When the Locust emerged from the ground on November 12th, 2006 to ravage the surface of the planet Sera, so too did Gears of War emerge as a mega franchise for the Xbox 360. Less than two years later, we're already being treated to a sequel.

The original Gears of War profiled itself as an epic action game that unraveled itself much like the well known blockbuster movies that end up in theatres every summer. Plenty of action, big explosions and enough comic relief are injected into the experience to cover up the lack of true story.

As usual practice, Epic Games continues to support their games months after releasing. The latest offering is the All Fronts Collection/Dark Corners DLC which adds a whopping amount of maps and a new deleted story chapter.

New deleted chapter; every map pack released to date; great maps

For those who already purchased any/all of the map packs; All Fronts is not for you

Now this is how you make a sequel! The wait is finally over; the sequel […]

+ One of the best looking games ever; + Incredibly story; + Voice acting is top notch; + Multiplayer is the best Ive played in recent memory

End boss fight disappoints; At times; partner AI is annoyingly dumb

Sound: hate marcus voice everything else is good multiplayer: horde was a saving grace for me in multiplayer. in the original the multiplayer felt more balanced, shotgun killed who it was suppose to kill, you didnt have freaking smoke grenades! and there just was a sense of originallity to the maps.

Now, even with the serious third-act problems in the game's script and the uninspired characters, this is still a very good game. After all, Gears 2 is, first and foremost, an action game. It's raison d'etre is to amuse and entertain, the emphasis on gunfire and testosterone.

Gameplay is very tight; Horde mode is a joy to play; Excellent Co-op mode

Story is painful to watch; as are characters; Competitive online is in serious need of tweaking

Video games have become a multi-billion dollar industry and some video games are the equivalent of summer blockbuster releases. These games are usually highly anticipated and hyped to death. Unfortunately, not all these titles live up to the hype.

Improved gameplay from original; Better story and plot; Improved AI; Horde mode is fun as hell; Beautiful visuals and audio; Superior multiplayer options

Vehicles drag momentum down; Getting behind cover doesn't always stick

While Gears of War 2 bears significant improvements over the series' debut, it doesn't quite go the distance. The visuals are spectacular, the sound is awesome, the weapons and combat features are great and there's enough new stuff to keep both fans and newbies happy.

An epic; unforgettable experience; incredible atmosphere; one of the best shooters out there

Not quite there yet in terms of innovation; a few AI bugs and intermittently glitchy driving sequences

The original Gears of War was a blockbuster hit for Microsoft and Epic in more ways than one. It served as tech demo, showcasing some of the best graphics that the Xbox 360 and the Unreal Engine could muster.

Horde mode steals the show; Story delves into inner workings of Locust; Improved graphics showcase Xbox 360; Independently adjustable difficulty in co-op; Multiplayer party system is nicely done; AI plays a lot better this time around

Final boss battle is a joke

Bigger, better and more badass. These are the words Cliff Bleszinski used when referring to Gears of War 2, raising expectations higher than its pred

Vastly improved campaign and online; Great new weapons and enemies; Excellent audio/visual presentation; Horde can get addicting

Improved yet basic story; Lacks major gameplay progression