A lot of gamers gripe when a sequel is released for a game without a major graphical overhaul or stunning new features. An often complaint when this happens is it's "more of the same." But when a developer gets to spend more time in a familiar game engine and refine the rough areas of the original game and improve on the successes, how is this a bad thing? After all, Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy all looked the same, but that didn't make the second and third films any less impressive than the first.
"Gears of War 2" is not a drastic overhaul of the Xbox's third-person, sci-fi, shoot-a-thon, but it is a refinement of an already stellar game. Because of this, haters may gripe that it's simply "Gears of War 1.5," but if that means that I can jump into a new game, already familiar with the controls, and enjoy new levels and progression of the story established by the original release, I welcome that opportunity. "Gears 1" is still one of the best-looking games on any console and with the improvements to the size and scope of the sequel, "Gears 2" is unrivaled in amazing visuals only by its predecessor.
The marketing focus of "Gears 2" has been the improved storytelling in order to give the war between the humans and the underground-dwelling Locust Horde more of an epic weight. Despite attempts at tugging on heartstrings and exploring the personal lives of Delta Squad, "Gears 2" still relies heavily on vein-poppingly muscled protagonists and their chest-thumping bravado as they shred through enemies. The more interesting aspects of the game are the nods to classic platform-styled gameplay through some levels and improved online multiplayer options. Notably, the multiplayer "Horde mode"- which pits up to 5 players to survive against 50 increasingly difficult waves of enemies- feels like a next-gen reimagining of classic arcade games; think: Galaga or Space Invaders, but with five players and in 3-D. With four other friends playing together, it may be the best addition to the series.
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