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Gears of War 2 Limited Edition
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35 new or used available from $37.34
Average customer review:
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.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #1329 in Video Games
- Brand: Microsoft
- Model: 7KA-00001
- Released on: 2008-11-07
- ESRB Rating: Mature
- Platform: Xbox 360
- Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
Features
- Limited edition version of the 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
- Limited edition includes special case, 48-page book, gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle for online play, and more.
Editorial Reviews
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.
In addition to innovative third-person tactical action gameplay and unsurpassed high-definition graphics, this Limited Edition version Gears of War 2 includes several collectible extras that make it a must-have game for the Xbox 360.
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 This limited edition package includes collectible extras like a hardbound book and a DVD. View larger. |
 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. |
Developed exclusively for the Xbox 360, 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.
This limited edition version features several extras, including a Collectible SteelBook DVD case, "Beneath the Surface: An Inside Look at Gears of War 2," a 48-page hardbound book with exclusive art and a foreword by Design Director Cliff Bleszinski, and a DVD with making-of-the-game footage as well as artwork and commentary. You also get an exclusive gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle that you can use during online play.
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.
Customer Reviews
Come Get SOME
I'm reviewing the collectors version (limited edition), so my review is based more on this, than the actual game.
I bought Gears of War Limited edition when it first came out (1), it was nice, came in a tin, and was really something special. With other collectors editions that have come out since, The original gears still fares pretty well in comparison.
Gears 2 (as with everything related to this game) is bigger, and better.
This has some of the coolest packaging I have seen thus far.
When you pick up this game, you will first be impressed by the sheer weight, this sucker is heavy. When you remove the slipcase your greeted to a box holding the items, when you take them out, you get the artbook (which comes with a picture --the picture you see in the game of doms wife--) and the game case.
Now, I have to say, I wasn't impressed with this artbook. I do some 3d work, and love Epic games more than anything. But this artbook is very weak. It was a big letdown for me. There is a book you can buy which features the art from 1, so beautifully, I treasure it and display it proudly on my desk. D'ARTISTE CHARACTER MODELING 2 If your a fan, and also enjoy making games, I highly recommend it. It is high priced, and not currently for sale here, but the printing and everything is very high quality.
The picture that is included is very low quality too. I guess it looks the same as it does in the game, but why bother?
On to the good stuff.
After you look at the artbook you see a nice shiny case housing your gears of war 2 dvds. This case is very similar to the halo 2 collectors edition case, and I love it. Even if this game (LE) had nothing else going for it, the case alone is worth the extra price for me. Rarely does a case give off such a cool and impressive vibe, as this one case does!
You also have a bonus disc inside, which has some interesting features on it (similar to the bonus disc from Gears 1)
You also get a golden lancer (not a big deal, its only a golden lancer).
All in all, considering the price is 10 dollars more than the standard. I highly recommend it.
This is a wonderful game. How the graphics can be improved so greatly is beyond me. Gears 1 is still a beautiful game, a game I love replaying. Gears 2 is much much better. Some of the gameplay is harder, the level designs are "epic", and the graphics and lighting, wow, the graphics and lighting, they take your breathe away.
I played the campaign all the way through twice now. And I can honestly say, its the best behind the back third person shooter of the year.
The online multiplayer is addictive, and very strategy based. You cant just run out and start blasting, if you do, you will die. COD this is not. This is more akin to counterstrike, because when you die, you are dead. You do not come back until the next round. The game also encourages you to stick with your teammates so that you can revive each other and stick around longer.
The AI is not cheap, your teammates are sometimes ignored in favor of the badguys going after you, but it is no where near as bad as Resistance 2 for the ps3. All in all this is a good game, and the Limited Edition only enhances that.
By far, the coolest mode for this game is horde mode. On this mode, you and some buddies can go crazy taking on "hordes" of baddies on a level by level basis. If you have played some fighting games before, its like a survival mode. You keep going as long as you can, you have to stick together, and play this very strategically. The multiplayer in this game will not get old. It is so good, and encourages you to replay the game countless times.
I must warn you. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME USED. If you buy gears used, you will not get access to the flashback maps, which are 5 maps redone using the new engine. You get these free when you buy the game new (and the codes are not used). So be careful and take notice.
This game is easily worth the price of admission, and if you look at the current price of gears 1, used or new, you will see that the price did not get much below 30 dollars on the used marketplace (standard version), the collectors edition still holds its value today. It is worth your investment to get it new, there is no need to hold off on buying it.
I encourage parents to NOT buy this game used, as your loved ones will be unable to experience the game to its fullest potential. And again, the Limited edition IS a worthwhile upgrade.
Also, if you have not yet, I recommend playing Gears 1 again, the achievements you unlock on 1, relate to what characters you can unlock on gears 2 for online play. Specifically, you want to beat the game on hardcore mode, so you can get RAAM on multiplayer. If not, at least play normal, and you can unlock everybody but RAAM.
Gears of War2 = Awesome
I've played plenty of shooter games. But nothing comes close to this. Gears of War 2 is an amazing third person shooter. The story follows Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago on their journey to save humanity. Everything about this game is awesome, from the roadie run, active reloads and hey even the soundtrack is awesome! The Limited addition as some interesting inserts. You learn more of the lead up to Gears 2. Hey the Golden Lancer is pretty cool too. The best part of the whole game is the multi-player portion. Get X-Box live and you'll find out for sure if you're a real Gear or not.
Multiplayer drags it down
First Ill start off by saying that Gears 2 Singleplayer campaign and horde mode are great fun with friends however the multiplayer is a serious joke. Im a veteran of Gears 1 multiplayer with over 10k kills and a lot of matches played. Needless to say Gears 1 offered an addicting, fast paced, teamwork oriented mutiplayer experience.
My hopes were high that Epic would follow the same formula for Gears 2 but sadly I was wrong. The game is unbalanced to say the least. The chainsaw has become a standard method of scoring easy kills and the poor hit/stun detection of the game causes endless scenarios of hearing your friends say "Wtf? I just shot that guy and he still chainsawed me." The main gameplay mechanics have changed from skill based methods of attack and defense to using the cheapest tricks possible to win. Planting grenades right in the enemies spawn zone, constantly facing enemies who are wielding human shields, and the predictable initial spam of stun/smoke grenades gets old fast. Its not much fun to be smoke stunned and after 5 seconds of flopping around on the ground you stand up into a 12 year olds chainsaw insta-kill. I couldnt help but shake my head and laugh sometimes.
Gone are the days of visceral shotgun battles and strategic flanking of Gears 1. Gears 2 just feels slower and more cumbersome. The whole game feels like its trying to be tougher than its older brother by having a heavier slower feel and deeper weapon sounds but the fact is the game is just slowed down. Going back to playing Gears 1 after a frustrating few weeks of Gears 2 gave me an even greater realization of the stark contrast that separates the two games multiplayer experience.
To finish this review off Id just like to say that theres a lot of fun and and entertainment to be found in Gears of War 2. The Singleplayer was a blast to play with a buddy and I thought it was odd and unfair that so many magazine reviews criticized the singleplayer so harshly but spoke volumes about the multiplayer. I think they had it the wrong way around. Horde mode also soaked up about 50% of the time I spent playing with friends online but for all its greatness the mode can become quite repetitive. The graphics are great, the storyline was okay, the voice acting solid, and the varied locales of the singeplayer were a high point in my opinion.
The addition of new DLC/achievements and a new ranking system shows the hopes that Epic and Microsoft have to try and make this game relevant and inspire desire to play. I think its far less successful than they would ever let on. Message to Microsoft and Epic: Gears of War isnt supposed to be Halo!
To wrap up Ill just say that I used to play Gears 1 with several friends almost everynight for 2-3 hours which was well worth what I spent on it. Gears two is the exact opposite. I played for about 4 weeks and it ended up being an excercise in frustration and only comes out for a late night Horde session which is more of a chatroom time burner than anything else.
