GEARS OF WAR 2 review

Gears of War 2, developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios was released on November 7, 2008 for Microsoft Xbox 360. After spending so much time on the first game, I was eagerly waiting for this one, feeling the hype like every other gamer. In the end, it was worth the wait...

Gameplay
Why fix something that isn't broken? That is exactly what was done: the basic elements of the first game are still there but some nice new features were added. The effective cover system is the same as before but you can now do some mobile covering since you can use downed Locusts (not dead) as meat shields! You can also use metal shields dropped by some Locusts. While using a shield, you can only use a one-handed weapon, which is of course the pistol. The weapons we all used to known in the first Gears of War are still available but many ones were added like the flamethrower and the mortar. While the berserker and the krill are gone, many different Locust classes were added. I won't say anything about them as it could be considered a spoiler but there is a lot of variety. I have not completed the game yet but the story is better than the first one.

Graphics
Not much to say about the graphics except that they look awesome. Epic developed the Unreal Engine and they obviously know how to use it on the Xbox 360. This is a dark post-apocalyptic world, so don't except bright colors like you can find in a Mario game... (who would anyway? :-D)

Multiplayer
The simple way to resume the multiplayer modes in Gears of War 2: a strong campaign coop mode, a diversified versus player mode and a new versus CPU mode. The story mode in coop is a lot of fun. It was designed to be played in coop, they didn't simply throw an additional player in a single player story mode. The new horde mode is really awesome. You play as a member of a team of 5 humans that need to survive against endless waves of Locusts (there are actually 50 waves). The Locusts get stronger after each wave so you should make sure to regroup with your teammates and don't waste your ammo. Finally, the versus human modes consist of you standard war zone, execution, and annex but Epic also added Wingman, Guardian, King of the Hill and Submission. Basically, about every team versus mode you could imagine is available. The only disappointment is that unlike the first game, you cannot chose your specific mode and map in public games on Xbox Live. You can chose your general mode and then the players will vote for their favorite mode and map (2 random modes and maps are available for each game). That means that you cannot spend a complete afternoon in Gridlock (which is back as an updated version!). Also, the weapons are more balanced. The shotgun is still a great gun but it probably won't be your cookie-cutter gun.

As a meaning to reduce the sales of used games, Epic bundled in the box a code which will allow you to download for free (as Epic always did for Gears of War maps) a flashback map pack (updated versions of the most popular maps in the first Gears of War). Even if you are willing to pay, you cannot buy these maps so make sure you buy a sealed game if you want to enjoy the classic maps once more. This isn't a problem right now since no one has bought a used copy yet but could be annoying in the future if you don't have these maps and want to play with your friends that do (a warzone on Gridlock is always fun).

Conclusion
The reviews gave great ratings to Gears of War 2 and once you play it, the reason behind these scores is obvious. If you liked the first game, you will like this one: the best elements are still there and enhancements were added. A recommenced game for any serious gamer (even for casual gamers), this is Game of the Year material!

Score: 9.5 / 10