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Gears of War 2 | 
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| From: Microsoft
Category: Video Games
List Price: $59.99
Buy New: $49.99
You Save: $10.00 (17%)
New (44) Used (7) from $49.99
Rating:  72 reviews
Sales Rank: 13
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: shooter_action_games
ESRB: Mature
Media: Video Game
Edition: Standard
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: No
Age: 17 - 20 years
Operating System: Xbox 360
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2
Dimensions (in): 0.1 x 0.1 x 0
MPN: C3U-00001
Model: C3U-00001
UPC: 882224691635
EAN: 0882224691635
ASIN: B000ZK9QD2
Release Date: November 7, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| | 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 | | | Original cast of characters returns, including Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago, as well as several newcomers |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The gears of war continue to turn as Marcus Fenix and his squad of Cogs go back into action. Gears of War 2 continues the story of Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad, locked in an increasingly desperate battle against the nightmarish Locust Horde for the survival of humanity. It is an epic saga of survival, loss, and retribution. Gears of War 2 raises the bar with the amazing technological advances of Unreal Engine 3, delivering a bigger, badder, and more intense experience.
Party system and skill-based online matchmaking - form a full or partial team with friends and continue together from match to match without the need to reform after each game. A skill-based online matchmaking system groups players of similar skill level together in competitive multiplayer matches
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. With innovative third-person tactical action gameplay and unsurpassed high-definition graphics, Gears of War 2 is a must-have game for the Xbox 360.  | Gears of War 2
Players:
Offline: 1-4
Online: 10
Gameplay Modes:
Single player, competitive multiplayer, cooperative multiplayer, system link multiplayer, online multiplayer with voice support.
Format:
16:9 Widescreen on HDTV 480p, 720p, and 1080i. |  | | 
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. | 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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 Very solid gameplay; story could have used a little more refining + better integration November 8, 2008
Shann Yu (Nashville, TN)
26 out of 34 found this review helpful
To start off, I played the first Gears for the campaign/co-op campaign. And I purchased this game for the same reason, so if you're looking to know more about multiplayer gameplay, check out another review. That said, this game plays very well, very much like a thrill ride for the most part. Story can use a lot more refining and better integration. This gets a 5-star in its own right. But Halo 3 and BioShock are still better games overall than GoW 2.
GAMEPLAY: A+
This game still plays like the first Gears, except with a wider array of weapons and features (ie, chainsaw battles, different modes of executing a downed enemy). This is a third person shooter, for those who have not played the first one. And also, expect a lot of blood and violence, so if you are parents considering this game for your children, this serves as fair warning.
The campaign takes longer to beat this time around (10-20h I think). The graphics are very beautiful and realistic, and a lot more 'vibrant'. The first Gears was in general a very dark and gloomy game. You see a lot more color in this one. Co-op campaign gameplay continues to be addictive and I think a strength in this game. It is still as immersive an experience for all players involved as the first Gears was.
Further, the creators definitely outdid themselves in design of the levels. You should expect to be pleasantly surprised with every single level that comes up. While you can clearly expect to see yourself running around in the streets battling waves after waves of Locust, you will also see another order of magnitude of fighting, with sometimes even as many as 80-100 Locust rushing through your field of view. To emphasize the creativity of the creators, there was also, at various points later in the game (spoiler warning), a section where you had to traverse a pitch-black tunnel to safely escort a vehicle across, and even a level where your squad somehow ends up inside one of the Locust beasts and had to fight your way out...
Overall, this game has been quite an experience. It deserves an A+ and Game of the Year awards.
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STORY: B+
Given that this game promised to have more leads on the storyline of the series than the first one, it does a better job. A lot of the early story is centered around Dom and him trying to find his wife, amidst all the fighting. The voice acting is compelling for the most part, and you can tell a lot more easily that it's a dark time for humanity on this fictional planet. In the first Gears, playing through the story was mostly humorous because of the way all the guys were joking around in between fight scenes and the light talk that went on. In this Gears, there's a lot more of a sense of urgency. And cutscenes are well made.
Finally, instead of COG tags for collection, we have bits and pieces of 'collectibles' like newspaper clippings, ads, so on and so forth that in some cases contribute to the backstory a little bit, kind of like the way those terminals worked in Halo 3. All of these, when found, are put in some scrapbook that's accessible from the Main Menu, and arranged in a more or less logical order.
The reason the story only gets a B+: if you think about games like BioShock and Mass Effect and the Halo series with their very immersive storylines, GoW 2 is still not quite there. But it is closer to that state now than it was previously.
I won't reveal any more in this part, but definitely expect a lot more of a plot that serves as a backdrop to all the fighting that's going on. Epic Games did a good job of piquing your interest and making you want to learn more.
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CHARACTERS: A-
The characters come across a lot more human in this one. I have mentioned that the mood in this game comes across with a lot more of a sense of urgency to beat the Locust. That comes across well in all of the characters. As you play the game, you begin to feel more and more of a connection with each of the characters and in some cases, almost have to just stop playing when certain characters die... Let's leave it at that.
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REPLAYABILITY: A
With the first game, I recall beating it my first time around with a friend on Hardcore, and then on Insane, and then going around and helping each of my roommates and a good number of friends beat the game on both difficulty settings. The same will probably hold for this game. I think it's a thrilling enough of a ride that I wouldn't mind going over it over and over and over...
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To sum up, this game is definitely worth the $60.
PROS: This is all about gameplay and the feel of the game. Even on top of all the additional features and improvements, it is still undoubtedly Gears of War. The controls remain very intuitive and easy to learn. It's easily one of the best 3rd person shooters out there, in my opinion.
CONS: I think storyline could have been a lot deeper. I guess they are saving this for Gears of War 3. Violence may be a little too much for the unprepared. Right now, this is all I can think of.
FINAL VERDICT: A. This is a very well-made game. I have the tendency to buy games and sell them back when I'm done. But I think GoW 2 will probably be a mainstay in my library, just as GoW was. For that, plus all the +'s I have mentioned, I think this game deserves an awesome grade. Can I hear Game of the Year?
Excellent sequel!! November 19, 2008
George Chadwell (Warner Robins, GA United States)
I don't write too many reviews but sometimes I just have to! Let me start off by writing that I was not the biggest fan of the original GoW, I thought it was a good game but not the be all end all of gaming like many people told me. I planned on waiting to buy this game till after the Christmas Season but a friend convinced me to buy it to play on Live with him...HOLY CRAP!! WOW WOW WOW, awesome fun.
Last night I started the single player campaign mode and I have been hooked since.
I will keep it short, excellent game.
Spectacular November 20, 2008
Terrence Aybar (New York City)
Wow.
Graphics are incredible as you knew they would be if you experienced the first one. The sequel just looks better overall, sporting livelier colors and a little more variety in the levels. The first one was admittedly a bit murky and monochromed but this one does away with all that.
Sound is absolute mayhem, with a superb sound mix and a new music score by Steve Jablonsky of Transformers (the recent movie) fame. This is one loud game and you'll be able to tell the difference once you fire that Lancer which now sounds like it packs some punch.
The story is a bit more refined, even if the voice acting kind of bites in a couple of instances. I wouldn't necessarily blame the voice acting actually, just the way some of the lines were written, they just feel flat and forced. A lot of questions are put out there that are not necessarily answered and by the end, you'll still have a bunch of questions that'll demand some kind of answers. Still, Gears of War 2 has a much better story than the first one and is definitely more involving, especially in regards to the character of Dom who has a genuinely moving moment which I wouldn't dare spoil. You also have some boss battles that are simply stunning in their execution with bosses so large you have to take them out from the inside (and yeah, I'm not telling you anymore than that). Have a friend join you to take on the Locust cooperatively and the game just gets that much better.
Multiplayer is a blast as expected and before I go into that, I have to mention the controls. They've refined them to a point that the game just plays much more fluidly than its predecessor and its immediately noticeable. Being that the controls have been fine tuned, it makes playing the single player and multiplayer portions an even more rewarding experience. I felt the first one had some moments where I couldn't even take cover properly but thats been fixed. At any rate, there are some great multiplayer modes with an interesting take on capture the flag where the flag is a person you have to drag back to the scoring zone by force. And if you haven't heard by now, there's a new mode called Horde that lets you and four other friends (forgot to mention that the player capacity has been increased from eight players to ten in total in the versus modes) hold your own against fifty waves of Locust soldiers and beasts, coming at you faster and stronger with each successive wave of increasing numbers. Definitely my personal fave of the multiplayer modes.
What I love about this game is that it doesn't dangle a carrot in front of you just to take it away at the last second. The first one was definitely guilty of this, showing creatures and events transpiring that you never really got to deal with or simply had to watch in a cutscene. Not here does this happen and let me tell you, I couldn't believe some of the stuff that happened in this game in terms of the level design and what not. I would love to tell you more but I couldn't for fear of ruining the overall experience. Let's just say that you will not be disappointed or better yet, I don't think you CAN be disappointed. This game delivers on all fronts and is one of the years best, period.
Great Game!!!!!!! November 15, 2008
Jagdeep Johal (San Mateo, CA United States)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
The story mode is great and the multiplayer is awsome this game is a must buy!!!
Excellent sequel to one of the best 360 games to date. November 8, 2008
Ben Myers
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Just beat this game on hardcore, and I must say, with very few exceptions, this game met all of my expectations. Great graphics with improved use of color, excellent soundtrack (as is always the case from Epic), and quite a few new weapons and enemies. The multiplayer is also very good, so far I've only played a few rounds, but have enjoyed it quite a bit. Horde mode is very cool, a great addition to the game that is sure to add many hours of gameplay.
I can only think of two complaints. First of all there are some disappearing textures here and there, which tend to fill in quickly but it is slightly annoying. My second complaint is that there is no boss that is anywhere near the difficulty of Raam from Gears 1. I was hoping for a huge epic battle at the end of the game that would frustrate challenge me for a few hours, which was the case with Raam on hardcore and insane difficulty levels. Beating him required perfect timing and tactics, and there was nothing in Gears 2 that compared to the difficulty and challenge of the end boss in Gears 1.
That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed the game, can say that it definitely met my expectations for a sequel to one of my favorite 360 games. Way to go Epic.
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