Gears of War 2

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.9

Generally favorable reviews- based on 3389 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2,602 out of 3389
  2. Mixed: 275 out of 3389
  3. Negative: 512 out of 3389
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  1. NaughtyDog
    Jun 12, 2011
    7
    Gears of War 2 feels better then Gears (1) but I'm not sure if it's better. It's not easy to explain but Gears of War 2 is not as good as the first game. But who I'm I kidding? This game has such entertainment and value that everyone who enjoys action games should try this!! The story is bigger this time around... Looking forward to Gears of War 3.
  2. ArkonBlade
    Aug 13, 2010
    5
    what a let down in almost every aspect. where to start . well lets start with the single player . The story for lack of a better word sucked apperintly in all the questions we had from gears of war 1 Epic thought we all wanted to know about Doms wife . i guess they thought that no one cared about where the locast came from , marcus's past , How the war Started and pretty much any otherwhat a let down in almost every aspect. where to start . well lets start with the single player . The story for lack of a better word sucked apperintly in all the questions we had from gears of war 1 Epic thought we all wanted to know about Doms wife . i guess they thought that no one cared about where the locast came from , marcus's past , How the war Started and pretty much any other importent Plot detail ive heard people asking about. The ending Boss battles where a Joke the fight with Skarr wasnt even close to being as fun as fighting Ramm in the first one . the final battle with the Brumak was a complete and utter FAIL. i mean you cant lose this fight i dont care what difaculty you have this on a freekin monkey could do it . the game does have its moments like fighting the giant fish boss that looked and felt awsome but thoose moments in Gears 2 are very few and far between . its a decent Co-op experiance but why do they not have 4 player co-op i mean this game begs for it. The Horde Mode is ok and will provide you with some fun but nothing thats amazing as hyped . The online was completely Destroyed i loved the first one online it has to be my favorite online game despite all the bugs and glitches which are MANY! but gears 2's online they just wrecked they destroyed the shotgun , the serch system was horendus , the chainsaw was unstoppable , the new maps are just Lame , The mortor was rediculas and shoulda been left for the single player, frag tagging to walls is the cheapest thing ever , theres not much good to say about this game outside of the voice acting and diolouge is great and they fixed the active reload with the sniper so its not cheap any more. some of the online issues have been fixed ive heard as of late but its to little to late . Epic Games should be out appoligizing for this game every day . i have little Hope Gears 3 will be any better then this crap . i give it a 5 because the controls are solid and the graphics are nice , and good voice acting . i can give little more praise then that.… Expand
  3. SwoopTrust
    Nov 5, 2011
    7
    It was a letdown for me. i was expecting something better from Epic. Campaign, while solid, has some not very shiny points. the ending/final boss was a mess, no difficulty at all. Still worth a rental, at least.
  4. josesueiro
    Apr 14, 2016
    6
    Gears of War 2 is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft

    + Fun Gameplay
    + Multiplayer
    + Coop Campaing
    - Stupid Story
    - Stupid Characters
    - Repetitive
  5. JoshE.
    Nov 7, 2008
    5
    In comparison to gears 1 this gets a 5. Campaign is decent but its much more of the same. All the little add-ons like the meat shield and chainsaw duals could have been left out and it would have made no difference, they aren't a big deal. Graphically it almost looks a step back from gears 1. looks more cartoony. Multiplayer is where for me anyways that this is a big letdown. Im a In comparison to gears 1 this gets a 5. Campaign is decent but its much more of the same. All the little add-ons like the meat shield and chainsaw duals could have been left out and it would have made no difference, they aren't a big deal. Graphically it almost looks a step back from gears 1. looks more cartoony. Multiplayer is where for me anyways that this is a big letdown. Im a hardcore gears player and have been playing online solid for the last two years. The new maps are terrible, the new weapons are fairly useless and one on one shotgun battles and sniper battles etc are now a thing of the past. Last gears had a sense of emotion and rivalry in its multiplayer but this is just too mindless. Any gears fan will not be pleased with this and I honestly don't know how gears of war 2 has gotten such high reviews. For people new to the series it will be decent but to hardcore fans of old.. don't get too excited! Peace.… Expand
  6. ImUnavailable
    Mar 13, 2011
    6
    I really don't understand the massive success of Gears of War. Though the gameplay is entertaining, the story, characters and writing are all lackluster. GoW does cover based shooters well and battlefields are hectic and exciting. However, the environments are once again comprised of a variety of brown colors. The characters are all bulky macho men who can't help but inform us of howI really don't understand the massive success of Gears of War. Though the gameplay is entertaining, the story, characters and writing are all lackluster. GoW does cover based shooters well and battlefields are hectic and exciting. However, the environments are once again comprised of a variety of brown colors. The characters are all bulky macho men who can't help but inform us of how badass they are at every available opportunity. An attempt is made to develop the character of Dom by adding the subplot about his wife, but these seem out of place among the other largely emotionless soldiers. I suppose I should commend Epic for trying. The GoW series centers on the fight between humans the Locust but two games in, there is no real heart to this game.… Expand
  7. bighead6000
    Jul 13, 2011
    6
    This is overall a mediocre game. I don't see why critics praise this game, it's not that good. The style of the game is just boring sometimes, and the campaign has no exciting moments. I also don't see why there's multiplayer. Even though I think the horde mode is fun, I still think you should skip this one.
  8. MattC.
    Nov 14, 2008
    6
    Great Campaign, worth going through a couple of times, even online. Co-op horde mode, isn't original but a welcome addition. Basically a 5 player version of terrorist hunt from Vegas 1 &2. This is all implemented and works fine. Multiple however, should have invested a little more time tweaking network issues. Once again this is their Achilles heal. Network lag across Live is Great Campaign, worth going through a couple of times, even online. Co-op horde mode, isn't original but a welcome addition. Basically a 5 player version of terrorist hunt from Vegas 1 &2. This is all implemented and works fine. Multiple however, should have invested a little more time tweaking network issues. Once again this is their Achilles heal. Network lag across Live is horrendous, even with Cable internet. Whole teams experience lag. Worse that Halo 2 was. Yes, worse. Not sure of how they setup the matches ( dedicated servers hosting or gamers, leaning toward the servers by the way you can't set up a match publicly). Searching for matches without 5 people in your party will take too long, longer than 5-10 minutes for possibly a 10 minute game. With a disappointing multilayer experience, but a mostly descent campaign, the designer did say it would be bigger and bloodier which was delivered, not much tweaking was done to actually make the game better. there are some new inclusion which do help but are not enough to out weigh some glaring flaws. After a few playing the campaign on and some attempts to enjoy multi player, you'll be trading in your gears 2 or selling on eBay or amazon.… Expand
  9. DJM.
    Dec 2, 2008
    5
    This game was pretty amazing but I wasn't as impressed as what I thought I would be.The ending SUCKED! I was hoping there would be some berserkers or something but I killed that big exploding thing easily every time. It needed berserkers like the last one. Overall it was an ok game....GOW 1 was better.
  10. liammcgrath
    Jan 20, 2009
    5
    Campaign was brilliant, bit short though. the online experience was bitterly disappointing. they changed it too much from the original. lot of problems with the online side of it. there are a lot of disappointed Gears fans out there. all you have to do is go to Gears official web site, read the comments posted by people and you will see what i mean. love this game but they have ruined it
  11. KevinS
    Jul 20, 2009
    5
    Ridiculous potential to be one of the best games of the decade. Instead, avid online players are left with a myriad of problems that make it frustrating to even get through a match. Game-changing lag is present even with good connections, making it nearly impossible to keep a 1:1 kill/death ratio unless you've mastered leading your targets. The lack of dedicated servers is simply Ridiculous potential to be one of the best games of the decade. Instead, avid online players are left with a myriad of problems that make it frustrating to even get through a match. Game-changing lag is present even with good connections, making it nearly impossible to keep a 1:1 kill/death ratio unless you've mastered leading your targets. The lack of dedicated servers is simply unacceptable for a game of Gears of War 2's budget and sales. Cliffy B and co.'s inability to fix problems that were present in the original Gears of War astound me. Client-side hit detection, dedicated servers, lag, matchmaking... the list goes on. These problems truly make me wonder whether or not Epic cares in the least about their customers. It really is disappointing how much of a let down this game was.… Expand
  12. ChristyM.
    Nov 10, 2008
    5
    I don't know what game the reviewers were playing. I got bored of horde on the night. Story was too linear. Cover shoot. Cover shoot. On-line. What the bloody hell were they thinking. DON'T LISTEN TO THE N00BS ON THE EPIC FORUMS. LISTEN TO THE REAL PLAYERS. Christ. I'm not saying I hate it, but I agree with the bottom critic. I got bored. That's a bad thing with such a I don't know what game the reviewers were playing. I got bored of horde on the night. Story was too linear. Cover shoot. Cover shoot. On-line. What the bloody hell were they thinking. DON'T LISTEN TO THE N00BS ON THE EPIC FORUMS. LISTEN TO THE REAL PLAYERS. Christ. I'm not saying I hate it, but I agree with the bottom critic. I got bored. That's a bad thing with such a highly anticipated game. 5.5… Expand
  13. ConnorH.
    Nov 9, 2008
    5
    Honestly, the new things this game offers is truly subpar for a full-blown 60$ sequel. This game is essentially what Halo: Recon will offer, aside from the slapped on horde mode. It offers new multiplayer maps, a new campaign (while once again having a terrible story with shallow characters) and a few new guns and small tweaks. The biggest difference between Gears 2 and Recon is Recon Honestly, the new things this game offers is truly subpar for a full-blown 60$ sequel. This game is essentially what Halo: Recon will offer, aside from the slapped on horde mode. It offers new multiplayer maps, a new campaign (while once again having a terrible story with shallow characters) and a few new guns and small tweaks. The biggest difference between Gears 2 and Recon is Recon will probably cost 20 bucks cheaper at launch. Way to milk the series, Epic.… Expand
  14. MitchellR.
    Apr 26, 2009
    5
    This game got my hyped as hell. I couldn't wait. Then I picked it up, and put my LE disc in my console at 12:07. I was stunned by the graphics, and couldn't get over the amazing feel of the weapons. Than I actually played the game for a day. The un-balanced multiplayer, and rushing shotgun tactics make this game seem juvenile, just like the first. How EPIC can make a franchise This game got my hyped as hell. I couldn't wait. Then I picked it up, and put my LE disc in my console at 12:07. I was stunned by the graphics, and couldn't get over the amazing feel of the weapons. Than I actually played the game for a day. The un-balanced multiplayer, and rushing shotgun tactics make this game seem juvenile, just like the first. How EPIC can make a franchise like Unreal, and than swap to GoW beats me.… Expand
  15. MarkT.
    Apr 27, 2009
    6
    Poor game. Poor characters in fact bad art direction in general. Some of the underground caverns are cool. The sinking city at the end was awesome. Otherwise mediocre. Driving mission are crap. Sniper rifle is crap. Gun selection in general is crap. Some good ideas with bad execution - with a slather of polish on the menus to make the game look credible. Overall disappointing and Poor game. Poor characters in fact bad art direction in general. Some of the underground caverns are cool. The sinking city at the end was awesome. Otherwise mediocre. Driving mission are crap. Sniper rifle is crap. Gun selection in general is crap. Some good ideas with bad execution - with a slather of polish on the menus to make the game look credible. Overall disappointing and definitely not a Halo-killer 6/10.… Expand
  16. aspentitan
    Jan 25, 2010
    5
    This game draws a lot of parallels to Halo 3. The first is that the true intelligence of the enemy AI is hardly noticeable. To hide this poor design the game gives you an AI buddy of your own which serves two purposes. The first purpose is to rush ahead of you in the game and take down the enemy so you don
  17. SteveC.
    Nov 20, 2008
    5
    I was so excited for this game to come out. The campaign is o.k.. The first gears was better though. The online play is a f-ing joke. When I'm not busy trying diligently to connect with my friends privately. (and failing) I get frustrated and just try to get a game going with random people. Which also fails. Finding a match is seriously ridiculous. Makes you not even want to play. I was so excited for this game to come out. The campaign is o.k.. The first gears was better though. The online play is a f-ing joke. When I'm not busy trying diligently to connect with my friends privately. (and failing) I get frustrated and just try to get a game going with random people. Which also fails. Finding a match is seriously ridiculous. Makes you not even want to play. I'm sure it would be great to get a match going. However, I'm not willing to wait the ten minutes, to an hour to find out. The online aspect of this game is very much it's downfall. I have never gone out of my way to write about something on the internet. Ever.. But this online garbage has me so pissed I could punt a baby. Two fat thumbs down.… Expand
  18. KJ
    Jun 28, 2009
    6
    I bought into allll the hype for this game. That was a mistake on my part. I enjoyed this game immensely for about 3 weeks after my purchase. Then it all went south... fast. The Bad: The multiplayer setup is an utter joke. The host advantage is simply uncalled for. The amount of time you spend to actually find a match is ridiculous. Then after the match you gotta go through all that crap I bought into allll the hype for this game. That was a mistake on my part. I enjoyed this game immensely for about 3 weeks after my purchase. Then it all went south... fast. The Bad: The multiplayer setup is an utter joke. The host advantage is simply uncalled for. The amount of time you spend to actually find a match is ridiculous. Then after the match you gotta go through all that crap again! The map designs are brutal. The single player couldn't be more stereotypical and cliche. The Good: Very stunning visuals for the 360 - maybe the best (stop comparing to Crysis idiots). Solid use of sound minus some very corny speech throughout the game. Horde mode, while can get kinda boring after awhile, is very fun and challenging if you work as a TEAM! I love the gore... Torque Bow through a head never gets old.… Expand
  19. jh
    Aug 14, 2009
    5
    It's a very average game. If you think "halo" is average (I don't think so, but hey), trust me, you haven't seen nothin' yet. I'm not marking this down because of the userscore, which is already low. I think it's actually a 5/10 game. I'm amazed that so many critics were blinded by the visuals...again. They wised up a little on the DLC; the novelty of theIt's a very average game. If you think "halo" is average (I don't think so, but hey), trust me, you haven't seen nothin' yet. I'm not marking this down because of the userscore, which is already low. I think it's actually a 5/10 game. I'm amazed that so many critics were blinded by the visuals...again. They wised up a little on the DLC; the novelty of the graphics must be wearing off (finally).… Expand
  20. Cranger71
    Sep 29, 2010
    7
    I enjoyed this game, but not as much as I'd hoped. I'll start with the good:

    The combat was well polished and never got old. I was really impressed with the variety of different situations to keep it new. The graphics were superb, one of the best looking games on the x-box (albeit a bit grey and brown) and lets be honest, stamping on a locusts head as they try and crawl away from you    I enjoyed this game, but not as much as I'd hoped. I'll start with the good:

    The combat was well polished and never got old. I was really impressed with the variety of different situations to keep it new. The graphics were superb, one of the best looking games on the x-box (albeit a bit grey and brown) and lets be honest, stamping on a locusts head as they try and crawl away from you never gets old. I also really enjoyed the coop gameplay, and the horde mode. Bad points: It did get a bit samey after a while. The story was disappointing to say the least. Admittedly it was never going to be the games selling point, but the fact they obviously went to some effort to try and make you care about the characters, but then failed was somehow worse then if they didn't try in the first place - the lack of story in the first one didn't bother me - that's just the type of game it is. However trying to build up an emotionally involving tale about 2D stereotypical characters, just highlighted the overall floors in the narrative. I suppose my biggest criticism is that it took itself too seriously when it shouldn't have done. I wasn't blown away by the online mode either.

    I short, I enjoyed playing this game, but found it instantly forgettable.    … Expand
  21. czaczi87
    Oct 17, 2010
    7
    I'm not going to write about multiplayer, because I don't have a Xbox Live gold account (I have my PS3 to play on-line for goddamn free) and I'll only focus on the singleplayer. Well I think the game is quite alright but nothing beyond that. I've played Gears of War 1 on a PC with my friend in co-op and we had a blast. But when I played GoW 2 alone I wasn't that happy about it.

    First of    I'm not going to write about multiplayer, because I don't have a Xbox Live gold account (I have my PS3 to play on-line for goddamn free) and I'll only focus on the singleplayer. Well I think the game is quite alright but nothing beyond that. I've played Gears of War 1 on a PC with my friend in co-op and we had a blast. But when I played GoW 2 alone I wasn't that happy about it.

    First of all there are plenty of annoying glitches like problems with physics getting stuck at some places and having problems with the cover system. The latter was especially irritating in the level with the murderous ice clogs falling from the sky. I died several times because Marcus kept hugging the walls and not running.

    Another flaw of the game is the horrible , at times, AI of the enemies and team mates. I finished the game on Hardcore and I don't whether the higher difficulty means the dumber your squad mate or did the developer made some mistakes. Dom, most of the time, is utterly useless. He sticks to the wall and doesn't even pretend that he wants to fight. I have kill every goddamn Locust in the vicinity. He pissed me off, when we had to defend a bunch of satellite dishes from reavers. After a cut-scene he shouts to me: "Use one of the Troika's!". "Okay man, but there are two Troika's, why won't you use the other one?" "Nah, I'm too lazy. I'll just stand over there and eat a taco or something..." The problem with that level was that it was kind of botched and it depended only on pure luck rather than skill to kill all the reavers in time. When playing with a friend in co-op mode I bet we would win it in one go.

    Other than that I think the story could be a bit better and more depressing like in its predecessor and someone should throw out the tickers from the game because they are the most annoying **** ever created in a game, ever.

    But, of course the isn't all that bad. The shooting is quite enjoyable and I bet in co-op it kicks ass just as hard as GoW 1. The game has some epic moments, Cole is kind of funny, the Locust are ugly and eager to die, it's nice to rip them apart with the lancer, etc.

    So, for the singleplayer experience I give it a 7. It's fun to play it once, but I don't think I'll replay it. Though I am waiting for GoW 3.    … Expand
  22. davenbettridge
    Aug 1, 2011
    6
    Bigger, Badder and More Badass does not make Gears 2 better but instead makes it smaller in substance, stupider in merit and lame in the big scheme of things. Gears of War's story is pointless asides from the sensation of violence, it lacks originality, the script is a joke and is immaturely predictable. There is some fun to be had with some of the gameplay, and some of the multiplayerBigger, Badder and More Badass does not make Gears 2 better but instead makes it smaller in substance, stupider in merit and lame in the big scheme of things. Gears of War's story is pointless asides from the sensation of violence, it lacks originality, the script is a joke and is immaturely predictable. There is some fun to be had with some of the gameplay, and some of the multiplayer functions are good for a while but are only original to the ignorant console crowd, all of its multiplayer modes have been done before on PC games many times. In the end Gears 2 is just another game for the uncritically minded and sits on the big fat pile of games with crap stories and missed opportunities. Gears can be fun in a mindless sense but thats not a good thing, again its a missed opportunityâ… Expand
  23. tylwrdem
    Aug 8, 2011
    7
    Pretty much a let down compared to the original Gears of War but still an all around solid game. Story goes off a bit on you but pretty fun to play. No regrets on buying this game. Decent all around.
  24. BlackSharinganX
    Aug 11, 2011
    5
    Well this game isnt much as i expected to be. Gameplay is good nicely done and graphics are good, but character not memorable crappy story 4 buffs guys going towards it their goal, mention of maria was pointless trying to give a man with rage steroids some feelings did not work at all also a horrible ending. Multiplayer is ok but has the same problem as the first it runs solely on shotgunsWell this game isnt much as i expected to be. Gameplay is good nicely done and graphics are good, but character not memorable crappy story 4 buffs guys going towards it their goal, mention of maria was pointless trying to give a man with rage steroids some feelings did not work at all also a horrible ending. Multiplayer is ok but has the same problem as the first it runs solely on shotguns and snipers alone. Characters feel kilzoneish pretty slow gameplay. But i gues reviews give good score for this game because of its brutality they make really well best ive seen in my life, but not enough for the game to be good.… Expand
  25. SupaChigga
    Nov 19, 2013
    7
    Single Player/Multi Player (2/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player) Gameplay (2/2) Visuals/Story (1/2) (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is    Single Player/Multi Player (2/2)

    (If the single player is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no multplayer) (If the multiplayer is better than the multiplayer, review this section as if it had no single player)

    Gameplay (2/2)

    Visuals/Story (1/2)

    (If the visuals are better than the story, review this section as if it had no story) (If the story is better than the visuals, review this section as if the visuals didn’t matter)

    Accessibility/Longevity (2/2)

    (Review this section only on Accessibility if the game has no longevity) (Review this section only on longevity if the game isn’t accessible)

    Pricing (0/2)

    Wildcard (0)

    This is a guideline for how to properly review games. Many reviewers like to get a “feel” for a game, and arbitrarily give a game a score that they believe it deserves. This results in wildly different scores between different reviewers, and vastly different scores between similar games. This guideline addresses these problems and scores games fairly and consistently. This guideline also gives scores that are usually similar to the metacritic score.

    The review score is based out of 10 points. There are no “half” or 0.5 increments. It is impossible to have a score above 10 or below 0. The review score will change as the game gets new dlc, drops in price, or if more secrets are found through the game increasing its appeal.

    The scoring is split into 6 sections. The first five sections can add a possible 2 points to the final score. The first 5 sections are Single Player/Multi Player, Gameplay, Visuals/Story, Accessibility/Longevity, and Pricing.

    Notice that 3 of these sections have two parts. These particular sections will be scored based on the stronger part of the game of the two. For example, if a game has a lousy single player campaign, but an excellent multiplayer component, that section will be based solely on the multiplayer as if the single player did not exist. This allows games to be based on their own merits, as many unnecessary features are shoehorned into video games by publishers to reach a “feature quota”. Games that excel in both areas of a section don’t receive should be noted in the written review, but cannot increase the score past 2 in that section. However, it can be taken into account in the final section

    The final section can add 1, add 0, or subtract 1 to the final score. This final section is the “wildcard” section. This section is for how the reviewer “feels” about the game, but limits this only to this section, rather than the entire 10 point review. This section can include any positive or negative point that was not covered in the previous 5 sections.    … Expand
  26. XxJoseManuelxX
    Aug 16, 2016
    7
    Gears of War 2 is a military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft.

    + Fun Gameplay
    + Multiplayer
    + Coop Campaing
    - Bad Story
    - Stupid Characters
    - Repetitive
  27. ChrisE.
    Nov 10, 2008
    7
    Gears of war 2 starts off pretty good with the single player campaign. i was kinda expecting that you would be able to play as the different characters in the story mode, but unfortunately you get stuck with dom and marcus. Oh well. Doesn't detract from the overall single player experience, which is solid, albeit with a few rough spots here and there. Now, the reason i'm giving Gears of war 2 starts off pretty good with the single player campaign. i was kinda expecting that you would be able to play as the different characters in the story mode, but unfortunately you get stuck with dom and marcus. Oh well. Doesn't detract from the overall single player experience, which is solid, albeit with a few rough spots here and there. Now, the reason i'm giving this good game a 7 is because of the craptastic online multiplayer. I'm not saying Gears of war 2 multi player sucks, i'm saying the online component sucks. There are so many issues with online play right now that it's not even funny: The online lobby and interface looks like crap, you can't find a match you wanna play, you have to wait TEN minutes for the game to find other players to play with, and even when you get into a match, there's no guarantee you'll have fun, thanks to the abundant amount of lag on the servers. Even worse you can't tell the connection strength of everyone, it just put you in a room and says have fun. And yes, this was an issue before the game released, go read IGN's review of the game. There is no grace period for lag when it comes to chainsaw duels, meaning that you'll try to chainsaw someone who you think is unaware, and then 2 seconds after you rev the saw in their face, you're suddenly half way through a chainsaw battle and he's got a second and a half edge of button mashing on you. Not cool. There's also no way to tell who's lagging the game up (which could be me, i dunno) and there's no way to tell your connection strength for gaming (i had to pop in Gears 1 after a really laggy match to find it out... surprisingly it was good enough for a flawless gears 1 match). And the one of the biggest problem is that there are no REGIONAL SERVERS! meaning that Canadians like me will end up fighting Mexicans or Brits that have really bad connections. I can't believe that the gears 2 online is much worse than the gears 1 online. It is a few days after launch but right now its worse than halo 3 in terms of lag. Overall its a good game, but i recommend you rent this first if you're going for the online experience, cause as of right now its a train wreak. It might work for you but lots of people have been experiencing massive lag, so beware.… Expand
  28. Vogt
    Jan 7, 2009
    6
    I am, or at least used to be, a big fan of the Gears universe. The original Gears game described a beautiful, desolate, war-torn world, with an almost unreal, ghost-like enemy, the Locust. The sequel takes the fight underground where these Locust dwell and reveals much more of the their society. This is done in a terrible manner, with a colorful medieval theme and a soggy, also colorful, I am, or at least used to be, a big fan of the Gears universe. The original Gears game described a beautiful, desolate, war-torn world, with an almost unreal, ghost-like enemy, the Locust. The sequel takes the fight underground where these Locust dwell and reveals much more of the their society. This is done in a terrible manner, with a colorful medieval theme and a soggy, also colorful, organic mushroom theme, absolutely ruining the beautiful grey, desolate, apocalyptic, mechanic theme of the original game. Gears was never a game which sequel should have been made "bigger, better, more badass", but which art direction should have been held in a firm, responsible grip. Imagine if the sequel to your favorite sci-fi movie turned out to be a musical, with fireworks and silly puppets, with a budget ten times bigger than the original. The Gears universe is finally ruined by the protagonists actually walking around--stairs, paths, platforms--inside a giant earth worm, mid-game. Thank you, Epic, for turning one of the most promising sci-fi universes in gaming into Super Mario World. Finally, on the positive side, guns, especially sounds, are great, and the new Horde game mode is a superb multiplayer co-op experience, unfortunately ruined by the grounded shield exploit, which lets players hold of monsters indefinetly by blocking entrances with shields stuck in the ground. Also, a side plot during the game, that is not very well developed, concerning creatures known as "Sires", was much more in the spirit of the original Gears and could have taken the story in a very interesting direction. Shame that Epic was more concerned with making a "bigger, more bad-ass" sequel, instead of just a good one.… Expand
  29. KyleC
    Feb 1, 2009
    5
    I give it 5 out of 10 because the online play is plagued with lag and other issues. If your a hardcore gamer leave this one along. To many problems on the multiplayer level. Now if you are playing Horde mode or regular co-op it will be alright. But the lag and network issues along with all the glitches in the online multiplayer cause this game to be rated 5 out of 10.
  30. PatrickC
    Feb 2, 2009
    6
    This game is visually amazing. The sound is fantastic. Multiplayer is fun (when it works). Contrary to popular belief, I actually liked the story. However, there are just as many problems as there are positive points. The multiplayer mode is not only broken, but after being out all this time, IT'S STILL BROKEN. The campaign was too short. People say this game was bigger than Gears 1, This game is visually amazing. The sound is fantastic. Multiplayer is fun (when it works). Contrary to popular belief, I actually liked the story. However, there are just as many problems as there are positive points. The multiplayer mode is not only broken, but after being out all this time, IT'S STILL BROKEN. The campaign was too short. People say this game was bigger than Gears 1, but I swear the first Gears took me longer to finish. Many of the backgrounds are, though good looking, not very interesting. There isn't much variety in the gameplay, and it's an easy game, no matter what difficulty you play it on.… Expand
  31. DavidHull
    Jul 11, 2009
    7
    Looks good, feels good, plays well, has a much larger scale campaign however multiplayer can be rather frustrating should you live anywhere bar the USA and the story line has brutish men with feelings. Honestly where there no story it would probably be better, shooting locust is fun but leave the story to Bungie and Valve
  32. TorgnyH.
    Nov 11, 2008
    7
    the game is a 10. it is a great game. but I must deduct 3 pts for not getting all that I paid for. I bought the Limited Edition thinking I would get the flashback map and golden lancer codes, but with no warning from the publisher... some limited editions in some regions don't have the codes included. this could have been better managed by telling us ahead of time and we the game is a 10. it is a great game. but I must deduct 3 pts for not getting all that I paid for. I bought the Limited Edition thinking I would get the flashback map and golden lancer codes, but with no warning from the publisher... some limited editions in some regions don't have the codes included. this could have been better managed by telling us ahead of time and we wouldn't have necessarily wasted the extra money on the limited edition. Now apparently the flashback map codes are available for an additional price. There is no way I'm buying them as I feel I have already bought them by spending extra for the limited edition. its tainted an otherwise blissful gaming experience.… Expand
  33. GrahamM.
    Nov 18, 2008
    7
    No advancement since the first installment. Game design feels old, environments looks messy (some might say detailed, I say messy), and moments of frustration (can't skip cut-scenes). If you were happy with the first one, just stay there.
  34. ShaneS
    Nov 25, 2008
    7
    This game does not have the same emotive quality or graphical purity or, indeed, soul as the first one. The first was more gritty and tougher than this: Stick your head out and it would be blown away! GOW1 was a masterpiece; GOW2 is a cartoon for kids. Basically lamer version of GOW1 on trianing wheels: not challenging at all and a BIG disappointment.
  35. Vinnyb
    Nov 20, 2008
    6
    just recently got a 360 xbox and this was one of my first games i've bought. Overall i like the single player mode(co-op mode), but what made me buy this game and my xbox 360 was that the multiplayer modes on both this game and xbox live was suppose to be amazing(better than cod4 people said) but what i have found is that it's almost impossible to connect to a game online but just recently got a 360 xbox and this was one of my first games i've bought. Overall i like the single player mode(co-op mode), but what made me buy this game and my xbox 360 was that the multiplayer modes on both this game and xbox live was suppose to be amazing(better than cod4 people said) but what i have found is that it's almost impossible to connect to a game online but when i tried gear of war 1 there was no problem. I hope they can sort this problem out soon or i will be sticking with my ps3 and selling my 360. Fell like i've been lied to with most of the reviews giving it 100% what going on here… Expand
  36. AnthonyG.
    Nov 7, 2008
    7
    Not so polished gears 2 Yet another fast and to the point review on this game. Ok here it is the game is great game and adds some new stuff to do in the solo campaign, but it's a bit short...hold for it
  37. L.B
    Dec 22, 2008
    6
    Quite frankly, the fanboy rating for this game is far more accurate than the critic rating.
    Gears of War 2's singleplayer is pretty much what you'd expect. It has a lot more variation than the previous game, fortunately. And it is quite fun. However, it's not amazing and it's not that much different to its prequel. And it's as short as you'd think.
    The    Quite frankly, the fanboy rating for this game is far more accurate than the critic rating.
    Gears of War 2's singleplayer is pretty much what you'd expect. It has a lot more variation than the previous game, fortunately. And it is quite fun. However, it's not amazing and it's not that much different to its prequel. And it's as short as you'd think.
    The multiplayer is a broken disgrace. You can't start or join a game, you can't choose a game type, can't choose a map, nothing. It has none of the social aspect of Gears 1 either. It uses the godawful matchmaking system from Halo 3. Which amounts to you spending all your time in menus instead of playing boring glitchy matches.
    Please don't buy this game. I felt ripped off enough renting it.    … Expand
  38. MannyCalavera
    Jan 1, 2009
    5
    At first, we were excited about this game. It looked gorgeous, promised a compelling plot and truckload of new toys and features for players to use. We expected what anybody expects from a sequel.

    However, it quickly became apparent that the campaign was short, there were no serious additions to the gameplay and that the majority of the new content was multiplayer maps and silly    At first, we were excited about this game. It looked gorgeous, promised a compelling plot and truckload of new toys and features for players to use. We expected what anybody expects from a sequel.

    However, it quickly became apparent that the campaign was short, there were no serious additions to the gameplay and that the majority of the new content was multiplayer maps and silly fatality-esque executions that you could peform on your enemies.
    There are a few new guns and enemies that make the game more enjoyable than the first. A new game mode called "Horde," that promises all of the graphic combat that we enjoy from storyline play but without plot or any interesting twist, added some more hours of play but ultimately wears thin.

    In a perfect world this would be an expansion pack, not a full sequel.    … Expand
  39. MikeG.
    Jan 18, 2009
    5
    The single player in this game is still just as fun as the first. But when it comes to multiplayer Epic dropped the ball. They turned the shotgun damage way down, so that when you are right next to someone to can shoot them point blank and it wont kill them. This allows some people to walk around with their chainsaws out and even though they got shot they just roll right up to you and The single player in this game is still just as fun as the first. But when it comes to multiplayer Epic dropped the ball. They turned the shotgun damage way down, so that when you are right next to someone to can shoot them point blank and it wont kill them. This allows some people to walk around with their chainsaws out and even though they got shot they just roll right up to you and chainsaw you. This game is the laggiest game i have ever played and you think it would be better when it takes 5 minutes to find a match. If Epic fixes the shotgun and the lag, then this game would deserve at least a 9 out of 10. So thanks Epic for ruining your best franchise.… Expand
  40. JoeG.
    Jan 24, 2009
    5
    This game should be, according to everything I read, bigger and better than the first but I found it lacking in every way that made me love the first game. Bigger yes, but better ? Well sometimes less is more as they say. I look out when I here how bad ass somthing is becuase that's kind of subjective. Steven Segall movies for example are arguably badass and so is Mr.T. and Ultimate This game should be, according to everything I read, bigger and better than the first but I found it lacking in every way that made me love the first game. Bigger yes, but better ? Well sometimes less is more as they say. I look out when I here how bad ass somthing is becuase that's kind of subjective. Steven Segall movies for example are arguably badass and so is Mr.T. and Ultimate fighting however they still don't entertain me for very long and I won't pay $60 for them . The best way to describe what is missing in Gears 2 is to describe what was there in the first game that is not here. The first game had a powerful atmosphere to it. It wasn't just the stunning graphics that made the game world come to life. You felt the plight of the last of humanity, who having treaded where man did not belong were now paying the ultimate price. The premise was that this was not earth and was set in the far future of a new mankind long settled into a new home on a new world. What had happed to mans old home world of Earth ? We are never told for sure in Gears 1 but it is suggested had he perhaps had used up most of it's resources, then destroyed it though some global war over the last remnants. The last of mankind must have had fled to the stars in desperation and finally found a new home. A few thousand years later mans civilization was once again flourishing on this lush and beautiful new world, but oh how quickly mankind forgot his past and soon he has set about doing what comes by his nature. When a powerful energy source was discovered beneath the worlds crust it was only a matter of time before mankind set to wage great and terrible wars among itself. If there was one thing man was good at it was turning the gears of war. The victors of the great emulsion wars strip mined and drilled deep into the worlds depths only to realize that this world they took for granted , claimed as their property was inhabited by others as well. These others were an ancient race born of this world, and had been living underground in symbiosis for eons before the aliens known as men ever set foot on the surface of the world. They had seen mankind wage countless wars upon itself, and knew that if man would slaughter countless thousands of it's own kind for the emulsion, what it would do when faced with someone so different as themselves. They watched as man ever oblivious, sunk his massive drills, clumsy, into the underworld. They saw the ancient caverns begin to shake, and debris rain down upon the great temples and cities of the ancestors. They knew it was only a matter of time before man spilled into their domain in force. The time to strike was now while mankind was still weakened from his massive global conflicts. They had been observing long enough to see that men would never stop, would always be a dagger at their throats. These surface dwelling aliens could barely manage to keep from destroying themselves. Their minds were so apt to delusion and their nature so prone to arrogance and aggression. Unlike the hive, mans collective memory seemed to barely span the centuries and even then was too easily prone to corruption. One day man would inevitably slay them, suck the planet dry and move on, it was simply his nature. While they were initially a peaceful race, they had for thousands of years been watching, studying mankind and this thing called war of which he was so fond. The millions of the hive, were prepared. They would strike with co-ordination and precision the likes of which men had never seen. They would show this parasite called man what a true war was, and would cure the world of him once and for all. While this was a world that had once granted mankind a second chance now it's ground shook beneath his feet with more than just the tremors of the great many drills which bore into it's heart day and night. It shook with a terrible vengeance knocking down his cities as it's guardians sprung forth from the depths like vengeful spirits. Where ever man had pierced the worlds flesh or scarred it's surface with his cities the hordes would strike. They would spill forth and swarm, as if they were white blood cells fighting an infection. These were the relentless hoard. They came and went like ghosts , and man would come to call them the Locusts. Their was the feeling the main characters were not just following orders. They were disenchanted with the powers that be and Felix had been let out of the prison only after the government had all but collapsed. A tiny hopeless resistance struggled in vain for an impossible survival. They were the last of mans solders and they were war weary, fighting now not for power, greed or control but for the right to exist. The levels were designed so that you felt immersed in a real tactical struggle, were out numbered and depleted but striving towards something (even if that something was perhaps only another day until extinction). Still you had to try till your last bullet and your last breath. Perhaps you wondered if mans only salvation lay in understanding his enemy yet they seemed incomprehensible, and without mercy. Gears of war 2 however is a pretty looking shooter where you blast mindless aliens in a variety of creative (if not disjointed and sometimes silly settings) or engage is scripted boss fights. The whole game feels flat and pointless. There are countless attempts to induce human drama that just fall flat and are cliché even for a video game. The problem with thiis is reall that It's just not that fun that it can hold your interest to the very end on the game play alone. The whole feeling of the Gears universe that lurked behind the action of first title is completely dead and it leaves you with just a shinny and ok shooter that's kind of fun until you eventually get bored and stop playing. The multilayer just wasn't that fun also. The maps are so so, and the game play here misses the mark even when people sometimes do something other then just run around triggering that one button, chainsaw instanta-kill cinematic. The mode that uses control points was one I was looking forward to. Instead of letting you capture control points however that affect the other teams spawn locations (which gives you a feeling of battling and gaining ground to defeat the other team) they just have you suck points out of them instead for as long as you can until it either runs out or you get chainsawed in the back again. The multiplayer maps are pretty small and mostly … Expand
  41. WillThurston
    Jan 4, 2009
    7
    Not the greatest game I've ever played. But you have to look at what it is as a game, it's a first person shooter, which generally aim for good graphics, easy-to-learn controls, and fairly original weapons/characters/plot. In those categories, it does well. The story is fair, but again, it's an FPS. The graphics are very nice, as well as the sounds. I have not played theNot the greatest game I've ever played. But you have to look at what it is as a game, it's a first person shooter, which generally aim for good graphics, easy-to-learn controls, and fairly original weapons/characters/plot. In those categories, it does well. The story is fair, but again, it's an FPS. The graphics are very nice, as well as the sounds. I have not played the first GOW, so I cannot compare them. As a whole, it's a nice game if you like FPS's.… Expand
  42. EanD
    Mar 16, 2009
    6
    This game was a huge disappointment. I preorder this game I was so hyped for it. The game starts out with a movie, which was really good, so far so good. BUT, then after the first movie, it goes to the next cutscene! The cutscene starts and the camera gets ran over! Litterally crushed by a wheel! As soon as I saw this I knew the game was going to suck. Film 101: Do NOT have jump shots! This game was a huge disappointment. I preorder this game I was so hyped for it. The game starts out with a movie, which was really good, so far so good. BUT, then after the first movie, it goes to the next cutscene! The cutscene starts and the camera gets ran over! Litterally crushed by a wheel! As soon as I saw this I knew the game was going to suck. Film 101: Do NOT have jump shots! Anyway I started playing, and was unimpressed by the pixellated graphics. I set the difficulty to the highest possible but did not really feel engaged. Well after a while the graphics started getting better, and I started to feel immersed in the story. Next thing ya know, I'm actually ENJOYING the game. Yeah, the final battle with Skorge was really weak, but ya know, it was ok. Then I get in a brumak. It was extremely easy, my health barely even got damaged. So I get in a helicopter and kill the brumak. All of the sudden the game ends. I felt like I was stabbed. How could the game possibly end? That level was so damn easy it was even easier than the first level? Couldn't be...but it was. On top of that the ending sucked. So I play multiplayer. That sucks too. You run slower than campaign, there are more glitches than the first, and your weapon damage is inconsistent as hell. Sometimes you cant kill someone shooting them point blank with the shotgun 4 times. And someone cheats every game. Sometimes the host lags out the game so you can't shoot anybody, but the host can kill you before you even spawn since its soo laggy. Overall this game was a huge dissapointment. The story was made by a so called "proffesional" but I wish they never hired him. There were "soft bodied physics" nowhere to be found in the game, and the water was exactly the same as gears 1, ALL LIES. The destructable environments only worked on preset objects, just certain corners of certain walls you can only destroy about 2 inches deep. The multiplayer AI is awful, it is very unresponsive and artificial, even for today's standards. The Brumak fights were anti-climatic, since you only fought them when you had super weapons, so there was no challenge to them. Their was gonna be new technology so you could have thousands of locusts on screen. It was there, but you had a super weapon so you might as well have just had one locust on screen. There was no challenge there.This game had a lot of hype and did not fulfill any of it. The only people who like this game are the ones who hated Gears 1.… Expand
  43. MarkW
    Nov 10, 2008
    5
    Do you self a favour and play the first one again. Absolutely nothing new that is exciting. I wish the reviewers could remove themselves from the hype and actually review the game. I pre-ordered this game as I was excited about playing but it has turned out to be a fizzer so I have voted accordingly. This game is ridiculously easy even on the hard levels. the missions are gimmicky. No Do you self a favour and play the first one again. Absolutely nothing new that is exciting. I wish the reviewers could remove themselves from the hype and actually review the game. I pre-ordered this game as I was excited about playing but it has turned out to be a fizzer so I have voted accordingly. This game is ridiculously easy even on the hard levels. the missions are gimmicky. No tactics needed just hide behind a wall and shoot. To game designers out there, good graphics are expected from games now so how about improving the actual game.… Expand
  44. mg
    Nov 10, 2008
    7
    The game is amazing from new weapons, new enemies, and sick graphics. bought it and beaten it. The reason this game isnt getting higher than an 7 in my book is because of one big difference: THIS GAME IS INSANELY SHORT! I beat it in the course of 5hrs. come on. The first one took a bit longer. That made me upset.
  45. JonD.
    Nov 12, 2008
    7
    Highly overrated - this is what we all wanted 2 years ago and now arrives feeling a bit dated. Every gaming cliché in the book is thrown at the story mode, with star wars scenes featuring heavily and some really poorly executed, plainly dull sections to labour through (notably the 'tooth' section). To be fair, there's still an above average game in there and well Highly overrated - this is what we all wanted 2 years ago and now arrives feeling a bit dated. Every gaming cliché in the book is thrown at the story mode, with star wars scenes featuring heavily and some really poorly executed, plainly dull sections to labour through (notably the 'tooth' section). To be fair, there's still an above average game in there and well worth checking out, especially if you missed the first title. Just don't expect anything earth shatteringly new or inspired.… Expand
  46. scottpitts
    Nov 15, 2008
    5
    SERIOUSLY???!!!!! we pay people to put these games together. i paid 59.99 for thi0s game and this is what i get... they took my baby (gears 1) and shredded her brains all over the ground.. i get it, u gotta release the game when u say, but the glitches in this game are UNREAL!!! umm, hows about actually getting in a game in the first place??? anyone got an hour to wait for matchmaking??SERIOUSLY???!!!!! we pay people to put these games together. i paid 59.99 for thi0s game and this is what i get... they took my baby (gears 1) and shredded her brains all over the ground.. i get it, u gotta release the game when u say, but the glitches in this game are UNREAL!!! umm, hows about actually getting in a game in the first place??? anyone got an hour to wait for matchmaking?? and if you dont have a full 5 man team, then make it 2 hours..--- now on to the weapons; the shotgun; hmm lets take the best weapon in the first game and CASTRATE IT!!! oh but its ok, cuz were gonna put in these ridiculously strong weapons in.. like the morterstrike.. that will make up for it....umm no.. what kind of IDIOTS are they paying to test these games.. who said "yea, this games good to go"... EPIC YOU HAVE A REPUTATION TO UPHOLD.. and i want my gears of war back. - I HOPE YOU READ EVERY USER REVIEW!!! it doesnt matter what the major critics say (most of them in microsoft's pockets).. your not making money off them.... its us who pay $60 a game.. IF YOU DONT PATCH THIS GAME, AND I MEAN LIKE A WHOLE DAY OFF XBOX PATCH, IM TRADING IT IN.... u got my money based on the first game, but i refuse to sit back and watch my baby get destroyed over and over again. THE AVERAGE RIGHT NOW FOR THIS GAME IS A 6.6, BUT I GIVE IT A 5... IM NOT BEING PAID BY ANYONE I JUST CALLS EM LIKE I SEES EM.… Expand
  47. Erik
    Nov 15, 2008
    6
    The main problem with the last game was the poor matchmaking. They somehow managed to make that barebones system look great with the horribly broken matchmaking that can take over an hour to find one match. The bugs is this game are numerous and severely hamper the solid core gamepaly mechanics.
  48. ChrisK.
    Nov 29, 2008
    5
    I played GoW1 to death and filled my time waiting for GoW2 by playing CoD4(great game BTW). I really enjoyed GoW2 campaign mode and co-op I also like the Horde mode but when it comes to online multi-player, I can not even express my dissapointment in words. Set aside the long drawn out process of trying to find a match or the lack of being able to stay in a room and play more than one I played GoW1 to death and filled my time waiting for GoW2 by playing CoD4(great game BTW). I really enjoyed GoW2 campaign mode and co-op I also like the Horde mode but when it comes to online multi-player, I can not even express my dissapointment in words. Set aside the long drawn out process of trying to find a match or the lack of being able to stay in a room and play more than one match against an opposing team. The shotgun, what the hell happened? It used to be the noobs would try and chainsaw you but a decent player with a shotgun would would see them fall. Now the game is catering to the Lancer and chain saw. The delay between shotgun blasts allows an opponent too much time to close the distance and chainsaw you. I also can't believe you can't fire the shotty while running. I tend to buy a game andplay nothing but that game for several months or even a year before finding a different game that is just as good. I played the first GoW for over a year before I got tired of it and moved on. Gow2 is already on the back burner after 3 weeks. I will probably play it again if the multiplayer issues are fixed.… Expand
  49. JustinM.
    Nov 7, 2008
    7
    the game is fun, but anyone expecting something different should turn away. The game is average, and far from flawless, with dialogue that was written by a hyped up twelve year old. nevertheless, the game can be very fun with it's run and gun sequences, the gore can feel satisfying, and the color palette is much more colorful than the last two years of generic shooter x. But Gears the game is fun, but anyone expecting something different should turn away. The game is average, and far from flawless, with dialogue that was written by a hyped up twelve year old. nevertheless, the game can be very fun with it's run and gun sequences, the gore can feel satisfying, and the color palette is much more colorful than the last two years of generic shooter x. But Gears hasn't changed and the story still sucks, except now it's a teenage romance, instead of a non existent plot.… Expand
  50. ChrisL.
    Nov 8, 2008
    6
    The good: The single player is good. It might be a little better than the first's or about the same. Horde mode is awesome. The bad: Pretty much everything about the multiplayer. They took one of the best multiplayer games ever made and made it into this. This is why the game gets a low score. The matchmaking is horrid. You can't choose what you want to play. You can't quit The good: The single player is good. It might be a little better than the first's or about the same. Horde mode is awesome. The bad: Pretty much everything about the multiplayer. They took one of the best multiplayer games ever made and made it into this. This is why the game gets a low score. The matchmaking is horrid. You can't choose what you want to play. You can't quit out of a game. You can't set bleedout times. The shotgun online is all bugged out. The bullets hit the floor when aiming up at someones head. The chainsaw doesn't get interrupted when you get shot. This means tons of noobs just walking around holding B and actually killing you while you hit them 5 times. Overall: extremely dissapointed :(… Expand
  51. SimonC.
    Nov 9, 2008
    6
    Big disappointment from the previous awesome game. multiplayer has been ruined. Poor weapons...bullets dont always come out of shotgun. Glitches...too many to count. Campaign is boring. crap storyline...will be playing to old one once everyone goes back to it
  52. DanC
    Dec 6, 2008
    7
    Gears of War 1 and I had a strange relationship; I got it on the PC after hearing every XBox owner in all of sweet Christendom singing it's praises for it's innovation, fast game play and superb multiplayer. I found all of these to be oversold at best; the "innovation" being stolen wholesale from kill.Switch and Resident Evil 4, the multiplayer being dominated by idiots, and the Gears of War 1 and I had a strange relationship; I got it on the PC after hearing every XBox owner in all of sweet Christendom singing it's praises for it's innovation, fast game play and superb multiplayer. I found all of these to be oversold at best; the "innovation" being stolen wholesale from kill.Switch and Resident Evil 4, the multiplayer being dominated by idiots, and the fast gameplay apparently being a figment of the imaginations of 3 million gamers playing something which insisted upon making the player crouch behind solid objects for extended periods of time, firing occasionally. However, the at-the-time stunning graphics, cinematic atmosphere and generally intense nature, which WAS extremely well realised - would have resulted in me giving it a 7 had I bothered to write something up about it. Fortunately, Gears of War 2 is so unoriginal that this review can almost be read as a review for the first one as well. Gears of War 2, for all it's flaws, can't be faulted for messing with this partially winning formula because it's almost exactly the same game. The controls and gameplay elements are the same, the character models are all but copy-pasted, and as for introduced features, there is a new weapon. I can't help being reminded that Team Fortress 2 has been consistently giving us new weapons, levels and game mechanics for free; here, we're expected to pay full game price for what by all rights should be an expansion pack. And since nothing has changed, you can expect all the old problems with Gears of War 1 - the characters are still unlikeable meat-headed pricks, the visual aesthetic, while as pretty as ever, is still monotonous and dull, the new elements are as unoriginal as the first one's "innovation" - human shields are all very well and good until you remember that the Metal Gear Solid series have been doing this since 2001 - and the gameplay is still revolves largely about siege-like gunfights that seem to take so long only to give the obsessives a chance to show off how they can do them in all of five seconds - roughly the amount of time said obsessives' conversations with girls last for. The much-touted deeper storyline is all very well and good, but it says something that despite us caring about the NPCs we're supposed to, the player characters are still the kind of people who you charge directly into the line of fire just for the relief of watching them being ripped apart by Locust bullets. Not that that rather cathartic punishment is available here; GOW2 is incredibly easy However, as with the first one, for all it's over-hyped dumb , it's actually quite fun. The immersion is perfectly achieved, the atmosphere and pressure on higher difficulty is pant wetting - metaphorically speaking, honest - and the storyline gives the player motivation beyond basic bloodlust and perhaps a desire for digitalised homoeroticism (the common-or-garden space marines are still as overcompensatory in their relentless masculinity as ever). The fire-fights have been sped up thanks to human shields giving a moving cover and the sound is superb, even if the voice acting is still reminiscent of what would happen if you got all Canada's toughest ice hockey players and forced them to fight to the death, then used the final remaining one to do the dialogue. It's also more ambitious - for a lot of it, the grey corridors of the first GOW are replaced with more varied environments, even if this is purely aesthetic; the gameplay isn't as affected as better games would have had it. Overall, this is a fun shooter, but I'm still kicking myself that I was playing this when Crysis was sitting in by PC.… Expand
  53. RyanS
    Dec 7, 2008
    7
    Gears of War 2 feels different to Gears of War 1 but in a good way. The characters are epic (Cole Train is back!), The guns are epic (better sounds!). The campaign is epic (and it was easy to go through the game a second time on insane difficulty without beings bored). The only flaw to this game is MATCHMAKING. The matchmaking is not programmed to match you up with a good connection. So Gears of War 2 feels different to Gears of War 1 but in a good way. The characters are epic (Cole Train is back!), The guns are epic (better sounds!). The campaign is epic (and it was easy to go through the game a second time on insane difficulty without beings bored). The only flaw to this game is MATCHMAKING. The matchmaking is not programmed to match you up with a good connection. So this can lead to very laggy games! The lag on this game will be so terrible that you will be forced to use the CHAINSAW! This flaw has caused me not to want to play the game any longer and has greatly reduce the games playability after single player. I am currently waiting for a patch of some type.… Expand
  54. AluanHaddad
    Oct 18, 2009
    7
    I'll be short and to the point. The single player game is excellent. Apart from a weak final boss fight, the campaign is epic and varied, the story is fairly decent, and the gameplay is smooth.
    Multiplayer on the other hand is terrible. I tried to get into this game for a month. Then a tried again after a few patches came out. Matchmaking takes a long time. 50% of all matches have    I'll be short and to the point. The single player game is excellent. Apart from a weak final boss fight, the campaign is epic and varied, the story is fairly decent, and the gameplay is smooth.
    Multiplayer on the other hand is terrible. I tried to get into this game for a month. Then a tried again after a few patches came out. Matchmaking takes a long time. 50% of all matches have unplayable lag(my connection averages 10.0mbps by the way) and even in matches where the lag is manageable, the host has a major advantage. If you want an excellent single player TPS get this game. If you are at all interested in the multiplayer, keep in mind that it is truely broken.    … Expand
  55. AndrewB
    Mar 24, 2009
    5
    This game has great production-The graphics and gameplay are all top notch, so I can see why from the point of view of most reviewers this is a near perfect game. However, all of the flash can't make up for the fact that this game is very boring to play. The story is boring and cliche, the voice acting and cut scenes are painfully bad. There's not much incentive to come back to This game has great production-The graphics and gameplay are all top notch, so I can see why from the point of view of most reviewers this is a near perfect game. However, all of the flash can't make up for the fact that this game is very boring to play. The story is boring and cliche, the voice acting and cut scenes are painfully bad. There's not much incentive to come back to the online multi-player either. All in all this game is just too mediocre to vest too much time or energy into.… Expand
  56. EirinY
    Jun 13, 2009
    7
    First of all I would like to clarify the fact that I am not a fan of neither the Xbox 360 or PS3, Microsoft or Sony. That aside, I found Gears of War 1 and it's sequel to be thoroughly enjoyable. I have not touched multiplayer, so these are my impression of the 4-6 hour single-player campaign. This game has definitely improved from the original. More focus has been put into First of all I would like to clarify the fact that I am not a fan of neither the Xbox 360 or PS3, Microsoft or Sony. That aside, I found Gears of War 1 and it's sequel to be thoroughly enjoyable. I have not touched multiplayer, so these are my impression of the 4-6 hour single-player campaign. This game has definitely improved from the original. More focus has been put into storytelling and character development, although still not enough to make me baww about Dom's "wife problem" (won't go into detail). The soundtrack is about the same as the previous game with only a handful being memorable. Gameplay is as always: plain fun. The cover system works great and is seamlessly integrated into the detailed scenery and environment. Weapons are easy to use and aim; they work well with the cover system and conjure perfectly in the Gears of War universe. Where's my problem with this game? It plays too similar like Gears of War 1, however that did not stop me from having boatloads of fun. If you enjoyed the original, it's worth playing. If you haven't, get your feet wet and pick up either game.… Expand
  57. jesusorta
    Nov 19, 2008
    5
    good campaign and horde mode but terrible online multiplayer. Cant pick your map has to be voted on terrible maps like bolld drive to big of maps too, weak shotgun, to much dependant on lancering, is ok for first time users of gears. gears one focused more on stradegy eventhough less players i quit playing gears 2 prefer gears one you guys tred to hard on gears too and blew it should havegood campaign and horde mode but terrible online multiplayer. Cant pick your map has to be voted on terrible maps like bolld drive to big of maps too, weak shotgun, to much dependant on lancering, is ok for first time users of gears. gears one focused more on stradegy eventhough less players i quit playing gears 2 prefer gears one you guys tred to hard on gears too and blew it should have left alone added more weapons and maps but that should have been it… Expand
  58. LennyB
    Nov 19, 2008
    7
    for all those who gaves this a ten, you are obviously blind, or just hitting puberty. grant the game was good. no where near "awesomeness", grant it if that is even a word. besides that. the graphics are decent. but the repetitive chainsaw scenes get old after a while. on that note, if you see your body about to get sliced, you should be able to shoot the blade away, and how the scene for all those who gaves this a ten, you are obviously blind, or just hitting puberty. grant the game was good. no where near "awesomeness", grant it if that is even a word. besides that. the graphics are decent. but the repetitive chainsaw scenes get old after a while. on that note, if you see your body about to get sliced, you should be able to shoot the blade away, and how the scene happens. its like no effort, there should be more effort behind trying the cut someone. like if you come up behind someone, they automatically turn around and except there fake, needs more fight. horde mode was a valuable asset. but got repetive quick. the boss battles, were in my eyes terrible, where was the strategy, where was the effort. i saw none. i know its a game, but like, how does it happen that if you get should so many times in the head you don't die, they call it a headSHOT for a reason, not headshots, thats always been a pet peeve for me in this game, at least in halo, they had helmets, in this they, had nothing. except for carmine. a cool and worthwhile asset to have in gears is the ability to customize, at least your armor, or face, and on the guns a little, kinda boring play as the single player characters. all and all this game deserves a 7.… Expand
  59. DanC.
    Nov 22, 2008
    6
    Yes, I agree with most people here. I honestly think this is the same as the first game in its core. Graphics are good just as they were on the first one. There are some nice new features added. But to me it just looks as lazy developers trying the milk the same old cow. I played at least 20 FPS this year and I haven't seen anything new. If you played the first one you are not going Yes, I agree with most people here. I honestly think this is the same as the first game in its core. Graphics are good just as they were on the first one. There are some nice new features added. But to me it just looks as lazy developers trying the milk the same old cow. I played at least 20 FPS this year and I haven't seen anything new. If you played the first one you are not going to find much here.… Expand
  60. Quagga
    Mar 20, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I recently found myself having a conversation with a very good friend of mine about GoW as a game and series. I remember enjoying the first game very much, but after playing it often I eventually got bored of it and its flaws that were evident to me after the countless hours I had played it. I felt as though Gears of War had potential and I generally liked the idea of a second game.
    In my opinion, all that anyone could have asked of Gears of War 2 was that it continues where it left off and improves upon itself. This really isn't much to ask of the game developers, and it's as simple a request as someone could ask of them. I can't say I expected the world from it. Buying this game was more of a leap of faith than anything and I only bought it months after release due to peer pressure (and I still donâ    … Expand
  61. InzaNe
    Mar 22, 2011
    7
    Building on what Gears of War 1 delivered, Epic Games did with Gears of War 2. They brought it to a whole new level, adding new weapons, new dynamics to the game play, new characters, and a great DLC package of everything they've released, at a low price of 1200 MSP.($14.99USD)

    The only thing that failed on Gears of War 2, from the launch, was the multiplayer. The host selection was    Building on what Gears of War 1 delivered, Epic Games did with Gears of War 2. They brought it to a whole new level, adding new weapons, new dynamics to the game play, new characters, and a great DLC package of everything they've released, at a low price of 1200 MSP.($14.99USD)

    The only thing that failed on Gears of War 2, from the launch, was the multiplayer. The host selection was purely garbage, always seeming to choose the worst host possible. This was influenced by Epic Games' decision to add a Matchmaking system on a game that ran great by using a server list (Gears of War had a server list).

    I would rate it higher, but shooter games MUST have a good multiplayer in my eyes to keep their heads above those that deliver a higher quality multiplayer experience. Hopefully Gears of War 3 can deliver on the mulitplayer level, but for now, Gears 2 is not the game to be playing all the time.    … Expand
  62. drlowdon
    Feb 27, 2013
    7
    Two years after the original Gears of War Marcus Fenix and his oversized compatriots return to once again take on the Locust horde. Rarely straying far from its predecessor's template everything in this sequel is bigger and louder than before from the explosive set-pieces to the magnitude of the foes. Level design is also improved with every area providing just enough cover to be able toTwo years after the original Gears of War Marcus Fenix and his oversized compatriots return to once again take on the Locust horde. Rarely straying far from its predecessor's template everything in this sequel is bigger and louder than before from the explosive set-pieces to the magnitude of the foes. Level design is also improved with every area providing just enough cover to be able to advance on the enemy whilst getting caught out in the open remains a sure way to get yourself quickly killed. Co-op mode is again available and, as is often the case, the game is better when played with a friend either over Xbox Live or via split screen.

    On a negative note the games narrative is again slightly formulaic and those that disliked the, admittedly rather one note gameplay, of first game will find little to change their minds. Those that are simply after an adrenaline fuelled shooter however will not be disappointed.    … Expand
  63. DurzoBlint
    May 25, 2015
    7
    Clearly, a lot of money was spent on Gears of War 2. The production values are through the roof. Most everything is well made. Sadly, the core narrative - the thing the developers spent a great deal of time talking up - is essentially garbage, and the reverence the game expects us to show its melodrama proves a constant irritant. Go in with measured expectations.
  64. emoney
    Nov 28, 2012
    7
    This game had great ideas such as horde, meat shield, guardian, etc. the maps were good the weapons were good. The bad thing is the servers, if this game had better servers, it would no doubt be at least an 8.
  65. GreyHunter4
    Feb 9, 2013
    5
    This is one of the most visually impressive games on xbox that just isn't fun to play. High production value and all but I just didn't find it entertaining at all. Gears of War 1 was a better pick up. I'm actually playing through it now and they really did some of the strategy of fighting better as well as story.
  66. houyi111
    May 10, 2013
    7
    A quite good 3rd person shooter game with a little bit over average story-telling and voice acting. The game is fun to play on insanity with co-op. I don't want to overrate this game, it is a solid 7, but I do think this game is unique out there and can be addictive.
  67. HATEPOLICY
    Mar 26, 2014
    5
    This game had so many issues that I have to give it a 5,
    Horde being the only thing to save it.

    Some great ideas, as always from Epic, but no finesse.
  68. Jack09164
    Jun 23, 2020
    6
    Вторая часть очень сильно устарела. Поэтому сложно ее объективно оценивать. В свое время это был прорыв. Сейчас уже, вряд ли, чем-то способна впечатлить. Но даже в те годы меня смущал смещенный акцент на "аля COD моменты" и меньшую глубину геймплея и при этом куча серых локаций, максимально простой и "одноклеточный" лвл дизайн. Но она все равно может подарить позитивные эмоции, если выВторая часть очень сильно устарела. Поэтому сложно ее объективно оценивать. В свое время это был прорыв. Сейчас уже, вряд ли, чем-то способна впечатлить. Но даже в те годы меня смущал смещенный акцент на "аля COD моменты" и меньшую глубину геймплея и при этом куча серых локаций, максимально простой и "одноклеточный" лвл дизайн. Но она все равно может подарить позитивные эмоции, если вы готовы к морально устаревшим подходам к созданию играм.… Expand
  69. njja02
    May 15, 2018
    6
    Just like the first game, this game has a fun game-play that kept me invested for a while. But it had an uninteresting story and it eventually got dull.
  70. angelss_13
    Jul 6, 2017
    7
    Mantiene la formula ganadora original, pero la historia decae aún más. En compensación, el multijugador es retocado en un sentido positivo. Horas de diversión sin parar.
  71. whitet3260
    Aug 30, 2017
    5
    Perhaps GoW has suffered from the passage of time. Performance in this game is TERRIBLE. It seems that video has priority over game controller... sometimes I press the weapon trigger and it doesn't respond at ALL until the enemy has moved into my kill zone. Enemies who move closer than ten or twenty feet? Forget it. You're toast. Time delays for interactive response come in severalPerhaps GoW has suffered from the passage of time. Performance in this game is TERRIBLE. It seems that video has priority over game controller... sometimes I press the weapon trigger and it doesn't respond at ALL until the enemy has moved into my kill zone. Enemies who move closer than ten or twenty feet? Forget it. You're toast. Time delays for interactive response come in several seconds' duration when they should be less than 0.1 seconds. The story is great, the video is good, but the performance is unsatisfactory.… Expand
  72. zNeverSleeping
    Oct 29, 2020
    7
    ---{Graphics}---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful X Good ☐ Decent ☐ Bad ☐ Don‘t look too long at it ☐ MS-DOS ---{Gameplay}--- ☐ Very good ☐ Good X It‘s just gameplay ☐ Mehh ☐ Watch paint dry instead ☐ Just don't ---{Audio}--- ☐ Eargasm ☐ Very good X Good ☐ Not too bad ☐ Bad ☐ I'm now deaf ---{Audience}--- ☐ Kids ☐ Teens X Adults ☐ All    ---{Graphics}---
    ☐ You forget what reality is
    ☐ Beautiful
    X Good
    ☐ Decent
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ Don‘t look too long at it
    ☐ MS-DOS

    ---{Gameplay}---
    ☐ Very good
    ☐ Good
    X It‘s just gameplay
    ☐ Mehh
    ☐ Watch paint dry instead
    ☐ Just don't

    ---{Audio}---
    ☐ Eargasm
    ☐ Very good
    X Good
    ☐ Not too bad
    ☐ Bad
    ☐ I'm now deaf

    ---{Audience}---
    ☐ Kids
    ☐ Teens
    X Adults
    ☐ All

    ---{Difficulity}---
    ☐ Just press 'W'
    ☐ Easy
    X Significant brain usage
    ☐ Easy to learn / Hard to master
    ☐ Difficult
    ☐ Dark Souls

    ---{Story}---
    ☐ No Story
    ☐ Some lore
    X Average
    ☐ Good
    ☐ Lovely
    ☐ It‘ll replace your life

    ---{Game Time}---
    ☐ Long enough for a cup of coffee
    ☐ Short
    X Average ☐ Long ☐ To infinity and beyond ---{Price}--- ☐ It’s free! ☐ Worth the price X If u have some spare money left ☐ Not recommended ☐ You could also just burn your money ---{Bugs}--- X Never heard of ☐ Minor bugs ☐ Can get annoying ☐ ARK: Survival Evolved ☐ The game itself is a big terrarium for bugs    … Expand
  73. PatitoCosmico67
    Jul 29, 2020
    7
    Esta secuela innova bastante poco, con una historia inferior, graficos a la altura de lo que se esperaba, pero sigue siendo muy entretenido
  74. Jattaman
    Oct 5, 2022
    7
    Un po' more of the same rispetto allo scorso capitolo, resta un bel videogame.
    Inizia a notarsi la ripetitività del gameplay, la mancanza di aree esplorabili.
    Si va avanti di stanzone in stanzone sparando i nemici, e col secondo capitolo si sarebbe potuto osare di più.
    Grafica, sonoro, giocabilità comunque di livello molto buono, quindi consigliato se si è amanti del genere.
  75. neomoonsevin
    Dec 11, 2022
    7
    more harder to complete i had problems with the final boss but was a good ride all the way through
  76. The_rainbow_00
    Jun 30, 2023
    7
    7.1/10

    Story: 7.5 Gameplay: 6.5 Game mechanics: 7.5 By the second game, the story was starting to come together, and finally, the scenery changed. Gameplay would've been better if there wasn't any input lag; funny how Xbox claims FPS boot is enabled for the game, but there is input lag. For some of the missions, the mechanics were interesting, especially during one where there is a    7.1/10

    Story: 7.5
    Gameplay: 6.5
    Game mechanics: 7.5

    By the second game, the story was starting to come together, and finally, the scenery changed. Gameplay would've been better if there wasn't any input lag; funny how Xbox claims FPS boot is enabled for the game, but there is input lag. For some of the missions, the mechanics were interesting, especially during one where there is a hail storm, and the player has to maneuver around it. The submarine mission was great too.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

4
#4 Best Xbox 360 Game of 2008
2
#2 Most Discussed Xbox 360 Game of 2008
9
#9 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2008

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 90 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 90 out of 90
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 90
  3. Negative: 0 out of 90
  1. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    90
    There are very few ways that Gears of War 2 could be improved on. Only the story and the final boss in particular are a slight disappointment. Fanboys will love the fact that only one of a multitude of story arcs is concluded; everyone else will feel slightly unfulfilled. But aside from this, Gears 2 is not just the most exhilarating game you'll play this year, but possibly the most heady and downright shocking piece of entertainment full stop. Hollywood, your days are numbered. [Dec 2008, p.61]
    Read full review
  2. Eurogamer
    90
    The real star, however, is Horde, a ballistic assault on your worst score-rush tendencies that transforms maps into Gears-flavoured Mutant Storm: weapons spawn, then a wave of enemies hits, then more weapons and then another, tougher, wave.
    Read full review
  3. 360 Gamer Magazine UK
    90
    We could be critical of Gears of War 2 simply offering more of the same, but the fact that it simply does everything better than the original in delivering a fantastic display of shoot-’em-up mayhem its quality simply shines through. With some awesome level design, supported by unsurpassed visuals and relentlessly entertaining action it is a compelling experience from start to finish. Forget the crack at putting emotion into the storyline; it’s almost irrelevant as Gears of War 2 is an allguns- blazing extravaganza and, as such, it’s just a glorious shooter that very few can match.
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