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US magazine GAMEINFORMER has revealed the first solid Gears of War 2 gameplay info, and we've got the juicy details right here.
According to the 12-page article, summarised by posters on popular forum NeoGaf, the game will feature a number of new characters, including Tai Kaliso, a spiritual and meditative warrior; Chairman Prescott, Sera's dictatorial military leader; Dizzy, a Stranded turned soldier who drives the massive Derrick on which Delta Squad ascends into the mountains; and Maria Santiago, Dom's lost wife.
GAMEINFORMER says Gears of War 2 begins six months after the events of the first game and will strive for a much larger focus this time, taking the war to the Locust. The story will be improved upon, with more emotion, a darker tone and increased character depth. The forced walking scenes which disguised loading have been replaced by a dynamic conversation camera system with facial close ups and dramatic angles. Interestingly, there will be a "SHUT UP" button which allows Marcus to quickly end the conversation and get back to the action.
Gameplay, however, won't stray to far from the cover-based system we had so much fun with in the original, but it will have a few small variations including making characters harder to hit when in cover - a huge bugbear of fans - and tweaking the active reload with new weapons, such as the Gorgon burst pistol and poison grenades. As expected, chainsaw duels make it in, and, thankfully, more epic boss battles are promised.
Gears 2 will have drop in and drop out co-op, as well as multiple save files, allowing you to have numerous games on the go at once. During co-op play each player can pick their own difficulty, including a fourth setting for massively casual players.
In terms of graphics, Gears 2 will incorporate the new version of the Unreal Engine 3, enabling the game to render huge numbers of individual creatures at the same time. Expect massive battles with hundreds of Locust troops, each moving independently and as unique individuals.
There are details on a new vehicle too. The COG Centaur tank, which helps Marcus and co take the fight to the Locust, combines the best parts of a monster truck and a military tank. The War Journal, viewable from the pause screen, details the background behind collected COG tags so you can learn about their owners. It will also show you your achievement progress.
Unfortunately there's no word on whether the co-op has been expanded from the two-player limit in the first game, nor are there any solid multiplayer details. We'll have to wait a little longer for that. Gears of War 2 is scheduled for release on the Xbox 360 exclusively this November.
What do you think about how Gears of War 2 is shaping up? Let us know in the comments section below.


Videogamer.com