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MY RATING: 9.3

Gears of War 2 (2008)

DEVELOPED BY: Epic Games

PUBLISHED BY: Microsoft Games

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The fight against the Locust continues, and the humans have been driven back to their last remaining stronghold.

PROS: The story was improved; There is more variety to the environments; Same engaging gameplay; The swearing and blood can be switched off.

CONS: Very little difference from first game.

BOTTOM LINE: Gears of War 2 is a decent sequel to the first game, though it isn't much different.

Needless to say, after playing Gears of War a sequel was obviously intended, not to mention desired. The story format of the first game was such that it would not have worked without a sequel. Gears of War 2 does not disappoint.

Much of the game remains unchanged, including the basic plot. Once again Fenix and team are sent to complete a mission that may turn the tide of the war. But, I thought that was what happened in the first game, which obviously didn't work out so well. We do get a better glimpse of the characters, though. The moment when Dom finds his wife is very emotional for a game of this style, and is what I would consider a moment of superb storytelling, not to mention excellent voice acting. The story continues to tell us just enough to keep us interested, which in the end isn't much at all. Another sequel is obviously called for.

The environments have been improved. Unlike the monotone maps for the first game, Gears of War 2 makes use of more diverse environments, including the inside of a worm. Just like its predecessor, Gears of War 2 is very gory. However, one of my favorite additions to this game is that the language and blood could be turned off. I'm not much of a fan of swearing or excess blood, therefore this was a great relief, and probably a plus for any concerned parent as well.

The graphics are slightly improved, but only a little. To be honest it wasn't very noticeable. This matches the gameplay. Both are just as enjoyable as the first game but are hardly improved for the second. This can be somewhat disappointing considering the two years between the two games.

Regardless, if you liked the first game in the Gears of War franchise, than you will definitely like the second. While it hasn't improved overly much, it hasn't degraded either. To a small degree it is decidedly better than its predecessor.