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. LaV.
    Dec 6, 2008
    9
    "I thought this was a racing game. I mean, "gears"... doesn't that sound like a racing game to you? But it was really just a bunch of weird looking creatures running around blowing each other's skulls off. Not a face car to be found. They should have renamed this "shoot the screaming beast in the face 2" or something. Typical Microsoft false advertising. I suspect this game is "I thought this was a racing game. I mean, "gears"... doesn't that sound like a racing game to you? But it was really just a bunch of weird looking creatures running around blowing each other's skulls off. Not a face car to be found. They should have renamed this "shoot the screaming beast in the face 2" or something. Typical Microsoft false advertising. I suspect this game is only played by teenage bed-wetters who cannot read. Worst ever! Shame on you Microsoft!" Have you been living under a rock? How the hell do you think it's a racing game? There's a damn gun in the front of the cover and have you ever thought about looking at the back of the damn package? It gives a perfect description of what the game is about. Microsoft didn't give any false advertising at all your just an ignorant daft c**nt! Other than that I believe the game is great. Only downside is it takes ages for the game to connect online. Which I'm hoping they will fix.… Expand
  2. AlexH
    Dec 4, 2008
    8
    As a fan of the first Gears. I can easily say i am still as much a fan the second time around. Solid, polished single player experience with beautiful Art and nice story pacing from Design. I do feel however that Multiplayer has taken a step backwards. I feel adding an option to search for local games or at least per country would have been a much stronger pay off than matching players As a fan of the first Gears. I can easily say i am still as much a fan the second time around. Solid, polished single player experience with beautiful Art and nice story pacing from Design. I do feel however that Multiplayer has taken a step backwards. I feel adding an option to search for local games or at least per country would have been a much stronger pay off than matching players rankings. There is just as much, if not worse lag during games.… Expand
  3. BenJ.
    Dec 4, 2008
    10
    Its funny, wen y first view the score of this game was in 2.9, and that was even before the realese date, now that I see how it is slowly improving i know that most of the comments come from people who actually play the game, not fanboys form other consoles that are just jellows of some titles, i belive that if this game was multi plataform the user score woild be near 90.
  4. ChristopherP.
    Dec 4, 2008
    9
    It's Gears of War, only more epic and even flashier. That about sums it up. I really liked playing coop in the first, and the campaign in this one is, in my opinion, better, just because of how much they ratcheted up the epic factor. It's almost Call of Duty 4-like. There are few quiet spots, but they're not boring and are a brief and welcome change from the constant It's Gears of War, only more epic and even flashier. That about sums it up. I really liked playing coop in the first, and the campaign in this one is, in my opinion, better, just because of how much they ratcheted up the epic factor. It's almost Call of Duty 4-like. There are few quiet spots, but they're not boring and are a brief and welcome change from the constant firefights. There's an air of suspense and thrill at the expectation of some wretches to burst through the window and attack you (and best of all, wretches still do nothing but charge at you, meaning all you have to do is stand there and hold down B to saw each one apart as they come. I'm pretty sure this was intentional as an excuse for the player to make a huge mess of wretch parts, which is great imo). There are some neat little touches throughout the game, too. It's much easier to do team-saws on enemies (when I was playing coop with my brother, he and I and Carmine all chainsawed the same grunt on every side, to our amusement), the saw's become useful again in multiplayer, the new weapons are fun to use (the chaingun mows down everything. Woo! And the mortar rains flaming death on everything you shoot it over, which is about as fun), the hordes you fight are larger, the levels are still gorgeous and often destructible, and everything's just been tuned up to near-perfection. The new multiplayer Horde mode is wonderfully awesome coop action and deserves mention. Being on a team of five, rushing for any ammunition you can find and wishing your gun would shoot faster as you're mowing down wave after wave after wave of Locust that never stop coming, is THE mode to cheer in your headset to. It's a reason to sign up for Gold. The only qualms I have are that the coolest enemy in the game who shows up early, the Darth Maul-style Locust with the twin chainsaws, is a joke of a boss when you finally fight him. My brother and I took him down first try with no difficulty, which sort of was a bust. Worse, he only sporadically tries to melee you! Otherwise he's just sending minions. We were looking forward to finally fighting him the entire game! Totally lame. I was expecting much more chainsaw dueling for that fight, but was really let down by how easy and unimpressive it was. Also, the final act blows. The final boss is just as bad and doesn't really make sense in the story. The ending itself is underwhelming when you finally finish, and the game ends just a bit too soon. Still, I had a whole lot of fun playing the campaign, and I'm still having a blast with Horde. If you liked the first one, it's a real safe bet you'll like this, too. If you didn't like the first, you probably won't like this one.… Expand
  5. DJM.
    Dec 2, 2008
    5
    This game was pretty amazing but I wasn't as impressed as what I thought I would be.The ending SUCKED! I was hoping there would be some berserkers or something but I killed that big exploding thing easily every time. It needed berserkers like the last one. Overall it was an ok game....GOW 1 was better.
  6. Rob
    Dec 1, 2008
    2
    This game is so sslllllllllooooooowwwwww. If anything, this is an average game with a huge budget and a stupid guy in control, like Terminator 3. Only T3 is so much better than this, because it doesn't take 3 hours for the characters to move. Cliffy B (The producer or something), in recent interviews, seems like the sort of person who ruins online gaming. "yeah, i am t3h l33t cos I This game is so sslllllllllooooooowwwwww. If anything, this is an average game with a huge budget and a stupid guy in control, like Terminator 3. Only T3 is so much better than this, because it doesn't take 3 hours for the characters to move. Cliffy B (The producer or something), in recent interviews, seems like the sort of person who ruins online gaming. "yeah, i am t3h l33t cos I camp and kill everyone with m4h l4z0r." Whilst that is not a quote from him, it seems like something he would say. Also 5 on 5 online? Is that the best the 360 can do, seriously? Resistance (a PS3 exclusive and launch title) had 20 vs 20 online, and Resistance 2 wll have 40 vs 40. even Team Fortress 2 has 8 vs 8 (I think, I don't have it in front of me). On thje whole, GoW2 is nothing more than a big dumb action game, with a dump truck of hype, but nothing to back it up with, just like Halo 3, and Call Of Duty 4.… Expand
  7. LtM.
    Dec 1, 2008
    1
    No wonder some people call it gears of bore! youre telling me... 5hours to complete the story, broken multiplayer, same old host advantage bullshitt, borked weapons, insane lag..10mins to get a ranked game = FAIL..this game almost as bad as halo3 for hype vs crap game syndrome.
  8. RobertB.
    Nov 30, 2008
    10
    This game was amazing, and there is simply no other way of describing it. The graphics are top nothc (though the first one was great as well). The best change in my view is the plot line which i feel is overall one of the, if not the best in any game to date. A runner for one of my all time favorite games? Most definatly.
  9. Megalordbeatdown
    Nov 29, 2008
    10
    I lined up to get this game when my EB games store opened up at midnight, and wow is this game just brilliant. Basically, it's quite similar to gears of war 1, except it's bigger, better, and more exciting. The story is brilliant, and well-thought, and it's engrossing. After you finish the story/campaign, you can spend endless hours blowing heads on multiplayer, or horde I lined up to get this game when my EB games store opened up at midnight, and wow is this game just brilliant. Basically, it's quite similar to gears of war 1, except it's bigger, better, and more exciting. The story is brilliant, and well-thought, and it's engrossing. After you finish the story/campaign, you can spend endless hours blowing heads on multiplayer, or horde mode, where you have to use your brains to get to all 50 levels or die in the process. Either way, just get this game. It's completely worth your time, and if you are a fan of the 1st one, you'll be in heaven.… Expand
  10. ChrisK.
    Nov 29, 2008
    5
    I played GoW1 to death and filled my time waiting for GoW2 by playing CoD4(great game BTW). I really enjoyed GoW2 campaign mode and co-op I also like the Horde mode but when it comes to online multi-player, I can not even express my dissapointment in words. Set aside the long drawn out process of trying to find a match or the lack of being able to stay in a room and play more than one I played GoW1 to death and filled my time waiting for GoW2 by playing CoD4(great game BTW). I really enjoyed GoW2 campaign mode and co-op I also like the Horde mode but when it comes to online multi-player, I can not even express my dissapointment in words. Set aside the long drawn out process of trying to find a match or the lack of being able to stay in a room and play more than one match against an opposing team. The shotgun, what the hell happened? It used to be the noobs would try and chainsaw you but a decent player with a shotgun would would see them fall. Now the game is catering to the Lancer and chain saw. The delay between shotgun blasts allows an opponent too much time to close the distance and chainsaw you. I also can't believe you can't fire the shotty while running. I tend to buy a game andplay nothing but that game for several months or even a year before finding a different game that is just as good. I played the first GoW for over a year before I got tired of it and moved on. Gow2 is already on the back burner after 3 weeks. I will probably play it again if the multiplayer issues are fixed.… Expand
  11. Krt
    Nov 28, 2008
    2
    This game is a great game offline but after that wtf?!? how can anyone standby that bs and give the game a 10 unless you plan on playing the campaign and returning the game, you will be dissapointed in online play. Matchmaking sucks completely. thats the truth people. it will take forever to find matches and then on top of that your chances of getting host are slim so you will be lagging This game is a great game offline but after that wtf?!? how can anyone standby that bs and give the game a 10 unless you plan on playing the campaign and returning the game, you will be dissapointed in online play. Matchmaking sucks completely. thats the truth people. it will take forever to find matches and then on top of that your chances of getting host are slim so you will be lagging pretty bad in some instances.. ive had games where the lag was 7 seconds for the shotgun. other times will have you lagging around the screen doing completely nothing and have you vulnerable to mass chainsaws... yeahh.. chainsaws rule multiplayer now... unless youre the host your shotgun wont stop a revving chainsaw before it cuts you to bits. so if you plan on playing online i highly recommend you think hard about buying this game... but if you want to play campaign only this game wont dissapoint. Horde just gets boring after youve gotten to level 50... so be wary… Expand
  12. YouDamnFanboys
    Nov 27, 2008
    10
    Gears of War 2 is the best shooter out on current consoles today. With a deep story, engaging gameplay, and a desperate world torn by war, there is nothing this game does not have. It's probably the best 3rd person shooter made, and I dare you to name 1 co-op game that is more immersive then this title? With an 8-10 -hour long co-op campaign (unless you play on insane, in which case Gears of War 2 is the best shooter out on current consoles today. With a deep story, engaging gameplay, and a desperate world torn by war, there is nothing this game does not have. It's probably the best 3rd person shooter made, and I dare you to name 1 co-op game that is more immersive then this title? With an 8-10 -hour long co-op campaign (unless you play on insane, in which case its at least 15 hours), and an unrivaled online system (which includes about 10 different types of battles), and another co-op mode called Horde, this game screams replay value. It's not perfect (I can't give it a 9.8 like I want to), but this is definatly a runner for GOTY, and a definite must have for anyone older then 18. P.S. The truth, you gave this game a 0 because you thought it was a racing game? Wow your not biased.… Expand
  13. MackA.
    Nov 27, 2008
    10
    Improving the formula? Yes. Great graphics? Yes. Great gameplay? Yes. Best Game ever? Yes, yes, yes!! This game has about everything that a shooter fan could ask for, Open vistas being ripped apart by mortars, Huge cinematic fights, and Boss Fights that once you beat you'll just say "Wow!". This game's dialouge is soaked in adrenaline fueled stereotypical soldier remarks, but Improving the formula? Yes. Great graphics? Yes. Great gameplay? Yes. Best Game ever? Yes, yes, yes!! This game has about everything that a shooter fan could ask for, Open vistas being ripped apart by mortars, Huge cinematic fights, and Boss Fights that once you beat you'll just say "Wow!". This game's dialouge is soaked in adrenaline fueled stereotypical soldier remarks, but it's not a big problem. The story has been expanded from the first game including a side story for the search for Maria Santiago (Dom's Wife). Overall, this is the best game i've ever played, and is an extremely high recommendation for all Tactical Shooter fans!!… Expand
  14. PatrickA.
    Nov 26, 2008
    2
    Just like the first GoW this game is very lacking in gamplay, but has good graphics and sound. The levels are extremely linear, you can not jump (a way to restrict you from taking alternative paths). The game feels more like a movie because of how linear it is and the gameplay is never challenging. The whole concept fails to entertain me; hordes of enemies, cover/shot - reapat. It gets Just like the first GoW this game is very lacking in gamplay, but has good graphics and sound. The levels are extremely linear, you can not jump (a way to restrict you from taking alternative paths). The game feels more like a movie because of how linear it is and the gameplay is never challenging. The whole concept fails to entertain me; hordes of enemies, cover/shot - reapat. It gets boring in the first 10 minutes, after 2 hours it's unbearable, even if you take breaks. None of the weapons impressed me either, never felt very fun to use which is a strange achievment. Avoid!… Expand
  15. JaseM.
    Nov 26, 2008
    1
    I was actually pretty disappointed with Gears 2. It felt to me like Halo 2 all over again. Not that it's similar to halo 2, but i mean in its relationship to Gears 1. I think the critics are giving it much more hype than it deserves, as the game is less a new game than it is the original game revamped. Which some people might find great, but i was disappointed.
  16. GavinH
    Nov 26, 2008
    0
    I once WAS a hardcore gears of war fan and gears2 has changed all that. The single player is bigger but not much better, more of the same to be honest. Which isn't all that bad i suppose. The multiplayer is where gears 2 just completely falls apart. Some may argue that the new additions like chainsaw duels, the new game modes the new weapons make gears2 multiplayer better than the I once WAS a hardcore gears of war fan and gears2 has changed all that. The single player is bigger but not much better, more of the same to be honest. Which isn't all that bad i suppose. The multiplayer is where gears 2 just completely falls apart. Some may argue that the new additions like chainsaw duels, the new game modes the new weapons make gears2 multiplayer better than the first. I'm afraid that this is bullplop! First the matchmaking is a disaster you spend more time trying to find players to play with, than actually playing the game.Then after you finally get to play and the match is over you must repeat this process again. This also removes any rivalries or personal battles between players you used to find in gears1. I could write a novel on how bad the multiplayer is but I'm not wasting any more of my time with this game. Basically if you loved how gears1played you will not like gears 2 (no matter how much you try to), it is a shadow of its former self, frustrating for all the wrong reasons. I'll see yas all back on gears 1!… Expand
  17. JoshE.
    Nov 26, 2008
    1
    In comparison to gears 1 this gets a 5. Campaign is decent but its much more of the same. All the little add-ons like the meat shield and chainsaw duals could have been left out and it would have made no difference, they aren't a big deal. Graphically it almost looks a step back from gears 1. looks more cartoony. Multiplayer is where for me anyways that this is a big letdown. Im a In comparison to gears 1 this gets a 5. Campaign is decent but its much more of the same. All the little add-ons like the meat shield and chainsaw duals could have been left out and it would have made no difference, they aren't a big deal. Graphically it almost looks a step back from gears 1. looks more cartoony. Multiplayer is where for me anyways that this is a big letdown. Im a hardcore gears player and have been playing online solid for the last two years. The new maps are terrible, the new weapons are fairly useless and one on one shotgun battles and sniper battles etc are now a thing of the past. Last gears had a sense of emotion and rivalry in its multiplayer but this is just too mindless. Any gears fan will not be pleased with this and I honestly don't know how gears of war 2 has gotten such high reviews. For people new to the series it will be decent but to hardcore fans of old.. don't get too excited! Peace.… Expand
  18. JimmyP
    Nov 26, 2008
    2
    Expands on the original in graphics, gameplay and storyline in significant ways. Graphics are most obviously a very strong point as the vistas are emmense the added color is pleasure to behold in the older maps and gives them added dimension and realism. Gameplay has been tweeked to put more weapons on a more equal playing field. Not to mention the new weapons! Storyline as with almost Expands on the original in graphics, gameplay and storyline in significant ways. Graphics are most obviously a very strong point as the vistas are emmense the added color is pleasure to behold in the older maps and gives them added dimension and realism. Gameplay has been tweeked to put more weapons on a more equal playing field. Not to mention the new weapons! Storyline as with almost all games could have been deeper but still is engrossing! AND did I mention HORDE! Great game and looking forward to DL content.… Expand
  19. JodyC
    Nov 26, 2008
    2
    Love midnight openings. Anyway, its heeeerrre...the sequel to one of if not THE most popular shooters on the Xbox 360. Gears of War 1 was fun, good looking, and easy to play...sporting a gameplay that was both challenging and easy in its execution. OF COURSE hype has been mounting for this game...and with good reason, we are told we are getting something bigger, more story-driven, and Love midnight openings. Anyway, its heeeerrre...the sequel to one of if not THE most popular shooters on the Xbox 360. Gears of War 1 was fun, good looking, and easy to play...sporting a gameplay that was both challenging and easy in its execution. OF COURSE hype has been mounting for this game...and with good reason, we are told we are getting something bigger, more story-driven, and better in every way...and for the most part it delivers. First, anyone expecting a big graphics upgrade will be dissapointed and while it does look a bit better than Gears 1 (which already looks incredible), the quality and scale / size feels the same even though they do a good job of tricking you into believing its a MUCH BIGGER, MUCH BETTER LOOKING game. Sound and Music are top-notch...the soundtrack is calm / tense depending on the situation and that creates a certain atmoshperic element to the game but the voice acting is a bit weaker this time around...its a little over-dramatic and eye-rolling at times (mostly the from Dom...Marcus's friend). The gameplay is basically the same with a few added moves and animations to make things appear more "fresh", but fans of Gears 1 will have no problems adapting its still a great "pick up and play" type game. Overall, Gears 2 is a step in the right direction...it is BIGGER, BETTER, and MORE BADASS than the original even if the "BIGGER" aspect feels more like an illusion...it still feels the same "size" as Gears 1 just busier things going on in the background. Anyway, the expanded story alone is what makes this game irresistable....as it was the ONLY thing missing from the first game...this Gears of War feels SO much more COMPLETE. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.… Expand
  20. JB
    Nov 26, 2008
    0
    Come'on, scout team, stop writing all this <10> comments. We all know, you working hard to persuade masses that GOW2 is great, but it's a mass maedia pr LIES. I know, you will delete it, but you have to know - we know waht you doing, we know, how you doing it, we know how you make all the so called peoples votes so high.
  21. JakeC.
    Nov 26, 2008
    0
    I was actuially pretty disappointed with Gears 2. It felt to me like Halo 2 all over again. Not that it's similar to halo 2, but i mean in its relationship to Gears 1. I think the critics are giving it much more hype than it deserves, as the game is less a new game than it is the original game revamped. Which some people might find great, but i was disappointed.
  22. Darren
    Nov 26, 2008
    1
    This was the worst game I have played this year. This was a total turn around from the first GOW. I dont know why they had to add so much unnecessary plot... No one wants to fight a giant worm, they want to fight the locust. In my opinion the developers stole every idea from Halo and tried to incorporate it with the previous GOW... I was not even close the the caliber of Halo now. Do not This was the worst game I have played this year. This was a total turn around from the first GOW. I dont know why they had to add so much unnecessary plot... No one wants to fight a giant worm, they want to fight the locust. In my opinion the developers stole every idea from Halo and tried to incorporate it with the previous GOW... I was not even close the the caliber of Halo now. Do not buy this game.… Expand
  23. DenisL.
    Nov 25, 2008
    9
    The first gears was good, this one is awesome. Bigger, better(gameplay, story, graphics...), and artistically perfect. Epic teams are really know their jobs, the unreal engine 3 has never looked like that before. Even if you don't like this kind of game, you just can't deny that it's one of the better action game ever. 9, because perfection is never reached.
  24. DemothH.
    Nov 25, 2008
    8
    This game was AWESOME, and far better than the first. I am almost a total fan-boy for this game because of the fixes for multiplayer. I still have my gripes, however, that caused me to not give this a 10. The weapons online can sometimes be horribly inconsistent. Some days all the weapons seem to work as they should and I'll get kills and get killed and there are no problems. Other This game was AWESOME, and far better than the first. I am almost a total fan-boy for this game because of the fixes for multiplayer. I still have my gripes, however, that caused me to not give this a 10. The weapons online can sometimes be horribly inconsistent. Some days all the weapons seem to work as they should and I'll get kills and get killed and there are no problems. Other times I will unload 3 shotgun shells into someone, point blank, then melee them and then I get chainsawed. I've also been on the receiving end of BS when someone sits in my face for 3 seconds with a chainsaw and then I roll away and down them in one non-active reload shot with the shotgun. I've even been hin the legs with a boomshot and lived.... wtf? BS goes both ways sometimes, and when the game decides to have inconsistent weapons then the game becomes no fun. The matchmaking can also be spotty, sometimes taking 10 minutes to find a game, and other times assigning you to a game where everyone is experiencing crippling lag. When the game does decide to work, however, the game is second to none. I just wish the game actually was consistent.… Expand
  25. JohnS.
    Nov 25, 2008
    8
    Although the feel was the same as the first game, this shouldn't be unexpected as it is the second in a trilogy. The writing was great as the plot was advanced - the writers aren't waiting for the last game to release all the information. I liked the differences between Gears 1 and Gears 2 - "collectables" aren't just in the form of COG tags, and, when found, they actually Although the feel was the same as the first game, this shouldn't be unexpected as it is the second in a trilogy. The writing was great as the plot was advanced - the writers aren't waiting for the last game to release all the information. I liked the differences between Gears 1 and Gears 2 - "collectables" aren't just in the form of COG tags, and, when found, they actually serve a purpose - they advance the plot of the story. DIfferent weapons, enemies and modes of transport made for a very enjoyable experience.… Expand
  26. steveweinstein
    Nov 25, 2008
    1
    this game is way too much like the first one, sure the graphics are good but thats it(thats why i gave it one point) but besides that this game is a buggy piece if crap. as a shooter, its very much like the halo series in that its overrated by all people who bought the 360 mainly because they dont want to admit the wii and ps3 are superior... ha, pathetic!
  27. .gbrl
    Nov 25, 2008
    3
    the game might have good graphics and some interesting gameplay, but that doesn't justify the game centered around graphic violence and a badly written soap opera story, i got tired of the characters in single plaer and mp seem filled with idiots who only want to kill you with the chainsaw so they can rub it in your face, and the game seem designed for this. I can see this game has athe game might have good graphics and some interesting gameplay, but that doesn't justify the game centered around graphic violence and a badly written soap opera story, i got tired of the characters in single plaer and mp seem filled with idiots who only want to kill you with the chainsaw so they can rub it in your face, and the game seem designed for this. I can see this game has a lot of effort on it, but for me it's aiming at the wrong direction, and maybe with another goal in mind that being the next blockbuster by implementing violence just for the shock-value of it......… Expand
  28. ShaneS
    Nov 25, 2008
    7
    This game does not have the same emotive quality or graphical purity or, indeed, soul as the first one. The first was more gritty and tougher than this: Stick your head out and it would be blown away! GOW1 was a masterpiece; GOW2 is a cartoon for kids. Basically lamer version of GOW1 on trianing wheels: not challenging at all and a BIG disappointment.
  29. dubB
    Nov 24, 2008
    2
    the co-op campaign is entertaining, briefly. but the ending is a huge let down, and it is very easy to beat. the plot is poorly developed, and there really aren't any big changes from the first game in terms of play or weapons.

    the multiplayer is awful as usual. very awkward shooter online. COD and Left 4 Dead are 100 times better online
  30. TheTruth
    Nov 24, 2008
    0
    I thought this was a racing game. I mean, "gears"... doesn't that sound like a racing game to you? But it was really just a bunch of weird looking creatures running around blowing each other's skulls off. Not a face car to be found. They should have renamed this "shoot the screaming beast in the face 2" or something. Typical Microsoft false advertising. I suspect this game is I thought this was a racing game. I mean, "gears"... doesn't that sound like a racing game to you? But it was really just a bunch of weird looking creatures running around blowing each other's skulls off. Not a face car to be found. They should have renamed this "shoot the screaming beast in the face 2" or something. Typical Microsoft false advertising. I suspect this game is only played by teenage bed-wetters who cannot read. Worst ever! Shame on you Microsoft!… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
93

Universal acclaim - based on 90 Critic Reviews

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