Gears of War 2

this has gotta be the best game ever made, so getting gears 3!!

PHENOMINAL game!

GREAT GAME I CANT WAIT FOR GEARS 3

Oh and one last thing, Ryan. Told you it wasn't going to be a trilogy =D (see page 2 of comments).

White_Ghost, sorry.

Dear White_Snake,
First of all, if you are thirteen you should not be playing gears 2. Second of all, it has nothing to do with how good you are at this game, the discussion is about the review.

And to Dan, I have to say I somewhat agree with the review. I enjoyed the campaign, and I thought the Skorge and Leviathan fights were intense and really fun. I think it would have been a good idea to mention the many issues facing matchmaking, even now after several patches. I feel that the game deserves either an 8.5 or a 9, but a 9.5 seems to be a bit too much.

And to the people who are saying it's the best game on the 360, it is most definitely not. I can tell you at least 10 games better than this one.

And to anyone who wants to make me look like an idiot, yes, I know Ryan reviewed this, but Dan is discussing the review, not ryan.

But please OXM, your reviews have been getting a tad bit more questionable recently. In a few reviews, they seem a little biased (i.e. Dead Space, where it was reviewed by someone who clearly has played many horror games. It would have been better to have someone who is a shooter fan to review DS, because it seemed to focus more on action.), and sometimes you seem to leave out some glaring issues(such as Gears 2's iffy matchmaking). But I'm not the reviewer, you are, I just think these suggestions would make the community happier, because the goal of reviews is to help gamers like us decide where to spend our hard-earned money. And one final request: please bring back Energy Quest and the Rock Band DLC reviews!

GOW 2. . . not worth the 60 i spent to buy it but very much worth the 15 i got from gamestop to take it back. all my friends played gears so they convinced me to waste my money and buy it too. First the campaign was solid and i have no problems with it, but when it comes to multiplayer i have issues. Like everyone has said it takes forever to get into a game and then once you do depending on the game type you get one live per round and then the match is quickly over and you are back to waiting. . where is the just deathmatch to 50? Multiplayer ruined this game and doesnt deserve anything more than a 5. .go sell this game and pre-order modern warfare 2 and ODST two games that wont be a laugher

ya ya gg

To Dan
By the way im only thirteen and i beat the game on casual,normal,hardcore and insane by myself and i also beat all 50 waves of horde with just one partner and that was after the patch for planting the shield backwards and i did it in 4 days so whenever you refer to toddlers remember that im probably better than you.BTW Ryan should be punished with a spanking from his mother because this game deserves a 10!But other than that hes a great writer along with the rest of the staff.Great Magazine!!

Why would anyone not like GEARS OF WAR or GEARS OF WAR 2 both games are great better than most games in fact (THIS IS FACT NOT OPINION) so GO SELL YOUR XBOX360 if dont like it.

Worth a rental at best, or don't buy this game for over $20. Great campaign, but extremely short and easy (even on toughest difficulty). Once you beat it once or twice it's nothing better than a coaster. Multiplayer is complete trash and matchmaking takes about 3 hours to find a match. Horde is fun maybe one time.

This Game Was Totally Awesome!!! I wasn't Expecting the outcome with maria man.... that was rough had me sheddin' a tear... but other than that this game was totally awesome, you guys gave it a 9.5 I say that rating is well placed!

"Either You Live To Die Or You Die To Live"

Your Future Is Only What You Make It...

i think that comparing this game to halo 2 is ridicule. first off halo in general is just a badass game all around and nothing i believe really compares to it its like the pacman of the twentyfirst century, and just as it was back then pacman was one of the most poopular games just like halo is now. it was shall you say revolutionary the first of its kind. so really compared to halo 2 that is just well ridicule. its unfair even though gears 2 has better graphics and what not only because its on the new 360 console wich is better than the original xbox by far. story wise halo will prevail because its background and thought process is just ingeniuse in it self, so all in all the compairison is not so even. but gears 2 is a kckass game no matter what they say about it.

I agree with the other guy, this game deserves a lot more praise and the campaign is beautifully designed. Multi-player takes a LONG, LONG, LONG, LONG (three days later), LONG, LONG time. But it pays off in the end...

Dear OXM,
Though I have been very faithful with your reviews in the last 2 years that i've been recieving your great magazine, I have to strongly, strongly disagree on the 9.5 that your staff gave Gears of War 2. I got this game for Christmas and I have been very grateful ever since. The campaign is very extensive and had my heart pounding the whole time.Way better than the last Gears of War by far! Also (After I beat the extensive campaign)I fell deeper in love with the multiplayer, though there are some issues with the matchmaking (such as waiting 10 minutes for another match)there is plenty of variety and is definately one of the sttrongest parts of the game. Also remember EPIC games released this game 1 year after the first Gears of War was released, and has followed Cliffy B.'s quote at the last Xbox Conference, "Gears of War 2 will be bigger and more badass than the first Gears." This game will stay within the confines of my Xbox for many months to come, and I believe that it deserves a 10 or maybe even a 10.5. Thank you and good luck on the magazine!
-Erheale

I think your review was perfectly fair. I kind of feel like this game should be knocked for the fact that even after this update it still takes me at least 15 minutes of waiting before I can get into a game. I want to be able to jump in and play whenever like I can in Halo or even in Vegas. That's really all I want. Other than that, the game is excellent. Thanks for Horde...

-------------------------
Inhale the damage smoothly
Paradise isn't lost
It was hiding all along.

Some of you guys are acting like Ryan stabbed your mother in the face. Calling for him to be fired, suggesting that he's paid by Microsoft...good heavens. Stop whining. You sound like spoiled toddlers -- too young to handle Gears 2, that's for sure.

I somehow managed to avoid all spoilers. I didn't even read our own preview feature! I went into Gears 2 as a big fan of Gears 1 with as little info as possible. And I found myself in the same situation as Ryan when it came to single-player. Intestinal teeth for stomper sequences? Game mechanics from the 16-bit era? I was disappointed.

Ryan's comparing it to Halo 2 because that's a point of reference for him, but he's also right, I think. There are some flashback moments that feel similar, and the "third enemy" plot device does remind me of the big Flood reveal in Halo. There was a sense of "drawing on gaming history" in Gears 2, but a little too much for my tastes.

Multiplayer rocks and feels very tuned; I like it a lot. I still had a lot of fun in the campaign and I really liked the resolution of some of the sub-plots, but it wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped it would be. I did walk away feeling like I wanted it to be more original and less boss-gimmicky.

So, very fun and high production values but a disappointing campaign with killer multiplayer? Sounds 9.5-worthy to me.

Terrible, terrible review. You revealed several key-plot points and compared it to halo 2 constantly which isnt fair at all for epic. THEN after you were done slamming the campaign (which btw for anyone who hasnt bought gears 2 yet is AMAZING) you flip it all around and say the multiplayers good and give it a score of 9.5. I realize YOU might like multiplayer in this game, but that is incredibly childish to give it a score that high after half the review is putting down the single player A.K.A the main component of the game.

COME ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
why didn't this game get a 10 when its the best game released this year. I can't wait for the day that Ryan Macaffrey is fired, which after all of his terrible reviews this year, can't be far away

GEARS ROCKS!!!! GEARS ROCKS!!!! - Its the best game on the xbox360 i'll list some of the awesome features: lancer,the best finishing moves, great MP maps, great weapon design and ohh i almost forgot just how fun it is to SAW SOMEONE UP!!!!!! ANY FOOL WHO HAS NOT BOUGHT GEARS OF WAR 2 YET SHOULD NOT OWN AN XBOX360 that being said i gotta go kick some locust ASS.

I totally agree with this review score, I really wish this game was 10-worthy, but it jus felt like you were playing the same game you already had. The game by itself is worth a 10, but a copy of a game you already have? Gears of War 2 definitely should have brought more to the table to seperate the experience from that of Gears 1.

I have to disagree with most of Ryan's single player complaints. I loved the variety and break from the cover gameplay that the boss battles and vehicle segments brought. I especially liked the giant worm sequence, which is admittedly ridiculous but I felt was a lot of fun. The Dom storyline I felt needed to be more fleshed out in order to be truly emotionally affecting. I think more flashbacks like the one of Dom's wife might have made me feel more attached and made the conclusion of that story more impactful. I can also appreciate keeping some mystery to the story but I felt that they moved too quickly from some story elements without a satisfactory explanation.

While I cant personally dispute your assesment of the game, seeing as the majority of people I know felt the same way, I must say I respectfully disagree. Even if the things you mentioned are "hoky", they were executed in a FUN and CINEMATIC fashion. The thing that redeemed the ease of the boss battles for me, was the way it felt like I was watching a COOL action film, and simply moving forward what I felt was a very good story. IF this game is a Halo 2 clone, it was born a superior being. As for the multiplayer, I felt the match making "a la Halo" system, was too difficult to just jump in and play. It is nearly impossible for a party of more than 2 and less than 5 to find a game in under 10mins!? Also, too all of you saying this game and its player are any less intelligent than you, shut up. Really? why does it matter what someone likes? I thought COD4's multiplayer was brainless by the books FPS, however it was fun. I personally feel the need for cover and tactics (GOW) is far my intelligent and cinematic chainsaw fights add edge. COD4 is simply run and gun and jump...Yeah, THATS real smart.

This is no big surprise here guys. The story in Gears 1 was super lame too, seemed like when the time came to cut features Story was the number 1 thing removed. I didn't purchase Gears 2 for THAT VERY REASON. I like having story in my games, I like having a redeeming reason for all the bloodshed. And then Gears showed up and was all like "Story? F... THAT! Story is for losers."

Well you can have your Gears 2, intelligent people will find something better to engage themselves with, like Mirror's Edge.

guys its just a game review, no need to keep posting nasty comments just because u think it deserved a different score or u noticed a typo or something. it is a great game and thus got a great score (so its not a ten, so what?) lets just leave it at that!

Best game EVER!!! Gears 2 edges RB by the slimmest of margins.

One more thing:

"Strangely, it’s Gears of War 2’s bookending Acts I and V — the only two set above-ground"

Yeah, most of Act III is above ground, champ.

Rough week before this review, Ryan? I hope you lock it up for next month, dude.

I don't think the reviewer has even played the online multiplayer. I don't know how anyone could call a match macking sytem that won't allow you to choose what game type or level you want to play, phenomenal. That is, when you can even get a game going. Except for horde and co-op, Gears 2 MP is complete TRASH.

Seeder goof fixed. Appreciate the spot.

Wow. All I can say is wow.
As I am reading this review I'm thinking man this reviewer really didnt like this game. I'm not in agreement but whatever... that's why it's a review. I'm thinking to myself what kind of score am I going to see at the end of this? 7.5? 8? Definitely gonna get the lowest score I've seen so far. Then... 9.5????? What the?!?
While I do think Gears 2 is a 9.5 because I really like it, this review sure didn't express a 9.5.
And again, lay off the spoilers in the reviews. At least this time you marked the big spoiler as such so I did avoid it but there were other spoilers filtered throughout that weren't needed. The reviewer did this in his Dark Sector review as well.
This review in a nutshell is why I never renewed my subscription to your mag. If you didn't like the game, have the balls to reflect that in the score. This review reads just as negative as that Dark Sector review but you ended that with a score of 5.5!!! Where in your review do you justify a 9.5?

TO the guy below me!!!! I've played ALL the COD's and Gears of War series blows ALL of them out of the water, but the funny thing is these two games arent like each other AT ALL!!!!!!

Anyways--I got the Limited Edition and it is GREAT, i love everything it came with, The graphics will make you smile and cry and the story is just brilliant, the only things i Have SLIGHT problems with are the Boss battles ( not really a HUGE deal cause of how great the story mode is!) and then the cover system still has its issues but its ok, the Online Multiplayer guys is just plain brilliant, every new thing is amazing and making the people choose the map and game type is great because i used to play just Excecution on Gears 1 but now I play all game types and maps and it makes me BETTER appreciate the game. Everything is great and Im sure that the 3rd one will easily score a 10!

Gamertag: PlayerHaterz

wow this game gets a 9.5 and call of duty gets a 7.5 I HAVE ONE WORD BULLSHIT...HMM NICE THE PERSON DOING THE REVIEWS IF EMPLOYED BY MICROSOFT...I THINK ILL GO BUY A PS3 NOW THAT THEY CANT GIVE FAIR RATING CUZ CALLOF DUTY HAS THIS GAME BLOWN AWAY

ITS A SEEDER U ASS, a seeder pokes its head out of the ground in day one!

Okay, first of all, (like everyone else is saying) why would you include a spoiler about the FINAL BOSS in a game review? There's a warning, but still...and there is way too much plot summary, too.

But anyway.
I'm in the middle of playing Gears, in Act III to be exact. So far I am loving it, but I have to admit that I was quite disappointed with the chapter on fighting the worm on the inside...I know that Epic wanted to put a little more variety/logic into Gears, but it just seems like they ran out of ideas and couldn't really think of any new ones. I mean, avoiding the digestive teeth, nozzles, etc. got to be quite tedious, boring, and - I have to admit - a little lame (or, as the review says, hokey). Inside the worm, I felt like Gears had turned into a game of puzzles all of a sudden...
I just wish that Gears had more logistics on the battlefield, instead of interpreting that into an avoid-the-mashing-teeth-acid-pools-and-other-dangers kind of thing. Because that's not what Gears is about.
Althought, I did REALLY love Act 1. So action packed and exhilirating! LOVE the part with the assault derrick and the brumaks. :)

And, I'm not trying to bash on the review, but while I was reading it, I was expecting a score of 8.5 or lower, and was really surprised when I saw a...9.5?
All the review did was emphasize all the low points on the game and make them sound like a huge deal, when the hokey story/boss fights only took off half of a point...none of the great points and highlights of the game were really mentioned at all, except for the multiplayer.

Have to say I'm quite disappointed with the review...did you guys give the game a 9.5 because the lows really weren't that bad (you guys just made a big deal out of it), or just because it's a GOW game?

Spoilers on the end boss in a review? That's pretty lousy journalism.

Here's a tip: just say the end boss leaves something to be desired. Spoilers. Jeez Louise.

Whilst there is no doubt that Gears 2's multiplayer is far superior in every single way, the Campaign just does not cut it compared to the original.

Whilst Gears 1 was both a shoot-em-up and a tactical game, where co-operating with your buddy was all part of the fun, Gears 2 feels just like a bland shoot 'em up.

Gears 1, you would be assaulting through ruins, picking your path through cover and using it to get a bead on your enemy, whereas Gears 2 cover is only there so you don't get shot; generally, you just take cover, kill enemies in line of sight, and move up. On top of that, the fantastic environments and level innovation (How can anyone forget the fantastic Kryll level in Gears 1 where not only was moving from cover to cover important, but it had to be planned further with your buddy), but the lack of cool boss fights in Gears 2 was just a massive disapointment.

Also, I remember a trailer with an EPIC guy, who said there'd be lots of co-op stuff. I've finished the game, and I count the vehicle, the box and the crane. That's pretty much it.

Of course, the game deserves it's praise, and a hell tone of it too; it's fantastic and multiplayer has come along in leaps and bounds, but the campaign not only feels like it hasn't moved forwards, but sometimes, it feels like it's taken a step back.

I have to say, although Gears of War 2 is getting great reviews, I'm really hating the fact that its only getting a lot of 9's instead of 9.5 and upper 10s. The story for me was good, way better than the first and it kept me entertained throughout, just like COD4 campaign did. GoW2 is leagues better than the 1st Gow and better than Halo and Cod4, so reading Ryan's review really disappointed me. I mean 9.5 is good, just that when games have major flaws, (Halo 3 campaign mode, Cod4 short campaign) I find that GoW2 campaign was better than Halo 3 and just under Cod4... so where's the 10, seriously, every act just got better and better with the story. I didn't want to shut the game off I wanted to play the campaign straight through, I'm sure I'm not the only one... seriously, this game DESERVES your 10/10, just like it deserves at least a 9.5 on game informer and at least a 9.7 on ign.com. GoW2 is a great game, proved by your scores... but the fact is, GoW2 is not just a great game... its a legendary game... and your score does not show that.

i agree that the game should be a 9.5 because just as you said they middle acts are weak and the story line seems cheesy at parts.. Saying that however, it is a ridiculously better game than halo 3... ( i still cant believe how that got a ten).. The multiplayer is even better than the first one and horde mode is awesome.. i wish the campaign was better, but it is still the best game yet on 360..

I think the game is falling victim to the uber-high expectations placed upon it. I didn't read this review until after I completed the campaign as I didn't want any spoilers, but there are some sentiments in there that I can agree with.

I must say that when I was in the boss battles I felt the frustration when I realized that it was essentially a "figure out the pattern and then do it 3 times" battle. the ending boss was a dissapointment as well, eventhough I did feel relieved I didn't have to go through a General Raam type gauntlet.. (I know, I'm a wimp)

however, I think the story is evolving great, I didn't find a moment story wise myself that was cheesey, but I guess I'll reserve that judgement for when I can play it through again and can pay more attention to the finer details.

I do think you heaped it on a bit with the campaign in your review, Ryan.. again expectation higher than your average game I suppose. Perhaps your critical because like many of us, you see the Gears franchise as perhaps having perhaps the greatest potential in of any video game we've ever seen, and you don't want to see it fittered away on what you see as silly plot lines and hokey boss battles. I can certainly appreciate that sentiment. I actually got a kick out of the worm chapter personally. You gotta admit, trying to out-run a massive ball of worm excrement is pretty original.

All that said (sorry I'm long winded), if Fallout 3, Fight Night 3, Oblivion, Bioshock, and none the least Halo 3 are 10s, then you gotta give it up for the effort Epic put in on on this game. With most games, I play the campaign through once to get the achievement, then move on to multi-player or another game. This one, like the first GOW, I will likely play through many times. The upgraded Multiplayer, bots, and especially Horde, will make this a permanant resident in the disk tray on my 360 for a while now. it's a 10 in my book.

I think the review was right on. 9.5 is great but there were disappointments such as descibed in the review. The graphics were better, there was more story, more weapons and more "vehicles." But there were several areas that was too linear and yes, platforming like: avoid being crushed in worm, avoid holes in ice, use crane to move Dom... The problem is when you have a great first game, if the sequelle doesn't blow it away, then it can be disappointing. That goes for anything including movies. I felt the same way with Halo 3, eventhough it was technically a more advanced game that earlier halo's, it was not stellarly better and so it was a let down. And ya, I didn't realize it consciously, but it does look and sound like the Borg queen and the Locus Horde queen are related;)

How in the world is the story worse than the first one?the first one's campain is crap compared to the second one.Even the parts where Dom's wife is involved is really good.I would say more but i don't want to ruin the game for anyone.

Gears 2 has to be one of the best games I have ever played. While the Scorge fight was dissappointing, overall gears 2 is one of the best games I have ever played

I can see why other people complianed about the review, half of the review seemed to be aimed at assulting the campain that cliff B. was building up to be the greatest story in the Gears seires, but if the campain really goes dull compared to the exciting missions and bosses by the end of act 2 (haven't played the game yet but im super pschyed for it and by the way i apprecaite the spoilers) then i can see what you are talking about, BUT when you Gears 1 a 10 (the story line wasn't bad but wasn't great and epic either) and gave Gears 2 a 9.5 i felt that it was too much compared to Halo 2 (which are totally differnt games for it's time) and you didn't say that the story line was an inprovment to the orginal Gears (which i am sure it is) but all you that said it was "hokey" WTF? I strongly agree that Gears 2 should get a 10 compared to last year's Halo 3 (which you gave a 10, don't get me wrong Halo 3 is a great game but the story is short as hell)

I just want to say that this game isn't perfect but it's damn close. I'd give it a 10/10, were I the one reviewing it. It's managed to pull me away from Fallout 3 for a longer period than any other game and I want to go play it right now. And I think, everyone commenting on whether Halo is better than Gears needs to realize that different people have different preferences.

----------------------
Inhale the damage smoothly
Paradise isn't lost
It was hiding all along.

I don't understand this review. while i'm only on act 3 (out of 5) I freaking love this game. Every complaint I had about the original has been improved on or removed and the experience itself has been left in tact but it has evolved into something much greater, much more polished.

The score reflects a great game (a 9.5 is a great score, no doubt) but theres little talk about what makes this game great, only what makes it a disappointment. 'Hokey'? really? and the comparisons you make to star trek and the queen are silly. even if they are spot on, no one cares.

This review is even titled "into the valley of highs and lows' as if to say the game is inconsistent. you want inconsistentcy? how about your magazine's reviews...?


Far Cry 2 gets a 8.5? sure its really pretty but what about its repetitive soulless gameplay and half retarded A.I.? Dead Space earned a whopping 6.5?? It's an awesome hack 'em up that's basically Resident Evil meets the movie Event Horizon!

One year you're handing out 10's like its Christmas and then you're magazine seems to be filled with overly critical reviews mixed with piles of uncertainty.

I think you guys need to go on some sort of peyote fueled journey through the desert to find yourselves and don't come back until you have. Leave the unjustified negativity in the desert alongside any doubts you have in your ability to give an honest review.

Understand that a lot of people actually subscribe to your magazine for your point of view on whats coming out or what is out so they can help themselves decide on what to buy. You're abusing the trust we have given you as consumers and as consumers we will be forced to go elsewhere if this continues.

A game like this deserves endless praise with little mention of its flaws because they are few and far between. How about a review that reflects that...?

Not bad review, i didnt like the way the campaign was talked down, sure the boss battles werent great, but the campaign had alot more enemy variety and length, gears 1 had a campaign that lasted about 4 hours on hardcore, while gears 2 took me seven. The halo 2 comparisons were godd, since this is like the halo series, only on the next console from microsoft.

DeathDealerDas u r a fool halo is the best game out gow is trash to halo

Gears 2 is a beautiful game, I also agree with iThomas,I did not appreciate the spoilers that much but hey.This review just seemed to idk, focus on the negative parts of gears 2, and personally i didn't find many at all. One thing you didn't really mention was the stunning graphics, and i mean they're insane. I thought the campaign was solid as was the multiplayer. 9.5 is a satisfying score but it just seems right to give it a ->11/10

http://live.xbox.com/member/raad face

Bairds so funny..Lololol

Pretty good review. Didn't get a nice vibe going as soon as the Halo 2 comparisons began (same reason people didn't care for the Dark Sector vs Gears comparisons), but it wasn't too bad. Kind of disappointed to see so much spoilerific territory wondered into for the years' biggest game. Seems to have been an OXM constant with Gears 2 ever since the spoilerific "First 90 minutes" in the mag. I'm hoping I don't get that same "hokey" feel out of the story that you did. Most others seem to be liking it a lot more, especially compared to the original's.

Solid review overall, didn't care for the constant comparisons and spoiler-induced info.

how does the sequel that has been improved in every way get a lower score than the original? I'm not trying to hate on you guys, but i've always wondered. Do you review games based on "their time". Was Gears of War a 10 "at its time" but now even though it has been improved, games overall have improved, so now it's only a 9.5? I was just wondering.

for the record halo 3 sucks! point blank PERIOD, yea so what the graphics look better than the previous 2 the moment they took the zoom off of the pistol i was done with it, gears of war 2 should have definitely got a 10 if the first game received a 10 from this same magazine!!!! it improved 10x but im not complaining about a 9.5 but you guys should have
ONE UP'D GAME INFORMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!and achievements are a little easier to attain for novice gear heads who are new to the game