'Gears of War 2' bloody fun

Since the Xbox 360 came out on Nov. 22, 2005, only one first-person shooter has come close to the success of the "Halo" series -- "Gears of War."

Released in Nov. 2006, "Gears" blew away gamers with a combination of true M-rated game play and unique weaponry like the Hammer of Dawn (a weapon that decimates enemies with satellite lasers.)

The game also featured a turn away from the "run-and-shoot" games like "Halo," in favor of using the environment.

If you were used to just running into a firefight and coming out victorious, you would have been killed many times over. "Gears" emphasis was to cover, protect yourself and play smart.

And the reception for "Gears of War" was phenomenal. By January 2007, three months after the game came out, "Gears" had sold three million copies.

As of September, five million copies had been sold, making it the second-highest selling game in the history of the Xbox 360.

So when "Gears of War 2" was released on Friday, the expectations from gamers were monumental. The developers at Epic Games had a tough task ahead of them to produce an improved video game from the original.

The game did not disappoint.

"Gears of War 2" has found a way to make improvements by fixing little things to help make the game play more exciting. They may have not reinvented the wheel, but it was unnecessary.

Like the previous installment, you play as Marcus Fenix the C.O.G. sergeant with his friend Dom on one side and a machine gun (complete with chainsaw bayonet) on the other.

Fenix's delta squad is again pitted against the Locust army, who has found a new way of destroying the citizens of the planet Sera by sinking entire cities.

Without giving away too many details, the game delves deeper into the story, with plot twists involving Dom's wife Maria, torture and a war within a war.

Immediately, players will be excited by some of the changes in the sequel. New weapons, including mortars and rail guns, give players a new way of causing mass destruction.

Vehicles, driving missions as a whole, have also become a bigger part of the story line. Fenix and his squad will drive things from tanks, monster trucks, to the enemies themselves.

Another feature players will have to get used to is the chainsaw duels. Instead of being able to disembowel your enemies with ease like the first "Gears," players will have to perform some button-mashing against certain enemies to gain a kill.

But not all is positive for "Gears of War 2."

If you are looking for a plot-driven game, you may want to rent a version of "Metal Gear Solid." The end of the game leaves you confused by the story because it ends so abruptly.

The final boss of the game is an utter joke. Using the Hammer of Dawn (the aforementioned satellite laser), you will beat the boss within a minute. Lame.

Online multiplayer is still lacking behind its "Halo" counterparts. Like the original, the maps are small, the set up is bizarre and because players do not re-spawn, the multiplayer experience feels choppy and ends much too soon.

But "Gears of War 2" is still a worthy purchase for any gamer. It may not be as popular or groundbreaking as the "Halo" series, but "Gears" is inching closer.