With Epic's Gears of War 2 slated to surface at retailers worldwide this Friday, publisher Microsoft has issued some new screenshots from the Xbox 360 action game.

Along with a glimpse of the game's HUD and split-screen, the shots offer up a look at the game's two gold-plated weapons. Both purely cosmetic changes, the gold-plated Harmmerburst will be available to those that participate in the Midnight Madness launch events, while a gold-plated Lancer will be packed in the $70 Limited Edition.

Epic today released the final Gears of War 2 trailer. The dense video showcases plenty of gameplay from the upcoming Xbox 360 action sequel.

Gears of War 2 hits store shelves on November 7. Check back next week for our full review.

In preparation for the worldwide launch of Gears of War 2 (360) on November 7, developer Epic and publisher Microsoft have issued their final video documentary, this one examining the "phenomenon" the curb-stomping action series has become.

The release of Epic's Gears of War 2 (360) is nigh, and the game's marketing muscle is in full force to mark the occasion.

This 60-second, Yahoo!-exclusive commercial--a follow-up to the "Mad World" spots that promoted the original--was described by our own Steve Gibson as "haunting and artistic." Read more »

Another game renowned for its violence--this time Epic's Gears of War 2 (360)--will not see store shelves in Japan or Germany.

"We can confirm that Gears of War 2 will not be available in Germany or Japan indefinitely," said a Microsoft spokesperson to Edge.

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Gears of War 2 takes a break from the "jock, fratboy, macho bullshit in the game" to discuss the more artsy side of things.

Designer Cliff Bleszinski, artist James Hawkins, and Epic president Mike Capps discuss their artistic influences as applied to their Xbox 360-exclusive shooter sequel after asserting that games indeed can be art. Read more »

A flood of new screenshots from Epic's Gears of War 2 have been been released, shedding new light on the game's multiplayer modes and new maps.

For more on Gears of War 2's multiplayer, check out in-depth guide of the sequel's multiplayer component. An Xbox 360 exclusive, the cover-heavy action game hits Nov. 7.

Accompanying our in-depth look at Gears of War 2's multiplayer modes, publisher Microsoft has provided some new screenshots comparing the original Gears of War multiplayer maps to the remakes found in the Gears of War 2 Flashback Map Pack.

A free one-time use code for the Flashback Pack will be bundled with all new copies of Epic's Xbox 360-exclusive sequel, which will be available on November 7.

Gears of War 2 single-player is fun and all, but Epic has almost overshadowed its efforts with the largely successful multiplayer component.

If you enjoyed Gears multiplayer you'll find a lot to like in the sequel--probably enough to warrant a purchase alone. And if Gears multiplayer wasn't your cup of tea, you still might want to take a look at the following breakdown, as Epic has provided a mix of both cooperative and wacky modes that may pique your interest. Read more »

Pre-sales for Epic's cover-heavy action sequel Gears of War 2 (360) have surpassed the total pre-sale orders for the original Gears of War, publisher Microsoft has announced.

Based on these figures, Microsoft declared that the Xbox 360-exclusive sequel is now "poised to become the must-have video game this holiday season." Read more »

Epic's cover-heavy action game Gears of War 2 (360) has gone gold--meaning it's complete and has entered the manufacturing process--and is now assured to hit its November 7 launch date, publisher Microsoft has announced.

Along with the campaign story, which lets a second online or offline player drop in for cooperative play, the title also packs an ten-person multiplayer mode and the new Horde mode, allowing up to five online players to cooperatively battle against AI opponents. Read more »

As the release of Epic's shooter sequel Gears of War 2 nears, we're seeing more media previewing the anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive, which launches on November 7.

Lead designer Cliff Bleszinski, in talking about changes to the game's touted multiplayer modes, says "I want to crush my coworkers and hear them crying" in reference to his mindset going into a game. Quite the competitive man, that PC-loving Cliff. Read more »

For the most part, the Gears 2 campaign sticks to the elements that made Gears what it was: excellent pacing, and solid cover-based shooting.

What stands out in the sequel are not the new weapons, levels, or execution moves--these turn out to be satisfying, but minor additions. Instead, it's the massive setpieces that significantly distinguish this game from the first, the "bigger" part of creator Cliff Bleszinski's "bigger, better, more bad-ass" development strategy. Read more »

Last week, Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski took some flak for speaking his mind on the state of the PC platform.

Saying that "high-end videogames are suffering very much on the PC," Bleszinski noted piracy and the challenge of designing games for open systems as two reasons why Epic will not be porting Gears of War 2 to the PC. The sequel is set for an exclusive Xbox 360 release on November 7. Read more »

Epic has released a new batch of Gears of War 2 screenshots to accompany its recent media blitz.

The images show off a section late in the game which sees heroes Marcus and Dom each commandeering a flying Locust Reaver. For more on the sequence, check out my new hands-on preview.