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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. 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
  11. 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
  12. 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.
  13. 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.
  14. 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
  15. 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.
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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
  21. 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.
  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. 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.
  24. 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.
  25. 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
  26. 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
  27. 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
  28. 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
  29. 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
  30. 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
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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.
See all critic reviews »