The best multiplayer feature is undoubtedly bot support, something console fans always clamor for in their shooters. Not only will you be able to add bots to your game to fill up the teams, you can also play a local game alone against nine bots if you want to get in a little extra training. They can be set to different difficulty levels depending on how challenging you want it to be, and your AI-controlled teammates will do an admirable job of fighting alongside you and, in some cases, saving your life. We also really liked the inclusion of a multiplayer training mode, which explains the objectives of the new multiplayer gametypes. All in all, this is one of the best multiplayer games of the year...and that's before we even start talking about the addictive new Horde mode.
If you're one of those people who loves to play with your friends but can't stand playing obnoxious people online, Horde is the mode for you, as it combines the best elements of competitive and cooperative multiplayer action. You'll be able to battle wave after increasingly more difficult wave of Locust enemies with up to four of your friends on each of the game's ten multiplayer maps (though we should note that every copy of Gears of War 2 will feature a code to download five Flashback maps). It's an absolute blast from start to finish, and we're guessing that this will be where most players will spend their time after completing the game.
So what makes Horde so special? Well, not only does it get tougher every round, going from simple Wretches and Locust soldiers to an abundance of Grinders and Butchers, it also makes them more dangerous every ten rounds. They earn stuff like double health and damage every so often, making it more and more of a challenge as you progress. You'll be able to come back at any time to play through the last level you made it to, meaning you can gradually make your way through the mode's 50 levels if you so choose. However, we have a feeling that this is one of those cases when people will be saying "Just one more round..." well into the wee hours of the night.
While it's certainly open to debate, we're going to go out on a limb and call Gears of War 2 the most visually impressive game yet made. It actually looks quite a bit better than its predecessor, which most Gears of War fans would agree is quite a feat. There are some stunning particle effects on display, from simple things like dust hovering in sunlight to the gases swirling from an exploded poison grenade. The lighting is also top-notch, particularly during a tunnel sequence during an early part of the game. There are some occasional collision glitches from time to time, as well as a painful freeze and stutter every time you hit a checkpoint, but overall it's an amazing achievement.
Finally, there are the extras (called the War Journal), which include a much improved collectible system. As you play through the game, you'll find bits and pieces of information that go a long way toward fleshing out the story and the franchise's mythology. Even the COG tags have a story behind them, as do the letters from settlers and scraps of newspaper that litter the world. You'll be able to view them all in your War Journal, as well as check out the new achievement tracker, which tells you how close you are to unlocking things. Gears of War 2 also features a scored photo system, although we'll be interested to see just how many people care to upload their highest-scoring photos to the game's official site.
Although it would have been easy for the developers at Epic to crank out a sequel to Gears of War with a minimum of effort, Gears of War 2 feels like a labor of love in many ways. It features a number of new gameplay mechanics that instantly feel familiar and necessary, a greatly improved story, and some of the most amazing visuals we've ever seen in a game. Best of all, the multiplayer offerings have been completely reworked to make them much more user-friendly, and Horde mode is going to keep people coming back for more. It still remains to be seen if this will be the game that makes Marcus Fenix the poster boy for the Xbox 360, but it certainly feels like a possibility. Master Chief, the ball is in your court!
