A new batch of screenshots have appeared for Epic's Gears of War 2 (360), showing an unreleased multiplayer map covered in Imulsion, the energy-filled natural resource central to the shooter's backstory.

The screenshots reproduced above appeared on the Flickr page of user yourichurkoff and are generally believed to be legitimate. Two multiplayer modes, King of the Hill and Guardian, can be seen in action on the map.

The screenshots have sparked speculation that the map is downloadable content set to be released in the future.

Microsoft has not commented on the screenshots. However, as the original game offered DLC multiplayer maps, and the sequel was part of a new generation of games to ship with DLC in the box, downloadable expansions to Gears of War 2 are expected.

Sometimes it feels like there are two Cliff Bleszinskis.

On the one hand, there's Cliffy B--the brash promoter that relishes the spotlight, existing on internet forums, in video interviews and wacky photographs. Then there's Cliff Bleszinski, intelligent, renowned game designer, responsible for leading a team of dozens to create one of the most successful video game franchises in history.

It's that same balance between over-the-top presentation and understated design that makes Gears of War what it is, and the traits are so strongly related to Bleszinski's personality that you can't help but acknowledge how key he was to its design.

I caught up with both Bleszinskis at a review event for Gears of War 2, where we had a chance to talk about Gears 2 in a post-release light.

Cliff Bleszinski: I have ideas about everything, man. I have other universes I want to do too. I'll tell you what we're not going to do--we're not gonna be making a Wii game, we're not going to be doing an Xbox Live game, we're not going to be doing Jazz Jackrabbit, we're not going to be doing a fucking puzzle game, and we're not going be making a Gears of War RTS. [laughs] Read more..

In the weekend following its worldwide launch on Friday, November 7, Epic's Gears of War 2 sold over 2 million copies across the globe, publisher Microsoft has revealed.

The Xbox 360 action game sequel saw over 1.5 million gamers log into Xbox Live during that time, a sum that set a new Xbox Live record for concurrent users.

Those 1.5 million gamers also racked up over of 15 million gameplay hours during the weekend, and unlocked more than 19 million achievements in the same time frame.

"We wanted our fans, no matter where they live, to have a shared experience on day one, and that's exactly what's happened," said design director Cliff Bleszinski. "We were so excited to launch Gears of War 2 on the same day all around the world, something virtually unheard of in the games business."

When it comes to action movie sequels, the best tend to take the original formula and twist it enough to keep the concept fresh. Whether it's Terminator 2, Aliens or The Dark Knight, great sequels build on the previous work, rather than treading over tired ground.

Gears of War 2 tries to be Aliens. It tries to be The Empire Strikes Back. In terms of plot, it certainly follows the Empire mold, taking a basic good vs. evil premise and heading down a darker, more winding path. And in terms of gameplay, it definitely goes the Aliens route, turning up the action and introducing plenty of new material.

Many reviews have called Gears of War 2 a perfect game. As a big fan of the original Gears, I'd love nothing more than to entirely agree. I will say that for the most part, I enjoyed the new campaign. And I wholeheartedly endorse the multiplayer component, which is simply an outstanding value that should justify a purchase for any established fan.

But to help the people on the fence, who may not have enjoyed the first game but are considering a purchase this time, I also have to be honest: from where I'm sitting, some of this new single-player material falls surprisingly flat. ... Read more

Developer Epic has previously stated that there wasn't a Gears of War 2 demo as the team wanted to focus on finishing the game, but why wasn't there a multiplayer beta?

Speaking with GamePro, series creator and director Cliff Bleszinski explained:

A beta is like hooking up with a girl just to say, "yeah, I fucked her." I know that sounds crude, but it's the honest-to-God truth. Once you play a beta, you can check it off your list--you can say, "yeah, I played it." Then you might not feel motivated to get that initial cherry popping from the proper, final game.

Granted, we may need to tweak a few things in multiplayer after release through an update. People are going to find exploits we didn't anticipate. That's the reality of making a game -- look at MMOs. We're prepared for that, but we think we're shipping a pretty great game out of the box here.

The Xbox 360-exclusive action game sequel arrives worldwide this Friday, November 7. In related news, Treyarch just opened the Call of Duty: World at War multiplayer beta to all Xbox Live Gold members.

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.

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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.

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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." The new commerical, dubbed "Last Day," hints at the human drama expected in the sequel.

Come November 7, gamers can try to remember all that drama in the midst of making their opponents cry and dashing from cover to cover.

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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.

The first Gears of War was Microsoft's first big break in Japan, as the game was the first Xbox 360 title to break into the Japanese sales charts.

The cover-loving shooter is the latest in a string of graphically violent games that face not going on sale in increasingly censor-happy countries. EA Redwood Shores' Dead Space faced bans in the same countries as Gears of War 2 and Australia, while PlatinumGames' MadWorld is expecting it to be impossible to release in its home territory of Japan.

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.

The run-for-cover war against the Locusts continues on November 7, but if you need a return to the macho bullshit, hit up today's multiplayer guide.

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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.

And it's not just about the new maps and modes. A party system will now allow players to easily group up and stick together across matches. Achievements can now be earned in multiplayer mode. A new photo mode and ghost camera have been added.

So let's get right to it. What's new and good in the Gears of War 2 multiplayer modes players will find on November 7? I've broken it all down into several sub-sections.

1. The Modes
2. The Maps
3. The Features
4. The Unlockables

Or just click on through to check out the whole shebang. ... 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."

Packing two-person online or offline cooperative story mode, ten-person online multiplayer, and a five-person online cooperative battle against AI opponents, Gears of War 2 arrives November 7.

Those that purchase the game new will receive a free one-time use code for a downloadable map pack featuring arenas from the original Gears of War.

Meanwhile, those that participate in the Midnight Madness launch events will acquire a token for a gold-plated Hammerburst gun, the change being purely cosmetic. A similar code for a gold-plated Lancer Assault Rifle will be packed in the $70 Limited Edition.

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.

"After two years of pouring our heart and passion into Gears of War 2 the team is immensely happy with what we've created," noted famed creative director Cliff Bleszinski. "This is Epic's best work yet, and we can't wait to see the response from fans and newcomers to the series alike."

For more on Gears of War 2, check out our recent preview, and stay tuned for our in-depth review of the sequel as its release nears.

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.

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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.

Many longtime fans of both Epic and the PC platform were angered by the comments. During an interview with Bleszinski at a recent Gears of War 2 event, I posed a few questions to the designer on the subject.

What did Bleszinski have to say in response to fans? ... 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.

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.

Bleszinski calls these large-scale sequences "palette cleansers." The idea is to vary the standard Gears gameplay at key moments, while also providing some serious presentational glitz to increase the stakes.

My extensive time with Gears 2 confirms that the game is an expansive, worthy sequel, but do these new diversions represent chinks in Epic's heavy armor?... Read more