Product Description

Gears of War 2 is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the 4.5 million selling blockbuster third-person tactical action game that became one of the most popular Xbox 360 games in history. This time, Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad are poised to deliver a bigger, badder, and more intense experience.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #52 in Video Games
• Brand: Microsoft
• Model: C3U-00001
• Released on: 2008-11-07
• ESRB Rating: Mature
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 5.50" w x 7.90" l, .25 pounds

Features

• Award-winning sequel picks up six months after the events of the blockbuster original
• Innovative third-person tactical action gameplay; Xbox LIVE delivers online multiplayer (up to 10 simultaneous players) and cooperative action
• Unreal Engine 3 delivers jaw-dropping graphics; new effects include ambient occlusion, dynamic shadows, advanced destructible environments, and more
• Winner of several awards at E3 2008, including Overall Best Shooting Game, Overall Best Graphics Technology, and Best Action Game
• Original cast of characters returns, including Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, as well as several newcomers

Amazon.com Product Description
The wait is over, Gears of War 2 has arrived. Ever since the original was released, fans have clamored for this sequel. Developed exclusively for the Xbox 360 by Epic Games, Gears of War 2, which has already garnered several awards, picks up six months after the events of the blockbuster original Gears of War. Players are thrown back into the role of Marcus Fenix, leading the battle for humankind's survival against the Locust Horde. With innovative third-person tactical action gameplay and unsurpassed high-definition graphics, Gears of War 2 is a must-have game for the Xbox 360.

Gears of War 2 Players: Offline: 1-4 Online: 10 Gameplay Modes: Single player, competitive multiplayer, cooperative multiplayer, system link multiplayer, online multiplayer with voice support. Format: 16:9 Widescreen on HDTV 480p, 720p, and 1080i.

Gears of War 2 offers stunningly realistic, vast environments to play in. View larger.

The enemies in Gear of War 2 are huge and downright nasty. View larger.

Huge Environments, Bigger Gameplay
For those who loved Gears of War, Gears of War 2 builds upon it in every way, but with several major enhancements. There are more weapons, bigger vehicles, and more action. The enemies are more dangerous, and the total experiences is more immersive than ever. And with a revolutionary tactical combat system, the game will require not just fast reaction times and shooting skill, it will also challenge you to devise a strategy that will work against the enemies who exhibit smart AI.

Jaw-Dropping, Realistic Graphics
Just as Gears of War did the first time around, Gears of War 2 ups the ante for graphical prowess. Combined with the sweeping vistas and evocative locales of Sera, where the story takes place, Gears of War 2 offers jaw-dropping graphics that are made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3. New visual effects include ambient occlusion, dynamic shadows, improved character lighting, the ability to render hundreds of on-screen characters simultaneously, improved water physics, additional blood and bullet decals, advanced destructible environments, new weather effects, and the introduction of fluid objects.

Immersive, Gripping Story
Taking place six months after the end of the first game, Gears of War 2 returns the cast of characters of the original, including Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, as well as several newcomers.

Novelist and comic book writer Joshua Ortega, who assisted with the writing, has created a story that is big on character development and personality. With a new in-game conversational camera system and multiple story arcs, the story is presented in a gripping cinematic style where characters gain an emotional depth that matches their realistic graphical representation.

More Characters, Upgraded Vehicles, Badder Weapons
Those who were impressed by the original Gears of War will be in for a real treat. New characters such as Tai Kaliso, weapons like the burst pistol, and huge vehicles like the COG Centaur tank will give players a whole new dimension and scope of gameplay in both single-player and multi-player modes.

Multiplayer Action with Xbox LIVE!
Gears of War 2 features a multiplayer mode that allows up to 10 simultaneous players for outstanding multiplayer fun. Taking full advantage of the Xbox LIVE service, which boasts 10 million gamers, Gears of War 2 features both competitive and cooperative multiplayer gameplay. Setting up games is simple with LIVE, and you have the ability to drop in and out of co-operative campaigns at any time.

Everything you loved about multiplayer in the original is back, including the classic death matches, but with this sequel there is an added emphasis on teamwork. New multiplayer game modes will require better coordination in order to win. The game also features voice support, so you can communicate with other players around the world -- whether you're on the same team or trash talking!

Gears of War 2 won several awards at E3 2008, where it was first presented, including Overall Best Shooting Game and Overall Best Graphics Technology of E3 2008 from IGN, as well as Best Action Game of E3 2008 from the Game Critics Awards.

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Customer Reviews

Very solid gameplay; story could have used a little more refining + better integration
To start off, I played the first Gears for the campaign/co-op campaign. And I purchased this game for the same reason, so if you're looking to know more about multiplayer gameplay, check out another review. That said, this game plays very well, very much like a thrill ride for the most part. Story can use a lot more refining and better integration. This gets a 5-star in its own right. But Halo 3 and BioShock are still better games overall than GoW 2.

GAMEPLAY: A+
This game still plays like the first Gears, except with a wider array of weapons and features (ie, chainsaw battles, different modes of executing a downed enemy). This is a third person shooter, for those who have not played the first one. And also, expect a lot of blood and violence, so if you are parents considering this game for your children, this serves as fair warning.

The campaign takes longer to beat this time around (10-20h I think). The graphics are very beautiful and realistic, and a lot more 'vibrant'. The first Gears was in general a very dark and gloomy game. You see a lot more color in this one. Co-op campaign gameplay continues to be addictive and I think a strength in this game. It is still as immersive an experience for all players involved as the first Gears was.

Further, the creators definitely outdid themselves in design of the levels. You should expect to be pleasantly surprised with every single level that comes up. While you can clearly expect to see yourself running around in the streets battling waves after waves of Locust, you will also see another order of magnitude of fighting, with sometimes even as many as 80-100 Locust rushing through your field of view. To emphasize the creativity of the creators, there was also, at various points later in the game (spoiler warning), a section where you had to traverse a pitch-black tunnel to safely escort a vehicle across, and even a level where your squad somehow ends up inside one of the Locust beasts and had to fight your way out...

Overall, this game has been quite an experience. It deserves an A+ and Game of the Year awards.

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STORY: B
Given that this game promised to have more leads on the storyline of the series than the first one, it does a better job. A lot of the early story is centered around Dom and him trying to find his wife, amidst all the fighting. The voice acting is compelling for the most part, and you can tell a lot more easily that it's a dark time for humanity on this fictional planet. In the first Gears, playing through the story was mostly humorous because of the way all the guys were joking around in between fight scenes and the light talk that went on. In this Gears, those dialogues are still present, but with a lot more of a sense of urgency mixed in here and there. And cutscenes are well made. The script is definitely that of a cheesy scifi as some of my buddies like to call it.

Finally, instead of COG tags for collection, we have bits and pieces of 'collectibles' like newspaper clippings, ads, so on and so forth that in some cases contribute to the backstory a little bit, kind of like the way those terminals worked in Halo 3. All of these, when found, are put in some scrapbook that's accessible from the Main Menu, and arranged in a more or less logical order.

The reason the story only gets a B+: if you think about games like BioShock and Mass Effect and the Halo series with their very immersive storylines, GoW 2 is still not quite there. But it is closer to that state now than it was previously.

I won't reveal any more in this part, but definitely expect a lot more of a plot that serves as a backdrop to all the fighting that's going on. Epic Games did a good job of piquing your interest and making you want to learn more.

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CHARACTERS: B
The characters come across a lot more human in this one. I have mentioned that the mood in this game comes across with a lot more of a sense of urgency to beat the Locust. As you play the game, you begin to feel more and more of a connection with each of the characters and in some cases, almost have to just stop playing when certain characters die... Let's leave it at that.

All that said, the game needs a better scriptwriter if it is to convey a stronger storyline.

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REPLAYABILITY: A
With the first game, I recall beating it my first time around with a friend on Hardcore, and then on Insane, and then going around and helping each of my roommates and a good number of friends beat the game on both difficulty settings. The same will probably hold for this game. I think it's a thrilling enough of a ride that I wouldn't mind going over it over and over and over...

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To sum up, this game is definitely worth the $60.

PROS: This is all about gameplay and the feel of the game. Even on top of all the additional features and improvements, it is still undoubtedly Gears of War. The controls remain very intuitive and easy to learn. It's easily one of the best 3rd person shooters out there, in my opinion.

CONS: I think storyline could have been a lot deeper. I guess they are saving this for Gears of War 3. Violence may be a little too much for the unprepared. Right now, this is all I can think of.

FINAL VERDICT: A. This is a very well-made game. I have the tendency to buy games and sell them back when I'm done. But I think GoW 2 will probably be a mainstay in my library, just as GoW was. For that, plus all the +'s I have mentioned, I think this game deserves an awesome grade. Can I hear Game of the Year?

Epic.
Horrible puns aside, the Gears of War series is the Xbox 360's "other" AAA million selling franchise. Halo, however, this is not; developed by Epic Games, Gears of War 2 is a brutal, bloody third person shooter with an emphasis on finding cover and taking out your opponent by popping out from corners, concrete barriers and burned out cars. Beautiful graphics, wonderful sound and excellent, unique gameplay all combine to make Gears of War 2 one of the best games on the Xbox 360.

The graphics are the best on the system, bar none; fantastic looking character models, beautiful explosions and excellent lighting combine to make Gears of War 2 a treat to look at. It looks better than the first game and sounds better to boot. Technically, the folks at Epic have raised the bar for games to come. Voice acting is spot on, and the story this time even plays a bigger role. Don't go expecting anything of Final Fantasy melodrama or complexity, but the tale is well told, and it keeps the game moving along.

The main draw of the game is the gunfights, of which there are many. The controls are tight and perform exactly as you would like them to, although there are still problems with sliding into cover by accident or, say, executing a downed enemy instead of reviving a teammate. These are minor annoyances, but they can lead to some untimely deaths or losses (in the case of multiplayer rounds), so it's worth mentioning. If you've played the original game, you'll be right at home here; not much has changed (there's some new executions, the ability to plant grenades and use downed enemies as meatshields), asides from the levels, which are varied and fun to dash through. The Locust aren't particularly smart, but they put up a decent enough fight on Normal. The campaign only takes about 6 or 7 hours, which is too bad, although it is good enough that I want to play it through more than once. Replayability is enhanced by the fact that insane mode is unlocked AFTER beating the game. There are some terrible vehicle portions in the game, where you're required to either man the gunner seat, drive or both. The controls in these are almost universally horrible, and it's difficult to aim with your ride bouncing up and down all the time. Some segments are better than others, but none of them are particularly endearing. Thankfully, they're short, but please Epic, cut out these awful parts; the vehicle chapter in Gears of War 1 was terrible as well.

Multiplayer is the core of the title, in my opinion; there's only so many times one can finish the story mode, however good it may be. The hosting process of the first game has been replaced with a Halo 3 style matchmaking system that is hit or miss; it takes awhile to get into games sometimes, and it really shouldn't, considering how many people are playing. We're talking 4 or 5 minute load times here, although it usually finds a match within a minute or so. Also, sometimes the game will drop you mid-match, saying "connection to the host was lost." This is irritating, and although my internet is spotty (so some of the blame lies there), other Xbox Live games don't do this. The highlight of the multiplayer options is the new Horde mode, easily the best addition to the game. A team of 5 is pitted against a swarm of Locust that gets bigger and stronger every round; every ten rounds, they get a boost to their health, accuracy or damage. There are a total of fifty waves, and your high scores are tracked on the leaderboards. It's a great new feature, although not without its problems; it's a pain to hunt down the last Locust of a wave - oftentimes they'll be stuck on some object or hiding halfway across the map. The game essentially forces you out of position to go and hunt down these stray enemies, which can screw you for the next round. It'd be nice if the last few guys tried to kill you more often, instead of camping. Other multiplayer options from the original Gears are back, including Warzone, Execution and Annex. New multiplayer modes include Meatflag (capture the flag with a live person as the flag...) and Wingman (essentially Multi-Team). I highly dislike the versus multiplayer aspect of the game; it's very shotgun/power weapon centric, and latency ensures that if you're not host, you're at a severe disadvantage. There are some people who love it, though, and it's certainly not bad; I just prefer Halo 3's multiplayer. That, and Horde is so much fun that I can't tear away from it.

If you're a fan of shooters and you don't own this game, buy it immediately. Even if you don't have Live, playing through the campaign either solo or with a buddy is great fun. It's well polished, well designed, and has enough variety that it doesn't get stale. The singe player game is slightly short, but it has some decent replay value. The multiplayer aspect of the game is wonderful, matchmaking/lag issues not withstanding. Horde is a great addition to the game and adds a ton of replay value. Gears of War 2 builds upon the original's solid foundations, and the result is one of the best sequels in recent memory. One of the Xbox 360's marquee titles, and a game almost everyone will enjoy.

Horde Mode Blows My Mind!!!!
Well the SP mode has its peaks and valleys , where some parts of it are great and some are'nt so good. There's too many linear vehicle missions and simple 'walk through' missions where all you do is run through the entire level. But once you get to level just after defeating the reever and you have to defend Jacinto, the game takes on a new life of hectic action. But all of the single player elements pale in comparison to the AWESOME Horde mode. Do yourself a favor and try this mode by yourself offline on insane difficulty and you'll be treated to some of the best gametime you've had in just about all of your gaming life. Yes its that good. There's ever increasing levels of waves of enemies who increasingly try to outflank you and supress your position . Then once you get the feel for Horde mode go online and hook up with a couple players and take care of business. I'll admit I was at first very dissapointed with Gears2 in the SP , up until I got to Jacinto. But where the meat and potatoes of Gears2 is the online mode Horde. Love It!! By far one of the best modes of the year. If you can get to level 10 by yourself on Insane mode in Horde offline with bots ,your my frikken hero. Is the SP really that bad? Ehh ,there's some crummy vehicle flying,driving missions on rails, SNOOZE,but there are some moments of eye candy ,the game does look good,and like I said earlier its really kool once you get to Jacinto and you have to assault into the sinkhole. But I can clearly see EPIC spent allot of there time developing the co-op and multiplayer horde modes. Don;t get me wrong the SP is good ,just not great . What's Great ? Horde Mode all the way baby! Plus those of you who don't have online LIVE access can play all of the multiplayer maps against bots , just like Terrorist Hunt in RSV. Definitley a well polished gaming experience.
The only downside to Horde is sometimes it takes awhile to find a match , on average I wait 5-20 min for a match , BUT , Horde is such an awesome game mode I'd gladly wait 20min. Just ONE Horde Match I played recently lasted 3 1/2 hours!!! Holy Moly almost four hours for just one match , we made it all the way to level 41 before we finally got taken out. I cannot express how kool Horde mode is , it goes beyond the normal death matches as there's more of an emphasis on reviving your buddies and Horde tends to punish those who go out on their own witthout back-up.PLus the enemies flank with supreme agressiveness, if a enemy gets hit too much coming one way at you , you can see them change direction and eventually they'll be right behind you. What an awesome game! Buy it for Horde alone, its worth it.