Video Games Today

First off, welcome to VGtoday's new little "column" that will be published weekly, or biweekly, that will give you tips and/or guides on how to get those precious achievements. This week we discuss how to rack up a good 175 gamerscore easy, with the new Gears of War 2 DLC Achievements!

More Mystery, Less History (15g): For this you need to win a multiplayer match on each Flashback map pack and it cannot be Wingman. Just go into a private match and put 1 bot on casual on execution, and make the round limit "1". Do this for each map, and you will have the achievement in about 5 minutes.
Bound by a Shared Past (15g): This is the same thing as "More Mystery, Less History" except you must win on each map on Wingman. Just put the settings on 9 bots on casual and round limit on "10" and you should have the achievements in no time.
The Roof! The Roof! The Roof... (15g): Read "More Mystery, Less History" and just do that on the combustible maps.
Forged in the Fire (15g): Read "Bound by a Shared Past" and just do that on the combustible maps.
Skeletons in your Closet (20g) & Trial by, and on, Fire (20g): These are some of the more time consuming achievements on this DLC pack. If you put the Horde mode on casual you should reach wave 10 in about 15-25 minutes depnding on how fast you go. You must do it on each map so 15-25 minutes on 8 maps should take you roughly 2 Hours - 3 Hours 20 Minutes for 40 gamerscore.
Annex: Now With Execution Rules (75G) : Note, this is the ONLY achievement in this bunch that MUST be played in a public match, which means you CANNOT boost this in private matches. Just load up the Flashback or Combustable map pack and try and get annex. It should not be too difficult because EPIC increased the chances of annex showing up in those playlists.

Good Luck!
The VGToday Crew

Bethesda released some more details about the DLC and we are here to bring that to you. First, the level cap will be raised for purchasers of the DLC from 20 to 30, but if you have finished the game with a character...you're out of luck, you have to start a new one for the DLC. Also, ninja armor (as seen above courtesy of Xbox360Fanboy) will become available. As puclically known, the DLc will also include areas in Alaska where you fight against Chinese survivors. The DLc is priced at 10$ (800 Microsoft Points) and is due to release this month for the Xbox 360 and Pc.

Enjoy!
The VGToday Crew

Gears of War 2 is one of this year's most anticipated Xbox 360 exclusive titles. Gears 2 is designed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. This is a sequel to the Xbox 360 blockbuster, Gears of War. The game was announced during the 2008 Game Developers Conference by Cliff "Cliffy B" Bleszinski to be "Bigger, Better, and more Badass".

You play as Marcus Fenix, as in the first game, with your partner Dom Santiago. The game has added an extra mode of difficultly to try and sell some of the more "casual" gamers. "Casual" mode from Gears of War is now called "Normal", and "Casual" in Gears 2 is basically the easiest mode in a shooter you will ever encounter. The game starts you out in the last human refuge, Jacinto. Jacinto is the one city that cannot be sunk by the Locust, or so we are to think. You are told the Locust are advancing on Jacinto, and are becoming more "desperate". You are then put in command of Benjamen Carmine. This Carmine is one of the brothers of Anthony Carmine, from Gears of War.

The single player experience is a great improvement over the first installment. It is longer, and generally more of an actual experience. The first game was, and still is, criticized for the sever lack of story. Gears 2 follows the fight against the Locust, along with the side story of Dom and his long-lost wife Maria. The game should take you around 8-14 hours of game time to finish, depending on the level of difficultly you are on. Also, if you wish to get the 1000/1000 gamerscore for the game, you must play through a second time to play on the "Insane" difficultly mode. The difficultly of Insane seems "pumped" up from the first game, due to the improved AI and certain weapon balancing. The Lancer now nearly stops an opponent in his tracks due to "Stopping Power", and the shot gun only gets a "1 hit kill" if you are right next to the enemy. No longer will you see shotgun battles.

The story may not be a classic, but it atleast gives players a reason to be interested in why things are happening. The ending of the game does seem to come to an end abruptly, but it worked. Do not expect a Halo 2, stopping in the middle of a cut scene ending. The story leaves the series wide open for Gears of War 3.

The multiplayer is where this game really excels. Epic has brought in a new Matchmaking System, similar to the Halo 3 matchmaking, replacing the old lobby system seen in Gears of War. The system has had it's problems, including the long waits to find matches when you are alone, or in a four person group. Epic recently released a title update to Gears 2 that seems to have fixed that issue. There is also a ranking system on this installment. It is based off of Microsoft's True Skill, and includes 5 different ranks. These ranks, since they use True Skill, are only based on Wins and Loses in public matches. So no need to cry over a kill being stolen.

Overall, Gears 2 is not a "Gears 1.5". It is it's own single player experience that expands off of the original "story", or lack of one, and makes a really great single player campaign that wants you coming back for the next installment. Also, the multiplayer is a great improvement and will hold lots of fun for a long time to come, along with Horde mode keeping you entertained for hours on end.

Gears of War 2 gets an:
A
Pass -- Rent -- Buy
Enjoy,
Max Burke
VGToday Management; Review Crew