Epic have managed to improve on Gears of War in almost every respect with this much anticipated sequel. As the first title was a must-have for every 360 owner, so will Gears of War 2 be in huge demand this silly season.

Subtle, yet large improvements over the first game; A far more epic story, with much more impressive enemies and levels; Gorgeous graphics and art design; Great, tight action gameplay; Improved multiplayer matchmaking and interesting new modes.

Some technical flaws, multiplayer seems to suffer from lag; I tried to think of more, but that's all I could come up with, honestly

This game is alot better than the first one. It is brilliant how they have also included training grounds where you can just fight against bots for a bit of practice. I love the horde mode also. The campaign (what i have played so far) is brilliant also.

Let it be known that the Rockworm is our friend. Sure, he's large and unfriendly. And he's a family-sized centipede covered in stone cladding, so he's never going to be prime romance material.

When the Epic crew got together to discuss itsplans for Gears of Wars 2, the starting pointwas 'new, better, more.' 'New' is a given for anysequel, 'better' presumably related to the poorstory and a few weak gameplay areas and 'more'quite clearly reflects the disappointingly shortcampaign.

The second installment in Epic's dark and brutal sci-fi shooter justifies the incredible hype surrounding it.

There's a moment at the end of the second act of Gears of War 2 where, all of a sudden, the infamous Unreal Engine 3 ‘Meatcube' demo ma...

Refined graphical effects; Awesome climactic battles; Brilliant revamping of mechanics

So big it's bloated; Cavern levels go on too long; Some weak story points

Gears of War 2 is one of the most intense and viscerally enjoyable and sensually appealing gaming experiences that you'll likely have this holiday season.

In 2006 Gears of War crashed into the gaming scene with a hiss and a roar, it was a monumental success and it performed better than most predicted it would, even surprising some fans.

The original Gears of War became an action genre classic thanks to its incredible graphics, cinematic presentation, and solid cover system. The sequel repeats this formula, and though it introduces new weapons, enemies, and environments, it remains an incredible yet familiar experience.

All-new; great-looking environments; New weapons; grenades; and melee attacks; Excellent new multiplayer modes; especially Horde; Drop-in co-op support with independent difficulty; Same exciting Gears action you know and love

Fiddly controls in vehicular sections; Too many unresolved plot strands

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