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.

The new “Gears of War 2” Snowblind Map Pack Add-on unleashes four multiplayer maps in a deceptively beautiful winter-themed package.

Just like the Flashback and Combustible maps before them, the Snowblind maps will be playable on all multiplayer modes, including the highly popular Horde mode.

The maps are:

• Grindyard is a massive industrial complex with low bunkers and high sniping positions, located in a junk-processing plant from the days of Sera’s industrial excess. The office, now gutted, serves as a perfect place to fortify and contains the most powerful weapons on the battlefield. But if you’re not careful, you’ll end up trapped inside the office with no hope of escape.
• Under Hill takes players through snowbound tunnels that were once billed as a feat of Seran engineering. Head for high ground on the bridge and you’ll be rewarded with massive firepower, but be prepared to defend your position and try to escape being cornered. Avoid enemy mortar fire by running inside the tunnels, but watch for sneak attacks around the tight corners.
• Courtyard is a wide-open battle royale containing explosive weapons that once formed the heart of Ephyra’s fashionable Civic Center. Lines of sight are far and clear here, and battles tend to focus around the elevated sniper nest. Flanking opportunities come fast and quick in this open battlefield, so watch your back and keep a fresh clip.
• Fuel Depot, back by popular demand, is a “Gears of War 2” remake of the fan-favorite “Gears of War” map, but winter has set in and the depot is now covered in a blanket of snow. Throughout this abandoned COG depot players can find scattered supplies and volatile refueling pumps. This classic battlefield is asymmetrical, open and unforgiving. It takes a well-coordinated team to cover all the angles here.

Snowblind Map Pack Achievements :

1. Rookie Gear: Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 5 (Public only) (10)
2. Seasoned Gear: Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 15 (Public only) (20)
3. Battle-Tested Gear: Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 25 (Public only) (30)
4. Battle-Hardened Gear: Reach level 50 and play a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only) (50)
5. Veteran Gear: Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only) (75)
6. Never Eat Red Snow: Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Snowblind Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty) (20)
7. Icy Dead People: Complete waves 1 through 50 on any Snowblind Map Pack map in Horde (any difficulty) (25)
8. Frigid Body Dynamics: Play a multiplayer match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (any mode) (5)
9. The Weather Outside is Lethal: Win a multiplayer match on each of the 4 Snowblind Map Pack maps (any mode) (15)

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 is currently available worldwide, with the Snowblind Map Pack Add-on to be available on Xbox Live starting March 31, 2009 for 800 MS Points.