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.

Pre-order the Amazon.com Exclusive Gears of War 2 Lancer by November 7, 2008 and receive the Standard Edition of Gears of War 2 free or upgrade your order to the Limited Edition of Gears of War 2 for $10 more. This offer applies only to the purchase of the Amazon.com Exclusive Lancer and the Standard or Limited Edition of Gears of War 2 offered by Amazon.com and does not apply to products sold on our site by third-party merchants or through third-party areas such as Amazon.com Marketplace or Auctions. Limit three per household.

NECA’s Lancer replica will launch simultaneously with the Gears of War 2 game on November 7, 2008. Also scheduled for release on November 7 is NECA’s “Headshot” Locust Drone action figure with metal COG tag replicas, which retails for $19.99.

NECA’s Gears of War collectibles are intricately designed and appeal to fans of the game and devoted action figure collectors alike. The Lancer Assault Rifle is one of the iconic weapons of choice in the Gears of War universe with its signature chainsaw bayonet. NECA sourced 3D data from the Gears of War 2 game to fashion the electronic Lancer replica, which is 36 inches in length and runs on three “C” batteries. Highly detailed and hand painted, the reproduction features a trigger that sets off a motorized chainsaw sound accompanied by physical vibration. NECA’s Lancer replica is also equipped with a removable clip and an adjustable side handle that folds in and out and slides back and forth.

The Locust Drone is a nasty enemy in Gears of War, and NECA has iterated on its original Locust Drone action figure to introduce the “Headshot” Locust Drone, a collectible depicting the merciless foot soldier taking an unfortunate Longshot Sniper Rifle blast to the head. The “Headshot” Locust Drone comes complete with real metal COG tags, a nod to Gears of War’s intrepid Delta Squad.

“We can’t wait to get our hands on the electronic Lancer and the “Headshot” Locust Drone,” said Michael Capps, president of Epic. “We love NECA’s work because they have the same kind of passion for making great action figures as we do for making great games.”

“The character designs and visuals in Gears of War are so rich that it continues to inspire us to create something unique and original with our collectibles. You can’t help but feel a sense of power when you hold the full size Lancer in your hands and squeeze the trigger,” said Randy Falk, director of product development, NECA.

How to Qualify for the Amazon.com Exclusive Gears of War 2 Lancer:

• Pre-order the Amazon.com Exclusive Gears of War 2 Lancer and either the Standard Edition of Gears of War 2 or the Limited Edition of Gears of War 2. Add your selected items to your cart and proceed through the purchase process. Upon check out $59.99 (the cost of the Standard Edition of Gears of War 2) will be deducted from your total order.
• This offer applies to qualifying purchases made before 11:59 p.m. PT on November 7, 2008 while supplies last on the "Gears of War 2", "Gears of War 2 Limited Edition", and "Gears of War 2 Amazon.com Exclusive Lancer Bundle."
• Offer does not apply to out-of-stock items.
• Offer may be used in conjunction with the purchase of products sold by or under the brands of third parties, including, but not limited to, Target.com, eToys, or any other merchants, or sold through third-party areas such as Amazon Marketplace or Auctions, but the but the qualifying products must be purchased directly from Amazon.com. Offer cannot be redeemed at Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de, Amazon.fr, Amazon.co.jp, or any other Web site operated by Amazon.com, its affiliates, or third-party merchants (including Web sites linked to from the http://www.amazon.com site).
• If the offer has a minimum purchase requirement, taxes, gift-wrap, and shipping and handling charges do not apply toward the minimum purchase amount.
• Free: Shipping rates and tax may apply.
• Offer cannot be applied to orders placed after November 7, 2008.

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.