14 DAY TRIAL // Gears of War 2 is one of the most popular games launched at the end of last year, being the sequel to one of the biggest titles ever made for the Xbox 360. It brought new gameplay features and a multiplayer mode that, although a bit buggy and unbalanced at first, became a fan favorite.
Now, as scheduled by different press releases from either Microsoft or Epic Games, the game has received its third map pack, after the Flashback and Combustible ones, entitled Snowblind. It contains three fresh maps and a remake of the Fuel Depot one from the original Gears of War. As the name suggests, the maps will be covered in snow, guaranteeing some very interesting matches in all of the multiplayer modes, including the very popular Horde one. Here are some details on each map.
• Grindyard is a massive industrial complex located in a junk-processing plant from the days of Sera’s industrial excess. The office, now gutted, serves as a perfect place to fortify, but if you’re not careful, you’ll end up trapped inside the office with no hope of escape. • Under Hill takes players through snowbound tunnels that were once billed as a feat of Seran engineering. Head for high ground on the bridge and you’ll be rewarded with massive firepower, but be prepared to defend your position and try to escape being cornered. • Courtyard is a wide-open battle royale containing explosive weapons that once formed the heart of Ephyra’s fashionable Civic Center. Lines of sight are far and clear here, and battles tend to focus around the elevated sniper nest. Watch your back and keep a fresh clip. • Fuel Depot, back by popular demand, Fuel Depot is a “Gears of War 2” remake of the fan-favorite “Gears of War” map, but winter has set in and the depot is now covered in a blanket of snow. Open and unforgiving, it takes a well-coordinated team to cover all the angles here.
Besides these maps, the DLC will also bring nine fresh achievements that total 250 points. Some of them go together with the new experience-based ranking system implemented in the Title Update, which was released on March 24. Here are all of the achievements.
• “Rookie Gear” (10 points): Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 5 (Public only). • “Seasoned Gear” (20 points): Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 15 (Public only). • “Battle-Tested Gear” (30 points): Earn enough multiplayer experience to reach level 25 (Public only). • “Battle-Hardened Gear” (50 points): Reach level 50 and play a match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only). • “Veteran Gear” (75 points): Reach level 100 and win a match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (Public only). • “Never Eat Red Snow” (20 points): Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Snowblind Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty). • “Icy Dead People” (25 points): Complete waves 1 through 50 on any Snowblind Map Pack map in Horde (any difficulty). • “Frigid Body Dynamics” (5 points): Play a multiplayer match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (any mode). • “The Weather Outside Is Lethal” (15 points): Win a multiplayer match on each of the four Snowblind Map Pack maps (any mode).
All in all, gamers across the world will gladly pay 800 MS Points for all of these new adventures in Gears of War 2. Hopefully, Epic Games will continue to supply the title with fresh content in the future.