Gears of War 2

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Gory yet well-done shooter meant for adults only.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

Kids say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this is a bloody, violent shooter. Players use a standard array of weapons from assault rifles to shotguns and grenades. Bodies are blown to bits, with flesh flying across the screen. On head shots, you'll sometimes see heads blown apart. Melee kills are particularly brutal. One rifle includes a chainsaw bayonet players can use to rip bodies to shreds, while blood splatters on the screen. This is definitely a game meant for players 18 and older. The game is also playable online.

  • You assume the role of a futuristic soldier who fights horrible alien creatures using all sorts of weapons.
  • The game is both brutal and gory. Players use assault rifles, flamethrowers, and other weapons to kill enemies. Often, opponents' heads and/or bodies are blown to bits, with chunks of flesh flying through the landscape. Blood will splatter onto walls as well as on the television screen. The more brutal attacks occur through melee strike. Players can use a chainsaw attached to one rifle to hack enemies apart. There is also an array of execution moves ranging from curb stomps to smashing heads with the butt of your gun.
  • Not applicable.

What's it about?

Space
marine Marcus Fenix is back in the highly-anticipated sequel GEARS OF WAR 2, a
gory yet gratifying action shooter. The
Xbox 360's latest superstar picks up where the original Gears of War left off: with an explosion that seemingly
eradicated the evil alien race known as the Locust. Instead, the Locust have gone underground,
rebuilding their forces and growing stronger. Their latest scheme involves sinking cities in the land of Sera,
and it's up to Fenix and his Delta Squad to thwart their efforts.

For those new to the franchise, this is an action shooter where cover plays a
critical role. Players must
strategically pop in and out of cover as they mow down enemy Locusts. Leaving yourself in the open often results in
defeat, as enemies prove to be relentless. Players have a bevy of weapons to choose from, including an assault
rifle with chainsaw attached, shotguns, sniper rifles and flamethrowers. The entrenched firefights are very bloody,
and often result in bodies being blown to bits. Players can opt to move the action online by participating in the game's
myriad of multiplayer modes.


Is it any good?

 

Instead
of drastically altering the mechanics, developer use Gears of War 2 to make smart refinements. Players now use human shields, allowing them
to move more freely while holding a wounded enemy in front of them as cover. Players can also carry out new execution
moves near opponents. They vary from
curb stomping an enemy to slamming an enemy's head with the butt of your
gun. Overall, the game exhibits a high
level of polish. Landscapes are vast,
with intricate details along mountain facades and other objects.

The battles are as intense as ever. Locusts range in all sizes, from speedy Tickers to Brumaks the size of
buildings. New weapons freshen up the
combat and are satisfying to use, especially the flamethrower and Mulcher, a
powerful machine gun. Multiplayer mode
has been tweaked as well. Players can
now be matched based on skill, and can group with friends. The online highlight, however, is Horde
Mode. Players can join four others
online to fight off endless waves of Locust. As you defeat one wave, another appears that's bigger and tougher. It serves as a fantastic extension of the
game's co-operative component.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about the intense, gory violence of the game. Do you think that it's necessary to make the game an enjoyable experience?


This review was written by Brett Molina
Adult
March 11, 2011
 
The content isn't as bad as you might think.....
The game is undeniably violent, however I first played the game when I was 13 and I had no problem handling it or didn't become violent myself or aggressive whilst playing it. I think a lot of people under estimate kids and really need to realise that unless your child is exceptionally more aggressive normally, games (way within reason) should be fine for them. Give them a decent amount of time to play it and don't let them go on it for hours on end and it should be fine. The game itself is very violent, with lots of shooting and even a weapon with a chainsaw attachment that can be used for cutting enemies in half. However take into consideration that you are killing (and chainsawing) evil alien monsters NOT people. Kids know the difference between a monster and a human and I definitely think that the chainsaw feature isn't that bad because like I said, there are no HUMAN enemies. The language is moderate. It does contain a few f-bombs but very few and on top of that guess what, you can go into the options and turn OFF the language and turn OFF the gore! Not so bad after all eh?! It doesn't have many f-words in though, however when you get to my age you hardly notice the language. My friends use worse language in this game so i'm generally used to it. The game is a fantastic one, and I highly recommend it. Remember, all you parents, you've got that language and gore on/off feature so you can turn it all off if you wish. Happy gaming. Peace.

Flag as inappropriate 
Kid, 12 years old
March 1, 2011
 
9+
ok im 11 i play it and its realy violant and gory but u can turn all the gore and the curses.if u ask me story line is great

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Teen, 14 years old
May 17, 2011
 
perfect for kids 13 and up,not for 12 and down
i think the game is great i am sure this game is appropriate for teens i am a fan and even though its has the f and s word you turn the strong langauge and gore off to make it easier to play .

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 28, 2011
 
Very impressive game
This game is amazing. if the gore is a problem, you can turn it off in options. The main character, Marcus, treats his comrads Carmine, Dom, and Tai like brothers. Marcus is a very respectable man who could be looked up too.

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 15 years old
April 24, 2011
 
AWESOME GAME!! however very violent in parts.. it is better then the 1st however the gore is worse..

Flag as inappropriate 
Teen, 16 years old
April 18, 2011
 
Great game.
If the violence is to bad. Turn the gore off. This game is very impressive. Great graphics. A good role model, who only fights for peace and family. And another, who treats his comrades like family. If WW3 does happen... These brave men is who you should look to.

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Kid, 13 years old
February 2, 2011
 
Very gory.
This game is kind of like the first one gore and language wise. There is a filter to take out the gore and language like the first one.

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Kid, 10 years old
April 18, 2011
 
GORY!
LOVE it the same as 1!

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Kid, 12 years old
February 21, 2011
 
Adults!
Gears of war 2 isn't as good as the first only because Epic Games over did it. When I say over did it I mean that it is way to violent! This game is one of the first games I have found to be brutal. Super Super gory, disturbing, along with tons of swear words such as: the F word, and sh*t. The story is okay, but Gears of War 2 is not even as close to as good as the first game.

Flag as inappropriate 
Adult
April 14, 2009
 
Great game
it is amazing. i love it. the best graffics. And you can turn everything thats bad (blood,dialogue) in the options menu

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Brett Molina
Platforms:Xbox 360
Available online?Not available online
Genre:Third-person shooter
Developer:Microsoft
Release date:November 6, 2008
Price:$59.99
ESRB rating:M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language

This review was written by Brett Molina

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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