Gears of War 2 was released Friday (November 7th) at midnight and first week sales look very impressive. Clearly, Gears of War 2's successful launch ranks the game with some of the most popular best-sellers of the era. With potential to become one of the biggest arenas on GameBattles, Gears of War 2 promises to impress both veteran Gears of War players and newcomers alike. Just ask these MLG Pro veterans: TLR RequieM of Murder By Numbers, eYn Immortal of team Pure Technique, and Fallout Icon of High Caliber. All of them helped us weigh-in on the release of Gears of War 2!

Let's start with what is perhaps the most important part in any online game -- the battleground. Gears of War 2 includes several of the original Gears of War maps and introduces new ones as well: Blood Drive, Pavillion, Jacinto... to name a few. However, that doesn't mean that the old maps haven't been spiced up: "My personal favorite map is Canals [from the original Gears of War] ... I like how they re-did it with the iced over effect,” says Imortal. Another plus, at least according to RequieM, is that "none of the maps are really one-sided; they all have fair weapon placements and spawns."

So the maps sound pretty impressive. How about the weapons? No doubt there have been some modifications to the predecessors' selection. Most noteworthy: the shotgun. The shotgun provides immeasurable close-range power, and according to requiem "... much more consistent.” The lancer and chainsaw have been beefed up as well. Gears of War 2 also includes some "special" weapons that can only be used once certain requirements are met. The Golden Lancer and Hammerburst are two worth mentioning. As far as equipment goes: "The variety of grenades in this game is great. The frags are much better than the old frags," notes Requiem. "The smoke grenades completely re-shaped the way the game will be played," included Fallout Icon.

Gameplay itself: Incredible. "This game looks and feels amazing,” Requiem exclaimed. “Everything has received an upgrade in terms of graphics.” Fallout Icon adds that he "definitely [likes] the overall movement of the game. Everything is much smoother and easier to handle." Another thing that most gamers will find soothing, Gears of War 2 provides a much more team-oriented experience. "You can't just go Rambo on someone without getting lancered down," says Immortal. Oh, and let's not forget about all the new game types that are now offered. "The new game modes are awesome ;much more variety this time around,” Requiem adds. Each mode requires a strong strategy and perfect execution for a team to be successful.

There you have it. All signs point in the same direction: Gears of War 2 is a must-have. Requiem sums it up best with: "[Gears of War] did really well when it first hit Gamebattles. I expect [Gears of War 2] to do the same." Be sure to join in the competition here at GameBattles!

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