Cliffy B once again confirmed that the Gears of War movie is still a realistic venture, and it’s to hit cinema screens in the near future. The production of the film was rumoured to have stopped, once Len Wiseman (the director,) stopped working on the project at the beginning of 2010.

A Russian gaming mag has broken some of the plot details of Epic Games Gears of War 3.  If you’re the type of person that doesn’t want to ruin your gaming experience with spoilers, then you should probably stop reading right now.  For everyone else who is super interested in the news, keep on reading.

Its been a while since we heard anything out from Epic. Gears of War 2 was released late 2008 which means it’ll be close to two years since its release this coming season. So far we’ve heard nothing from the famed developer, but that might change tomorrow night. According to Jimmy Fallon’s Twitter Page, Cliff Bleszinski will be showing up on the show to talk about his new game.

There are a few possibilities for what could be announced or talked about on the Late Night, and it might not necessarily be the Gears of War 3 announcement that everyone is predicting. Click the jump for more information.

Things have been quiet on planet Sera, every since Marcus Fenix and his merry band of heroic soldiers dispatched the Locust threat, and rode off into the sunset at the end of Gears of War 2. Sure there were a couple of cliff hangers, Marcus’ dad working with the Locust queen, and possibly more? And Marcus making ga ga eyes at Anya, but what about the Locust? I mean the don’t take getting their asses handed to them lightly, so you know they will be back and out for blood.

Gears of War was indisputably the break-through hit the Xbox 360 platform needed when it was released in November 2006. It featured some of the most amazing visuals ever seen in a console game, while also backing up its pretty look with a satisfying (if short) campaign, great gameplay mechanics, and a visceral multiplayer experience.

After the cliffhanger ending in Gears of War, nerds in every sweaty corner of the Internet were foaming at the mouth for its inevitable sequel. After it came to fruition at Microsoft’s keynote from the Game Developer’s Conference (GDC), we at TalkXbox, in our infinite wisdom, asked ourselves exactly what we would like to see in a Gears of War 2.

Art Green: There are three main pieces I’d like to see implemented in Gears of War 2. The first being four player co-op play over Xbox Live. Halo had to make up two characters that didn’t mean jack squat in the overall scope of the story—hell, even the game itself. However, in Gears of War, you have the four rough and tumble dudes of Delta Squad to control and no one gets stuck playing N’tho ‘Sraom or Usze ‘Taham ever, ever again. (If you didn’t know, and you really shouldn’t, those are the names of the 3rd and 4th, respectively, playable characters in Halo 3 co-op.)

Secondly, if they can’t get rid of the host advantage that plagued the original game I’m going to, well, continue to bitch. For the uninitiated, the player who was hosting matches would be at an advantage because they would have the lowest latency/ping, giving them the upper hand in almost all shotgun battles.  For me personally, this problem resulted in thrown controllers, cursing and tucking myself in the fetal position crying on many occasions.  You don’t really want to hurt me, do you Epic?

Lastly, and most importantly—chainsaw duels. After the GDC trailer featured Marcus Fenix and a random Locust baddie dueling with the chainsaw, I immediately became excited in all the right places. (Settle down, ladies)  If two people were to try and to connect chainsaws at the same time, maybe it could trigger some sort of button-mashing mini-game for a couple of seconds, and the one with the best button-tapping ability gets to celebrate by giving his Lancer a tour of his enemy’s gut.  I’m not sure how all that would work in a multiplayer environment, but I do know one thing:  chainsaw + in guts = thumbs up from yours truly.

William “Slunks” Boso: Gears of War 2? You mean we’re on the second installment already? While everyone’s probably blabbing about single-player, I think I’ll touch up on the true multiplayer aspect of the game. Sure, co-op at the time was ingenious, but there were only so many times I could guide my friend through the dark via spotlight and “accidentally” pull it away to make a kryll sandwich out of him. So what are some focuses I’d personally love to see?

Assault. Sure, an imported game mode from Unreal Tournament may come off rather bland, but I think Gears of War 2 would work insanely well with this mode. Delta Squad must fend off a horde of Locust in the last standing district of Sera. Eventually, the Locust team can reach the Alamo of it all and blow the building to smithereens through an activation of some over-sized futuristic tank. Scenarios such as this would be a refreshing break from your standard Team Deathmatch, and hell, even fun! We also need a reason past fun to bother with Player Matches. If you remember the last time well enough, you can practically relive the pain of not unlocking achievements for playing with your friends. Ranked matches are fun, but when there’s no way to play with your buddies across the world for the e-pride that is Gamerscore, where’s the motivation after blowing each other’s heads off for the hundredth time?

Last but not least, don’t subtract the weapons. Adding is great, and we all love more high-tech gadgetry. But the satisfying set of weapons was great, so let’s not replace all of them with new ones. Sure, the Lancer was underpowered and then overpowered, the Boomshot had a wonky area of effect, and the Longshot was a little too easy to play with, but when everything clicked together, it was sweet, bloody harmony.

Now if Epic can successfully pull off Lancer chainsaw dueling, we’re up to our necks in a swimming pool of good times. But please, let’s not have Cole rapping to the credits again.

AJ: What I would like to see from Gears of War 2 is what lead designer Cliffy B promised when he was on stage at GDC.  More badass?  Sign me up. How about instead of a curb-stomp, you can have an option where you rip the enemy’s head off and throw it back at his decapitated body– that’s more awesome. The short trailer shown at GDC also made it seem like the chainsaw would have multiple ways to be used. Chainsaw dueling, cutting a guy from the waist and working your way up, or just cutting through a guy the old fashioned way that was shown in the first Gears. Instead of having one way to chainsaw a guy, have several, with the final effect randomized. Epic was pretty good at giving us really badass ways to dispose of our enemies, and even all the characters looked and acted like people you wouldn’t want to mess with. I have full faith in Epic’s team when it comes to making their game even better than the first.

However, what I do not want to see in Gears of War 2 is anything from Act 3. Exploding wretches, mine cart sequences, slow pacing with lots of dialogue, wandering around for long periods of time, shockingly simplistic boss fights, enemies that have one-hit-kill weapons, an environment lacking cover, and finally splitting up the co-op experience so if either player dies they have to restart from the nearest checkpoint. God, just listing these annoyances makes me want to scream in anger. Luckily most of these problems didn’t plague the rest of the first game, but who developed this satanic level and thought it would provide any entertainment value whatsoever?!

As long as Epic remembers that games are meant to be fun and not a quick way to lose your sanity from its difficulty, Gears of War 2 should be one of the better games this year.

Justin McBride: In Gears of War 2, there are a number of things I’d love to see implemented. The list is rather long, but I’ll condense it into three main points. First off, find a way to fix the damn glitches without breaking the game! Gears of War launched strong and was a joy to play online but there were a number of common glitches and exploits. When it came time to actually fix these glitches with a series of updates, things fell apart. An apt comparison can be made to the Hydra of Greek Mythology, by fixing one glitch, two more popped up in its place.

I’m a big fan of multiplayer shooters, and Gears of War was a good one (at least for a while) but soon, the three (eventually four) multiplayer modes began to wear thin, especially considering three of the modes were simple variations of the same “kill the guys that don’t look like you” theme. Annex was an interesting and fun concept which broke away from that theme, so more modes along those lines would be welcomed with open arms. Get creative!

The final thing on my Gears of War 2 wish list is a more cohesive storyline. Gears of War’s narrative was billed during development to be a sort of Hollywood-killer, a cinematic event of epic (pardon the pun) proportions.  Instead, what we got was cliché-ridden, short and riddled with plot holes. Who is Dom looking for? Where is Marcus’s father? How did you escape from the Brumak? How in the hell did the Berserker and General RAAM get on the train? All questions left unanswered in the game that could’ve been worked out with just a little more effort.

Alright Epic, round 2 is coming up. You put up a strong fight in the first, but now it’s time to deliver the knockout punch. Get to it!

What would you like to see in Gears of War 2? Let us know in the comment section below, or visit our forums!

Editor’s note: According to Variety’s Ben Fritz, Epic has confirmed that chainsaw duels will be a part of Gears of War 2.

Introduction:

What can one say that hasn’t already been said about Gears of War? It was easily the most talked about game of 2006 and billed as the next great thing for Microsoft. The initial thought was that as much anticipation GoW garnered, no way could it ever turn out as good as the hype led on. Believe the hype – GoW is one of the best looking 360 games to grace the console. The story begins with the main character, Marcus Fenix, being busted out of jail by his former squad. They must war against the Locust, a group of machine gun wielding alien monsters. Right off the bat, I must crack down on Epic for not providing serious amounts of background information on Marcus. Why is it that game developers nowadays like to create characters that are token? Do they all have to be stereotypical bald marines? Must they always wield big guns and be nonchalant about being cool? Anyways, moving on…

Gameplay:

GoW boasts a great campaign that features a robust cooperative mode. During co-op mode, if one of the human players dies, it is the other human’s responsibility to revive him. Reviving your partner is simple, walk up to your fallen partner and press X. I must admit, getting to your fallen ally may be challenging, as you will likely have to dodge enemy fire.

The best part about GoW’s gameplay is the cover system. Almost anything, be it a wall, a busted car, or even a rock can be used as cover. You can aim above or around a barrier or blind fire, though blind firing is severely inaccurate. Grenades can also be thrown from cover, so there are numerous ways to attack the enemy while manoeuvring through the battlefield. The game will also give you options while taking cover. For example, when you’re hiding against a wall but can’t quite get the clear shot, there will be an option at the bottom of the screen signaling your next move. By simply pressing A you’ll do one of the following: jump over the barrier, front flip into a running motion, or even do a sweet spin move to a different wall. Being that the Locust use the same cover system as Marcus, one must find his or her own way to beat the enemy, rather it be wait for your shot, charge the Locust or flank to the side, you must be aware of all your options.

There are three difficulties available when starting the game: ‘Casual’, which is surprisingly easy, ‘Hardcore’, and the ever tolling ‘Insane’, which can only be unlocked by beating the game. Do yourself a favor and move up to Hardcore after a few hours. You will run into challenging enemies in all modes, but Hardcore is hard enough for first time players that it won’t deter them from continuing on with the game.

GoW has an impressive weapon selection. Not that there are a large selection of guns, but all of the guns are useful and work surprisingly well. Of course there are sniper rifles and shotguns, but the most common weapon is the human modified machine gun, which has a killer buzzsaw attached to the barrel. The buzzsaw comes in handy when in close combat or if you feel like cutting someone in half and spraying blood across the screen. This attack is tremendous if you want to release some stress from a long day at work. The most impressive and destructive is the Hammer of Dawn, in which you target an enemy with what you could call a modified rifle. What’s so special about this gun? Here’s a hint – a giant beam of lethal light incinerates your target. Being that the game would be too easy for unlimited use; the Hammer of Dawn can only be used with a clear sky, so you must be outdoors. The game also features an active reload system. Stop the bar on the right spot of the meter and you will considerably shorten your reload time. However, stop the bar on the wrong spot and your gun will jam, leaving poor Marcus as a wide-open target.

The game really shines on Xbox live. There are great multiplayer modes, which are very brutal and competitive. ‘Warzone’, the team deathmatch mode, is accessible to eight players online pitting them as either human or the Locust. This mode will always be 4 on 4 with equal numbers on each side. Another type of online play is ‘Assassination’, where there is one leader who must be protected by the rest of the team. As you can probably assume, this type requires a lot of discussion. The last type is Execution, which is the most popular game type for Gears of War. In this mode you don’t just topple your opponent, you must actually execute them. This includes shooting them mercilessly, cutting them in half with your buzzsaw, or even a gnarly curb stomp.

Graphics:

GoW is the first gigantic step into “next-gen” gaming. It features the Unreal Engine 3, which is absolutely stunning on the Xbox 360. There are virtually no hiccups or frame rate problems when there are many characters on the screen. Even if the screen is full of explosions and chaos, the game runs smooth as a baby’s bottom. The game renders the characters and objects beautifully. The landscape, even at a distance, is brilliant and sharp. Explosions are bright and colorful and characters are crisp and clear. While playing online you will notice that the environment will change from day to night. The smallest details are portrayed with such accuracy — leaves of plants, cracks in walls and saw blades entering craniums. Amazing!

Audio:

The music that accompanies GoW is a conventional mix of symphonies. Not too much different than other games of this genre, but it fits the game well. The music is slow and spooky when need be, and powerful and driving during the intense scenes. GoW displays a great quality of voice work. The human characters have strong and burly voices. Even the tone of the voices is amazing; the change in pitch is very lifelike. This is not to be outdone by the sinister burbles of the Locust. There is great variation in the tone and pitch of voice between different breeds of the Locust; from low pitched sighs to extremely high pitched squeals. Footsteps are distinct, gunshots are loud, and explosions are deep. The levels of sound are also well balanced. The music is always at a perfect level that it can be heard, but it never overpowers action in the game. Gears of War has a very well rounded audio score.

Controls:

Running, aiming and shooting can all be done in a clean and smooth motion. After a few hours of play, you know where your gun is pointing, so aiming never becomes a problem. My only complaint throughout all my sessions playing Gears of War is the busy A button. With the A button controlling so much, there is much potential for error. There will be unexpected commando rolls and covering when you meant to be running. Within a short time, this becomes a very small complaint. If you’ve ever played a game in the shooter genre, everything will fall in place within seconds.

Replay:

The replay factor in this game is exceptional. I found that when I beat it on casual, I said to myself “OK, now onto hardcore.” It is very easy to replay the game several times, and you’ll need to when playing on Insane mode. The real replay factor is obviously found on Xbox Live. You can spend countless hours with strangers online and it never becomes old. Though there are only three online modes, you’ll never find yourself bored with the game, but perhaps bored with the lack of game modes. If you feel like team based action, it’s all there; and if you feel like going on a psychotic rampage, it’s also there for you.

Summary:

Believe the hype. GoW is everything Epic Studios said it was going to be. It’s a very exciting game to play, whether it be single player or co-op. The online battles are always competitive and leave you wanting more. The audio of the game is somewhat standard, but shines in the voice work. Outside of the busy A button, the controls of the game are smooth and easy to catch on to. If you plan on playing online, get ready to play for hours on end, as it is extremely hard to put the game down. An overall excellent game, we can only hope that Epic releases a sequel or two.