Marcus Fenix and his band of PO'd COG warriors get another crack at exterminating the Locust Horde in Gears of War 2, a gore-filled thrill ride with legions of monsters and 17 weapons to kill them with. As we incinerated foes with the Scorcher Flamethrower, chopped them to pieces with Lancer Assault Rifle and cracked their skulls with the Longshot Sniper Rifle, one thing was clear; this game chainsaws its predecessor in two with superior graphics, booming audio and a Horde multiplayer mode that'll soon become your newest addiction.

Everything about Gears 2 screams blockbuster. Characters make dramatic and memorable entrances; cut scenes reveal shocking plot twists and large-scale battles make you feel like the Locusts attack from all sides, most likely because they do. Here you are, manning a Troika machine gun turret, when all of a sudden hundreds of Locusts pour from an Emergence Hole. You instinctively press the right trigger and watch as hundreds of bullets reduce your enemies to piles of bloody limbs. Meanwhile, a gigantic Brumak bellows from atop a mountain, while Nemacyst (kamikaze aliens) darken the sky. It's more than just a battle. It sets the tone for the entire campaign.

That's why we love the game. Everything about it is bigger, more intense and over the top, and unlike its prequel, Marcus is no longer this battle-scarred enigma but a character with a wider range of emotions. This carries over to his fellow warriors, as Dominic Santiago searches frantically for his wife and newcomer Tai Kaliso offers spiritual guidance. Like any good sequel, Gears of War 2 raises new questions, but answers old ones, allowing you to get a better sense of who these people are and why they fight.

Combat is an excellent mix of old and new. So you'll still squeeze the left trigger to zoom and fire with the right trigger. Cover plays a huge role, as you press the A button and stick to walls, cars and other objects. However, several new features enhance that fighting, such as being able to grab enemies and use them as Meat Shields, or engage them in vicious Chainsaw Duels, where the player that mashes B the fastest cuts through their bewildered adversary. And as we mentioned, there's an impressive collection of weapons, including the Lancer Assault Rifle, Mortar, Gnasher Shotgun, portable Mulcher turret and trusty Frag grenade, which not only sticks to opponents but also walls, allowing you to booby trap stairs and entrances.

With these weapons, however, comes a wider assortment of dangerous enemies. Old favorites like the Drones and Boomers return, but now you have machete-brandishing Butchers, Mulcher carrying Grinders and suicide bombers called Tickers, among other terrors. You can also expect diverse environments, as you head straight into the heart of the Locust stronghold and other exciting places.

All of this combines to form a longer and much more satisfying single player experience that's better alongside a friend via co-op. At the same time, an average and annoying vehicle mission, combined with a couple of boss battles that follow rudimentary patterns somewhat mar the experience. However, neither of these things ruins the game.

Although we love single player, multiplayer is Gears of War 2's best feature. Up to 10 players can compete in seven modes. Old favorites, such as Warzone (Team Deathmatch), Execution (melee attacks only), Annex (control zones to score points), King of the Hill (a former PC exclusive) and Assassination (kill the leader) return, but there's also Wingman and Submission. The former (Wingman) splits the group into two-person teams, while the latter follows Capture the Flag rules, except the flag is a computer controlled and pissed off character armed with a shotgun; the goal is to incapacitate and then drag him back to your spawn point.

Horde, however, is by far Gears of War 2's best game type. In this thrilling mode, up to five players work together to outlast 50 waves of increasingly difficult Locusts. Things begin simply enough, as you and your buddies easily tear through the early levels. Complete the 10th level, however, and things become maddening. In levels 11-20, the Locusts gain double health. For 21-30, they receive double health and double accuracy. If you manage to survive that long, the enemies in levels 31-40 have that, as well as double damage. Blast your way to the final 10 stages, if you dare, and they gain 2.5 times everything. It's crazy, but it's the type of mode that makes the
"just one more level" statement turn into a five-hour marathon.

Of course, your multiplayer strategies will change depending on which of the game's 10 maps you choose. Hail, for example, features wide-open spaces, but its weather cycle proves dangerous when the sun goes down. Once the dangerous razor hail falls, everyone runs inside and hides. Then there's Security, a facility with lasers that you can turn on and off to access a Mulcher or Mortar, depending on your location; wander through a laser and it'll slice you like lunchmeat. In addition, new copies of Gears of War 2 come with codes to download five graphically enhanced maps from the original game: Canals, Gridlock, Mansion, Subway and Tyro Station.

Similar to its predecessor, Gears of War 2's multiplayer runs smooth through Xbox Live and System Link. We're also in love with the Battle and Ghost Cameras, which allow us to follow players as well as detach ourselves from them and float around. Taking pictures is another one of our addictions, and we plan to upload them to the Gears of War website. Finally, the game's What's Up feature allows us to easily invite friends to play, as well as a revamped party system that keeps us together as we switch modes.

Above all else, this game is immensely enjoyable. Whether we're on a turret, fighting a boss or watching a cut scene, Almost everything about Gears of War 2, from the graphic dismemberment to the high production values make it better than most action games, and you'd be crazy not to experience it, so grab that Lancer and jump into battle. The human race needs you.

Related Links

Gears of War 2 Game Guide