Gears of War 2 is a 2008 military science fiction third-person shooter video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360.  It serves as the second installment in the Gears of War franchise and follows Sergeant Marcus Fenix as he leads Delta Squad into the depths of the planet to try to stop the Locust during the assault upon Locust territory known as the Hollow.

Positives:

• Competitive multiplayer
• Compelling story
• Extensive campaign
• Great characters
• Good soundtrack
• Great voice performances
• Exciting gameplay
• Good graphics

Negatives:

• Linear campaign

Campaign: The war between mankind and the locusts is fierce and the extensive campaign emphasizes this point wonderfully and takes no time to dive into the action. It tells a really good story, following Marcus and Delta Squad as well as COG military as they invade the Locust home turf, the Hollow. The war effort is pretty intense. The characters are likable with so much personality and the relationship that these characters share is great. Marcus is the leader of Delta Squad.  Dominique is his best friend and fellow member of Delta Squad.  Other members include the pessimistic Baird and the superstar Cole. There are a lot of  exciting moments, horrifying moments, and even some pretty intensely emotional ones. The campaign not only serves to tell a great story but a very challenging gameplay experience.  The campaign although good is incredibly linear.  However, there are several moments in the game where characters can take a branching path. (4 out of 5)

Gameplay:  The gameplay experience is not only challenging but entertaining. There is the traditional third person shooter perspective which is great considering the cover system. Enemy NPCs can prove very challenging especially considering the various weaponry and enemy types both humanoid and non humanoid. Computer companions can be a pain at times, especially when players are grounded and taking damage.  The lack of team command does suck major balls because players are in less control.  The newly added chainsaw duels are just epic.  The game can be played in single or two player co-op. (3 out of 5)

Graphics: Visually the game does look better than the previous installment having more detail to characters, creative designs to weapons and equipment, and environment. The Hollow is vast, vibrant, and feels like its own world.   Cinematics look smoother and the level of detail when it comes to the overall tone keeps them pretty engaging. The blood and gore effects do look pretty neat but sometimes does come off as comical during the ragdoll effects.  Now let’s be clear, for as good as the graphics look for this game it isn’t life-like.  The male characters all look like they’re on steroids that are on steroids. (3 out of 5)

Score:  The score is pretty good and the music is done really well especially when it comes to the timing. The voice performances are just terrific.  John DiMaggio goes a fantastic job as Marcus Fenix.  The sound effects are pretty good and definitely make the gameplay and setting feel vibrant. (4 out of 5)

Replay Value:  The game has a lot of replay value which focuses more on the online multiplayer aspects. The multiplayer is highly competitive. The game includes several multiplayer modes including five-on-five battles between human and Locust forces, and a “Horde” mode that challenges up to five players against waves of Locust forces with ever-increasing strength.  Horde mode is incredibly fun but working your way up the fifty waves can be a bit taxing after a while.  Like in the previous installment the campaign is linear with little to no replayability outside of finding certain hidden content as well as playing on a harder difficulty. (4 out of 5)

The Verdict: In the end, Gears of War 2 is actually a pretty good gaming experience despite the linear campaign. The game does feature a challenging and entertaining gaming experience, a great story, great multiplayer, great characters, great voice performances, and a great score. Gears of War 2 deserves 4 out of 5.