Gears Of War 2 Review

Welcome back to the suck, soldier! You had better bring some extra ammo and a healthy side of courage, because the Locust is back and rolling fierce without taking prisoners. I bet you thought it was all over and you could take a vacation, right? Well get with the program Gear, there is no time for rest; especially since we only just started the fight. It is time to join up with Fenix and his fellow Gears to stomp the Locust back into the dirty hole they sprang from. All soldiers gear up, cock your lancers and head out so we can end the fight for humanity once and for all.

Marcus and Dom come back for a second campaign in the fight to save humanity from the Locust Horde. This time we have a lot more problems to deal with than in the first game. In Gears of War 2 the story takes a different twist making it more like an epic movie than a video game. However in Gears of War 2, players get to take part in the cinematic action, rather than simply watch the story unfold through cut scenes. The developers also threw in a side plot dealing with Dom and his missing wife, with the result that it feels as if the game revolves around Dom. The storyline two player options are available of course so you won't ever have to fight alone. The sidekick becomes the hero in this story, but you still have to focus on the main objectives even though there is a love plot involved.

The improvements in Gears of War 2 are outstanding and make the game more challenging. You now have the option of moving to safety or calling for a comrade willing to help you out when you start to bleed out. I for one know how annoying it was to be a helpless body screaming "help me!!" or "why Lord why?" after being attacked and stuck on the ground until someone came to help or you get curbed stomped by an enemy. The interesting thing about this feature is that the enemy can do the exact same thing, which forces you to make sure that your opponent is good and dead. The weapons have been revamped giving them a more realistic feel and design; for example when using my "lancer" too much I noticed the barrel turning red from overheating. You also have more interactive options with your chainsaw and of course the awesome chainsaw fighting feature. You and your opponents will go into a button mash frenzy to see who will come on top cutting through one another with your chainsaws.

Now, on the note of new interactive features, we should also mention the new and improve curb stomping which gives you many other options besides the foot to head method. Trying out any of the other buttons you can either turn the wounded on their back and beat them down with a barrage of punches or use the butt of your whale on their cranium for good measure. There is nothing like busting an opponents head wide open before you go to work, trust me it relieves a lot of stress. In speaking in terms of stress the A.I. opponents are no joke this time around. If you thought they were bad before they are much more intelligent and a lot tougher in terms of actually helping each other out and being more tactical when it comes to combat situations. Instead of charging head on at you they roll out of the way or flank you from behind when your back is turned. It seems that Epic thought of ways to make the A.I. less hesitant to give gamers a better challenge. The A.I. in Gears of War 2 is now closer to the type of competition players will face from other human opponents online.

Before we get to the multiplayer modes in Gears of War 2, it is worth a moment to talk about the new characters involved in the story. The new characters are Tai Kaliso, Chairman Prescott, Dizzy and Maria Santiago -- Dom's wife. They actually bring a new life to the storyline and infuse a little bit of emotion into the game each time you interact with them.

All right, time for the multiplayer modes, which I know you have all been waiting for. The offerings this time around are fierce and spectacular. My personal favorite is "The Horde" mode which is a co-op mode where you take on levels of horde enemies until you reach the last level. You will have to pick the best strategy to survive each and every one of the levels. Also, you will have to be a real team player to get through the levels or you will have to repeat that same level until you become the Victor. As my Gears buddy "DatDude Stretch" pointed out, the best place to accomplish this mode is Security. I have to say I agree because you have laser barricades in which you can stay in and cover all three sides for ultimate victory. Personally, I think the Mansion is the best place to hold your ground; if you stay upstairs and have your crew cover both stair sides and two of you cover the front door you have a great chance of victory. Try it out for yourself and see!

There are other multiplayer game modes to choose from, and some oldies as well. You will be subjected to warzone, guardian, wingman, submission, execution, annex and of course king of the hill. During your devastation through the maps you might want to take with you a lot of stopping power. I have to say with the added fire power that is going on in this game, I am very impressed with the options. The new lineup of weapons are the Hammerburst assault rifle, Gorgon Pistol, Boomshield, Ink Grenade, Scorcher Flamethrower, Mulcher and Mortar. All the new weapons have advantages and disadvantages. However you will find the right one for yourself and then ultimately master it.

The only flaw that comes to mind with this game is the short length of its single-player campaign. However, the quality of the overall experience means that this does not significantly lower the value of the game. The replay value is the most important part of Gears of War 2, and people will be playing for hours and days to come.

Here are my final thoughts on Gears of War 2. Firstly, the game play is familiar so no confusion is expected with some minor changes and the storyline feels more movie worthy while still being a game. The combat system has improved a lot making it more challenging and fantastic. The A.I has been upgraded so you really are pushed to fight hard in the campaign and side games. It is always a plus to have co-op modes in any 3rd person shooter since as they said, "its good to play together!" There are some slight glitches in the game but they are really minor and don't affect gameplay. I give Gears of War 2 a 5 out of 5 because it overwhelmingly met my expectations as a gamer and that's good enough for me.

Stay frosty, gamers!