Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the events of the original, 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.

Enthusiasts of Gears of War 2 will be given the opportunity to attend the first annual Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival and win additional prizes from Epic Games and Xbox 360.

The contest will be conducted via local radio stations in the 30 participating tour cities, with prizes including:

• Tickets to the festival
• Gift certificates for the Gears of War 2 game, upon its release in November 2008
• Xbox 360 consoles autographed by rock band Slipknot, with custom Mayhem Tour faceplates

Plus in eight select markets of the tour, 40 VIP winners will be awarded access to the Xbox 360 VIP lounge. Here they’ll have the opportunity to preview the blockbuster third-person tactical action game, “Gears of War 2.” VIPs will also have the chance to defend humankind and battle against enemy Locust Horde with the band members from Slipknot.

“Gears of War 2” will be playable at the Xbox 360 VIP lounge during the following tour destinations:

7/9 Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheatre
7/13 San Bernadino, CA – Glen Helen Pavilion
7/22 Kansas City, MO – Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/25 Dallas, TX – Smirnoff Music Center
7/30 West Palm Beach, FL – Cruzan Amphitheatre
8/5 Boston, MA – Tweeter Center for Performing Arts
8/10 Chicago, IL – First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/17 Washington, DC – Nissan Pavilion

The Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival will tour 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada between July 9 and August 19, 2008. For more information on the event, visit www.mayhemfest.com.

Gears of War 2 Multiplayer Details:

• Ten person, 5v5 online multiplayer.
• Yes, Gears of War 2 will have a Halo-style matchmaking system.
• There will be respawning multiplayer modes, but the focus is still towards traditional non-respawn gaming.
• Multiplayer game modes:
  • "Guardian" game mode: A remade version of Gears' Assassination game mode where the objective is still to kill the other team's leader, but players keep respawning as long as their leader is alive. Opponents' leader will be marked on the HUD to keep the game moving along.
  • "Wingman" game mode: You and a buddy team up, sharing a single character model in this five teams of two game mode.
  • "Meatflag" game mode: A CTF-style mode where the "flag" is actually an AI-controlled player who'll wander the map and attempt to kill anyone who gets near. To "capture" him, you'll have to first down, then escort him as a meatshield all the way back to your base, all while your opponents are trying to kill you and shoot at the "flag". Because, if shot at enough, your meatshield flag will break free, go berserk and deal out the pain. Respawning will be featured in this game mode as well as stats for the amount of kills the AI-controlled flag dished out
• Multiplayer maps:
  • Around a dozen maps will be included on disc.
  • "Gridlock": A remake of the Gridlock we've all come to know and love, but taken over by vegetation, old age and now featuring a beautiful sun-setting glow.
  • "River": Symmetrical map featuring a house and a sniper tower separated by (you guessed it) a river.
  • "Security": A long, thin map with "verandas" on each side that are sealed off by red laser bars. In the center of the map is a button to deactivate all the security for roughly 20 seconds.
• Fishing moves when an enemy is downed:
  • "X" button: Traditional curb-stomp.
  • "B" button: Melee attack that will be weapon specific. (Longshot sniper rifle will be used as a golf club of death.)
  • "Y" button: Flips your opponent over and let's you punch in their face ... UFC style.
  • "A" button: Use your enemy as a "meatshield" that limits your weapon choice to a pistol. And, yes, your meatshield can and will disintegrate in your arms after taking on enemy fire. If they don't get ripped apart, you can always dispense of your meatshield with a good old snap of the neck.
• Random weapon location respawns will be used, but only for certain weapons not including power weapons, pistols or grenades.
  All weapons have a variable amount of "stopping power" that'll slow down an opponent's running or diving abilities.
• Weapons:
  • Players will have the option of spawning with the chainsaw-equipped Lancer or the newly modified Locust Hammerburst.
  • "Scorcher" weapon: A flamethrower that we're promised will produce some uber-realistic fire.
  • "Medusa" weapon: A new Locust pistol that is said to be extremely powerful, pumping out five to six rounds per shot downing enemies in a few shots. Said to be the perfect compliment to a meatshielder.
  • "Hammerburst" weapon: Changed a bit, now requiring players to pump the trigger as fast as possible (think Halo 3's Carbine). Though, recoil will increase the faster it's fired.
    Grenades:
  • Can be stuck to people, walls, the floor and any other surface to be used as a makeshift proximity mine.
  • As before, players will spawn with one smoke grenade.
  • Smoke grenade: Now carries a "stun" effect that "ragdolls any player within their blast radius".
  • Poison gas grenade: Spews poison that will kill anyone who lingers in its poisonous cloud.
• Chainsaw Duels:
  • Whoever does the quickest amount of "B" button tapping will be victorious.
  • Your teammates can help give you an edge in the duel by shooting the opponent which will give you the upper hand on the "B" button mini-game.
  • No duel will occur if a player is chainsawed from behind. Instead, the sexy "butt to head" chainsaw animation will kick in giving the attacker and instant kill.
• The cover system has been subtly reworked, where players' gun and body sit tighter to cover making it harder for your enemies to get an attacking angle.
• Bullet shields described as "metal bucklers" that can be carried as indestructible cover. The trade-off being that only a pistol can be wielded and movement is slowed dramatically. One benefit of the bullet shield is that it can be planted into the ground for mobile cover, though we're told enemies can kick it over if they get close enough.
• Once killed in a non-respawn game, players will enter a "dynamic battle-cam" that floats above the action.
• Also available (when dead) will be a Ghost Cam where players can view the action from the battlefield and take screenshots that can be uploaded online similar to Halo 3.
• Hammerhead Grunt Locust revealed and named as such because of his shark looking helmet.
• The GoW2 Collector's Edition may include a weathered looking Polaroid of Dom's wife, the same one seen at the beginning of the game.
• Development on Gears 2 is roughly at 65% complete.
• Don't count on Call of Duty 4 style XP or perks, Cliff says they will not be adding these types of character building elements to the Gears universe.

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.