Gears of War 2 (Special Edition) (Xbox 360, 2008)

Exactly two years after its predecessor's release, Gears of War 2 was unleashed upon the gaming world. Amongst Halo-esque hype, Epic Games promised their sequel to one of Xbox 360's most successful titles would be "bigger, better and more badass". Did they deliver? The answer is a resounding yes.

Gears of War 2 takes place six months after the events of the original Gears. The Lightmass bomb that Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad detonated was not the successful strike against the Locust they had hoped for. The war between COG soldiers and the Locust Horde is quite literally tearing the planet Sera apart. The Locust is sinking entire cities and has set their sites on the last human stronghold, Jacintha. Humankind and their civilization are on the verge of extinction. The war cannot continue, and so, with one last united push, the humans decide the only option left is to go on the offensive and strike at the Locust heart underground. Marcus Fenix, Dominic Santiago and thousands of others begin this last desperate act for hope and life. This truly is war.

One of the weaker elements plaguing the first Gears of War along with countless other action shooters is the story. The narrative of Delta Squad and the Locust War definitely has some unique facets, but nothing is really fleshed out and fully developed. Given its jaw dropping action and graphics, few seemed to care at the time of its release.

For the sequel, gamers wanted a deeper story with more character development. Who, and why were these COG soldiers on the forefront of this fight, and who or what was the catalyst that caused Emergence Day. In scope and scale, the story in Gears of War 2 is bigger in every way from the original. That does not necessarily mean that there is "more" story per se. I found few questions from Gears of War answered, and even more questions were posed during the new campaign.

The increased depth of story and character development comes through the tones and atmosphere portrayed throughout each Act. No longer is Delta Squad fighting alone in abandoned courtyards and backstreets. They are fighting alongside hundreds of fellow soldiers in a common cause. Desperation hangs thick over their heads as this is their one last shot at ending this war. You're surrounded by battles claiming the lives of friends and allies. You're rescuing comrades, or being rescued. Gears of War 2 truly feels as if the world around you is at war, and Marcus and his squad are part of something bigger.

One significant story that runs parallel to Marcus's role in this war is that of Dom's search for his missing wife Maria. For the life of me, I can't remember any mention of her in Gears of War, but this added storyline for Dom puts a compelling human touch on the characters and the war. We realize Marcus, Dom and Delta are not merely mindless brutes, but humans fighting for something. The outcome for this side story is actually one of the more emotionally poignant scenes in recent video game memory, all highlighted by an amazing score piece.

At first glance, it is easy to dismiss Gears of War 2's graphics as more of the same considering it is using the identical Unreal 3 engine now over two-years old. After ten minutes or less, there is little doubt Gears of War 2's visual aesthetics are not only vastly superior to the original game, but set a new bar for high definition gaming graphics on consoles as well.

The first notable difference is in the color palette. The Gears palette is no lo

It takes a talented developer to make a truly outstanding game. It takes a more talented one to make an even better sequel. So when websites began to state that “Gears of War 2” would simply be “more of the same”, some people may have felt disappointed, and yes “Gears of War 2” is more of the same. Now add in the fact that the original “Gears of War” is one of the five best games I've ever played, and “more of the same” suddenly doesn't seem like such a bad thing. So now let's also add that “Gears of War 2” demolishes the original in every single aspect, and what are you left with? I don't think there's a word yet to describe it.

“Gears of War 2” begins several months after the events of the first. The Delta squad lead by Marcus Fenix struck a crucial blow to the Locust horde by detonating the light-mass bomb in their underground networks. Yet now the Locust are back and they've brought something with them that is capable of sinking entire cities into the planet. With their backs against the wall humanity launches a last ditch effort to end the war by burrowing into the planet's surface and taking the fight directly to the Locust. “Gears of War 2” puts a much heavier emphasis on story telling than the original did. The result pays off in grand fashion mixing in equal parts of grandiose and personal themes. There's plenty of compelling secrets revealed about the mysterious Locust horde and their origins, which only compelled me to play more.

As mentioned the core gameplay is more of the same, but everything has been enhanced. The weapons are more effective, the enemy and partner A.I. is more aggressive and the cover system is more responsive. Just as in the original you will again need to be taking cover, peeking out to take your shots before ducking back down again. The cover system feels tighter this time around and you won't find yourself sticking behind objects you weren't intending to utilize. The biggest and best new addition is the ability to grab wounded enemies and use them as a “meat shield”. This might not seem like a noteworthy addition but I cannot even begin to count how many times I have used this to escape a tight spot. Epic Games has also included “stopping power” to its firearms. No longer can players effortlessly run through a hail of bullets towards cover; now, every bullet that hits not only slows your character down but also staggers him. This helps make the game far more strategic and forces players to take things slowly instead of rushing every opposition. The grenades have also been given a hefty facelift. A new “ink” grenade has been added that explodes into a ball of poisonous gas. The previously useless smoke grenades now not only emit smoke but knock any nearby enemies off their feet. Grenades can also be stuck to walls and used as proximity mines for approaching enemies, an invaluable tool in keeping foes from sneaking up behind you in large rooms.

Graphics- 10
Gameplay- 10
Sound- 10
Overall- 10

This game is great fun to play, but is only a slight improvement on the original. Gameplay is similar, as a duck & cover 3rd person shooter. Host lag advantage has been minimized, however actually getting into a multiplayer pub match can take a very, very long time. The game is in desperate need of a patch to solve the slow matchmaking process.

The single player campaign is great fun, reminiscent of the varied and exciting content of the second Halo. Co-op play is seamless -- friends can drop in or out with ease. Controls have not been changed significantly from the original.

The truly wonderful thing about Gears 2 is the achievement tracking. Every time you make progress toward an achievement, an on-screen indicator pops up, letting you know how far you have yet to go before earning the cheevo. This makes for much less frustration and guesswork, especially when you've played the game for a long time, and are wondering when you'll get that difficult achievement.

For people new to the franchise, the learning curve is steep. For people not used to shooters, the learning curve is nigh on unbearable. This game is for the truly addicted, with little middle ground for the casual gamer.

That said, it is also one of the best new shooters around. It must rank up there with Halo 3, Shadowrun, and The Orange Box when considering what is available on the Xbox 360. (My friends would also add CoD 4, or Rainbow Six: Vegas, but those are not my cup of tea.)

Should you rent or purchase?

Here's the deal: if you like shooters, buy it. It is a very good game, with plenty of varied play experience. The matches are fair, the maps abundant, and the bugs are minimal. Also, if you buy, you get bonus maps and other nifty content.

If, however, you are on a limited budget, or you are only a casual shooter, try it first. I have become very tired of waiting to connect to other players and other teams in matchmaking -- a process which often allows me to run to the restroom, have a cigarette, and goof around on the internet between matches, with plenty of time to spare. I also don't think the gameplay has changed dramatically enough between the first and second features. Sure, you can use downed players as 'meat shields,' and all that, but its essence is Gears 1 with some new bells and whistles. Which is fine if you are a devoted fan. For others, like me, I want more out of my Gears 3 and Halo 4 experiences, when they inevitably come out.

Gears of War 2 builds upon the gameplay of the first title in every way. First, the scope of the action is bigger: new characters, more weapons, nastier enemies, bigger vehicles, and grander locales offer more action, more emotion, and more thrills. Next, every major aspect of the game has been refined to create heightened, more immersive experiences. Finally, the overall tone of Gears of War 2 is more badass: replete with new weapon-specific executions, chainsaw duels, and shocking boss fights. Gears of War 2 raises the graphics bar for next-generation games through its breathtaking visual effects, which 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. When combined with the sweeping vistas and evocative locales in the world of Sera where the Gears of War 2 story unfolds, these additions help make this the most gorgeous game available this generation. Gears of War 2 continues to push deep, immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Humanity's epic battle for survival is felt on both the personal and epic levels as you explore multiple story arcs that introduce new characters and flesh out the histories of familiar ones. A new in-game conversational camera system also helps bring the compelling story to life in a cinematic fashion. [Microsoft]

Overall:

Excellent Game!

Portions of this review are by Metacritic.com

The Good
- The sequel to one of the best games ever and the story keeps twisting; one of the few games with characters you actually care about
- Some of the most awesome gaming sequences you will ever play
- Plenty of new weapons to go along with my favorite sniper rifle in video gaming
- You finally get to ride that Brumak that you were supposed to ride in the first game
- Multiplayer has been improved with matchmaking and training bots that allow you to have an endless gaming experience that will last you until Gears 3 hits and beyond
- Co-op is still the cream of the crop

The Bad
- No Berserker battle at all
- Getting up onto platforms can be a pain
- Finding a match online can also become a real pain
-AI teammates aren't always the smartest cookies in the jar

The Verdict
Must have 360 title and a top game of the year candidate for 2008. And unlike the Presidential Election, this deserves your vote and your time. Go pick it up. Oh and it's definitely not for the kiddies. 5/5