Game Review: Gears of War 2

Gears of War 2, developed by Epic Games Inc. have been a long awaited edition to the Xbox 360. Gears of War was a breakthrough in gaming technology when it was released in 2006, and Gears of War 2 carries the flag well.

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The one issue that was circulating after the release of the first Gears was that the makers didn’t explore enough of the back-story, They gave you the basics…’The world is at war, your character is a bad ass soldier, you must kill every non looking human creature’ which let’s be honest, is generally more than enough to sell you on a game, but that was it. Gears 2 however eradicates this from the word go; the intro cut screen gives you more information in 5mins than the first game ever did in its entirety, instantly drawing you in, and making you want to fight.

Sergeant Marcus Fenix of the Gears Delta squad is your main character. Accompanied by his partner Dominic Santiago you start out as always on the frontline in the middle of a skirmish against the familiar faces of the Horde, accompanied by other familiar faces, including Augustus Cole, Damon Baird and Anya Stroud.

The graphics in this game are something to behold. While not looking overly improved from the first instalment it’s the subtle differences that count. The detail that has gone into the surroundings and the enemy NPCs is where the bulk of the improvements stand.  The game play is very similar to the first Gears; the difference is in what they have added; new weapons, vehicles, tactics and attacks.

The multiplayer function is where this game really gets to shine, with one of the most impressive online components available today. Team up with a friend to take on the Horde in campaign mode either via system link or Xbox live, or join the many thousands of people online for some good old fashion death matches. The one downside to playing online however (and one that is very common in online games today) is the time it can take to find and get into a match.

Gears of war 2 will be a benchmark for any new first person shooters coming out on any platform for some time, and is also highly recommended to anyone who enjoys this genre.

RRP
$99.95