So, I finished working my way through Gears 2 today. Only on a medium setting as I prefer my games to tick along nicely in single player rather than be ultra difficult – to the point where you just get stuck and frustrated.

How did I find the whole experience? A difficult one really. It’s an epic technological achievement. If you stop to look at it – it blows your mind. It’s ambitious. Multiple locations, all with a distinct look and feel. Different game mechanics. Boss fights. Duck and cover fights. Driving. All sounds great.

Then why is it that I just feel a little “mehh” about it? Why don’t I feel excited about it. I can’t put my finger on it – but for all the cinematic panasch and story telling I just never felt involved. For all the epic scenery, I never once felt part of the environment. For all the action – I never felt a sense of achievement at completing different sections.

It was also highly predictable. Although you were plunged from one set piece to another, there was nothing that felt innovative, different or particularly fun. There was no puzzle solving or any need to use the gray matter. Shoot – duck – shoot. Boss fight – hit specific places at specific times – repeat.

Perhaps playing the game at a much harder level would up the stakes and make the achievement feel greater. Perhaps playing it through on co-op adds that additional level of involvement.

Maybe the fact that the first gears game was so far in advance as far as graphics went, meant that there was some awe to be had there. I remember just looking at different parts of the maps in amazement at how it all looked. There were the fantastic sequences where you had to evade the blind grubs – the co-op moments where you had to light the way for your team-mate. Memorable moments. Gears 2 just doesn’t have these. Sure it has moments you can describe what was going on – but not moments where you would describe how you were feeling – and that’s because it was just “mehh”.