Bullets and Blades – The Top 5 Weapons in Modern Gaming

What would Link be without his sword?  Samus Aran without her patented arm-mounted gun that doesn’t resemble Mega Man’s at all?  Other cliches without their weapons?  With the possible exception of Street Fighter and/or Mortal Kombat, many games have legendary heroes and villains that wield weapons and armor of a similarly epic nature.  This week, we’ll be looking over another Top 5 List, this time focusing on the greatest gear in gaming, and who wields it.

I’d like to mention right off the bat that the Mega Man Blaster or the Master Sword won’t be making an appearance in this list.  When I say weapons in modern gaming, I’m talking new games from the Playstation 2/Xbox era forward.  As much as I would like to mention epic weapons from times past (cough – Masamune! – cough) let’s stick to the more current list.  With that in mind, let’s take a look at our list!

You don't view Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris views you.

Honourable Mention:  Chuck Norris

I can’t even start this list without mentioning the Norris… seriously, I can’t because I fear his reprisal.  In case you were wondering, the reason that no weapon is listed is because Chuck Norris is a weapon. It has been said that there is no chin behind that epic beard, only another fist.  He does not sleep – he waits.  If you have 5 dollars and Chuck Norris has 5 dollars, Chuck Norris has more money than you.  I could continue forever but I fear the Norris would grow impatient, so let’s move on to our next entry in our top 5.  You laugh now, but I’m not the one who’s going to get a roundhouse kick to the face.

I had a gun like that once. I was asleep though, and when I woke up the sheets were wet.

5.  The Chainsaw Bayonet – Gears of War

It doesn't make julienne fries, but it will destroy your face.

Ahh, the eternal conundrum – should I break out the assault rifle, or the chainsaw?  I know I hate that decision, but we’re in luck – with the chainsaw bayonet attachment to the Lancer assault rifle.  As a last-ditch  weapon, the chainsaw can be effective – but more often than not, in GoW it’s generally a seldom-used weapon.  It’s ineffectiveness takes nothing away from it’s sheer awesomeness, though.  My only real problem with it is that it’s been done. Over 20 years ago by a little company names Games Workshop in their Warhammer 40,000 tabletop game.  You’ll get a much better idea of the badassery that is the chainsword in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine which will hopefully be released soon on the Xbox 360 and PS3.  Until then, GoW has the monopoly on face-shredding chainblades.  Enjoy it while you can, Gears of War.

The only Chinese knockoff worth owning.

4.  The Gauss Rifle – Fallout 3 Operation: Anchorage DLC

Maybe it’s just because I’m a huge nerd, but gauss weapons turn me on.  If you’re familiar with the theory behind them (and I mean, who isn’t, right?) then maybe you get why.  Anyway, the Gauss Rifle is arguably the best gun in Fallout 3, along with the Tesla Cannon.  With phenomenal range, damage and a scope to match, this weapon would terrify Raiders and Ghouls alike if the AI was smart enough to recognize the gun before it blows their faces off.  Eh… it’s more fun this way anyhow.

3. The Handheld Ore Cutter Line Gun: Dead Space

I was going to make an Amy Winehouse comment, but then I didn't care.

The Line Gun.  After creeping through the shadows of the Ishimura, jumping at every noise or movement, I think the game starts to turn around after finding this weapon.  Well of course, it’s not really a weapon anyway – it’s a tool.  Used to cut boulders down to size, it can be used equally efficiently to cut the Necromorphs infesting the ship down to bite-size pieces (bite-sized, get it?  ‘Cause they’re trying to eat you – nevermind).  Although to be fair, even though I felt way more confident with the Line Gun in my arsenal, it did not help me when I got cocky and mauled to death by mutant zombie cannibal space monsters.  So the drawback to the Line Gun is really that it only works well when the person using it isn’t a ponce.

I cut this down in GIMP. Nothing else in this picture mattered.

2.  The Blades of Chaos: God of War

I believe I mentioned Kratos in another article as being one of the most badass “heroes” of all time, but what makes him badass?  The fact that he’s a Spartan? His defiance of an entire pantheon of gods? His frequent threesomes with Greek wenches?   The answer is yes.  More accurately, the answer is no – the Blades of Chaos gifted to Kratos brought him from the merely badass to the epic shin-kicking, face-stomping killer of puppies we know and love.  Two swords that look like Tim Burton’s kitchen knives on chains.  What’s that?  A harpy flying over you, causing trouble?  No problem.  Just whip a sword at it, swing it around just for the collateral damage, and snap it back to your hand all with the press of a button.  Easy as taking candy from a baby.  Kratos does that, too.

1.  The Knife: Every Game That Ever Had It.

You don't even have time to say "Balls."

I know, it sounds weird.  Topping this list with the weapon that most games start you off with or only include as a crappy backup weapon?  But consider a couple of games that use the knife as possibly the deadliest weapon in the game, and that’s for three reasons: dominance, stealth, and infinite ammo.

The Metal Gear series is a perfect example of where knives go very right or very wrong (yes, I know I’m a MGS addict – bear with me).  In MGS and MGS2, there wasn’t really a knife, as it was all punches and kicks in close combat (and the combat system was super awkward anyway).  MGS3 and 4, however, introduced the knife in a system they called CQC (Close Quarters Combat) which allowed you to completely dominate the enemy to the point where they couldn’t even fight back.  Turok for the PS3 showcased the knife even in the demo – as a weapon that could allow you to massacre an enemy without them ever fighting back.

As for stealth, what weapon is more silent and deadly at the same time than a knife in well-trained hands?  In both Metal Gear Solid and Turok, the knife is introduced to give the ability to disable or kill an enemy without compromising silence or stealth.  Especially in MGS, where the knife can be held to the throat and used to force the enemy into a more secluded space where they can then be owned beyond recognition.

Finally, infinite ammo – need I say more?  You don’t need to reload a knife, and even if you happen to throw it at the enemy, you can usually pull it out of them when you’re done.  Bullets don’t get a re-throw.

If you have any contributions to the list of greatest weapons in modern games, send it below!  See you next week.

Cheers.

Related posts:

1. Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo
2. Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo
3. Gamer’s Mind Blog: Infinite Ammo

Marcus, Dom, and all the Locust hordes you could ever hope for are back in what I would like to call the Ultimate Gears 2 collection. Unfortunately I am not allowed to name these DLCs so instead, Gears of War 2 would like to proudly present the All Fronts Collection.

The Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection is exactly that, a collection of every GoW2 map add on to date. With this collection, the over 5 million gamers who have clashed with the Horde since it’s launch last fall will not only get access to the Flashback map pack, not only get access to the Combustible Map pack, not only get access to the Snowblind map pack, but also get access to the brand new Dark Corners map pack as well as the elusive deleted campaign chapter entitled Road to Ruin. That’s right, a chapter campaign and 19 maps are being released in the All Fronts Collection this July 28^th, for 1600 MS points. For those of you who have been keeping up with the horde and already have Flashback, Combustible, and Snowblind; the Dark Corners map pack with Road to Ruin chapter will be available by itself for 1200 MS points. Now that the general details of this glorious package have been taken care of, let’s move onto the details of the All Fronts Collection and revitalize one of the best titles of last fall.

First let’s talk about the 7 brand new maps that come in the Dark Corners map pack of the All Fronts Collection. While this DLC only comes out July 28^th, I was able to test and explore the following maps utilizing AI combatants. I was unable to find a full game to play it in online although I did find one other person online at 4 in the morning looking for a team once, that was as close as I got.

Allfathers Garden: This map takes place on the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders and half the time when I wasn’t killing or being killed, I would just stroll around and enjoy the scenery. With plenty of places to dive for cover and even more high power weapons popping up, this map will either have you raging on or being raged upon. I found the balance of this map interesting as it either came down to sheer skill, or whoever could grab the beefiest weapon the fastest. Interestingly enough, the corners in this map aren’t very dark…

Memorial: Again a fan of the heavy weapons in Memorial; this map is set near the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Sounds ominous and a bit over the top if you ask me. Overall this map will be pretty much run by whoever has the Boomshot, and only if they actually know how to use it properly. Memorial is a fairly large, brightly lit open area. It features a small upper area as well as hallways below so while there is some open space, you can still strategize and catch your opponent off guard. The corners are not dark at all.

The boys are back in town.

Highway: This feels like you’re in the belly of the beast. A Locust themed level has you fighting through a number of complex passages underground as you try to keep your team alive and decimate the enemy. With plenty of grenade happy locations as well as sniping vantage points, I can easily see this becoming one of my favourite or most hated of the new maps. The corners in this map are Locusty.

Nowhere: You play in the middle of nowhere, a desert. This aptly named map will have Longshot fans jumping in glee with everyone else jumping out of the way! Scrapped cars and shuddered store fronts litter Nowhere as timely gusts of sand will come and minimize visibility. With shields, staircases and rooftops (that have heavy weaponry), Nowhere turned out to be one of my favourite new Horde maps to play on. Again however, no dark corners in this map!

Sanctuary: I’m not sure about you, but when I look for sanctuary… I want it to be somewhere safe, not a dark dreary grave yard looking map. Many staircases, barriers, and yes dark corners to hide around make Sanctuary one of my all time most frustrating maps to play on. Take my word, be careful when climbing stairs as there is often a barrier at the top, and with barriers in strategic places often come mean online gamers ready to blind-blast you. Definitely this map will have the highest kill counts of any of the new maps.

The diner gets a little rowdy around lunch time.

Way Station: I enjoyed Microsoft’s explanation of this map so much I had to quote it, “In the limbo between death and ‘processing’ you’ll find Locust way stations like this one, filled with COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience – it’s best to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.” I could not have said it better myself as while playing this map, I feel the majority of my deaths came from grenades stuck to walls. This Locust map I think is my favourite to peruse as in the centre of the map, you find a huge river of lava! This somewhat interactive map has a few dark corners (far away from the lava) as well as a secret or two.

War Machine: another train themed map, this station includes Longshot, Mulcher, and Boomshot fun; but wait what’s this? You’ve been here before? Oh you must have been a fan of the original Gears of War as this was taken from that game of yesteryear. And yes, dark corners abound.

Overall, I found there was a great variety of maps included in Dark Corners, however, I may have missed something as I don’t really know why the pack is titled so as the maps included rarely involve corners without light. I guess it’s a metaphorical dark corner? Perhaps a metaphysical one? Either way, these 7 maps bring a new flavour to the Gears world of online play, now all I have to do is practice practice practice.

Onto the lost chapter dubbed, “Road to Ruin”. While you cannot continue your campaign into this chapter, nor save in the middle of it, Road to Ruin is essentially a world of it’s own. When you click on the deleted chapter you are immediately introduced by Cliff Bleszinski, design director of Gears of War 2 who sheds a little light on this missing storyline. He explains that sometimes parts of the game get cut, tells you what to expect in this little extra piece of gameplay, and informs you that you may run into an old friend along the way (here’s a hint, you do run into this old friend no matter what, and it is Franklin) sort of like a deleted scene introduction on a DVD, Cliff introduces this small piece of gaming well… but every time I hear about him all I can think about is how he brought Jazz Jackrabbit into the world, and our hearts.

THIS is Cliff's claim to fame in my book.

This chapter, or at least little extra bit of story-based gameplay takes place immediately after *SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT* Dom finally connects with Maria. He’s depressed, he’s lost his way, and he wants to take it out on the Locusts. As Marcus Fenix, do you do as Dom wishes and go in, ‘guns a blazin’ or do you use your noggin, and do things a little differently? Here’s what I liked about Road to Ruin. You’re given a choice, you can push one trigger and fight your way through, or you can push the other, don some Theron guard armour and sneak your way in.

I’ll start by discussing what I consider the more entertaining of the two and go in guns blazin. Here you literally just go in and kill everyone, there are A LOT of Locust beasts to destroy, a lot of weapons to use, and a lot of ammo to keep you going. The basic formula for this chapter is that you blast your way through a room with baddies hiding everywhere, pick up their ammo and grenades (I highly recommend holding onto a Boomshot and as many grenades as possible until you get to the end), clear the room and go into the next waiting area. Here you climb a ladder and flick a switch to open the next gate, but not before sounding an alarm bringing bigger and badder Locust hordes out. This happens about 3 times until the last gate instead has you fall through the ground and you must defend yourself in small corridors until the coast is clear. Once out you begin to cross a bridge only to be confronted by a Brumak! Time to high tail it to the near by turrets and take that bad boy down! You fight a little bit more until you are introduced with pretty much the first bit of story since the introduction and decision at the beginning of the chapter as you release Franklin from his jail cell and toss him a shotgun for support. Here’s where the fun happens though folks because the next bit gets intense. Without giving too much away your led into a big room with plenty of cover and must defeat wave after wave of increasingly difficult Locusts, culminating with a face to face battle against a Reaver. Remember when I said to keep all your big explosives, it was pretty much for this whole last battle. The chapter ends after the Reaver is slain and you get your achievement for taking vengeance on the Horde. Over all I found going balls to the wall very therapeutic – limbs flailing, grenades lobbing fun. While short (it took me 15 minutes on normal, 2 hours on hardcore with lots of dying, and will probably take you a lot less with co-op) and light on the story, I found that this little addition was a fun treat as long as you’re not buying the entire DLC just for Road to Ruin.

sometimes even big burly soldiers like to dress up and feel pretty.

Now about the stealth mode; while I fully appreciated the fact that Epic gave us a choice here and a new way to play Gears – I would have liked it to be developed and explored a bit more. Perhaps not just sneaking but also introducing stealth kills or something. So you start out by putting on your trendy Theron armour, but your faces are still shown and your guns are as blue as the sky… but the Locust don’t seem to notice, it’s only when you get close enough for them to smell you (???) That they will sound the alarm and kill you almost instantly. Again you take the same path (more or less) that you did when you went in with guns prepared but you must follow Dom past the rotating guards from room to room keeping as far away from the guards as possible and not firing a single shot. In two instances do you turn a wheel to get the grubs to look the other way by making something fall, but otherwise it feels like a game of ‘red light / green light’ (remember when you were a child and you tried to sneak up on the one who was ‘it’ without them seeing you?). When you get to the Brumak, you just run by it, down the stairs and underneath it in a tunnel, meet with Franklin and from here on out the rest of the level is exactly the same (big battles) but you don’t have the benefit of 4 grenades and 9 Boomshot bullets. Finish the battle and the deleted level is over; you get a different acheivement and pat yourself on the back. Passifism in one of the most gruesome games to date. Again, this should take roughly 15 minutes or so if you know what your doing, longer if your like me, shorter if you have a buddy to play with.

I enjoyed both modes of Road to ruin, stealth was a different take on Gears while guns blazin was just really good mindless fun. Overall a very short bit of extra gameplay and like I mentioned before no matter which method you choose you still meet up with Franklin and have the big battle at the end (at which point the game would continue on with the main story line if it was never deleted in the first place). While it’s cool to dress up as a bad guy, it’s even cooler to kill the bad guy in my opinion. The Road to Ruin was filled with tons of variety not only in enemies, but weapons and level design as well as one of my favourite portions of the stealth mode has you look on as a Locust jerk tortures and kills a thin human, should you have blown your cover and tried to save him? Was it in the interest of the greater good that his sacrifice kept you hidden? This area of the game is pretty much wrought with moral dilemma.

So, there you have it, for 1600 MS points you get 19 maps (6 of them brand new, one new to Gears of War 2) as well as the Road to Ruin deleted chapter. Or for 1200 MS points you get just the Dark Corners map pack (6 new maps and one new to Gears 2) and Road to Ruin. If you never downloaded a Gears 2 map pack before I highly recommend getting the entire All Fronts Collection. If you have a couple of the map packs, I still recommend shelling out 1200 points for the Dark Corners pack and Road to Ruin. If you want to get it for Road to Ruin by itself, I’m not sure if it would be worth it for a maximum 3 hours of gameplay. While it would have been nice to see a stealth option for some parts of the GoW 2 campaign, it was refreshing to at least get a taste of what could be coming in the future in terms of more campaign downloads or even Gears 3!

For Road to Ruin:

Gameplay: 5/5

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: 3/5

Replay Value: 2/5

For the All Fronts Collection:

Gameplay: 4/5

Graphics: 4/5

Sound: 3/5

Replay Value: 5/5

Related posts:

1. Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection / Dark Corners Online Now!
2. Future Shop To Host Gears of War 2 Launch Party
3. Plans for Gears of War Novels Announced

Epic Games, Inc., and Del Rey, a part of the Random House Publishing Group, announced today that Del Rey will publish three novels set in the bestselling and critically acclaimed Gears of War video game series.

“This trilogy of novels opens up whole new worlds of storytelling opportunities, and will add even more context to the upcoming comic book series, game sequel and motion picture. We loved Karen Traviss’ work on the Republic Commando series, and we can’t wait to get her Gears book to our fans,” Epic Games’ president Michael Capps in a press release from the company.

The first novel, titled Gears of War: The Battle of Aspho Fields, written by New York Times bestselling author Karen Traviss, will go on sale October 28, 2008. The Gears of War 2 video game, the sequel to the third-person shooter that won over 30 game of the year awards, will be released for the Xbox 360 on November 7, 2008.

Related posts:

1. Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection / Dark Corners Online Now!
2. Future Shop To Host Gears of War 2 Launch Party
3. Director Appointed For ‘Gears Of War’ Flick

“Gears of War” is set to blast its way onto the big screen with Len Wiseman at the helm.

Wiseman, who previously directed the “Underworld” franchise and “Live Free or Die Hard,” has signed on to direct a feature film based on the hit video game of the same name.

Chris Morgan, whose previous scriptwriting credits include “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” and the upcoming “Wanted,” has been tapped to rewrite the existing script by Stuart Beattie (“Collateral”).

The film from New Line was originally slated for a summer 2009 release, though these new announcements may now push that date back.

Epic Games’ “Gears of War” debuted on the Xbox 360 in November 2006 and was met with huge critical and commercial success.

It sold more than 3 million units worldwide in its first 10 weeks and was named Gamespot’s Game of the Year and the Interactive Achievement Awards’ Overall Game of the Year, among other accolades.

The third-person shooter takes places on the planet Sera and pits players, who assume the roles of soldiers on Delta Squad, against creatures known as the Locust Horde.

A sequel to the game was announced earlier this year and is expected to be released in December.

Related posts:

1. Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection / Dark Corners Online Now!
2. Future Shop To Host Gears of War 2 Launch Party
3. Plans for Gears of War Novels Announced