make an analysis video to go with the gameplay footage. It’s really helpful if you’ve never played Gears of War before, or are utterly indifferent clueless when it comes to the names of each vehicle, weapon, or alien in the game.

This video was obviously taken from an Xbox 360 (see the context-sensitive button controls?). The clip also gave us more proof that the dual analog sticks control scheme are terrible for shooters. See how the player couldn’t get a bead on the flying thingies (the Game Video guys said they’re called “Reavers”) that flew around?

Source: Joystiq

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Watch first Gears of War 2 gameplay video

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Gears Cheers #1: Bosses rule for a reason

Among my favorite new features included in the tech demo are the advanced character lighting, high-density crowds, better-looking water, and soft-body physics. Part one was quite dark no matter how high I turned up the gamma, so better lighting means I can see Fenix and company better.

This time, we get a “horde” treatment when it comes to the Locust because Gears 2 is said to be capable of showing a hundred aliens onscreen at the same time. Pathfinding seems a bit shoddy however. Notice how the Locust bottlenecked when trying to get past an upturned car that was in the way?

At last, we get meat chunks and T-1000 blobs for enemies, thanks to the soft-body physics. I wonder how this would affect gameplay. Perhaps a blob soccer mod with some sort of gravity gun in the future?

Any of you looking forward to Gears of War 2? That’s a stupid question. Of course you are. I wonder what kind of rig it would take to run this game on the PC. Who knows? Perhaps the world would be rid of RRoD by then.

Post from: EveryJoe

Gears of War 2 looks even better than the original

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.

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Gears of War annoyances #5: Armed conflict is hell, but so are choppy visuals

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.

Post from: EveryJoe

New Gears of War update fixes crashing problem

GDC – Gears Of War 2 from Joy Stiq on Vimeo.

Cliffy B. then shows up after the trailer was shown to confirm that the rumors of a sequel are indeed true. The most surprising part? The game is coming out this November. As expected, Gears of War 2 is an Xbox 360 exclusive. Yeah, expect a terrible PC port a year after.

This news bodes well for the legions of Xbox 360 owners who’ve been pining for a big 2008 release. If you think Halo Wars alone is going to save the Microsoft console from coming out third in the race, think again. The caliber of a Gears of War sequel would definitely help the 360’s rather slim 2008 lineup.

Question is: Would Gears 2 be enough to keep the 360 ahead of the PS3?

Post from: EveryJoe

Confirmed: Gears of War 2 is for real and it’s coming soon

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.

The dominantly gray and brown visual design of Gears is also not here, and it’s probably the first thing you’ll notice when you run Uncharted. There are just so many greens to see that one can get lost at first glance.

The heart and soul of this game’s action is its refined shooting, and it’s every bit as good as that of Gears. I’ve yet to encounter a major enemy to gun down, but each firefight can potentially be your last if you’re not careful. Your “ordinary” group of thugs are a coordinated lot that’s capable of strafing, flanking, and flushing tactics.

I’m currently halfway through the hard difficulty, and I’ve been impressed so far. I’m expecting to be even more impressed as I reach the climax and ending, so I hope Uncharted delivers.

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Uncharted first impressions

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.

I’m all for the detail, but where’s the fun in just displaying these pricey paperweights action figures? Call me old, but I grew up during a period when I can fling my G.I. Joes from a decent distance (say 2 meters) and not fear of any broken limbs.

Funny how toying with a Marcus Fenix action figure may be my only chance to play anything remotely Gears of War, especially since my highly-anticipated PC version conks out on me. Pathetic.

Images from NECA

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Gears of War action figures coming out in late spring