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 as Marcus Fenix, a reluctant war hero and leader of Delta Squad, six months after the events of “Gears of War.” The last cities on Sera are sinking, swallowed by a new Locust threat from below. A massive counterattack is humanity’s last hope for survival.

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.

“13 Days of Gears,” a special promotion that kicks off Feb. 1 in the U.S. where players can win fantastic prize packages every day for 13 straight days. Dozens of winners will be selected at random over the 13 day period to win “Gears of War” themed prize packages collectively worth over $25,000.

Registration for “13 Days of Gears” is now open and runs through Jan. 31. Players can register for the promotion through either method as well as access a variety of “Gears of War 2” content. Then from Feb. 1-13, all players need to do to be eligible for the day’s prizes is to play a match of the predetermined “Gears of War 2” multiplayer mode for that day. Thirteen Grand Prize packages will be awarded (one each day), consisting of:

• A Samsung 40” 1080p LCD HDTV
• An Xbox 360 Limited Edition Red Wireless Controller
• A Marcus Fenix bronze statue from Mindzeye Studios
• A life-size Locust drone maquette from TriForce Sales
• The “Gears of War 2” video game soundtrack from Sumthing Else
• The Gears of War Aspho Fields novel from Random House imprint, Del Rey
• Codes to download the golden Hammerburst and Lancer
• * A “Gears of War 2” poster signed by members of the development team

In addition, five daily First Prizes will be awarded, which will include the soundtrack, novel, in-game golden weapons and a signed poster.

The “13 Days of Gears” sweepstakes schedule:

1. Sunday, Feb. 1 - Game Mode: Annex
2. Monday, Feb. 2 - Game Mode: Submission
3. Tuesday, Feb. 3 - Game Mode: Execution
4. Wednesday, Feb. 4 - Game Mode: Horde
5. Thursday, Feb. 5 - Game Mode: King of the Hill
6. Friday, Feb. 6 - Game Mode: Guardian
7. Saturday, Feb. 7 - Game Mode: Warzone
8. Sunday, Feb. 8 - Game Mode: Wingman
9. Monday, Feb. 9 - Game Mode: King of the Hill
10. Tuesday, Feb. 10 - Game Mode: Wingman
11. Wednesday, Feb. 11 - Game Mode: Wingman
12. Thursday, Feb. 12 - Game Mode: Horde
13. Friday, Feb. 13 - Game Mode: Horde

Features:

• Gears of War 2 takes the award-winning gameplay of the original and improves upon it in every way. The genre-defining cover system is further refined, making the “stop and pop” gameplay more intuitive. Dynamic cover is given new meaning as downed opponents can be picked up and used as shields. The intimate violence of the battlefield is heightened when combatants engage in chainsaw duels. Destructible environments and vicious new finishing moves add to the over-the-top experience.
• Gears of War 2 continues to raise the graphics bar through its breathtaking visual effects, made possible through advances in Unreal Engine 3.
• Gears of War 2 takes deep and immersive storytelling in video games to greater heights. Players connect with humanity’s battle for survival on a personal level as they move through a story that introduces new characters and sheds light on the histories of familiar ones.
• Team up with a friend to fight through the harrowing story of Delta Squad in the enhanced campaign mode, now featuring drop-in/drop-out gameplay, as well as individual player difficulty options. Or recruit four friends to battle in the new game mode “Horde,” where you’ll fight together to fend off a seemingly endless onslaught of Locust forces to attain the highest score.
• Gears of War 2” features eight distinct multiplayer modes,2 including the new Wingman, Guardian and Submission modes, where up to 10 players choose a side and pit their courage and battlefield mettle directly against others. In addition, multiplayer bots are available to sharpen your skills offline or to fill out your online private matches on Xbox LIVE.
• New to “Gears of War 2” is a party system that allows players to form a full or partial team with friends and continue together from match to match without the need to reform after each game. “Gears of War 2” also supports a skill-based online matchmaking system, powered by TrueSkill, which groups players of similar skill level together in competitive multiplayer matches.

Gears of War 2 will be available in a Standard Edition ($59.99) or Limited Edition ($69.99) and is scheduled to launch November 7, 2008.