Enemy Down

Gears 2: MLG goes back to the Lancer

A look at MLG v2 weapon swaps in GoW 2 and the Hammerburst versus Lancer debate

Posted by Switchbackk on Apr 27th 2009 10:04

It’s been 5 months since the release of the disappointing sequel to one of – if not the - finest multiplayer games the Xbox 360 has to offer. Gears of War 2, at first, was endlessly falling through a hole full of negativity, glitches and smoke grenades. Three title updates in under half a year is a sign in itself that things hadn’t quite gone to plan for Epic games and Mr Bleszinski, and a whole community was split over the decisions which nobody could make. Some of this is down to the smoke grenade and some of it is down to hideously designed maps and weapon placements, but the blame that was previously invisible but has now come apparent is not the maps or the smoke grenade. It’s the new and supposedly ‘improved’ Hammerburst.

With the Chainsaw being notoriously overpowered, the Hammerburst having functionality and the choice to choose between the two as a starting weapon - Gears of War 2 went through one of its standout changes. Hammerburst starts initially encouraged team-fire, and although one person could easily guard an entire area of a map/a power weapon due to its ridiculous power, team work definitely prevailed in matches. This obviously enforced teams drive to stick together, resulting in better team chemistry equalling more skill and equalling more competition. There then became a point where Hammerbursts were taking priority over Shotguns in 1 vs. 1 battles which, as anyone will be able tell you, is boring. Put this with the ‘whoever has the fastest finger wins’ postcard that is attached to the Hammerburst and the exciting gameplay from the original title is simply non-existent. If you were (un)fortunate enough to watch the stream MLG were providing over their Meadowlands weekend, 2 hour maps and stalemates were a plenty, all because of how much dominance the Hammerburst had over other weapons. Even power weapons were left behind in certain cases as the user had a better trigger finger than he did an aim.

Now that the smoke grenades are fixed, Gears of War 2 has some kind of consistency about it. No longer does a player downed by a smoke scream at its inconsistency, but rather at themselves for not moving in the first place. Although saying that, moving out of cover is not something that rewards dodging a smoke grenade as the onslaught of Hammerburst rounds is enough to down a player in less than two seconds. Put this player near a power weapon with more than one opponent guarding it and the time is significantly cut. This is without mentioning the stopping power which, with the Hammerburst at least, is like walking into a giant wall of jelly. Just not as fulfilling.

Something needed to be done to combat such a force. Gears of War 2 wasn’t just worse than its predecessor, it was totally and catastrophically different. Where’s the fun in having a weapon that is so powerful and robust that in the possession of one player alone, can guard a third of a map? Where’s the fun in the player having a modded controller so they shoot double the speed that you think is humanly possible? Where’s the fun in Gears of War 2?

If Gears of War 2 needed a fun factor about it, where else to look other than over to its daddy, Gears of War? The two fundamentals of the original title were the Lancer and Shotgun, and bought unparalleled balance to a game that had its multiplayer thrown in at the last minute. Neither was universal and neither was hugely overpowered. If someone was Lancering at you from a distance, you were given time and space to move without being damaged more than you could possibly imagine. If you were getting Shotgunned, you had time to roll away and re-think your approach. With Gears 2 none of this was possible - often due to the Shotgun making an appearance once every blue moon, but mainly down to the Hammerburst being such a colossus in every situation.

It didn’t take professional game testers long to come to the decision of reverting back to the Gears of War faithful, the Lancer. Title updates fixed the ludicrous Chainsaw and although it isn’t as powerful as first thought – at least teams can achieve rewards from risking executing their best strategies. Now, up-close battles can have predictable outcomes and long range battles can be closed down into nose-to-nose brawls. No longer are players stuck with fear when attempting to move and no longer are matches all about who has the quickest finger to lock down 99.9% of the map. Although the Lancer has a surpassable rate of fire and damage rating, team fire is properly encouraged as one player alone now cannot be such a dominant force across an entire section of a map, and real effort has to be made to achieve the goal set between you and your team.

Some may say the skill factor has been removed from Gears of War 2 following the replacement of the Hammerburst, but where’s the logic in that? An over-powered, easy and massively versatile weapon does nothing but hinder the progress of a team’s development from a squad of self-centered, unaware stat-whores into a full flowing professional unit. This is what will happen with the Lancer – players will become aware of team fire and positioning and, when it comes down to it, will have to be able to Shotgun with the best.

Gears of War 2 is no longer a one-dimensional game, and it’s all thanks to the precise unfolding of the weapon that at first, was deemed as a game-changer. The Hammerburst is no more, and now the sequel to one of the slickest multiplayer games available has a degree of playability to it.

The full MLG Gears of War 2 weapon swaps can be found below:

Starting weapon: LANCER

Blood Drive
Boltok > COG Pistol
Scorcher > Torque
Frags > Inks

Pavilion
Boltok > COG Pistol
Mulcher > Torque
Mortar > Disabled
Boomshield > Sniper
Frags > Ink

Jacinto
Boltok > COG Pistol
Mortar > Disabled
Frags > Inks

Security
Mulcher > Boomshot
Scorcher > Sniper
Frags > Ink
Boltok > Ink

River
Boltok > COG Pistol
Mortar > Boomshot
Boomshot > Ink

Avalanche
Mulcher > Sniper
Frags > Inks
Boomshield > Torque
Torque > Boomshot

Enemy Down will be launching all new Gears of War 2 ladders and leagues soon.