REDACTED: The Gears of War 2 Preview
A spoiler-free examination of story, setting and character
10/15/2008 8:40 PM | 1 Comments | Page 3 of 4
Cole debates which quip he'll use once he's carved this Locust in two.
As we talk, our conversation is briefly overwhelmed by the screaming of nearby game journalists. There are a couple of multiplayer matches happening around us, and the heated competitions result in more than a few shouted expletives and cheers of triumph. Don't let all this talk of character motivation and storytelling overshadow the fact that
Gears of War 2 is a balls-out actioner. If any of the game's characters epitomizes this vibe, it's Augustus "Cole Train" Cole. Some critics took umbrage with Cole's bravado, and a couple suggested that his character was treading in the territory of stereotype.
Rod Fergusson is adamant in his defense of Cole. He reminds me that the soldier was a gridiron pro before he signed up with the Cogs. "Cole, when he's in battle, is on the football field. His energy and enthusiasm is what carries him through -- and everybody else through." Cole makes his entrance [REDACTED] when Delta Squad are [REDACTED]. It's a great moment that takes unique advantage of his boisterous personality. "Have you watched a football game? Nobody says that Cole is going home to his wife and slamming her on the shoulders like 'YEAH! LET'S DO THIS! WHAM!'" he says. "Each one of these games represents 36 hours in the life of a person. You're not seeing them on their off day. That's how he copes and how he deals with it."
That's Cole in the forward gunner's seat.
What started as a quick break in gameplay has stretched to an improvised lunch break. I scarf a sandwich and swill a Diet Coke while grilling the game designer. Our interview session became formal midway through the conversation when I whipped out my digital recorder. I'm torn between opportunities. I want to keep playing
Gears of War 2: The game is damn fun. But I've also got a great opportunity here. How often does one get to play a game, then turn around and talk in-depth with one of the creators of the game?
I swallow my last bite of focaccia to take advantage of the moment. We start talking about the big picture. The meat of the plot. I note that
Gears of War 2 doesn't slam the player with revelations, lore and backstory. There's a lot of mystery. Things go unsaid.
Caves. Why did it have to be caves?
"We wanted to make sure we weren't doing a 'Lost' thing -- that all we were doing was opening questions and never providing answers," Fergusson says. "It felt like [REDACTED] was a great one," he says. "And also exposing or revealing the [REDACTED] to be [REDACTED]." (The game's two big reveals.) "We felt like those were two areas where we could actually provide some closure -- answer some questions."
Still, for every answer we get, two more questions are posed. I realize that the world of Sera has more than few tales to tell -- some of which will be tackled by a forthcoming novel and comic book.
