How exactly does one follow up Gears of War? The 2006 title was not only a monster hit (over 5 million copies sold) but also one of the most critically acclaimed games of the current generation. In all its Unreal Engine 3 powered glory, it truly ushered in ‘next-gen’ gaming, setting a technological standard that - two years on - only a handful of games have managed to match. So how could anyone possibly make a worthy successor?

The answer is surprisingly simple: just make a better game. Which is precisely what Cliff Bleszinski and his talented team at Epic Games have managed to do. Gears of War 2 features everything that we loved about its predecessor, but it refines it and extends it and presents it on a scale not even hinted at by the first game. In short, they have delivered commendably on their promise of “bigger, better and more bad-ass.”

Continue reading El33tonline’s review of Gears of War 2. If you are a Gears fan don’t forget to enter our Gears of War 2 competition - there are awesome T-shirts and art books up for grabs!