Gears of War 2 (Xbox 360, 2008)

Gears 2 is a bit different from Gears 1, and it features a lot of gameplay changes and nifty new tricks to make it an all-around excellent game for anyone who like its prequel.

I'll put the important stuff at the beginning for those who don't feel like reading a lot. In order of decreasing importance, here's what's new.

-Gears 2 has a longer campaign and an actual plot. Gears 1 had a respectable campaign and a tiny plot. I nearly cried at a couple of parts in Gears 2.
-Now when you get knocked down, you can crawl around. Believe me, this is a huge deal!
-Multiplayer isn't all about snipers and shotguns anymore. Mid-ranged combat is a viable and important part of the game now for all skill levels.
-The campaign involves more allies, more enemies, more enemy types, gigantic bosses, and more over-the-top ridiculous action sequences. Now it feels like there's an actual war going on.
-Large support weapons like miniguns and mortars have been added.
-Grenades can be planted like proximity mines. Smoke grenades now stun, also. A gas grenade has been added.
-Players can play with bots or with the awesome new "Horde" game mode where players must survive waves of attacking locust NPCs.
-Old weapons have been changed and rebalanced while a few new ones have been added. The biggest difference is that the locust hammerburst assault rifle has been revamped and made into a powerful mid-long range weapon.
-Players can protect themselves by picking up shields or downed enemies.
-Environments are now more destroyable. Cover becomes a little less useful as it gets chewed up by bullets and explosions.
-Chainsaw "ties" become dramatic-looking duels. Whoever can spam a button fastest wins.
-Players in co-op mode can each select their own difficulty level.
-The campaign involves driving some vehicles that are a bit more useful than the stupid buggy from Gears 1. These parts are actually fun.

So, just like you may have suspected, Gears 2 is just like Gears 1 but with a few changes. Campaign battles are bigger, crazier, and feel more like an actual "war."

If you really loved the first Gears, you can stop reading here and go get Gears 2.

There are no boss fights quite like the one from Gears 1 where you face an enemy who just won't die. There are several more like the Corpser and Berzerker battles where the player must do some sequence events. I personally don't care for these, but they are so over the top and entertaining that I can still enjoy them even if the gameplay aspect is weak.

The "normal" battles between boss fights are the highlight of this game. In Gears 1, firefights typically restricted motion that wasn't simply forwards or backwards and it often felt like you had to work your way down a hallway. Gears 2 involves much more wide-open battles. The enemy AI shines in these situations because the locust work together. They'll distract you while their buddies sneak around the back, or they'll lay down cover fire while they try to surround you and overwhelm you with superior numbers. They bail out friends in trouble, and they charge your hurt or isolated allies when they have superior numbers. Lone locusts play conservative, hide a lot, and either try to escape or wait till you pass to take you out from behind.

The game also has situations where splitting up with your squad is now optional.

Anyway, Gears 2 isn't revolutionary, but it takes the strengths from its prequel, builds on them, and adds a little extra.