Xbox 360 - Gears of War 2 Review

Sequel to a surprise hit last year, Gears of War 2 improves and sharpens its graphics while deepening the story of the war between humans and grubs. Gameplay takes mostly a "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" mantra and keeps much of the same look (though less gritty), sound and feel from the first installment.

Many of the same characters are reintroduced and fans of the first game will be thrilled when the "Cole-train!" makes his thunderous entrance and when Baird shoots off his first smart remark. Dom too returns and while in the first installment was mostly just Marcus' sidekick, GOW2 invests much of its storyline in his search for his missing wife creating much more of a emotional connection than the story's predecessor.

Vehicle challenges are plentiful and, some might say, to a fault. While it may initially seem like a fun time to ride off on one of the creatures that are normally attacking you, these events end up creating more of a distraction to the rest of the game.

Mostly though, any fan of action shooters will be able to overlook the few shortcommings this game has. Passing on this game is a true no-no.