To make a long story short, this game kicks much ass! I loved the first one and have been waiting for part two ever since. This game picks up five years after the first game. The Locust have had a chance to not only regroup but mobilize an even larger army in an attempt to destroy Jacinto, humanity’s last bastion of safety on the planet Sera. It’s your mission head underground and try to save what’s left of the human race.

While the multiplayer aspect of the game is a lot of fun it’s in single player that this game truly shines, ESPECIALLY if you can play through it in co-op. The first game I played through by myself and I had a blast. In fact, when my friend suggested playing Gears of War 2 in co-op I was a little unsure. Having beaten the game playing co-op I wouldn’t recommend playing it any other way. I don’t think I’ve ever had as much fun in a game as I did here. There are so many great moments in this game and they become that much cooler when you can experience them with someone else. I want to give more details but I don’t think I could without spoiling it for anyone who hasn’t played it yet. Needless to say I’m anxiously awaiting part 3!

As I said before, multiplayer is a LOT of fun but not without it’s issues. The main problem right now is matchmaking. There are time when it can literally take 10-15 minutes to get into a game. It’s my understanding that the folks at Epic are working on this and hopefully they will fix it and get a patch out soon.

One of the new multiplayer modes is called Horde. You and four others team up to try and survive wave after wave of Locust. Each wave gets progressively harder and, so far, I’ve only managed to make it up to wave 17. You get an achievement at 10 and another at 50. Any team that makes it all the way to 50 should be feared! Sticking together is of key importance as you need to be near your comrades in case you go down, but not out.

My other favorite mode is King of the Hill. I had a great match the other day on the map Avalanche. The “hill” was down in the center of this map inside this little building. It was a constant rush into this small space and it turned into a non-stop chainsaw massacre. I couldn’t stop laughing the whole time. It’s also a great place to work on your Crossing Swords achievement. As for the other modes they are fun but would probably be a lot more so if I didn’t suck so bad at the game.

There are so many cool things about this game that I can’t help but wonder what they can possibly do in the next game to top this. Meat Shields are a great idea. Using a downed enemy to absorb bullets while you lay the smack down on people is very satisfying, as is breaking their neck once they’ve served their purpose! Of the new weapons I love the Boomshield. Similar to a meatshield but can absorb a LOT more damage; you’re essentially indestructable behind this thing, at least from the front. When using either of the shields the game offers nothing beats having the Gorgon Pistol in hand. This gun shoots bursts of 5 shots and two bursts are enough to bring down your typical locust baddy. The Mortar is, of course, great for wracking up a lot of kills when your enemies are in close quarters. Then there’s that ever so satisfying feeling you get after popping someones head like a gore filled balloon with the sniper rifle, or watching them explode after being stuck with the Torque Bow. But nothing still comes close to the thrill of cutting someone in half with the chainsaw!

While this game is loads of fun it’s also that season where tons of titles are coming out so this game is not going to get the attention it deserves, at least not from me. I’ll probably get another week or so out of it before I venture back into the world of Azeroth.