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Gears of War 2 [Xbox 360]

Gears of War 2 (2008)

Shooter

Developer	Epic Games
Publisher	Microsoft
Series	Gears of War

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Description

Players continue as Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero and leader of Delta Squad, six months after the events of "Gears of War." The last cities on Sera are sinking, swallowed by a new Locust threat from below. A massive counterattack is humanity's last hope for survival.

Unparalleled gameplay. "Gears of War 2" takes the award-winning gameplay of the original and improves upon it in every way. The genre-defining cover system is further refined, making the "stop and pop" gameplay more intuitive. Dynamic cover is given new meaning as downed opponents can be picked up and used as shields. The intimate violence of the battlefield is heightened when combatants engage in chainsaw duels. Destructible environments and vicious new finishing moves add to the over-the-top experience.

Jaw-dropping visuals. "Gears of War 2" continues to raise the graphics bar through its breathtaking visual effects, made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3.

Engaging experience that pulls you in and won't let go. "Gears of War 2" takes deep and immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Players connect with humanity's battle for survival on a personal level as they move through a story that introduces new characters and sheds light on the histories of familiar ones.

Expanded cooperative play. Team up with a friend to fight through the harrowing story of Delta Squad in the enhanced campaign mode, now featuring drop-in/drop-out gameplay, as well as individual player difficulty options. Or recruit four friends to battle in the new game mode "Horde," where you'll fight together to fend off a seemingly endless onslaught of Locust forces to attain the highest score.

Fierce and varied competitive multiplayer action. "Gears of War 2" features eight distinct multiplayer modes,2 including the new Wingman, Guardian and Submission modes, where up to 10 players choose a side and pit their courage and battlefield mettle directly against others. In addition, multiplayer bots are available to sharpen your skills offline or to fill out your online private matches on Xbox LIVE.

Party system and skill-based online matchmaking. New to "Gears of War 2" is a party system that allows players to form a full or partial team with friends and continue together from match to match without the need to reform after each game. "Gears of War 2" also supports a skill-based online matchmaking system, powered by TrueSkill, which groups players of similar skill level together in competitive multiplayer matches.

Reviews on Gears of War 2 [Xbox 360]

Tex Visser on Gears of War 2 [Xbox 360], 19-03-2009

"Well, in the short period I have played this game I can say I'm pleasantly suprised. The controls are good, although I changed the inverted y-axis as I don't like it inverted.

Well the graphics are nice. Don't think of me as a Playstation fanboy. but Killzone 2 set the standard pretty high for me. The graphics in Gears of War are better when compared to most other games, so if you're a graphic whore you will like this game.

You start with a very long cutscene about the current war that is going on. After that one, you can accept or decline to train a rookie, which actually is the tutorial. I recommend you follow the tutorial, it helps explaining what's what in the game. When you're done trash-talking him, you can start shooting Locust. Be sure to pick up a lot of ammo, because those bastards won't go down that quick. After walking around shooting some Locust and chopping them up with your chainsaw, you encounter a rather large fellow. Who then dissapears again. Well, after that you encounter... more Locust.

As I said, I didn't play that much as I stopped when you are about to enter that vehicle. Maybe I'll finish the game sometime. You will get a full review then.

All in all: Gears of War 2 means shooting, shooting and more shooting. And when you're sick of shooting, you will shoot some more. No one ever gets tired of shooting, right?"

Rowdy on Gears of War 2 [Xbox 360], 12-12-2008

"Cliff Bleszinski said Gears of War 2 would be bigger, better and more badass. Man, he was right! I had a great time playing this sequel to one of the best xbox 360 games made yet.

The visuals belong to the best I've seen in a game so far. The main protagonists all look very detailed. Level design is done very sharp and backgrounds look truly stunning.

You get to travel to some very unique places and every level level looks as detailed as can be. When you go underground you're especially in for a treat. The Locust underground cities look incredible: this dangerous place just breathes authenticity. Let's just say to get to see a lot of the underground flora & fauna.

I don't want to get in detail too much and spoil things, but when compared to the first game there are also a lot more cool and original driving / flying scenes put in. I'm biting my tongue here as a matter of fact, because I want to tell about that mad driving sequence somewhere near the end of the game: it's so amazingly cool. But hey, check that our for yourselves, okay?

Multiplayer is also done very well, not much to say about that feature actually. If you're done with singleplayer, there are tons of hours to be spend on the extended and improved multiplayer modes. One of the greatest modes has to be Horde, in which you have to fight a constant stream of enemies. Keep in mind that this can be played with bots (computer controlled enemies) too. Enemy A.I. is done very well by the way, they really pack a punch and use different tactics to try to ambush you.

One minor thing about Gears of War 2 is the fact that it's a little bit all too macho. It's like visting the '80s again with male bonding big muscle guys, witty one-liners and zillions of bullets. But on the other hand, who cares if it's so much fun?

All in all, Gears of War 2 is the best third person shooter for the Xbox 360. Buy it. Now!"