Gears of War 2: A Great Third-Person Shooter Game

Original Gears of War was Microsoft's flagship title for Xbox 360 in 2006. It revolutionized the gaming industry and gave birth to a whole new genre. It offered spectacular graphics, incredible cinematic presentation and a powerful cover system. The sequel of Gears of War was released on Nov 7, 2008, and was an equally big hit. It offers the same recipe with new weapons, new enemies and a whole new world to explore with incredible environments. Four new multiplayer modes have been introduced. Ten new multiplayer maps are also included, and now up to10 players can play online instead of 8.

Story:

Gears of War 2 continues the story of the original Gears of war. Six months after the end of the original game. The Locusts (enemies) have become so, powerful that they can bury whole cities underground. On the other hand the humans are becoming more and more weaker day by day because of a disease called Rust Lung. Now it is up to Marcus Fenix and Dominic Santiago to fight against Locusts till the last breath.

Gameplay:

Gears of War 2 offers almost the same gameplay as offered by its prequel but, gamers will be able to spot some new features in the game. The cover system has been refined so that you can hold on more firmly with the surfaces and obstacles. The weapons have also been slightly modified and have become more satisfying to use than before. Now, you can also crawl to your friends if you are injured, so that they can heal you. I think this is a nice change in the gameplay and it makes the action in the game more intense than before.

New weapons have also been included in the game such as flamethrower, which is not useful for eliminating enemies that are far away but, it is very useful for killing enemies that are close to you. Another new addition to the weapons is the Muchler which is a powerful chain gun and can even cut down biggest enemies in a jiffy. The grenades have also been improved. You can now stick them to surfaces so, that they can play the role of a mine. All of these weapons are very entertaining to use and are a great addition to the game. New vehicles have also been introduced in the game.

The original Gears of War was very violent and the sequel takes the violence in the game to a greater level. You can now eliminate the Locusts in four different ways. With the hit of B button, the player can now give a quicker blow on the back of the head. The Y button will give rapid punches on the face of the enemy. A button will allow you to use a wounded enemy as a shield to protect you from your enemies for some time. These are some great new additions to the game which makes the gameplay a lot more interesting and full of action.

Three new multiplayer modes have been introduced in the game. These game modes include Submission, Guardian, and Wingman. Submissions is slightly different from Capture the Flag, but the flag is a human which you have to carry back to your base. Guardian is a team based multiplayer game mode in which you have to keep the leader alive to win. Wingman allows the players to split into teams and use their skills together to kill and re-spawn.

Another great multiplayer is called Horde and it is the most addictive multiplayer mode in Gears of War 2. It can be defined as a link between the single player and multiplayer game. In this mode the players take on huge teams of locusts one after another and even if one player survives the round, the whole team respawns.

All These multiplayer game modes are a great addition to the game and increase the value of the game.

Graphics:

Gears of War 2 features superb graphics just like the original Gears of War. Some minor additions have been made to the graphics engine. The walls crumble on receiving fire and now you can see dozens of enemies at the same time on the screen. The blood effects have also been improved. Though these are not major additions to the graphics engine and do not affect the gameplay very much but, they make the action a little bit more intense.

Conclusion:

Overall, Gears of War 2 is a great 3^rd person shooter game and it almost offers the same gameplay as the original Gear of War. But, new environments, weapons and new multiplayer modes are a great addition to the game and increase the value of the game. Whether you have played the previous Gears of War or not, you will definitely like this one. The new multiplayer modes and co-op options give a lot of variety to the gameplay and make it a must buy for all those who like action.