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.

Shooter/Action The gaming equivalent of placing a ‘kick me' sign on your own back returns. “Bigger, better and more badass†is what Cliffy B used to describe Gears of War 2 way back when. It sounded like over-the-top PR speak at the time but he couldn't have been closer to the truth.

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.

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

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

Back in 2006, Gears of War came out for the Xbox 360 and shocked the videogame industry. The game was hyped up for months prior to its release and received vast coverage from the gaming media. When the game finally came to be released, it opened to both large critical acclaim and sales.

The way that the developer went on about the story of Gears of War 2 you would have thought it was the deepest thing ever, well the reality is very different, as whilst it's an improvement over the original, it's not exactly vast enough to announce it from the rooftops with great enthusiasm.

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

When you drove your chainsaw through someone's sternum in the original Gears of War, did you think the game just wasn't bloody or visceral enough How about that time when a dozen eight-foot-tall super-warriors ambushed you in a dimly lit alien cavern; did you wonder if the intensity needed to be...

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