Gears of war 2 (XBox360)

Title: “Gears of War 2”

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Epic Games, Inc.

Format: DVD for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Pricing: $59.99 for Standard Edition and $69.99 for Limited Edition1 (US prices)

Availability: Nov. 7, 2008

Product Overview: “Gears of War 2” is the highly anticipated sequel to the 5 million-selling blockbuster action game and one of the most popular Xbox games in history.

Players continue as Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero and leader of Delta Squad, six months after the events of “Gears of War.” The last cities on Sera are sinking, swallowed by a new Locust threat from below. A massive counterattack is humanity’s last hope for survival.

“Gears of War 2” blends a best-in-class third-person shooter with unsurpassed high-definition visuals, all layered on top of an engaging story of survival, loss and retribution.

“Gears of War 2” is developed by Epic Games exclusively for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system.

Features:

• Unparalleled gameplay. “Gears of War 2” takes the award-winning gameplay of the original and improves upon it in every way. The genre-defining cover system is further refined, making the “stop and pop” gameplay more intuitive. Dynamic cover is given new meaning as downed opponents can be picked up and used as shields. The intimate violence of the battlefield is heightened when combatants engage in chainsaw duels. Destructible environments and vicious new finishing moves add to the over-the-top experience.

• Jaw-dropping visuals. “Gears of War 2” continues to raise the graphics bar through its breathtaking visual effects, made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3.

• Engaging experience that pulls you in and won’t let go. “Gears of War 2” takes deep and immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Players connect with humanity’s battle for survival on a personal level as they move through a story that introduces new characters and sheds light on the histories of familiar ones.

• Expanded cooperative play. Team up with a friend to fight through the harrowing story of Delta Squad in the enhanced campaign mode, now featuring drop-in/drop-out gameplay, as well as individual player difficulty options. Or recruit four friends to battle in the new game mode “Horde,” where you’ll fight together to fend off a seemingly endless onslaught of Locust forces to attain the highest score.

• Fierce and varied competitive multiplayer action. “Gears of War 2” features eight distinct multiplayer modes,2 including the new Wingman, Guardian and Submission modes, where up to 10 players choose a side and pit their courage and battlefield mettle directly against others. In addition, multiplayer bots are available to sharpen your skills offline or to fill out your online private matches on Xbox LIVE.

• Party system and skill-based online matchmaking. New to “Gears of War 2” is a party system that allows players to form a full or partial team with friends and continue together from match to match without the need to reform after each game. “Gears of War 2” also supports a skill-based online matchmaking system, powered by TrueSkill, which groups players of similar skill level together in competitive multiplayer matches.

Source: MS press release