Shifting into 2nd gear (Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360))

Member Name: mchitty

Product:	Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360)
Date:	21/12/08 (82 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The next step in action shooter gameplay

Disadvantages: Not for the faint hearted, still some minor bugs to be fixed

At last! This long awaited sequel has come!

Gears of War was one of the first Xbox 360 games that really opened people's eyes to next-gen gaming. GoW was not without it's flaws, but it had a heavy cinematic feel, fantastic graphics, smooth and well thought out gameplay and excellent multiplayer. It was a shining example of what an action shooter should now be.

Gears of War 2 is no different except - well - it is different. It's a whole step forward from the excellent first game.

First of all, fans of the original will be relieved to know that the third person cover-then-shoot gameplay is still in tact. Throughout the game you will be looking for something to hide behind or lean against, getting ready to shoot at the baddies when the time is right. This certainly isn't a game where you can just charge in all guns blazing.

As is usual with sequels to shooter games, GoW 2 offers the new player a whole new bag of toys. The most important of these new tools in my opinion is the mortar, minigun and flamethrower. This trio of 'bigguns' add a new element to the tactical gameplay, releasing enormous firepower at the expense of zero mobility for the player. It's worth adding that unlike in most games, the flamethrower here is insanely fun to use!

The settings visited in the game are much more varied and interesting than in the first GoW. As well as bombed out cities there are Locust temples, snowy bases and even a 'razorhail storm' in which you have to negotiate a rather painful and sharp form of hailstones falling from the sky!

The varied settings are complemented by a really moving and emotional storyline that is miles better than the first game. At points this game feels like a movie... and you're in it! The gameplay is also varied, which helps to break the game up as an experience. There are some parts that don't involve any shooting at all.

GoW 2 is crammed with brilliant and epic boss fights which personally made my jaw drop. These fights are full of strategy and are a joy to play through, and yes, they're incredibly impressive.

One of my favourite elements of the Gears of War games is the co-operative element. Basically, at any time you can have a friend pick up a controller and join in the game with you. As I have said before with other games, this is a brilliant feature that I wish was common across all games, as it really is a heap of fun.

Online multiplayer options here are just as brilliant as in the first game... with the addition of some tasty new modes. My favourite is 'Horde', in which a team of five players must defend themselves against an increasingly tough onslaught of Locust. You may be surprised how many can get crammed on a screen and yet the game still runs super-smoothly...

...Because by god, these graphics are beautiful! GoW2 has more varied environments than the first game, which means that the whole experience is more vivid, colourful and generally nicer to look at. The technology here is provided by the Unreal Engine and it really is beautiful.

Overall GoW 2 is an absolutely great action shooter game, a faithful and worthy sequel to the first game, and essential buying for any Xbox 360 owner. A word of warning though - don't buy this for your kids - it's very violent and deals with some very adult themes!

Summary: There's nothing wrong with doubling the amount of Gears of War available!