Scratch One Grub

I got Gears of War 2 last month, and I've been playing the hell out of it over the last few weeks. You would think that after playing the first one for so long and loving it so much, I would be sorely disappointed with this follow-up. All the expectations and all that, you know. Well, as it turns out, Cliff Bleszinski and the guys at Epic Games have surpassed even my wildest expectations, and Gears of War 2 is better than the first one in pretty much every department.

The graphics are at the very least as good as in the first one, but there's more variety when it comes to environments, textures, and colors. We have almost all the original kinds of Locust back, plus new types and classes that are both creepy and deadly. And they're even smarter now, seeing as a dying Locust will look for a teammate to restore its health. Cool, but a nightmare for Delta Squad, let me tell you. There are new characters among the COG files too, and we get to know the old ones even better. And everyone you loved in the previous game is back: Cole, Baird, Dom, Anya, and, of course, the star of the show, Marcus Fenix. As I said, those characters shine even more in this sequel, and I'm not just saying that because you actually get to see that hottie Anya more than once. The script is way more elaborate and dramatic than the first one, and characters like Dom get a nice backstory and motivation. And regarding the script, the game is packed with surprises and a lot more variety than the first one offered. Now you have different kinds of missions, you ride different vehicles (or “something else”), and every time you think you know what's going to happen, you find out you were wrong.

What else? The music, composed by Steve Jablonsky is phenomenal and not only complements the game but augments it. Also, the game is longer, and not only does it offer an additional difficulty level (now you have Casual, Normal, Hardcore, and Insane), but it also provides the player with two extra game modes. The first one is a tutorial for online gaming that you can complete regardless of whether you intend to go on Xbox Live or not. The second one is the Horde mode, in which you need to face (and hopefully survive) fifty waves of Locust who want nothing else than to tear you apart into itty-bitty pieces of bloody flesh. (So nice, these Locust.) And, of course, you can play the game solo or in co-op mode with a friend.

Am I forgetting anything? Maybe I am, but I hope I made my point. Gears of War 2 offers amazing action, great adventure, a ridiculous amount of suspense, thrills, and adrenaline, presented in extraordinary graphics and with fantastic music. And just like the first one, it's a game you just want to keep playing time and again, to beat it just one more time. And another one. And one more.