Gears of War Violence More Slapstick Than Gratuitous, Says Cliffy B
- Thread starter Logan Westbrook
- Start date
I will safely say that Gears is much more violent than old Loony Toons episodes, but I completely agree with what he's saying.
This brings to mind the transcription of the SCOTUS case Schwarzenegger v EMA in which the Dep Atty Gnl clearly states that violence performed on creatures not human would not fall under the scrutiny of the enforcement.
Which would mean if Gears of War was purely against aliens and featured zero violence against human opponents then it could be sold to minors in California were that law to pass as it has just been interpreted in front of God and Country.
And yet I highly doubt Cliffy B had that in mind when he made these remarks. The idea of slapstick acts in a wargame makes me want the game even less. The idea of giggling while you are dismembering someone puts me in league with the likes of the Joker. Who is one of the most popular villains of all time but who in their right mind would actually want to be like him? Keep in mind that the Joker is a psychopathic serial killer with no other aim than to "make the world burn."
There is a certain credit to be given in the effort to not take violence seriously, but I fear that even in that regard there is potential for misinterpretation. Being so blase about violence in a game is dangerous, Cliffy B. This could very well turn around and bite you in the ass.
Now if there is one game that actually does do violence in an amusing fashion, it is Team Fortress 2. The models are caricatures and therefore not even meant to be taken seriously. If Cliffy B truly meant Gears of War to be in the same light then perhaps a bit less realism should have been used in the game. Granted it isn't as realistic as Modern Warfare or Bad Company, but still it is closer to that degree and much further from the style used in TF2.
The people he is trying to persuade that Gears of War shouldn't be classified in the same subject of violence as Postal 2(to name an extreme) to Grand Theft Auto are still going to see blood and gore depicted in a realistic fashion. Not to mention alienate some who would just as soon not see such a depiction to be considered "slapstick."
Moral here: Stick to your guns and quit trying to sugarcoat your product so it looks better to detractors than what it really is. Gears of War was built to be a fun shooter with some unexpected additions like a chainsaw on a gun. Trying to make it look like Team Fortess 2 is going to be a waste of time when people are going to see it closer to being Kane and Lynch.
(If anything it would be better to paint it as being a helluva lot better than K&L. And you would be right)
Which would mean if Gears of War was purely against aliens and featured zero violence against human opponents then it could be sold to minors in California were that law to pass as it has just been interpreted in front of God and Country.
And yet I highly doubt Cliffy B had that in mind when he made these remarks. The idea of slapstick acts in a wargame makes me want the game even less. The idea of giggling while you are dismembering someone puts me in league with the likes of the Joker. Who is one of the most popular villains of all time but who in their right mind would actually want to be like him? Keep in mind that the Joker is a psychopathic serial killer with no other aim than to "make the world burn."
There is a certain credit to be given in the effort to not take violence seriously, but I fear that even in that regard there is potential for misinterpretation. Being so blase about violence in a game is dangerous, Cliffy B. This could very well turn around and bite you in the ass.
That's pretty much what I had in mind in putting my previous thoughts here. Well said.Electrogecko said:
Now if there is one game that actually does do violence in an amusing fashion, it is Team Fortress 2. The models are caricatures and therefore not even meant to be taken seriously. If Cliffy B truly meant Gears of War to be in the same light then perhaps a bit less realism should have been used in the game. Granted it isn't as realistic as Modern Warfare or Bad Company, but still it is closer to that degree and much further from the style used in TF2.
The people he is trying to persuade that Gears of War shouldn't be classified in the same subject of violence as Postal 2(to name an extreme) to Grand Theft Auto are still going to see blood and gore depicted in a realistic fashion. Not to mention alienate some who would just as soon not see such a depiction to be considered "slapstick."
Moral here: Stick to your guns and quit trying to sugarcoat your product so it looks better to detractors than what it really is. Gears of War was built to be a fun shooter with some unexpected additions like a chainsaw on a gun. Trying to make it look like Team Fortess 2 is going to be a waste of time when people are going to see it closer to being Kane and Lynch.
(If anything it would be better to paint it as being a helluva lot better than K&L. And you would be right)
That just reminded me of the sword combo in Assassin's Creed 2 where you stab a guy through his dick and out his... rear. And also, whenever you pull a guy off a ledge, you essentially stab him in the dick, while simultaniously grabbing it and pulling him with it.kickyourass said:
Wonder if that was supposed to be funny, because I've not observed anyone else noticing it.
Well... good. The first 10 or 20 times I saw the chainsaw I burst out laughing, and the shotgun is amusing too.
You might be interetsed to know that roman legionaries were trained to strike at either the throat or the groin. This is because both have major blood vessels in them and a strike to the groin would cause a man to bleed to death as quickly as if you slashed his throat. Altair stabs enemies through the groin because he can reach it easily from a ledge, and because its a guaranteed kill even if the soldier doesn't have far to fall. I don't think comedic value came into that one.
Frozen Donkey Wheel2 said:
Ah, how I love Gears of War
OT: It really is slapstick, how can people not see it? Chainsaw bayonets, people, c'mon!
EDIT:
I wasn't sure which one to post.
*Sarcasm Mode*
Of course! Didn't you laugh at the hilarity of the killing of Maria scene? Drives me to tears every time =D
*Serious Mode*
Any game that features the phrase "It's a GIANT WORM!" should not be taken seriously. I could honestly see this series being a cheesy, 70's/80's action/sci-fi flick.
Of course! Didn't you laugh at the hilarity of the killing of Maria scene? Drives me to tears every time =D
*Serious Mode*
Any game that features the phrase "It's a GIANT WORM!" should not be taken seriously. I could honestly see this series being a cheesy, 70's/80's action/sci-fi flick.
).
I always thought that Gears of War was more serious that anything else, but Gears 2 was hilarious, like they decided to aim more for comedy than gritty depictions of warfare. Just the redneck guy driving a giant ruck had me and the guy playing it co op in tears. Although the survival horror level on co op kind of killed the friendship out of frustration. Like turning on the turrets when Dom or Marcus respectively is running down the hallway, you got some cheap lulz, but the hatred that spawned by the end of the night was seriously boiling.
I did laugh at the switch-up between emotionally-stilted macho taunting to Dom's being devastated and unsure of what to do...I half expected him to say, choking on his tears, "eat lead sum *****" when he shot her...Jbird said:
Me too, come to think of it.Jbird said:
Funny how no one gets all hyped up over the violence in those kind of films, or something like Kill Bill for that matter.
Hyper violence is hilarious!
I'm not saying all violence is funny. In fact, in a film like Pan's labyrinth, something far less violent left me wincing at the brutality. (which isn't a mark against the film, on the contrary in fact)
But yeah, context is everything. I really have no time for people whining against this kind of stuff.
I think you may be the ONLY person who sees those combos that way, I mean the way I see those moves you're stabbing the guy in the chest, and with the ledge grab simply pulling the guy off the ledge by his belt.ultrachicken said:
Makes sense, but why did Cliffy B reference the L.A. riots with the brick bit?
I've always kind of seen Gears of War as a satire, I mean, come on, it has a bloody tank with nitro boosters in it, they're obviously going for ridicious concepts rather then serious ones. And the dialogue, oh the dialogue, I swear to God they're trying to make it like a bad 80s science fiction movie.
"IT'S A WORM ANYA, A GIANT WOORRRRMMMMMM!!!!"
I've always kind of seen Gears of War as a satire, I mean, come on, it has a bloody tank with nitro boosters in it, they're obviously going for ridicious concepts rather then serious ones. And the dialogue, oh the dialogue, I swear to God they're trying to make it like a bad 80s science fiction movie.
"IT'S A WORM ANYA, A GIANT WOORRRRMMMMMM!!!!"
I'm happy to accept that you pull the guard by the belt, but I distinctly hear the sound of a hidden blade when you grab him. Seems like overkill, and very disgusting overkill at that.kickyourass said:
As for the sword combo in question, you do not stab your victim anywhere near his chest.
