Cliffy B sulla storia di GOW2

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Cliff Bleszinski, direttamente dalla GDC, rende noto che un'attenzione maggiore sarà riposta nella trama del secondo episodio di Gears of War, rispetto anche al primo.
"Diamo molto ascolto alle critiche. La narrazione è una di quelle cose che si dimostrano incredibilmente importanti in un videogioco, basta provare Portal o BioShock. E noi lo riconosciamo decisamente". Questo fa pensare ad un maggiore sviluppo nella trama di Gears of War 2, e magari, possibilmente, ad un finale degno dello spessore del gioco.
Bleszinski fa inoltre notare che il teaser trailer rilasciato da Epic dovrebbe far capire che nel secondo capitolo l'impianto narrativo sarà più interessante, il che è piuttosto strano, considerando che in tale filmato si vede semplicemente Marcus Phoenix che divide a metà una locusta con la sega elettrica. Sofisticato ermetismo?
Come nota di colore, il game designer racconta anche che, secondo i piani originali, sarebbe dovuto arrivare sul palco del keynote Microsoft facendosi strada con la motosega in maniera molto più epica e spettacolare, ma a quanto pare l'idea non ha incontrato il favore degli addetti alla sicurezza, e così hanno dovuto ripiegare su un ingresso più dimesso.

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Qui Video sulle nuove feautures dell' UE 3
Novita' per l' Unreal Engine 3.0

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Tim Sweeney, fondatore di Epic Games e responsabile dell'area tecnica che si occupa della tecnologia Unreal, ha rilasciato un'intervista a Next-Gen ragguagliando gli appassionati sullo stato dei lavori sulla tecnologia che starà alla base di Gears of War 2. Ricordiamo che il seguito dell'action/adventure per Xbox 360 è stato annunciato ufficialmente al Game Developers Conference e che sarà rilasciato nel prossimo novembre. Il nuovo Gears of War sarà migliore nella fisica, nel sistema che gestisce le illuminazioni e nelle altre caratteristiche di rendering, oltre che nelle animazioni e nell'interazione con il mondo di gioco. Gears of War 2 sarà basato, infatti, su una versione rivista di Unreal Engine 3. A queste novità si aggiungono quelle introdotte in occasione della presentazione ufficiale, mostrate in questo video.
"Il prossimo capitolo della serie Gears of War avrà caratteristiche migliori per la fisica e nuove caratteristiche per ciò che concerne animazioni e rendering. Il lavoro sull'engine prosegue in tutto il suo ciclo vitale. Ci saranno altre caratteristiche di rilievo nei prossimi due anni che nessun altro gioco ha ancora introdotto", sostiene Sweeney.
"Possiamo fare di più sul piano del networking per avere più giocatori durante le partite online e migliorare la fisica. Attualmente abbiamo complesse interazioni per i veicoli, ma ancora c'è molto da fare. Altro può essere introdotto anche sul fronte delle animazioni con una migliore integrazione tra fisica e animazioni stesse. Abbiamo già un sistema estensivo per questo, ma c'è ancora del lavoro specifico da fare sul gioco per migliorare le interazioni tra i personaggi e tra di loro e l'ambiente di gioco".
Gears of War 2 sarà presente al Comic-Con di New York, che si terrà nel corso del mese. Michael Capps, presidente di Epic Games, e Joshua Ortega, sceneggiatore di Gears of War 2, terranno un keynote specifico. Non verrà, comunque, mostrato un nuovo demo.

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http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/04...game-informer/

About some of the Characters (from NeoGAF):



"Tai Kaliso: While Cole and Baird are still a big part of the story, they won't be attached to Delta Squad as the new game opens. The reunion with those popular characters will have some lead up first, and until then, you'll be meeting some new personalities. The most memorable of these new additions may be Tai, a spiritual and meditative warrior from a tradition of honor-bound fighters. This familiar archetype should add a fun and perhaps mystical dynamic to the squad."

"Chairman Prescott: Lots of gamers found themselves wondering if Marcus' domineering superior officer was the head of the human government. It turns out that Hoffman is only second in command. Above him stands the Chairman, an almost dictatorial military leader who nonetheless has made the hard choices necessary to keep humanity alive through decades of warfare. As Gears 2 opens, this leader of the COG forces will deliver a speech to the troops before sending them reeling into the suicidal mission ahead."

"Dizzy: In the seemingly unending struggle with the Locust Horde, the military forces of the COG have taken massive casualties. Somewhere along the way, Operation Lifeboat was enacted to bring in some fresh blood. Under this new act, the Coalition government will rescue a Stranded family and bring them into the relative story of a COG-protected zone. In return, the able-bodied men of that family join up and contribute their skills to the war effort. Such is the case with hardened soldier Dizzy, a new character who drives the massive Derrick on which Delta Squad ascends into the mountains. With a trademark drawl and an insistence on calling his truck "Betty", he's a colorful new addition to the cast."

"Maria Santiago: When Emergence Day struck, Dom's wife Maria became a victim as surely as if she had died in that first attack. On that day, her children were killed. Unable to deal with the shock and loss, Maria lost herself in the ruins of civilization. For Dominic, who joined the COG to protect his family, no priority is higher than to retrieve his lost love - his very personal quest to find her is a major part of the story that unfolds in Gears 2."

* "We were shown a vast underground cave level wherein Marcus and his companions will take the fight to the Locust. Unlike the sometimes cramped and and linear subterranean paths from the first game, the cavern complex is vast and breathtaking. Branching levels and open spaces give players true tactical choices as they decide which way to tackle an assault. Whatever path you choose, bio-luminescent plants light light the faces of the new Locust Kantus enemies. These monk-like devils hum low and droning chants that can be focused into sonic attacks against you. They wield weapons like the new Gorgon burst pistol and poison grenades, both of which can become part of your arsenal if you play your cards right. However, the Kantus' true danger lies in their ability to revive their fallen brethren from afar. Where before you could rest easy after taking down an enemy soldier, now there is the constant danger of them rising back up to continue to fight. The only alternative is to brave the hail of gunfire to break through enemy ranks and kill the Kantus sulking in the rear. Along the way, you may not have access to stable cover anymore, so you'll have to make do with the moving kind. Massive Locust rock worms will emerge from the cavern walls during battle, guided by the Kantus' chanting. Luckily, the creatures are so large you can hide behind them as they slither about, and you too will be able to guide them to an advantageous firing position."

* "We want to fulfill the promise - it is a war. It's more than just these four guys. The first game felt very personal, and in a lot of ways that was good," senior producer Rod Fergusson tells us. However, it's clear from our time with the team that Gears 2 will shoot for a much larger conflict. "In order to save Jacinto, they have no choice but to take the war to the Locust," Fergusson continues. "They're going to push back and go underground, and bring the battle to them."

* The team at Epic is well aware that many players out there hunger for a deeper and more involved storytelling experience. Lots of emotion this time. Joshua Ortega has been brought on, he is a novelist / comic writer. Really sounds like they are working a lot on the story. Sense of depth with the characters. A "darker and more heartfelt narrative."

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* "We have creatures that make the Brumak look like a baby panda bear." -Cliff Bleszinski
* "We hear hints of all sorts of new multiplayer features, from dramatically expanded co-op modes to multiplayer content that takes advantage of Unreal's new ability to deliver huge numbers of the Locust horde at one time, but confirmed details will have to wait until a later date."
* Different difficulty settings for each player in co-op. One person can play on Hardcore, one on Casual.
* COG Centaur Tank (Monster Truck + Tank) There's a dedicated level where you get to pilot one.
* Drop in/drop out co-op, with a fourth, easier, difficulty.
* Forced walking scenes replaced with a dynamic conversation camera system (which is skippable).
* Hundreds of Locust troops, all acting independently.
* "Gorgon burst pistol and poison grenades, both of which can become part of your arsenal if you play your cards right"

If you're interested in a few more tidbits, they're after the break, otherwise buy the magazine for all the details.