Gears of War 2 Review

Gears of War is still one of the most popular online experiences on Xbox Live, and it has gotten even better.  Multiplayer matches now support more players with five-on-fice play and a total of eight multiplayer modes.  There’s a new “Wingman” mode where players slip into two-player teams and watch each other’s backs while fighting to be the last team standing.  “Submission” is a variation of the “capture the flag” mode in which you race to take out a hostile Stranded and carry him to a capture point.

The main menu even has a “What’s Up?” feature, which lets you immediately catch up with online buddies and see what they’re doing.  Gears 2 features a new party system that makes it easy to find friends or form a full team.  You can also continue between matches without the need to reform after each game.

There’s a new skill-based matchmaking system which allows players of similar skill level to get together in multiplayer matches.  This is a godsend for many gamers, as many have complained that they don’t get a chance to hone their skill because they’re immediately preyed upon by more experienced players.

There’s a new co-operative Horde Mode, where five players team up on any multiplayer map to fight off increasingly difficult waves of invading Locust.  There’s an achievement if you can last 10 waves and 50 (there are 50 waves in total).  It’s important that teammates work together tactically to ensure survival.

The co-operative play of the original Gears was extremely satisfying, and this mode has been improved in Gears 2.  You can now drop in and drop out of a campaign with your friends without disrupting your game.  Each player can select their own difficulty level so that players of different skill levels can now play together in co-op mode.