• December 22nd “Concussion from a smoke grenade” – 12x XP
- Concussion grenades added

• December 23rd “2 Flaming Bloodmounts” – 13x XP
- 2 Bloodmounts with flamethrowers appearing on every Horde wave.

• December 24th “3 Extra Clips” – 14x XP
- 3 extra clips of ammo in every weapon.

• December 25th “4 Frag Grenades” – 15x XP
- Every frag grenade pick-up now includes 4 grenades instead of the usual 2.

• December 26th “5 Torque Bow Tags” – 16x XP
- Many creatures who usually carry rifles in Horde mode will now carry torque bows.

• December 27th “6 Melee monsters” – 17x XP
- Horde waves will now entirely consist of melee creatures.

• December 28th “7 Sires a Storming” – 18x XP
- N/A (Most likely all Sire Horde waves though)

• December 29th “8 Old School Gears Heads” – 19x XP
- 4v4 Multiplayer Mode added

• December 30th “9 Boomers Booming” – 20x XP
- Boomer squads in every Horde wave.

• December 31st “10 Waves of Tickers” – 21x XP
- Tickers only in Horde

• January 1st “11 Wretches Wretching” – 22x XP
- Wretches with shotguns will make an appearance.

• January 2nd “Some of the Above” – 23x XP

This is a combination of concussion grenades, extra clips of ammo, extra frag grenades in each pickup, 4 vs 4 multiplayer mode, and Ticker horde waves.

Playing video games over the holidays does have certain advantages. This would be a great opportunity to both rank up and rack up some kills for that seemingly inconceivable 100,000 mark. Merry Gearsmas to all!

So, without further ado, we’d like to announce the winners of our Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection Giveaway, which will give five lucky readers the chance to enjoy this event while playing on all 19 of the Gears of War 2 DLC maps. Our winners are:

InsaneBreakout

Wick

Ian790

maidenfan666

AddyRuffs

Congratulations! We will be contacting you via the email address supplied with your contest entry comment, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox. I’ll be doing my best to reach level 100 and earn my wings this weekend, so feel free to send me a friend request if you’d like to play. My Xbox LIVE gamertag is Ithilis. See you on the battlefield(s), Gears!

For those that haven’t caught wind of his zany plans, Rod will be awarding Gears of War 2 players with an experience points multiplier equal to the sum of his Twitter followers divided by 500. When he originally proposed the idea on Wednesday, July 14, he had 3000 followers. As of time of writing this article, he has 10,793, but chose to cap his campaign at 10,000 followers and a 20X experience points modifier. That’s a lot of XPs!

The Contest

To honour Rod’s crazy idea and his ongoing dedication to the Gears of War community, we’ve decided to award five lucky readers with Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection codes, giving them the chance to enjoy all 19 DLC maps while earning truckloads of XP!

To enter, simply tell us what excites you most about Epic’s upcoming Gears of War 3 by commenting on the article below. On the morning of Thursday, July 22, to coincide with the opening of the San Diego Comic Con, we’ll draw five names out of a hat and announce the winners. Remember: only Canadians need apply! You can still leave a comment if you’re not Canadian – as we’re always happy to hear and talk about Gears – you just won’t be eligible to win a prize.

For further rules and eligibility, please consult our official contest rules. Failure to comply with these rules will result in a merciless chainsawing. Canadian-style, of course.

Good luck!

The sheer amount of content included in the Dark Corners add-on is impressive. Players that purchase the content will receive seven new multiplayer maps, bringing Gears of War 2’s total to an incredible twenty-nine, as well as a deleted campaign chapter entitled Road to Ruin.

GameNorth was given an opportunity to sit down with the new content, and despite being completely engrossed in the gameplay, managed to record some of our impressions. Here is what you can expect from the Dark Corners add-on (which is also included in the All Fronts collection) come July 28:

Multiplayer Maps:

Allfathers Garden

Set in the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders, Allfathers Garden is a large map filled with statues, pillars, and lush greenery. The vibrant green grass and mossy areas are a welcome departure from some of the more drab set pieces in the Gears of War universe, and make the level itself very pleasant to explore.

The level is a large rectangle with two main paths originating from the spawn points. The upper path features a Longshot on either end and a grenade spawn positioned between them. The lower path features a Torque Bow/Boomshot spawn point, and the hallway in the middle – which connects the upper and lower paths, leading to the grenades – features a Scorcher.

With two Longshots and a Torque Bow being used at the same time every other round, Allfathers Garden can create some very exciting gameplay situations. Fortunately, the level also features plenty of cover and hiding spots that will allow players to avoid getting killed by the long distance weapons. Due to its size and layout, expect Allfathers Garden to be a popular choice for Guardian mode, and favourite for anyone that loves a good Longshot duel. Additionally, with so many places to hide and take cover, Allfathers will likely be a hit in Wingman.

Highway

Deep in the Locust Hollow, Highway is large map that uses the Nexus setting and textures. Similar to the scene found in the campaign mode, Nexus features a Locust highway as a dynamic backdrop to the level, with squads of Locust and the occasional Brumak making an appearance.

The layout of the level may seem confusing at first, with two upper routes and one lower route available from the spawn point, but it’s actually quite simple. The upper routes lead to different areas of a large, open mezzanine that features a Mortar/Mulcher spawn in the middle, and the lower route leads to an open area with a grenade spawn and a set of parallel stairways that each lead up to a Longshot/Torque Bow spawn. The lower area also features a Boomshot/Scorcher spawn between another set of parallel stairs leading up to the middle of the mezzanine area.

The action in Highway can unfold in several different ways, depending on the routes chosen by each team. If both teams choose to remain on the lower area, a fast and furious skirmish will no doubt occur over the grenades and the Boomshot/Scorcher – which are in very close proximity – and the winner of the Longshot/Torque duel will wreak havoc on anyone below. The mezzanine is rather barren, only offering the Mortar/Mulcher way at the back, but offers great vantage points on the combat below. The size of the level and the relatively secure mezzanine area will make this level a popular choice for Guardian, and the furious action of the lower area will be attractive to fans of Execution and Warzone. And like Allfathers, having duelling Longshots/Torque Bows is always a great selling point.

Memorial

Set near the Eternal Flame, a Coalition tribute to fallen soldiers (and not the Bangels), Memorial is a cleaner, more pristine level than most. Visually, it shares a lot in common with Jacinto, a bright level with a civilized, Coalition influence, and is about the same size as well, if not larger.

The level features three possible routes from each spawn point: a lower route leading to the large courtyard that features the Eternal Flame memorial, a route leading up to an elevated area overlooking the courtyard, and another route that leads under the elevated area to another set of stairs at the back.

The courtyard features a Mortar spawn in the middle, hidden behind the Eternal Flame, and a grenade spawn just below the balcony of the elevated area. The elevated area offers a Longshot/Torque Bow spawn at the back, and the lower area features a Boomshot/Scorcher spawn where the hallways meet at the base of the stairs. There is a balcony directly overlooking the Boomshot/Scorcher spawn, making it a very risky endeavour, but whichever team secures the Boomshot and the Longshot/Torque will easily control the map from the elevated area. However, a well-placed volley from the Mortar in the courtyard could change everything in an instant. Like the other two large levels, Memorial will be great for Guardian, but its multiple routes should also make it fun for Annex and Submission.

Nowhere

Perhaps my favourite map of the newest additions, Nowhere is a very small level set in a barren refuelling station in the middle of the desert. The level is very bright and features several new textures and scenery, and periodic sandstorms can greatly reduce visibility.

Only a little larger than Raven Down from the original Gears of War, most of the action in Nowhere takes place at the centre of the map, in a small lot littered with abandoned cars and other random obstacles. Grenades can be found at the middle of the lot, and a Mortar/Mulcher can be found on top of an old diner that overlooks the entire level. On the opposite side of the lot from the diner are two abandoned shops with pistol spawns and windows that look out to the centre of the level. Between the two shops is a water tower behind which a Longshot/Torque Bow spawn can be found.

Nowhere plays very fast, and gives you little time before you encounter your enemy. The Mortar/Mulcher spawn and the Longshot/Torque spawn will be heavily contested, and the winner of either could easily dominate the level. With such fast-paced action, Nowhere is likely to be very popular on Execution and Warzone playlists, and will produce some very hectic Annex and King of the Hill matches.

Those that were quick enough to cash in their Microsoft Points and download the expansion pack, officially releasing on July 28, are able to play it. There has been no word if the multiplayer maps are accessible online, but they can be played locally, and the Road to Ruin deleted chapter is fully accessible.

The All Fronts add-on will be available on July 28 for 1600 Microsoft Points alongside the Dark Corners add-on, available for 1200 Microsoft Points.

For those lucky enough to download the pack, happy hunting!

“Karen Traviss has outdone herself once again,” said Rod Fergusson, executive producer, Epic Games. “Jacinto’s Remnant not only answers the question of what happens after the events of Gears 2, it also provides greater insight into the Gears of War universe and a deeper understanding of its characters. We hope players of the games and discerning readers alike will enjoy this ongoing tale of humanity’s fight for survival.”

Gears of War: Jacinto’s Remnant will be available on July 28, 2009, in a war-torn book store near you.

When playing Horde mode, players will now earn experience points when their team successfully completes a wave. Depending on the difficulty level, each successful wave completion will award players between 50 and 125 experience points. Due to the time investment required to play Horde, the amount of experience points earned per hour will be significantly lower than that of multiplayer, and rightly so, but repeatedly completing waves 1-9 could prove interesting. The amount of experience points awarded is as follows:

• 50 points per completed Casual wave.
• 75 points per completed Normal wave.
• 100 points per completed Hardcore wave.
• 125 points per completed Insane wave.

The other changes that caught my eye were the improvements made to the Smoke Grenades and their new cringe effect. Currently, the Smoke Grenades will only cause a player to cringe if they are standing still or walking when the grenade detonates. After Title Update 4, the Smoke Grenades will be a much more useful tool, causing players to:

• Drop the Boomshield, even if aiming while carrying it.
• Drop a heavy weapon, even if it is deployed.
• Cringe while roadie running.
• Cringe while in cover.

Personally, I like these Smoke Grenade changes. With the roll being the only remaining means of avoiding the cringe effect, players will be required to act evasively when defending a position. Furthermore, players can still avoid planted Smoke Grenades with a well-timed roll. The ability to knock the mortar out of the hands of an enemy is also welcome, and will be particularly useful on stages like Fuel Station.

For the full list of changes found in Title Update 4, head on over to Epic’s official Gears of War 2 forums.

“It’s been a quiet week and Joe and I are bored. So on a whim we’ve decided to give all players on the winning team of a Public Match a little sumthin’ sumthin’. And by that I mean 500 bonus experience points for winning.

Call us rogue, call us heroes, but hey just don’t actually call us.”

Oh, we won’t, Rod. We’ll be too busy chainsawing strangers in half. But how long will this magical experience point bonus remain in effect?

“..starting now (Friday) and ending when we get back into work on Monday. We’ll see how this feels and maybe we’ll keep it if we like it.”

We like it! We like it!

While I have grown to love and appreciate the differences between the original Gears of War and Gears of War 2, there’s one change in Gears of War 2 that I wish Epic Games would reconsider – the nerfing of the Longshot Sniping Rifle.

To commemorate these milestones, Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games will unleash the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, a compilation that combines all previous Gears of War 2 Game Add-ons with brand new multiplayer and campaign content for $22.99. Available only at retail, the new collection invades store shelves worldwide on July 28th, 2009.

Included in the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection is the Gears of War 2: Dark Corners game add-on, which features seven new multiplayer maps and a deleted campaign chapter titled Road to Ruin. In Road to Ruin, Marcus and Dom return to the Locust Hollow in a scene that can be played two ways, guns blazing or in an all-new stealth mode. The seven new multiplayer maps in the Gears of War 2: Dark Corners game add-on are:

• Allfathers Garden: Honor the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.

• Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting their flank formation and evasive skills to the test, players will fight to control the Boomshot.

• Sanctuary (from Gears of War): Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.

• War Machine (from Gears of War): In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, players will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.

• Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it’ll be a one-way trip.

• Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and “processing” are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it’s better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.

• Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.

Already enjoying the previously released Gears of War 2 collection of map packs? Released day-and-date (July 28th, 2009) with the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, the Dark Corners game add-on will be available for download via the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1600 Microsoft Points.

“As part of our regular safety monitoring we have pinpointed a group of players who have unlocked specific Gears of War 2 Achievements through an unauthorized hack. Deliberate cheats like these are in direct violation of the Xbox LIVE Terms of Use and will not be tolerated. As I post this, we’ve begun taking steps to reset the Gamerscores of the offending players.  As I have mentioned in the past, this is something we do occasionally to keep the service free of cheating in order to maintain a fair and level playing field for everyone.”

As a frequent Gears of War 2 player, this is music to my ears. Now the truly great players will get the recognition that they deserve.

Source: Major Nelson

Gears of War 2 once again follows the story of Delta Squad, led by the game’s protagonist, Marcus Fenix. Picking up the story six months after the conclusion of the first game, we learn that the human inhabitants of Sera are growing more desperate. The Locust Horde have developed a means of sinking entire cities, and mankind is all but contained within their last standing sanctuary – the city of Jacinto. Refusing to surrender, the Coalition of Ordered Governments organize a final assault against their alien adversaries, sending their massive army, including Delta Squad, into the heart of the Locust Empire.

Overall, the story of Gears of War 2 feels much more fleshed out than that of the original installment. Touching on themes of love, death, and sacrifice, Marcus Fenix and fellow protagonist, Dominic Santiago, are forced to endure the tolls of war on a much more personal level. It’s a much darker chapter in the Gears of War story, but with more effort placed in developing dialogue and plot devices, it’s a much more compelling one as well.

The gameplay remains very similar to that of the original, with only a handful of changes being made to the core mechanics. Players may now crawl when downed, and rapidly press the A button to crawl faster. This enables players caught out in the open to crawl to nearby cover, or reach an ally before they bleed out. If you are caught in the downed position, however, be prepared to witness a gruesome demise! In addition the classic curb-stomp, Epic has included a wide variety of weapon-specific executions for your sadistic viewing pleasure. Pressing Y near a downed opponent will put your weapon to creative use and your enemy out of their misery. If you find yourself in a sticky situation and need a bit of extra protection, players can also pick up a downed enemy as meat shield. The meat shield will protect you from incoming fire, leaving only your head exposed while you fend off attackers with your sidearm.

All of our favourite weapons make a return in the sequel, but fans of the franchise will be quick to notice several balancing tweaks and enhancements. The Gnasher Shotgun – the most frequently used weapon from the first game – has a noticeably slower rate of fire. The Boomshot has a smaller explosion radius, but includes three shots instead of two. The Longshot Sniping Rifle will no longer down an enemy after an active reload – achieved during the famous reloading mini-game – but benefits from a more accurate headshot instead. Other weapons saw a more significant change: Smoke and Frag Grenades can now be planted as proximity mines on floors and walls, triggering when an enemy ventures too close. The Hammerburst Rifle – considered to be one of the worst weapons in the original Gears of War – not only saw a significant power boost, but can now be selected as an alternate starting weapon to the Lancer Assault Rifle. Don’t be so quick to dismiss the Lancer though, as it now protects you from chainsaw attacks in addition to handing them out. Whenever two chainsaws meet, the new chainsaw duel mini-game is initiated, prompting both players to press B as fast as they can. The losing player will suffer a beautiful, mature-rated fate sure to put a smile on your face.

A handful of new weapons have been added to the game, giving players an even greater choice when on the battlefield. The flamethrower deals massive damage at close range, capable of bringing down even the toughest of enemies in a matter of seconds. The new ink grenades explode in a cloud of poisonous ink, slowly killing anyone caught inside. And like the Smoke and Frag Grenades, Ink Grenades can be planted on walls to create a nefarious trap. A new class of heavy weapons have also been included – weapons so big that they prevent you from running while carrying them. The Mulcher is a massive mini-gun, capable of liquefying anything that gets in it’s way, and the Mortar will rain terror down upon distant enemies. Both weapons are capable of turning the tide of any battle, and are guaranteed to inspire fear in the hearts of your enemies.  And lastly, in the spirit of cover-based gameplay, Gears of War 2 introduces a defensive weapon – the Boom Shield. The Boom Shield can be carried around for added protection, but at the cost of movement speed, or it can be planted in front of you as stationary cover.

The multi-player action in Gears of War 2 is far more robust than the original, with each match supporting up to ten players instead of eight. Warzone, Execution, and Annex have returned, remaining almost entirely the same. Assassination, now called Guardian, also returns, but with significant improvements. Players are now able to pick up weapons without their leader doing so first, and players will now respawn as long as their leader is alive. These changes are very welcome, and make Guardian one of the more enjoyable modes available. King of the Hill, a new multi-player mode, is similar to Annex, but features just one capture zone per round instead of several. Submission, a variant of capture the flag, features a neutral, Stranded character from the campaign mode that must be downed and dragged as a meat shield to a team’s designated capture point. Warzone features five teams of two squaring off in an Execution-rules deathmatch for survival.

The most popular new multi-player mode, however, is Horde. Horde mode pits a party of up to five players, working co-operatively, against waves of increasingly difficult AI enemies. With each wave, 50 in total, the enemies grow larger in number and strength. In order to survive, players must think fast and strategically or risk getting overwhelmed. Horde mode provides an amazing co-operative experience for a group of friends, and provides equally amazing stories the next day. Reaching wave 50 can take upwards of two hours, and can be a very rewarding experience for all who accomplish it.

The multi-player component is now powered by the Xbox Live Party System. A group of five friends can ‘party-up’ together and jump into ranked, public matches. The Party System ensures that the players will always be on the same team and never get separated. Those used to the lobby system from the original Gears of War may be disappointed, however, as you can no longer choose which mode and map you would like to play. Instead, your party joins one of the various playlists, each containing a collection of game modes. When all ten players have been assembled, they will be asked to vote on a mode and map. If no decision can be made, a random selection will be made by the match-making servers.

Graphically, Gears of War 2 is no slouch. The original Gears of War raised the standard for graphics seen in a video game, and the sequel raises the bar even higher. Using what Epic has dubbed ‘Unreal Engine 3.5′, the game enjoys the fruits of the many technical advancements made to the engine since 2006. Ambient occlusion, pixel-shading and improved anti-aliasing all add up to present a beautiful game, and one of the most impressive to date. But the Unreal Engine isn’t without its flaws, as texture-popping is still evident when loading a new level. Epic did their best to make the anomaly seem more natural, making the textures gradually increase in resolution rather than just ‘popping’ in, but it can still be a distraction at times.

Steve Jablonsky, known for composing some of the music heard in Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, as well as the soundtrack for the Transformers motion picture, was brought on board to compose an original soundtrack for the game. The result is a gorgeous, cinematic score befitting of the ‘Destroyed Beauty’ theme, and is easily on par with most modern, action blockbusters. The voice-acting is also impressive, utilizing the same cast heard in the original title. It’s easy to hear that the actors themselves have grown more comfortable with their respective roles, capable of delivering believable performances throughout even the heaviest, emotional scenes.

Overall, Gears of War 2, like it’s predecessor, is a superb game. While the formula may have changed, most, if not all, will agree that it has changed for the better. The game offers endless amounts of gameplay, from the co-op campaign to the seven competitive multi-player modes and Horde, Gears of War veterans and novices alike are guaranteed to find something they’ll love.