“Gears of War 2” picks up six months after the events of “Gears of War,” and thrusts players back into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against a nightmarish force of underground creatures known as the Locust Horde. Players continue the story of Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero, as he leads Delta Squad on a series of perilous and adrenaline-pumping missions. “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.

Each tournament will provide players with an opportunity to test their skills one-on-one with other contestants in a single-elimination tournament. Participating GameStop locations will begin their tournaments at 9:30 p.m., local time.

Customers who trade in used games during the tournament will receive an extra 30 percent trade-in credit good toward the reservation of Gears of War 2, which is available this November. In addition to the tournament and used game trade-in credit, enthusiasts can watch an exclusive 4-minute DVD created by Microsoft and Epic Games. The DVD features a personal introduction from Gears of War 2 lead designer, Cliffy B, a montage of Gears of War and footage from Gears of War 2.

The top four tournament contestants will receive an exclusive Gears of War t-shirt, and the overall winner will go home with an Xbox 360 1,600-points card. All contestants must check-in at least 30 minutes prior to the start of play, and you must be at least 17 years old to attend or participate in the event.

Features:

• Bigger, better and more badass gameplay. “Gears of War 2” builds upon the gameplay of the first title in every way. First, the scope of the action is bigger. New characters, more weapons, nastier enemies, bigger vehicles and grander locales offer players more action, more emotion and more thrills. Next, every major aspect of the game has been refined to create heightened, more immersive experiences. Finally, the overall tone of “Gears of War 2” is more badass — replete with new weapon-specific executions, chain saw duels and shocking boss fights.
• Jaw-dropping visuals. “Gears of War 2” raises the graphics bar for next-generation games through its breathtaking visual effects, which are made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3. New visual effects in “Gears of War 2” include ambient occlusion, dynamic shadows, improved character lighting, the ability to render hundreds of on-screen characters simultaneously, improved water physics, additional blood and bullet decals, advanced destructible environments, new weather effects, and the introduction of fluid objects. When combined with the sweeping vistas and evocative locales in the world of Sera where the “Gears of War 2” story unfolds, these additions help make “Gears of War 2” the most gorgeous game available this generation.
• Gripping story that pulls you in and won’t let go. “Gears of War 2” continues to push deep, immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Humanity’s epic battle for survival is felt on both personal and epic levels as players explore multiple story arcs that introduce new characters and flesh out the histories of familiar ones.
• Unparalleled Xbox LIVE competitive and co-op action. “Gears of War 2” takes full advantage of the industry-leading Xbox LIVE service. Xbox LIVE, which is home to millions of gamers, is a robust online entertainment network, and allows gamers to enjoy “Gears of War 2” either competitively or cooperatively. Enhanced competitive multiplayer gameplay over Xbox LIVE will introduce new modes and weapons, and a multitude of new maps.2 Also new to “Gears of War 2” is the ability for gamers to drop in and drop out of the co-op campaign at any time, while playing at their own difficulty setting. Enjoying the visceral thrills of “Gears of War” has never been easier.

Gears of War 2 will be available in a Standard Edition ($59.99) or Limited Edition ($69.99) and is scheduled to launch November 2008.