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. LaserHairs
    Sep 21, 2010
    10
    I would have given this game a 9.5 if I could. I felt that Epic Games had succeded in yet another awesome game. The new horde mode is a great laugh. The online progression system is sweet and the maps are epic. Especially now they ave released the 'All Fronts Collection' (what an awesome deal). The online is deffinatlet better than the original. But the campaign however, seemed to lack theI would have given this game a 9.5 if I could. I felt that Epic Games had succeded in yet another awesome game. The new horde mode is a great laugh. The online progression system is sweet and the maps are epic. Especially now they ave released the 'All Fronts Collection' (what an awesome deal). The online is deffinatlet better than the original. But the campaign however, seemed to lack the 'feel' of gears of war 1. I miss the Kryl and Beserkers, I didn't feel scared in any way and the storyline just didn't seem quite as good as the previous and I still can't get my head around the fact that the lightmass bomb made the locust stronger? However that said the campaign did feel more epic with the large armies, and the updated technology meaning you can fit loads of enemeies on the screen. Skorge was definitely a better bad guy than RAAM and I was glad to see more of the lambant locust (except this time not just wretches). Overall, I'd say Gears of War 2 is a must have, it's an oustanding game both offline and online but the storyline just wasn't quite good enough for me.… Expand
  2. BIGREESE
    Sep 6, 2010
    10
    FAVORITE GAME EVER. ITS GEARS OF WAR 1 BUT BIGGER AND BETTER, the one thing that i ddnt like was the boss battles were 2d and more like a cutscene..jjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj
  3. JodyLee
    Sep 4, 2010
    9
    After playing Gears of war 2 I was quite satisfied with the game. The story, somewhat bland, was still interesting. However a few minor issues keeps this score from being a perfect one. Sometimes the controls are unresponsive or delayed which could mean the difference between life and death. Another issue I faced was when I switched from xbox live to unconnected form the internet theAfter playing Gears of war 2 I was quite satisfied with the game. The story, somewhat bland, was still interesting. However a few minor issues keeps this score from being a perfect one. Sometimes the controls are unresponsive or delayed which could mean the difference between life and death. Another issue I faced was when I switched from xbox live to unconnected form the internet the game would wipe all of my progress and start over again. So say you were on wave 49 of horde and you unplugged your ethernet cable and turned off the xbox. When you play the game again it will reset. Other then that the weapons are nice, the multiplayer, on or offline, well balanced, and horde is fun with friends. I say this game is a 9.25.… Expand
  4. 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
  5. MaverickP
    Feb 23, 2010
    10
    The game [CS1.6] truly is a legandary game on its own, supassing countless games in the highs and lows and still to this day maintaining high popularitie and continueing to grow more and more. this is byfar the BEST fps game i have played. for it era and time when developed, the graphics, gameplay and overall design is AWESOME....this is one game to be proud of no doubt if you enjoy a The game [CS1.6] truly is a legandary game on its own, supassing countless games in the highs and lows and still to this day maintaining high popularitie and continueing to grow more and more. this is byfar the BEST fps game i have played. for it era and time when developed, the graphics, gameplay and overall design is AWESOME....this is one game to be proud of no doubt if you enjoy a true fps game this is it....need i say more..buy it get it enjoy it !!!! -Maverick user since 1998… Expand
  6. ConnorR
    Feb 10, 2010
    4
    Compared to the first Gears of War, I just thought this game was a massive let-down. The story just isn't 'compelling' like they claimed it to be, Horde Mode is fun at first, but ultimately dull and boring, and the multiplayer is what brings it down the most. I HATE the multiplayer, ever since I first played it. It just does nothing for me, I find it so repetitive and Compared to the first Gears of War, I just thought this game was a massive let-down. The story just isn't 'compelling' like they claimed it to be, Horde Mode is fun at first, but ultimately dull and boring, and the multiplayer is what brings it down the most. I HATE the multiplayer, ever since I first played it. It just does nothing for me, I find it so repetitive and boring, a real shame as the first Gears of War was one of my favourite games ever, and you may think there isn't much of a difference, but there really is. The game does have some positive aspects, overall, I did enjoy the campaign, it was just massively over-hyped though, and it nothing much was added to make it stand out further from the first game. Some of the new weapons are also decent, the mortar is a fine addition, as is the Gorgon pistol. Overall though, the game is quite poor, if you can pick it up cheap you might as well get it as I understand a lot of people really like the game, you could be one of those people, but for me, I just didn't enjoy it.… Expand
  7. RyanB
    Jan 27, 2010
    3
    Just as repetitive as the last, only enhanced with better graphics. You may want to pick it up just so you can continue the story but i don't advise paying more than £10 ($20) for it. So is not worth it.
  8. 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
  9. MichaelK
    Jan 19, 2010
    9
    Why all the bad reviews this is a solid game and even though I live in an area with terrible connection speeds I hardly suffer any lag yes there where issues when the game was released but these issues are all cleared now the only possible compaint anyone could have about the online is the amount of hardcore players who will own all newcomers untill they adjust to the way this game works Why all the bad reviews this is a solid game and even though I live in an area with terrible connection speeds I hardly suffer any lag yes there where issues when the game was released but these issues are all cleared now the only possible compaint anyone could have about the online is the amount of hardcore players who will own all newcomers untill they adjust to the way this game works because it is truly unlike any other game out there… Expand
  10. CodyB
    Jan 19, 2010
    9
    Well sure there seems to be some issues with the online play to this game, however, it is something that can be fixed. The graphics, and unique gameplay and tactical team work needed is amazing and unlike any other. A great game and shows remarkable potential for what is to come for the rumored Gears of War 3.
  11. JaredR
    Dec 10, 2009
    1
    I loved the first one but this was a step down. Its near impossible to play online, nomatter what time of day. There are some cool new weapons. This game was more hype than bite, but worth picking up when it reaches the $5 bargain bin.
  12. AaronT.
    Nov 19, 2009
    10
    Ugh ok at first I came over to metacritic for a stats report I'm doing but after seeing some of these comments I have to say it's sad to see so many people whining over a great game...listen up Halo fanboys I could go on all day about how Halo is an incredibly flawed game and if you are a Gears 1 junkie...wow way to pussy out...It's clear you just couldn't handle real Ugh ok at first I came over to metacritic for a stats report I'm doing but after seeing some of these comments I have to say it's sad to see so many people whining over a great game...listen up Halo fanboys I could go on all day about how Halo is an incredibly flawed game and if you are a Gears 1 junkie...wow way to pussy out...It's clear you just couldn't handle real competitive matches and it suites you to go back...AND to be clear to all every online game has moments with major lag and YES that includes your Halo and Call of Duty...stop wasting space with your useless rants to give room to REAL user reviews...… Expand
  13. ChrisC
    Nov 19, 2009
    10
    Gears of War 2 is an amazing game, that improves a lot of stuff from the original Gears of War & adds some new stuff too! And all of the people who have been giving it low ratings are a bunch of Halo addicts, that fail to realize that Gears of War 2 really is an amazing game! Not all shooters have to be about charging enemies & shooting wildly! I mean Gears of War 2 is a lot more Gears of War 2 is an amazing game, that improves a lot of stuff from the original Gears of War & adds some new stuff too! And all of the people who have been giving it low ratings are a bunch of Halo addicts, that fail to realize that Gears of War 2 really is an amazing game! Not all shooters have to be about charging enemies & shooting wildly! I mean Gears of War 2 is a lot more realistic than most shooters! And is one of the best shooters that I have ever played!… Expand
  14. JamesM
    Nov 19, 2009
    10
    Gears of War 2 is a awesome game! With a fun campaign mode (although it is a little short), a very awesome & fun new mode called Horde Mode where you get to kill wave after wave of locust, new enemies, new weapons, great graphics, & great gameplay! My two biggest problems with game though is that the online is very laggy, & the final boss of the campaign mode is way too easy. But besides Gears of War 2 is a awesome game! With a fun campaign mode (although it is a little short), a very awesome & fun new mode called Horde Mode where you get to kill wave after wave of locust, new enemies, new weapons, great graphics, & great gameplay! My two biggest problems with game though is that the online is very laggy, & the final boss of the campaign mode is way too easy. But besides that I would say that Gears of War 2 is an awesome game that improves a lot of things from the original Gears of War! And I would highly recommend Gears of War 2 to anyone who is a fan of third-person shooters, or anyone who is a fan of the original Gears of War!… Expand
  15. PigPiles
    Nov 17, 2009
    9
    I would have give this game a 10 but it has quite a few bugs with it that isnt a really big deal. Graphics is top notch. Campaign is extremely good. Multiplayer is superb. The people complaining about it taking to long to find a match are obviously not that smart. Open your NAT settings so that it is not restricted then i bet you can find a match within a minute, and possibly you need a I would have give this game a 10 but it has quite a few bugs with it that isnt a really big deal. Graphics is top notch. Campaign is extremely good. Multiplayer is superb. The people complaining about it taking to long to find a match are obviously not that smart. Open your NAT settings so that it is not restricted then i bet you can find a match within a minute, and possibly you need a better connection. I have not had any problems finding matches. Great controls and physics. Another flaw with the game is the host advantage. That needs to be taken out because i feel it gives an unfair advantage to the opposing team.… Expand
  16. KanishkA
    Nov 14, 2009
    10
    This game is by far one of the best 1st person shooters I have ever played, or that has been made for that matter. I am actually stunned to see the rating given by other users. This game is perfect in each and every regard. So such low rating by these users is bewildering, The story is extremely engaging and the graphics are best you will find in any game period. The sound effects, the This game is by far one of the best 1st person shooters I have ever played, or that has been made for that matter. I am actually stunned to see the rating given by other users. This game is perfect in each and every regard. So such low rating by these users is bewildering, The story is extremely engaging and the graphics are best you will find in any game period. The sound effects, the weapons the enemies everything is just awesome, This is just a perfect package. Enjoyed it thoroughly and have played it again and again.… Expand
  17. 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
  18. JorgeMarquet
    Oct 17, 2009
    0
    Only magazines rate this game as good, by far its de most anoying game ever, the weapons never work as they should, the shotgun seems te be broken everytime, once again host have advantage in everything, plus live system is so bad organized, and thats not all, insteed of fixing the game, epic seems to be focused only in making maps so they can sell them
  19. TS
    Oct 11, 2009
    10
    One of the best games ever made. Sure, the online can be laggy and glitchy, but its fun when its not, and the singleplayer campaign was amazing, fun, and had a better storyline for Gears 2. I also felt pretty bad for Carmine when he "SPOILERS" died "END SPOILERS". Very, very awesome game.
  20. GoozeI.
    Oct 6, 2009
    3
    i bought gears 1 for the online as did everyone then i bought gears 2 and the online was pathetic but gears 2 got the campaign pacing right not much story but great pacing. its so bad that i have came to the conclusion that the game was simply rushed and not finished
  21. chrisv
    Oct 5, 2009
    10
    this game is quality. had to write in cos some of these user comments are totally way of the mark. ive played GOW and GOW2 twice right through both r great games but GOW2 takes it to the next level. its one of the best sequels out there. its a keeper as they say!
  22. AnthonyS.
    Sep 20, 2009
    3
    this game is a 3 at BEST. Yeah the graphics are spectacular. But if it weren't for the graphics or the awesome campaign, this would be a 1. Ppl buy to game for the multiplayer, and let me tell ya, it is the WORTS multiplayer game on the market today. WAY overrated. Epic is just a bunch of lazy bums sitting around hearing evryone complain about the million flaws of this game and here this game is a 3 at BEST. Yeah the graphics are spectacular. But if it weren't for the graphics or the awesome campaign, this would be a 1. Ppl buy to game for the multiplayer, and let me tell ya, it is the WORTS multiplayer game on the market today. WAY overrated. Epic is just a bunch of lazy bums sitting around hearing evryone complain about the million flaws of this game and here they are sitting and doing nothing about with all the money they have. JUST the Host powers itself are enough to give this game an epic fail, not to mention all the bugs and the poor public gameplay. Ill admit though, it can be fun when you're having a good day on that game but that's just cuz i didnt buy it, I borrowed it from a friend. If i bought it id just sell it back. This game is pure trash. Call of Duty's the way to go. And it just gives me giggles to hear all the ppl that think this game is good to go on and on about whats so great about it. And for realism? LOL trust me, if you shoot a guy 3 times point blank with a shotgun, he's gonna be down before he gets one off to just insta kill you.… Expand
  23. ClintonW
    Sep 12, 2009
    1
    This game is just sad i cant believe how crappy this game is. with all the money that epic has at their disposal you would think that this game would be loads better than the first, you would be wrong. this game has the shortest and most repetitive campaign i have ever seen. the multiplayer is a joke. epic didnt even try with the multiplayer. you sit and wait for 5-10 minutes just to find This game is just sad i cant believe how crappy this game is. with all the money that epic has at their disposal you would think that this game would be loads better than the first, you would be wrong. this game has the shortest and most repetitive campaign i have ever seen. the multiplayer is a joke. epic didnt even try with the multiplayer. you sit and wait for 5-10 minutes just to find a match and when you finally get into a match expect lag. the host advantage is great how when the host quits everyone leaves the match. and guess what you get to wait another 5 minutes just to find another laggy match. i have cursed this game so many times to the point that i wanted to punch cliffy b and his team in the face. this game has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. people might say the graphics are the best on the 360 and i ask what are you smoking.if you want a game with the best graphics get bioshock. the campaign sucks, multiplayer sucks, voice acting sucks, weapons suck, this whole damn game sucks and i couldnt care less about the campaign in gears 3 all i want is a good multiplayer and unless they fix not just me but thousands of people WILL NOT get this game.… Expand
  24. AnonymousMC
    Sep 7, 2009
    9
    Overall it's a fun game. It has good graphics and the two player campaign it great even though it is a short. I cannot see how some people are giving this game a 0. It has its problems but all games do. Even though the multiplayer deathmatch mode is lacking it makes up for it in the story mode. I had fun playing it, and I think it is a good game.
  25. DonDanger
    Sep 6, 2009
    0
    SHITTY GAME FULL OF SHIT.
    Is this game First idea of this shitty game cover shoot move cover shoot move and do that shit for 10 HOURS What the FU*K story sucks and is so cliché that if someone who hates cliché's would kill himself so....
    This game sucks really. And cost of this 60$ WTF? this game is so bad you should throw the disc out of your window and    SHITTY GAME FULL OF SHIT.
    Is this game First idea of this shitty game cover shoot move cover shoot move and do that shit for 10 HOURS What the FU*K story sucks and is so cliché that if someone who hates cliché's would kill himself so....
    This game sucks really.
    And cost of this 60$ WTF? this game is so bad you should throw the disc out of your window and break,shoot,burn,buyan elephant and put elephant on it and sh*it on it sorry but thats true and graphics are worst it is ok put GREY it is like old time mickey Moses like how much they spent on this game? 2$?10$?
    Think before buy this game    … Expand
  26. 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
  27. EdB
    Aug 12, 2009
    4
    What a sad waste of potential. Every penny spent by Epic on the development of this lumbering, clumsy game should have been spent instead on promoting and marketing their far superior Unreal Tournament III. But the very week of UT3's release, local retailers had shelves full of empty pre-order boxes for Gears2 while shoppers might be hard pressed to find a single copy of UT3 What a sad waste of potential. Every penny spent by Epic on the development of this lumbering, clumsy game should have been spent instead on promoting and marketing their far superior Unreal Tournament III. But the very week of UT3's release, local retailers had shelves full of empty pre-order boxes for Gears2 while shoppers might be hard pressed to find a single copy of UT3 displayed. I found one lone copy of UT3 hidden on a bottom shelf, spine out, the week of its release. Sure, the graphics in Gears2 are pretty. But the character movement and physics are a sad, frustrating joke. Titles like Halo, BioShock, Mass Effect, and Epic's own Unreal demonstrate that smooth character movement and entertaining, rewarding game physics are possible. But the juvenile Cliffy B and his team seem to favor gratuitous blood splatter effects and characters that seem like they're made of hardened cement to fluid game mechanics. And whose genius idea was it to have the A button be the default for both hiding and running? Half the time, your character jumps out into danger when you need him to hide, or slams up against a wall when you need him to sprint. I was looking forward to this game. But I'm sorry to have to give it an Epic Fail.… Expand
  28. RichardM
    Aug 4, 2009
    3
    Sure, the graphics are better. This is the only good thing. Every other aspect of GOW2 has degraded. Here is why. (Balance) In GOW1, each act was played in specific environments. It was balanced, and it flowed quite nicely. GOW2 however, fluctuates in every act. It is completely unbalanced. Each act takes you to different environment that become tedious to play in. You're alternating Sure, the graphics are better. This is the only good thing. Every other aspect of GOW2 has degraded. Here is why. (Balance) In GOW1, each act was played in specific environments. It was balanced, and it flowed quite nicely. GOW2 however, fluctuates in every act. It is completely unbalanced. Each act takes you to different environment that become tedious to play in. You're alternating from underground to surface. Each act should be dedicated to a particular area, or at least not take us so abruptly to different places. (Feeling) The music is different, the voice acting is horribly, it's corny, the story has elements that shreds it to pieces, etc. It's as if Epic had a last minute thought to add a love side plot to the story. It's poorly executed (voice acting makes it laughable); I waited and waited for it to be over. The scale of GOW2 is quite larger. This however, is impaired by the linear gameplay that limits your "interaction" with the many enemies. When enemies are plentiful, you'll either be contained within a vehicle, or stuck behind a wall. The battles are longer and larger on the normal skirmishes, I can't deny. (Gameplay) The environments weren't enjoyable to play in. You were limited many times by being on vehicles, in boats, on reavers, etc. Freedom is why we play games. Memorable environments included the last act, when I was starting to enjoy it. The battle system is still intact. It's improved with new features. New enemies are just not as fun to defeat as you'd think they'd be. After shooting 100 bullets into one of them, they finally fall. It becomes repetitive and boring after awhile. In fact, the only thing that kept me going were the achievements. Weapons feel weaker, compared to the first game. GOW2 is FULL of bugs. Brumaks float in the air after defeat, enemies paralyze straight in front of you, enemies don't hurt you, etc. After 2 minutes, you know exactly what your enemy will do and what pattern he will follow (run at you, run back, jump over wall, stand straight up, headshot.) (Multiplayer) Need I even say how horrendously the multiplayer fails? 10 minutes just to find 1 game, lag in %80 of games, host leaves %60 of games, glitches on every corner, etc. It's just said. I loved the first game. GOW1 was amazingly done, and even though the multiplayer had the downfall of host advantage; it was crazily fun. The game did become repetitive, but not on the scale of GOW2. The multiplayer is barely playable! The campaign is the only thing this game has going for itself, and even that is poor. I just can't like this game...… Expand
  29. Matt
    Aug 2, 2009
    10
    It makes me sad to see people that cannot recognize an epic game when they see one. Most of the people that rate low are Halo addicts that can't stand to realize just how amazing this game is. In my opinion, it is the only true next gen game I have ever played. Shooters don't have to be about charging enemies and shooting wildly and completely unrealistically. This is the way It makes me sad to see people that cannot recognize an epic game when they see one. Most of the people that rate low are Halo addicts that can't stand to realize just how amazing this game is. In my opinion, it is the only true next gen game I have ever played. Shooters don't have to be about charging enemies and shooting wildly and completely unrealistically. This is the way real war is done.… Expand
  30. RickS
    Jul 26, 2009
    3
    JULY 25, 2009 and this game is still horrible. You have a brother or sister or GF or Wife whatever, that plays with you split screen, right? So your thinking well the Campaign was fun(THE WHOLE 5 HOURS OF IT), lets all play multiplayer together, This game is by far the worst multiplayer game on the market right now, if you ask even the people playing it on live(yes JULY 2009), they will JULY 25, 2009 and this game is still horrible. You have a brother or sister or GF or Wife whatever, that plays with you split screen, right? So your thinking well the Campaign was fun(THE WHOLE 5 HOURS OF IT), lets all play multiplayer together, This game is by far the worst multiplayer game on the market right now, if you ask even the people playing it on live(yes JULY 2009), they will tell you there not buying Gears 3. . First Horde gets boring after maybe 4 play throughs, the campaign itself is so short i thought it needed to be an add-on not a whole damn game, next and the biggest load of $h!t in this game is the multiplayer, LAG EVERY MATCH, IF HOST LEAVE YOU GET NOTHING, Thats right you could get 20 kills and your in a party, if a host leaves the match, everyone is back at the main menu screen, this means you have invite everyone back in, start up matchmaking and wait 4 too 5 mins again EACH MATCH. ARE YOU INSANE, if i play 5 games, i actually sat in my chair and steered at the screen for almost 25 minutes doing nothing! People don't seem to realize that i'm paying for xbox live every month, so when i buy a game i expect the multiplayer to be atleast playable, i'm not buying half of the game, NO, I WILL NOT JUST SETTLE FOR THE Campaign/Story. COD 4 got multiplayer so perfect, why god infinity ward did not put splitscreen why?. Gears of War 2 Weapon spawning is horrid, GLITCHES IN PICKING UP WEAPONS, glitches in running/jumping over walls/taking cover,Shotgun and Lancer rifle is all you play with, YOU HAVE TO OUT RUN YOUR OWN TEAM MEMBERS TO GET A DECENT GUN(sniper,torque bow,boomshot). 80 percent of all matches comes down to a shotgun fest, that is so inconsistent it boggles the mind, i can sometimes explode my enemy with one shot 4 feet away, sometimes 3 shots to the back of an enemy with my shotgun does nothing, he turns around and 2-pieces me(melee and then shoot). The community itself in Gears Of War 2 is very frustrating, everyone seems to be frustrated and angry, and i really can't blame them, the game is not rewarding anymore, its basically-mad dash to get CHEESE big gun, kill 4 people with big gun, pull out your shotgun, wait for big cheesy gun to spawn, do it all over again, mean while getting cursed at, from some of the stupidest people on xbox live. IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE THAT ENJOYS TIME SPENT WITH YOU AND VIDEO GAMES DON'T PUT THEM THROUGH THIS GAME. I PROMISE YOU I AM NOT BUYING GEARS OF WAR 3.… Expand
  31. 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
  32. samblackburn
    Jul 15, 2009
    2
    while gears of war 2's campaign is entertaining all be it short the multiplayer is what the original such a successful game and epic have done there utmost to destroy the best part of there game. i can't imagine gears 3 getting any better. if you were a fan of the first stay well away
  33. 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
  34. CiaranG.
    Jun 28, 2009
    10
    The single-player game (which can also be played with up to 4 friends via Xbox Live) is one of the best I have ever played. It is short and will only take a few days to complete if played almost flat out but those few days will be absolutely mind blowing. It's an absolutely intense game and hell of a lot of fun. The graphics and visuals are absolutely top-notch - at times jaw The single-player game (which can also be played with up to 4 friends via Xbox Live) is one of the best I have ever played. It is short and will only take a few days to complete if played almost flat out but those few days will be absolutely mind blowing. It's an absolutely intense game and hell of a lot of fun. The graphics and visuals are absolutely top-notch - at times jaw dropping and stunning. The storyline is much better this time around too, at times injecting some emotion and it succeeded in shocking me speechless at one point. Gameplay never feels repetitive since you will always be doing something different, and run-and-gun action is mixed in with some stunning driving and flying levels too. Great online play will long extend the life of this game as will the various difficulty levels which act as an incentive to return again and again. Must-have game.… Expand
  35. 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
  36. Sablicious...
    Jun 26, 2009
    4
    A botched [non] effort of a sequel that LOOKED as if was destined to be a classic, but turned out a classic mess:
    -horrendous lag compared to the first game
    -atrociously slow matchmaking (expect to wait <30 minutes for a match to begin on occasions!) -lack of choice in on-line matches -bugs, glitche[r]s aplenty -major weapons balance-related issues -die-linear campaign -ockerish,    A botched [non] effort of a sequel that LOOKED as if was destined to be a classic, but turned out a classic mess:
    -horrendous lag compared to the first game
    -atrociously slow matchmaking (expect to wait <30 minutes for a match to begin on occasions!)
    -lack of choice in on-line matches
    -bugs, glitche[r]s aplenty
    -major weapons balance-related issues
    -die-linear campaign
    -ockerish, brain-dead, cliched narrative
    -no customization/upgrades off-line of on.
    ...The list goes on.

    Only the most ardent, blinkered, gore hungry shooter fanboy could look past the game's myriad flaws and subscribe to the ~9 commercial reviews. The very fact that even 8 months post-release the game STILL suffers from many of its out-of-the-box shortcomings.

    Gears of War 2 is a stark example of what is meant by the trm 'cash-in'. For shame Cliffy Dweeb and co. For shame in ripping off your trusting fans. May the consumer backlash come the inevitable third title in the series force you to sell your wanky Lamborghini, you glorified drinks coaster monger. -_-    … Expand
  37. Sablicious...
    Jun 26, 2009
    10
    Gears Of War 2 is just an awesome video game, and the best shooter around. The storyline is pretty mean, and the suicide by Tai really added to the effect of how badly they were torturing people. The Multiplayer is epic as, and the masses upon masses of unnessescary gore is just legendary. The horde part of the game I believe is the most fun, and the inclusion of 5 maps from the first Gears Of War 2 is just an awesome video game, and the best shooter around. The storyline is pretty mean, and the suicide by Tai really added to the effect of how badly they were torturing people. The Multiplayer is epic as, and the masses upon masses of unnessescary gore is just legendary. The horde part of the game I believe is the most fun, and the inclusion of 5 maps from the first game is mean as. Great game!… Expand
  38. 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
  39. AdamW
    May 21, 2009
    8
    Not the best game ever but still one of the best cover shooters around. The storyline was a little disappointing with the extremely easy end boss but the inclusion of 5 of the original Gears of War maps makes up for that.
  40. AlbertV
    May 5, 2009
    2
    Duck and Cover, Duck and Cover. And more Duck and cover with Bugs. Lag Online only with 5vs5. Hmm, hmm, poor game. Have good graphics, but are not the best. Crysis have better Graphics than that.
  41. takedat
    May 2, 2009
    9
    The campaign is much better than Gears 1. The levels are more thought out and make you feel like you are actually in the environment. I would have gave it a 10 if the online play interface was better. Also, it would have been better to have a actual boss fight. Maybe in the next game. Overall, great game ... no doubt.
  42. 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
  43. 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
  44. PatrickM
    Apr 18, 2009
    10
    Easily one of the best games ever online or offline. There is so much to do on gears for example co-op campains, hordes, several multiplayer game mode like, warzone, execution, gaurdian, annex, wingman and more. And finally anyone who critisises this game don't no what there talking about. GEARS OF WAR FOR THE WIN!!!
  45. 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
  46. 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
  47. StevieStevie
    Mar 7, 2009
    4
    Quite a dissapointment compared to the original. Graphics are good but discredits itself for using CGI. As for mutiplayer it is laggy and completely unbalanced. You can tell they rushed it for xmas. Worth getting if you don't like FPS and need online competition. Otherwise get a Call of Duty.
  48. TB
    Mar 5, 2009
    10
    Easily one of the best games I've ever played. There were a lot of little flaws (not enough weapons and you can only hold two at a time, tank level, graphics werent nearly as mind blowing as 1, super easy final boss while some of the other bosses took too long to beat, D pad on 360 sucks, weapon system could be a lot cooler, cover system is the best one ever but it still sometimes Easily one of the best games I've ever played. There were a lot of little flaws (not enough weapons and you can only hold two at a time, tank level, graphics werent nearly as mind blowing as 1, super easy final boss while some of the other bosses took too long to beat, D pad on 360 sucks, weapon system could be a lot cooler, cover system is the best one ever but it still sometimes frustrates, confusing (but cool) story, running, often too dark to enjoy the beautiful art direction, the slow speed he walks, the way the camera moves slower when you zoom in, etc). But this game is so easy to pick up and play with easy to learn controls, its gameplay is so much fun , and its full of so many amazing moments and amazing set pieces and cool enemies, that it more than makes up for all the negatives. Also, having the option of playing MP with bots is great for all those who dont have the internet. The additions of meat shield, curb stomping in single player, better cut scenes that tell a cooler story, expanded MP, and no real lulls in the gameplay are the real improvement over Gears 1.… Expand
  49. angryperson
    Mar 2, 2009
    3
    Wow, 93? this game deserves to be in low to mid 80s! god this just goes to show that most gaming critics these days are xbox humpers, killzone 2 is 10 times better than this piece of crap sequal. but yet kz2 only got a 91, hm i bet if killzone was on the xbox it would have gotten a 95 or more.
  50. DesO
    Feb 25, 2009
    9
    The single player is pretty good (and only get better in co-op). It's epic in scope as well as gameplay and the story, while not the strongest out there, is entertaining in an action movie kind of way. The gameplay is more weighted than the first gears and the cover system works much better. The multiplayer is good but the matchmaking can be fun-suckingly slow. this is compensated by The single player is pretty good (and only get better in co-op). It's epic in scope as well as gameplay and the story, while not the strongest out there, is entertaining in an action movie kind of way. The gameplay is more weighted than the first gears and the cover system works much better. The multiplayer is good but the matchmaking can be fun-suckingly slow. this is compensated by the fact that you can host a game with a few friends and fill the remaining slots with bots, or you can try to hold out against wave after wave of locust in horde mode. The graphics are a more refined than the first gears and thus significantly better. Overall a pretty solid package and well worth it's weight in gold.… Expand
  51. jsoem.
    Feb 21, 2009
    10
    This game in my opinion is great far superior than gears of war 1. the new features (frag tags, meatshields and improved cover system to name a few) keeps the series refreshed, the new story was awesome. the cut scenes were great and the twists and turns in the story make for a great game. LOVE IT.
  52. NajamU.
    Feb 17, 2009
    10
    THIS GAME ROCKS! I've always been a gears of war fan and this game didn't disappoint me.There was a dramatic change in graphics which brightened up the game.Despite having the same combat techniques as the first one this game is really fun playing.To be really honest with you the story-line was great but the boss was absurd.The multiplayer battles are OFF THE HOOK.So grab some THIS GAME ROCKS! I've always been a gears of war fan and this game didn't disappoint me.There was a dramatic change in graphics which brightened up the game.Despite having the same combat techniques as the first one this game is really fun playing.To be really honest with you the story-line was great but the boss was absurd.The multiplayer battles are OFF THE HOOK.So grab some bucks,break your piggy-banks(its strange why do they call it like this my brother told me)or steal some money.Somehow break into a store and get it as quick as possible and buy it.believe me I don't lie guys.… Expand
  53. JustinB.
    Feb 16, 2009
    4
    It just isn't that fun. A game this visually stunning (save for the brown filter) shouldn't suffer from sluggish controls, cheesy dialog, and generally poor scenarios. Why people go gaga over this title is beyond my understanding but you can beet that any reviewer worth their salt would be willing to admit that this series still has room for improvement.
  54. JonP.
    Feb 15, 2009
    0
    Most of the story is ok, although the ending of the story is completely unsatisfying. As for multiplayer... Uhh, how to describe it... Its laggy, Ill spawn with no weapon, it takes about 3.5 hours to get in a game, it has a ranking system with only 5 ranks, and they dont really matter, all people do is mash the B-button to get like 10 kills per game, and when I get smoke gernaded down Most of the story is ok, although the ending of the story is completely unsatisfying. As for multiplayer... Uhh, how to describe it... Its laggy, Ill spawn with no weapon, it takes about 3.5 hours to get in a game, it has a ranking system with only 5 ranks, and they dont really matter, all people do is mash the B-button to get like 10 kills per game, and when I get smoke gernaded down stairs I cant get up for about 45 seconds. I went from a rank level 1 to a rank level 3 in three games, and since then Ive played hundreds of matches, and I do the best in the game (or AT LEAST on my team), and I still dont get ranked up. Also, I get in a game with 4 level 1s, and go up against like 5 level 3s or 4s every time!! What a failure of one of my most anticipated games of my life!! Go on youtube, and search: "Pissin me off- gears of war".… Expand
  55. DerekRomich
    Feb 11, 2009
    9
    I don't play multiplayer so I'm only rating this game from the single player story mode. I thought the pacing was great and the story was okay. You're definitely strung along and left with more questions about Marcus Fenix's past. Dom's story gave a more personal touch to the story which I liked. The action is pretty much the same as the first game (which is aI don't play multiplayer so I'm only rating this game from the single player story mode. I thought the pacing was great and the story was okay. You're definitely strung along and left with more questions about Marcus Fenix's past. Dom's story gave a more personal touch to the story which I liked. The action is pretty much the same as the first game (which is a good thing). The final boss battle is not much of a battle at all; but this is a game that is great based on the sum of all its parts, not just one battle.… Expand
  56. SeanH.
    Feb 5, 2009
    10
    This game had absolutely everything that I was looking for. It was backed by an excellent story, it had some of the most graphic violence that I've seen in a game, and it has an amazing multiplayer. I would recommend this game to any of my friends, enemies not so much though since I don't want them having fun.
  57. GRRRandmasterBallzack
    Feb 5, 2009
    0
    this game is rubbish, i still haven't completed it, only game i own that i can say that about, teh multiplayer is rubbish too like its all teh peoplez r like ZOMG chainsaws FTW FTW FTW, unbalanced, aiming doesn't feel natural like an FPS and OMG WTF i could of sworn for a minute there i was inside a giant worm....i couldn't have been because that would bethis game is rubbish, i still haven't completed it, only game i own that i can say that about, teh multiplayer is rubbish too like its all teh peoplez r like ZOMG chainsaws FTW FTW FTW, unbalanced, aiming doesn't feel natural like an FPS and OMG WTF i could of sworn for a minute there i was inside a giant worm....i couldn't have been because that would be stupid...........sell ur Xbox Xbots and just admit killzone 2 is best on a superior system, i gna sell my xbox cos teh red rings suck like gears2, ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOmggggggGG… Expand
  58. 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
  59. 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.
  60. RaynJ.
    Jan 30, 2009
    1
    I was a huge fan of the first Gears of War, but I gotta be honest, this game BLEW. The story was completely absurd (AHEM WORM), and the locations didn't make sense at all (AHEM WORM). The underground parts of the game were a complete drag, and the last boss was incredibly lame. The multiplayer is completely broken, like more broken than SOCOM: Confrontations was early on. The only I was a huge fan of the first Gears of War, but I gotta be honest, this game BLEW. The story was completely absurd (AHEM WORM), and the locations didn't make sense at all (AHEM WORM). The underground parts of the game were a complete drag, and the last boss was incredibly lame. The multiplayer is completely broken, like more broken than SOCOM: Confrontations was early on. The only redeeming quality of this game is the graphics, which are very impressive.… Expand
  61. MikeT
    Jan 28, 2009
    4
    This game starts out great. The career was probably best carrer mode since halo 3. Horde was a great thing to add to this game too. Overall the game is really fun. But, when it comes to x-box live, get ready to tear your hair out! I am a major xbox live fan but this game is the WORST game for live. It has no server so whoever is host can lag around the whole game. Also, it kicks people This game starts out great. The career was probably best carrer mode since halo 3. Horde was a great thing to add to this game too. Overall the game is really fun. But, when it comes to x-box live, get ready to tear your hair out! I am a major xbox live fan but this game is the WORST game for live. It has no server so whoever is host can lag around the whole game. Also, it kicks people out of the game like chuck norris. So if you love playing you against five people. GO BUY GEARS! There should be a penalty for quiting out, And if epic doesn't want to fix that because the game lag's people out so much. Maybe they should fix all the problems? I have heard that the budget for this game was a good amount. But i dont know what happened to it. The multiplayer would be great but there is so many problems with it is ruins all the fun. This game is just about as bad as call of duty 5. What happened Epic?… Expand
  62. wtewtgewsgeryhrshgrs
    Jan 28, 2009
    2
    this game has major MAJOR lag, the server sucks, kicks gamers out from the lag. It also takes forever to find a game, this is with the update that was supposed to fix all this too. Overall the game was pretty fun but the online is one of the worst ive ever played.
  63. 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
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. JohnLamont
    Jan 17, 2009
    9
    I thoroughly enjoyed this game. Though after one campaign experience I had enough. It was shorter than I expected, but considering the space of an 360 disc you can see why. Multiplayer is fantastic, more than anything that's what really strung my rating up to 9/10, all the different game types, and playing with a friend really makes it worthwhile. You can switch gore (blood) off ifI thoroughly enjoyed this game. Though after one campaign experience I had enough. It was shorter than I expected, but considering the space of an 360 disc you can see why. Multiplayer is fantastic, more than anything that's what really strung my rating up to 9/10, all the different game types, and playing with a friend really makes it worthwhile. You can switch gore (blood) off if you get a bit quezzy.… Expand
  67. SeanMcB
    Jan 14, 2009
    10
    I like that you can be revived if you are downed but it gets pretty challenging in co op mode. since you need both knowledge and skill to complete this game on legendary mode, I really think that they took a lot of time on this game and really did a good job with Improving some mistakes from Gears of war 1, Good job guys
  68. 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
  69. AlexS.
    Jan 6, 2009
    10
    Me and Gears of War 1 did not fit well together i completely despised that game to no end and its a wonder i got this 1 but im sure glad i did all my friends were getting it so i said hey might as well i got nothing to lose so i go out and spend $60 and im so glad i did i even went back and played gears 1 and they fixed everything and i will say that matchmaking in Gears 1 is okay and its Me and Gears of War 1 did not fit well together i completely despised that game to no end and its a wonder i got this 1 but im sure glad i did all my friends were getting it so i said hey might as well i got nothing to lose so i go out and spend $60 and im so glad i did i even went back and played gears 1 and they fixed everything and i will say that matchmaking in Gears 1 is okay and its Okay in Gears 2 i like them both i dont mind it and unlike gears 1 you got to set up your team or youd join a match and miss half your team because they went to Cog but not in Gears 2 the only slightly annoying thing in Gears 2 is the chainsaw.. but once you get good with the shotgun and know how to roll aorund a lil bit more the worries are gone you may still get hit by it but not nearly as much. Oh and peoplle say the Shotgun in gears 2 is crap. NO its not this just requires more skill to use instead of blindfire in front of you and you win its a lot better and i like what they did with it they made it more like a real shotgun instead of a Jesus shotgun that 1 hit kills everyhting. Id say the only bad thing about Gears 2 is that 90% of Shotgunners get there kills from nothing but 2 piecing and all i got to say to that is NO your not good for doing it. For example my friend Kilin 2-pieces all day he gets me sometimes but 80% of the time i blast him before he can get to me and he always loses to me when he doesnt 2-piece its not using the shotgun really your just pressing B + RT and then you move on no you suck for doing it. And Meleeing in this 1 is a little different some weapons melee a lot harder then others and some barely hit you at all at first i was confused a lot because id get 1 hitted when i only have 1 pistol shot damage on but once you learn that you dont get mad as much. Oh and moving around in this game is awesome it saves lives and its funny to get downed by someone and crawl away from them and they search forever and cant find you then you just come up and blast them. Oh and the last thing i cant stress enough about gears 2 DONT PLAY WITH YOUR KILLS!!! Ive had my whole team die and it was just me vs 3 people they downed me and let me get back up (with the intention of donwing me again) and when i got up i rolled away dodged there bullets and 1 of them was still on me i had the torque out charged it for like 2 seconds turned around and blasted him with it and then the other 2 came at me with shotguns luckily there noobs and try to 2 piece and just got raped because i move and blast you once you melee.… Expand
  70. ChrisR.
    Jan 5, 2009
    9
    I was scepticle of this game, I liked ,borderline ,loved the 1st one, but i thought the only reason this game would get any attension is simply fan boys loving the 1st one so much. But it really does meet up to expectations. The Story is absolutly immersive by comparison to most games trying to pull off the same nonsence as this game. Giving Dom a personal story touch was a great call. TheI was scepticle of this game, I liked ,borderline ,loved the 1st one, but i thought the only reason this game would get any attension is simply fan boys loving the 1st one so much. But it really does meet up to expectations. The Story is absolutly immersive by comparison to most games trying to pull off the same nonsence as this game. Giving Dom a personal story touch was a great call. The Combat, basically being the same feels more refined, more effort put into. I still say that the game wouldnt be fun by comparison to co-op then just by yourself. I noticed the sound has improved alot aswell. I do recommend this game. But I wouldnt recommend playing it alone, there geniouenly is not much fun in that.… Expand
  71. DevinGrant
    Jan 5, 2009
    9
    The follow up to the first Killer App for the 360 is a progressive if not somewhat flawed effort. Epic addressed the repetive environments of the first game and added beautiful diverse levels that more that please the eye. The key gameplay component hasn't changed with the cover system being nearly identical to its predecessor. The only time the system is abandoned is the act thatThe follow up to the first Killer App for the 360 is a progressive if not somewhat flawed effort. Epic addressed the repetive environments of the first game and added beautiful diverse levels that more that please the eye. The key gameplay component hasn't changed with the cover system being nearly identical to its predecessor. The only time the system is abandoned is the act that takes place inside a giant worm. The level is merely a platfrom game with only one type of enemy, and one objective. It's understandable that epic wanted to switch things up, but the cover system is sorely missed after this level based soley on the fact that the gameplay from the previous level, was so simple and archaic. This doesn't however take away from the rest of the campaign that clocks in at a little over 12 hours. The action's frantic pace is continuous throughout and the bosses battles only add to a game that is filled with constant action.
    The main improvement from part one is the multiplayer. Epic builds on an already solid foundation, and then bumps it up more than few notches. The horde mode where two players battle wave after wave of locust is heart-pounding and can almost be a game in itself. This is accompanied by all the modes found in the first and a refined online modes that rival the hallowed Halo series. Ultimately Gears of War 2 is an more than adequate improvement over the first with some gameplay flaws keeping it from a perfect score. If Epic stays on the right track, Gears of War 3 could be one of the games that defines the current generation of videogames    … Expand
  72. 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
  73. stevenh
    Jan 4, 2009
    1
    this game is bullshit to many retarded things happenin like that unbeatable chain saw wen its comin at u not even god himself can stop it i try to use the shot gun but na wont work ....also how come da shot gun only works some times wen u shot a player at the same distance he shot you u get blown away....this game is 2 be for enjoyment all it does is do ur head in its a load of bullshitthis game is bullshit to many retarded things happenin like that unbeatable chain saw wen its comin at u not even god himself can stop it i try to use the shot gun but na wont work ....also how come da shot gun only works some times wen u shot a player at the same distance he shot you u get blown away....this game is 2 be for enjoyment all it does is do ur head in its a load of bullshit ..yhey should have an up date to fix this crap like the glitches and laging
    catch me at my gamer tag stevenhallissey    … Expand
  74. RaoultT.
    Jan 3, 2009
    0
    Excellent.
  75. 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
  76. JeffreyP
    Dec 30, 2008
    9
    This game is mixed by users 1) perhaps they are not the type to play third person shooters 2) they are ps3 users trying to make the purchase justified and not buy this game 3) the reviewer just honestly did not like the game. I can understand one and three, but when I hear people get upset because they didn't mind to look at the freaking cover of the game, thinking it was a racingThis game is mixed by users 1) perhaps they are not the type to play third person shooters 2) they are ps3 users trying to make the purchase justified and not buy this game 3) the reviewer just honestly did not like the game. I can understand one and three, but when I hear people get upset because they didn't mind to look at the freaking cover of the game, thinking it was a racing game, come on, that makes me a little upset. This game defines what a blockbuster style action and story of epic survival really mean. Big guns, huge enemies with bigger weapons, expanded environments and new takes on the bleak world of Sera, take this game to a new height of badassness. Mind you there are thing like glitches that need to work out, but don't complain the multilayer is laggy, because you're internet sucks(oldest excuse in the book of gaming by the way). The game may feel short to some, but in the long run, I know people will be working day and night to get the Seriously 2.0 Achievement.… Expand
  77. AnonymousMC
    Dec 29, 2008
    9
    A great game. It's far from the best, with its sudden deaths (i.e. if you stand in one place for half of a second too long, you will die without warning) and terrible group of players on it (but that's not the game's fault, that's the fault of LIVE). However, if you have a 360, don't miss this great game. Oh, and if you're wondering about the low userA great game. It's far from the best, with its sudden deaths (i.e. if you stand in one place for half of a second too long, you will die without warning) and terrible group of players on it (but that's not the game's fault, that's the fault of LIVE). However, if you have a 360, don't miss this great game. Oh, and if you're wondering about the low user score, that's from the PS3 fanboys who don't try both games. I'm as ashamed of them as the people lowering the Resistance 2 score. But I'm getting off topic. Just get this game.… Expand
  78. AlbertW.
    Dec 28, 2008
    10
    GOW, i mean GOW!!!!!! wow this is an amazing game the history and the multiplayer are examples of what a Third Person Shooter MUST be, the characters aren't only videogame characters, they can be real people all have their history, mistakes, etc. this game can be played even if you don't know the first part, the campaign made me laugh, cry and eat my nails haha, i didn'tGOW, i mean GOW!!!!!! wow this is an amazing game the history and the multiplayer are examples of what a Third Person Shooter MUST be, the characters aren't only videogame characters, they can be real people all have their history, mistakes, etc. this game can be played even if you don't know the first part, the campaign made me laugh, cry and eat my nails haha, i didn't think this could be possible, at least the graphics are the best of all times, Halo, here's your contender number 1!!!… Expand
  79. PaoloB
    Dec 28, 2008
    8
    Single Player:10 Multiplayer: 7
    I feel like the developers did not listen to the gamers at all while making this sequel. Yes, there's nothing like it out there and is the only game I truly enjoy playing but as an avid GOW 1 multiplayer I feel they screwed it up a bit. I know but talking to fellow players what their concerns are and everyone says the same thing: they messed up the    Single Player:10 Multiplayer: 7
    I feel like the developers did not listen to the gamers at all while making this sequel. Yes, there's nothing like it out there and is the only game I truly enjoy playing but as an avid GOW 1 multiplayer I feel they screwed it up a bit. I know but talking to fellow players what their concerns are and everyone says the same thing: they messed up the SHOTGUN big time ! Before it was the weapon of choice, using the Chainsow only occasionally but now you have no choice as the SHOTGUN is just ineffective, even bots need two or three shots in the head to die at times, the result is that if you use the SHOTGUN you will more often than not, DIE, probably by chainsaw. The Sniper shot and the BOOMER have all been weakend, everything seems to have been geared towards the CHAINSAW gaming, which makes no sense at all to me. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of those yanks who go around calling people nubes when they Chainsaw but before there was a balance, the chainsaw being just of the options , now that balance has been broken. Never mind releasing new maps and stuff if you release any update please fix the SHOTGUN to what it was before. Single player is awesome, I have been playing for 25 years and, believe it or not, I've only ever finished three games prior to this, one of them being GOW1 ! The games keeps you guessing and constantly throws new things for you to do, always retaining the same unique playability. If anything single player is a little short but it's still terrific. It's quite funny to me how rather obviously the game's creative director Cliffy B created Marcus Fenix out of his reseablance, cleverly disguised, nice try but you cannot hide ones eyes, unless he wears goggles. TOP TOP GAME    … Expand
  80. HarryBauls
    Dec 26, 2008
    0
    At first, I thought that this game was going to be a worthy followup to a great game, and I looked forward to the story. It had me interested for a little while, but then when Marcus pissed all over that hot sexy girl in the third act of yonder I found it sort of tasteless and put the game down and never played it again.
  81. SteveeRoode
    Dec 26, 2008
    10
    I rarely give 10s but this game is just so enjoyable and I wan't fond of the first gears but this game totally lives up to the hype it deserves, its plot is dark and interesting, some parts are irratingly hard but after thinking what to do its ok but A very fun shooter and personally this is one of my favourates this years games and quite honestly my game of the year because it wasI rarely give 10s but this game is just so enjoyable and I wan't fond of the first gears but this game totally lives up to the hype it deserves, its plot is dark and interesting, some parts are irratingly hard but after thinking what to do its ok but A very fun shooter and personally this is one of my favourates this years games and quite honestly my game of the year because it was such a blast with fun online play… Expand
  82. joeymcone
    Dec 25, 2008
    10
    umm yea so i was looking for a game to get this xmas and i got a xbox 360. i was gonna get nba live but i heard it had a lot of glitches. so i was lookin for a game to get and i rented gears 1 a while ago and liked it. my brother got fable 2 so i decided to get gears 2. yoooooo this game is sick. way better than the first one, it cracks me up how people act like this game is worseumm yea so i was looking for a game to get this xmas and i got a xbox 360. i was gonna get nba live but i heard it had a lot of glitches. so i was lookin for a game to get and i rented gears 1 a while ago and liked it. my brother got fable 2 so i decided to get gears 2. yoooooo this game is sick. way better than the first one, it cracks me up how people act like this game is worse than the first one. they improved on everything, and horde mode is sick. i dont even play many shooting games, i don't like halo but i like this… Expand
  83. Fanboys_suck
    Dec 23, 2008
    10
    Best game ever made imo. its better than any game the ps3 could get. just to clear somethings up there is NO host advantage, if you know what you're doing smokes are nothing, and it is more epic than gears of war one. All you sony fanboys posting here get a life and stop trashing a game your cr@py system cant even handle. (for anyone looking at these reviews thinking about buying thisBest game ever made imo. its better than any game the ps3 could get. just to clear somethings up there is NO host advantage, if you know what you're doing smokes are nothing, and it is more epic than gears of war one. All you sony fanboys posting here get a life and stop trashing a game your cr@py system cant even handle. (for anyone looking at these reviews thinking about buying this game ignore all the 2's 0's and such they are just sony fanboys)… Expand
  84. Ara
    Dec 23, 2008
    9
    SPOILERS, I guess...

    I liked: - New battles with old enemies (brumarks, but specially reavers were fun to fight, their appearances gave a great movie-like feeling to the action) - That fish boss was extremely cool (altough somewhat easy to kill) - Miniguns...it gave a great feeling of FIREPOWER. - That level inside the worm, it was organic and all. Weird that the worm had lungs    SPOILERS, I guess...

    I liked:
    - New battles with old enemies (brumarks, but specially reavers were fun to fight, their appearances gave a great movie-like feeling to the action)
    - That fish boss was extremely cool (altough somewhat easy to kill)
    - Miniguns...it gave a great feeling of FIREPOWER.
    - That level inside the worm, it was organic and all. Weird that the worm had lungs and three hearts, but hey...reality went down the toilet a while ago, right?

    Didn't like:
    - Final "boss" (was that a JOKE?)
    - Lack of depth in the story    … Expand
  85. 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
  86. jim
    Dec 21, 2008
    4
    Seriously, I don't understand the critics lovefest for this game. Very little is different from the 1st. Were they should have gone: destructable environments, make your own cover-they didn't. Its just a cheap carnival ride w/ little or no thought for the story or game play. On top of that it takes forever to get a game on line. Really, really puzzled why this got such goodSeriously, I don't understand the critics lovefest for this game. Very little is different from the 1st. Were they should have gone: destructable environments, make your own cover-they didn't. Its just a cheap carnival ride w/ little or no thought for the story or game play. On top of that it takes forever to get a game on line. Really, really puzzled why this got such good reviews!!??… Expand
  87. ChrisD
    Dec 20, 2008
    2
    I was really excited for this game before it came out. Was I ever wrong. This game is flawed in MANY crucial ways that will leave you incredibly frustrated and generally bored. Campaign is ok. Seemed much more repetitive than the first. This game is a testament to what happens when you rush a game. This game could have used another few months of polish before release, but itI was really excited for this game before it came out. Was I ever wrong. This game is flawed in MANY crucial ways that will leave you incredibly frustrated and generally bored. Campaign is ok. Seemed much more repetitive than the first. This game is a testament to what happens when you rush a game. This game could have used another few months of polish before release, but it wouldn't surprise me if pressure from M$ forced them to get it our the door for Christmas. Common guys, you KNOW the multiplayer is brutal. I've never truly known lag until I've played this game, and the overall gameplay feels very disconnected. I've tried numerous times to "get into this game" like I did with the first, but I'll play a few rounds of multiplayer, get incredibly frustrated, and turn off the xbox. Oh yeah, they tried to stop quitting out of matches by making it so you have to shut off your console. Good thing, makes it easier to put in another game. Much MUCH less polish than the original. Z-fighting on polygons everywhere, framerate feels a bit slow most of the time, and the lighting looks oversaturated. Remember how the first GoW was dark and set a mood? Not anymore. To sum it up, this is a game that had unbelievable amount of potential that was ruined by 3 or 4 crippling design mistakes. And seriously, you want me to pay for your ******** multiplayer maps now? How about you fix the game first.… Expand
  88. EduardoHernadez
    Dec 20, 2008
    0
    This game is not as good as everybody say, they change a lot of things that were great, story mode is really good but the real problem is online, you have to wait a lon time to find a match, there is a lot of lag, the shotgun fires the floor if you blind fire and move, chainsaw is really powerful and also smog granades, i really love GoW 1 , but GoW 2 Sucks, well i can continue complainingThis game is not as good as everybody say, they change a lot of things that were great, story mode is really good but the real problem is online, you have to wait a lon time to find a match, there is a lot of lag, the shotgun fires the floor if you blind fire and move, chainsaw is really powerful and also smog granades, i really love GoW 1 , but GoW 2 Sucks, well i can continue complaining about the game but i wont have foun a dont waste your money buying this game… Expand
  89. DavidH.
    Dec 19, 2008
    1
    What the hell happenend to the multiplayer?? :( The horrible slow matchmaking totally ruins the multiplayer experience from the start. You have to wait minutes which feel like days to even start a match. Searching and connecting with teammates. Searching and connecting with enemy team. Voting for which mode out of two random selected modes, then which map out of two random preselectedWhat the hell happenend to the multiplayer?? :( The horrible slow matchmaking totally ruins the multiplayer experience from the start. You have to wait minutes which feel like days to even start a match. Searching and connecting with teammates. Searching and connecting with enemy team. Voting for which mode out of two random selected modes, then which map out of two random preselected maps. And also ten seconds waiting to choose your character and one starting weapon, lancer or hammerburst. Then you have to wait a minute or so for the match to actually start. And you also have to wait 20 seconds when the match has finished! :( What is that all about? But wait there's a lot more bad news...
    It is impossible to have exiting sniper battles anymore. The new maps with its structures and weapon placements don't allow you anymore of that. The few headshots you get when you are lucky sound like water splashing :( And the weapons sound horrible and weak as well, especially the sounds from the sniper and the shotgun. And don't get me started about how they nutered the shotgun which has become the weakest weapon of all. Headshots up close with the shotgun are impossible now :( Only if you get very lucky. And the chainsaw has become even stronger which is lame. Talk about out of balance :(
    And if you thought fragtagging was annoying. Now smokegrenades push you on the ground and stun you for a couple of seconds. This totally ruins the fast pace of the great original gears of war. And you can walltag all grenades too. So they go off when you get too close. This is horrible when you have a sudden death. Everybody is to scared to go look for eachother because a frag grenade tagged to a wall can be just around the corner. When you hear a sound, it is too late and you're dead. Also, you still have to wait up to 14 seconds to get spawned again if the game mode allow that. There are still only two places you spawn from. Is it so hard to create random spawn points where there are no enemies? Why can't you change all the starting weapons? I want to start off with sniper and/or boomshot for example. And I want to drop in and out a game just like gears 1. Where is the freedom? Where is the choice? I give 1 point for the single player which actually is pretty good..for one or two times.
    Conclusion: This is only worth a rental for the single player. I love gears 1, I hate gears 2. Spend your money on left 4 dead if you want an intense multiplayer. Hell, even call of duty games, bad company and halo 3 are much better then this mess! Do not buy this crap, you will be dissapointed beyond believe!    … Expand
  90. MaxTrade
    Dec 19, 2008
    0
    Gears 2 is a huge disappointment and is far too easy by a long stretch.
    Why is it so similar to the first Gears?
    The worst aspect of the game is multiplayer which is plagued by far too many players who do very little but act as cannon fodder. Not impressed and not worth purchasing if you have played the first one for more than ten minutes. Avoid!
  91. JalexDiamond
    Dec 16, 2008
    0
    Certainly a quality game (only a fool would doubt that it's well-made), but my score of zero is due to the fact that I, for one, simply don't find any enjoyment in the gameplay of this title.
    Perhaps that's not quite fair, and I probably wouldn't even write this were it not so popular, but I suppose I just want to add my two cents.
  92. JasonEdwards
    Dec 15, 2008
    10
    The fact that this game is rated lower than the first is moronic. When reviewing a game, people need to stop comparing it to the first and saying "Oh, they didn't change it enough so it gets a worse review" and instead should pretend as if the original NEVER EXISTED and base their review off of the game for all it's worth.

    Gears 2 is definitely a hgue improvement over the    The fact that this game is rated lower than the first is moronic. When reviewing a game, people need to stop comparing it to the first and saying "Oh, they didn't change it enough so it gets a worse review" and instead should pretend as if the original NEVER EXISTED and base their review off of the game for all it's worth.

    Gears 2 is definitely a hgue improvement over the first, offering a longer game, more weapons, new and exciting level-specific mechanics (razor-hail, tunneling worms, boat battles, etc) as well as incredibly unique, well detailed and definitely rememberable level designs.

    Gears of War was a fun third-person shooter that lasted a few hours and was an enjoyable ride. Gears of War 2 is an amazing experience that takes you many places that you won't soon forget.

    10/10 for being an incredible game that surpasses the first in every aspect.    … Expand
  93. MarianoMora
    Dec 15, 2008
    8
    This is a great game. The online play is one of the best for the xbox 360. The co-op is not the best. People don't play that as often so the chances of finding a room for a particular level are slim. The game it self doesn't flow as well as the first for both the. Online and the campaine
  94. MarkH
    Dec 15, 2008
    4
    This whole game is a joke. I dont pretend to be the best player, but the campaign was wayyyyy too easy. The only time you'll die is when you get an odd granade bounce, or more commonly during totally random on rails segments of the game, and this comes from playing hardcore first time through. thats ok though cuz if you're like me i could care less if the dialogue is cheezyThis whole game is a joke. I dont pretend to be the best player, but the campaign was wayyyyy too easy. The only time you'll die is when you get an odd granade bounce, or more commonly during totally random on rails segments of the game, and this comes from playing hardcore first time through. thats ok though cuz if you're like me i could care less if the dialogue is cheezy or if the last boss is a joke. the mulitplayer is where i spend most of my time when playing a game like this, and i'm sorry to say it's a complete waste of time. In the aproximately 5 hours i've spent in the mulitplayer i've maybe played 6 games each lasting an average of 4 minutes. can you guess what i was doing the rest of the time?.... feeling my blood pressure skyrocketing as im waiting to join a ****ing game, only to join and have half my team drop cuz of lag so i'm playing 2 against 5. As you could guess the match is a joke as they swarm and destroy. To sum up, rent to play the single player and you'll at least be entertained for a night, but unless you have the paitence of a saint stay as far away from the multiplayer as possible. I had such high hopes but so sadly dissapointed. i'm traiding for persona 4 woot!… Expand
  95. DougF.Sr.
    Dec 15, 2008
    10
    Hopefully all you haters read this! First of all the gamer that thought it was a racing game.You are ridiculous! Anyways...Yes the matchmaking is incredibly horrible,but don't you think they'll fix it? They always seem to fix the problems for the most part.And as for nothing new from the first one.You are crazy,'cause GoW1 was great in it's own way.So great in it'sHopefully all you haters read this! First of all the gamer that thought it was a racing game.You are ridiculous! Anyways...Yes the matchmaking is incredibly horrible,but don't you think they'll fix it? They always seem to fix the problems for the most part.And as for nothing new from the first one.You are crazy,'cause GoW1 was great in it's own way.So great in it's own way that they didn't need to change much, just add a few things.And when GoW1 came out the graphics were incredible and are still higher than any other game system out there!Now that GoW2 came out the graphics are phenomenal and have bypassed every game on graphics.The game play itself is incredible.The campaign is so much better than the first and on insane, it is insane!Yes there are a few things about multiplayer that need to be fixed,but in time will hopefully be fixed.I give this game a 10 out of 10 by far!… Expand
  96. ZacharyTrimmer
    Dec 10, 2008
    9
    Gears of War 2 is an improvement over its predecessor in almost every single way. The single player is more epic and engaging, and the multiplayer has received the attention it deserves. My only complaint is that the chainsaw is too easy to re-rev if you are shot/beat trying to chainsaw someone, meaning it is easier to chainsaw in GOW2 than GOW1.
  97. ChrisEvers
    Dec 8, 2008
    10
    Best game ever. Graphics are amazing and executions and assassinations make this game even better. Story line is good and multiplayer is good. They even added a new thing that you can play called horde where you have didfferent levels of waves of locusts and after each one they get tougher and tougher.
  98. 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
  99. BrandonS
    Dec 7, 2008
    9
    This game is great and truly improves upon the original Gears. Now I wonder, what's with all the low-rating scores for stupid reasons? "I thought it was a racing game, so I'll give it a 2", that's just dumb. And why are people saying it's perfect and recommending it, but then giving it a 2? I realize they are kidding, but do not ruin a game's reputation for your This game is great and truly improves upon the original Gears. Now I wonder, what's with all the low-rating scores for stupid reasons? "I thought it was a racing game, so I'll give it a 2", that's just dumb. And why are people saying it's perfect and recommending it, but then giving it a 2? I realize they are kidding, but do not ruin a game's reputation for your own enjoyment.… Expand
  100. 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
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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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