Gears of War 2 'All Fronts' retail compilation on July 28
by David Hinkle 
{ May 6th 2009 at 12:15PM } 
"Road to Ruin" sees Marcus and Dom teaming up again to go into the Hollow and take down some more Locust. What's interesting is that the press release mentions two ways to play this scenario: "guns blazing or in all-new stealth mode." Curious, indeed!
The retail-only package will also provide more purchasing incentive in a custom Live theme, poster, strategy guide, and an introductory video by Cliff Bleszinski. The Dark Corners content will also be available separately, directly through Xbox Live for 1600
($20) for those of us who already own the previously released DLC (where's our discount for being loyal?). Head past the break for a summary of the new maps from the press release.Gallery: Gears of War 2 'All Fronts'
Official map descriptions:
- Allfathers Garden: Honor the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
- Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting their flank formation and evasive skills to the test, players will fight to control the Boomshot.
- Sanctuary: Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.
- War Machine: In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, players will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
- Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it'll be a one-way trip.
- Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and "processing" are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it's better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
- Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Ronald Diemicke @ May 6th 2009 12:19PM
1200ms points is $15, folks... so which is it... $15 over xbl or $20?
nofriendo @ May 6th 2009 2:46PM
Did a snail just eat that guy?
iluvmyzune @ May 6th 2009 12:20PM
is $15 or $20 on live???
David Hinkle @ May 6th 2009 12:21PM
Sorry about that, folks. It's 1600, not 1200, and has been fixed in the post.
Aaron @ May 6th 2009 12:22PM
It's 1600 points. So basically "Hey, you've already bought those other map packs? Great! You can buy just the new stuff for the exact same price! What a deal!" I never bought the map packs, but I'd be annoyed if I did. TOO SOON.
Heimbachae @ May 6th 2009 1:05PM
something about the map packs being pushed out faster than an octomom baby seemed fishy to me... and now it's come to fruition. let me say haha to everyone that bought the maps, you're dumb, and now you see why.
baby sea tuna @ May 6th 2009 1:43PM
Unless, you know, you play a lot of Gears online (I personally don't.) Then it was probably worth it to play the maps as they came out.
#2 rule of technology: Early adopters almost always get screwed.
amart @ May 6th 2009 1:45PM
you're a loser
Insight (Fatass Defense Force) @ May 6th 2009 1:52PM
I love it when you can look through someone's post history and instantly tell that they're still in their early teens (amart)
Cutty @ May 7th 2009 3:01AM
Epic seems to be getting better and better at giving a big middle finger to their loyal fans.
Seriously?
WTF?
I'm so glad I gave up on this game a little while ago.
Saved me the embaressment of getting royaly screwed.
Babel @ May 6th 2009 12:23PM
Holy pandas, seven maps? That's brilliant. Gears 2 multiplayer has been my favourite this generation - it's nice to see continuing support.
And please, nobody moan about how laggy or broken it is, or how it's ridiculously expensive. Just don't play it! Let us fans enjoy some (hopefully) sweet DLC.
Babel @ May 6th 2009 12:48PM
Although I now realise that it's definitely unfair that we're charged the same amount for less stuff on Live. I didn't read the article properly in my haste to leap to the preemptive defense of Gears.
Oops.
B3astofthe3ast @ May 6th 2009 12:23PM
downvote all you want, but gears 2 didn't do it for me. while, the 1st gears felt fresh and awesome, this one was bland and broken....i got rid of it a looong time ago and never looked back.
handlas @ May 6th 2009 12:28PM
Gears 1 felt bland to me. I didn't understand the praise. I beat it and never touched it again.
Gears 2 on the other hand, i quite enjoyed. Aside from the ending and the occasional laggy online experience. Overall it was fun tho.
However, I wouldn't purchase this new pack unless I hadn't already purchased the previous map packs. I'd rather put 20 bucks towards a new game.
player66 @ May 6th 2009 12:25PM
Don't I feel like the fool for buying these on LIVE. They can count me out of this one.
I prefer what Bethesda is doing with Fallout 3. Offer it at Retail for the same price.
This is giving retail customers the edge and extra incentive to purchase, but for those people who purchased it as DLC, it sucks.
coleduke @ May 6th 2009 12:35PM
The press release didn't say anything about a disc, and based on the box art on Kotaku, it looks like there won't be a disc. It just says it's going to be available at retail.
The Baron @ May 6th 2009 12:27PM
Good price for people who haven't already bought the game, but $20 for the new content on its own is ridiculous.
Kevin Gass @ May 6th 2009 12:29PM
the new sibgle player sounds awesome
*spoilers!*
it clear takes place after Dom and his wife has a scene. Marcus has an idea about playing dress up, but DOm doesnt want any of that.....until now :P
THE WICKER MAN (BWF) (GT: Dalek Prime) @ May 6th 2009 1:13PM
The last thing I want to see in gears is another subterranean lair. OMG Gears 2 drove me nuts with all of the back and forth between underground locales! This games strength was the multiplayer and horde mode this time I think.
moshe @ May 6th 2009 9:10PM
Best comment ever.
DEEZNUTZ @ May 6th 2009 12:30PM
Glad I waited on buying the map packs. $20 ain't bad for all the previous and new mappacks, as well as that new campaign.
FdUmCh @ May 6th 2009 8:08PM
I think you miss read it. it's $20 for the last map packs and another $20 for the 7 new maps and the campaign add on so in total it will all set you back $40
Joey @ May 6th 2009 11:58PM
no, he read it correctly...
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=74714
HT UK @ May 6th 2009 2:47PM
I feel even more of an idiot now for buying the first two map packs.
I could have saved loads if I waited for this.
Fuck you Epic. The map pack should be 800 points, 1200 max
Ryan @ May 6th 2009 12:35PM
This pretty much makes the new maps for those of us who havent previously bitten, free, if the new content is the same price as the retail disc.
MuDvAyNe @ May 6th 2009 12:36PM
I find this to be total bs. Epic better step up and charge less for the Dark Corners DLC. It is not fan for the people who already own the other three map packs.
Sev @ May 6th 2009 12:51PM
Actually, $20 is reasonable for 7 maps. Think about it. 3 maps for the combustable map pack for 10 $ + 4 maps in the snowblind map pack = $20 for 7 maps. The old maps is just an extra I suppose, which is still kinda BS to the people who bought the other maps.
Anways, Im still buying it.
Erluti @ May 6th 2009 2:14PM
Yeah, I feel like the price is justified. But the retail bonuses sound pretty sweet. Like a theme and a poster? You can't download that. That's where I feel like it's shenanigans to charge the same as retail.
Because more than likely it'll be an in-store bonus at gamestop or whatever and some employee is going to give them away to friends or take them home anyways.
Jeff @ May 6th 2009 7:26PM
Sev and Erluti - That's assuming that 10 freaking dollars was fair for three God damn maps, which it wasn't. This is ridiculous. Why the hell would I buy this over Live when I can go to Gamestop or whatever, pay the same price, and get a theme and a poster too? 1600 points for just Dark Corners makes no sense whatsoever. 1200 would have been fine, considering you get a new chapter, but of course, that was a typo.
Now, if the retail pack comes with more than one code for all this stuff (ie, one for Snowblind, one for Combustible, one for Dark Corners), I'll actually be happy, because I can had the old DLC codes off to a friend who didn't buy them the first time around, and everyone will be happy.
arrrgh @ May 7th 2009 11:28AM
+1 to jeff
I'm still down for this as long as they use separate codes so i can spread the map love to some of my friends who didnt bite
koehler83 @ May 6th 2009 12:46PM
Pass.
HyperBrandon @ May 6th 2009 12:53PM
So all the map packs.(which I have) 7 new maps and a new campaign chapter (Dark Corners). All for $20. Seems like a good deal to me. Even if I have already purchased the other map packs. This is great news for me.
FdUmCh @ May 6th 2009 8:13PM
NO NO and NO read it again all the maps you have will set people back $20 and another $20 for the new maps and campaign so in total that's $40
Joey @ May 6th 2009 11:56PM
no, you read it correctly.
http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=74714
NomBomB @ May 6th 2009 12:51PM
i dont get the marcus/dom-theron guard pic. i know in UT you can mix up the model parts... is that option getting pushed down to gears in the DLC?
NomBomB @ May 6th 2009 12:55PM
never mind... i figured it out. LOL
Sev @ May 6th 2009 12:56PM
In Gears 2 campaign (spoilers) when Dom kills his wife Marcus mentions he has a way they can sneak into Nexus while holding a Theron Guard helmet whish imposes that that he wants to wear the Theron Guard outfits.
Sev @ May 6th 2009 12:57PM
D'oh! Too late.
Mr. L @ May 6th 2009 12:53PM
All of you guys whining up there, you seriously haven't learned by now thay game companies ALWAYS pull this crap. If you just wait, the deals are bound to come. Premium access comes at a premium price.
Andazeus @ May 6th 2009 12:54PM
Since the DLC for GoW isn't available in Germany (the game was never released here), this might just give a chance at getting my hands on the content via import.
I'll give it thumbs up.
Lagster @ May 6th 2009 12:57PM
not surprising it sold well, first one was fun and all the sellouts like ign gave it incredibly high marks so us gamers could only think one thing, that this was gonna be a great sequal. but alas it wasnt.
as for the dlc gonna stay clear cause it doesnt matter how good it is it's for a broken game so i'll pass
chris.rackley @ May 6th 2009 12:57PM
That price point for Dark Corners is like one giant 'FU' to loyal fans. So, for the same price as downloading it online, I can get ALL previous DLC and a LIVE theme?
Even if I downloaded all the previous DLC, I could still get more (theme) with a retail all-inclusive pack than just downloading the DLC. That's sad. Sorry, Epic - you and I are done.
FAnchax @ May 6th 2009 1:01PM
they need to release the fourth update, not more overpriced map packs...
FdUmCh @ May 6th 2009 8:18PM
^^^Hell yes i second that^^^^^ fix the FU
FAnchax @ May 6th 2009 9:21PM
i dont need additional bullshit campaign levels, i need quality, balanced, online gameplay!
JAmerican @ May 6th 2009 1:02PM
War Machine: Gears (Xbox 360)
Sanctuary: Gears (Windows)
I like how they re-release maps and not state that they are from the original games. Great way to fool people :).
More money for Epic. More problems for consumers in multiplayer.
EPIC rolling dough while we in bug/lag central.
If I were Microsoft, I'd give Epic an ultimatum. Microsoft seem to just let them get away with anything.
Why can't Epic be more like Bungie. :(
Rick @ May 6th 2009 1:15PM
I'm glad they're putting out the older maps. I like the old maps from Gears 1 on Xbox and I never bought the PC version, so it's nice to have all the maps that were previously exclusive to it.
Quit bitching you big fat baby.
AirIntake @ May 6th 2009 2:59PM
The original maps were modified for Gears 2 to show the passage of time between the games.
Jambi_Bum @ May 6th 2009 5:56PM
You do realize that Bungie has done the same thing right? By that I mean releasing maps from previous games on their new iteration. Blackout/Lockout being a good example. So in actuality, Epic is being like Bungie in a way. Bungie is by far the best at what they do, with what they do being very nice.
pliny5678 @ May 6th 2009 1:07PM
Argh, I just bought the game new and the Snowblind pack a couple weeks ago. I wish more games had single player DLC like Folklore. I won't be getting this.