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
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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]
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  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.
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  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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