The grand boast for Gears of War 2 from the developers Epic was that it would be bigger, better and more badass than before; and to be fair they seem to have kept their promises. The story picks up after the end of the first game as the COG have detonated a Lightmass bomb at the heart of locust territory, which should have rid the world of their menace once and for all. Unfortunately, they have returned, even more ruthless and determined than ever, thus pressing Marcus Fenix and his Delta Squad back into action.

The main mechanics of the game are as solid as they were in the first Gears, making fans of the series immediately feel at home. The excellent ‘stop-and-pop’ system has been tweaked and is all the better for it: it’s as easy to roll, slide or jump into cover as it is to roll out of it now, with none of the annoyances of the first title in evidence. The visual clarity on offer is of exceptional, and at times breathtaking quality. The smallest details that will probably be missed by most, such as watching rain course down a window in an incidental section of the game, show the level of attention paid to even the most basic of aspects of the game.

Sadly missing from Gears 2 is the over the top, in your face attitude of the first title, replaced now with a grander sense of scale. For example, this time round there are no incidents involving the Berserkers. Playing hide and seek with two of them in a confined space in the original game was a real highlight, and those who enjoyed them last time around will surely be disappointed at their absence. Conversely the Brumaks, the Locust’s ferocious walking tanks, previously featured only in teasing cut scenes. Epic have now awarded them with full gameplay roles but the manner in which they have done so suggests that they took the criticism leveled at them a bit too much to heart as they make frequent appearances throughout the game, even to the point where players can ride atop one later on in the campaign.

Weapons still provide the same visceral enjoyment, with some new additions, such as the Flamethrower, that add to the established favourites such as the Lancer and Shotgun. There is also the ability to carry gigantic weapons dropped by the bigger enemies, but these hamper the player’s progress by slowing them down, making them a sitting duck. Their destructive power compensates for this, however; for instance, the all-new Mortar takes a while to get used to, but once a player finds their range they'll enjoy raining destruction down on hapless Locust foes.

For all the grand scale, and the bluster, there is a strangely muted feel to Gears 2. It's almost as if there is something missing from the title, something that doesn't make the player instantly love it in the same way that the original title managed to capture the imagination of gamers around the world. Maybe it’s the lack of a focal antagonist like General RAAM in the first Gears, or that the player can feel lost in the crush to include absolutely everything bar the kitchen sink, but it can be hard to shake off the feeling of this being a bit soulless.

Ultimately what shines through is that the developers at Epic are massive game fans, with influences strewn throughout Gears 2. From the sarcophagi in the Locust underworld that bring to mind the sublime Ico, or the flying sections which bear more than a passing resemblance to the Panzer Dragoon series. These influences are duly paid with respect instead of being a rip-off, and Epic should be applauded for that.

The story, which Epic has been at pains to point out was provided by a professional writer no less, is dross of the highest order. Gone is the playful, vaguely homoerotic nature of the previous game, only to be replaced with a cod-philosophy about loss and pain. While noble in sentiment, it might have worked if the execution wasn't so ham-fisted and downright embarrassing. Also, the writer deemed it necessary to turn two of the more humorous characters, Cole and Baird, into grisly caricatures of themselves, which has the player pressing the back button to spare them the horrific spectacle of the cut scene with Cole deep in the heart of the Locusts hive. Never has a game put back the quest for game narrative to be taken seriously as Gears of War 2 has, and it’s entirely self-inflicted. Whoever the “professional writer” was that was paid for this is either some kind of hack or the luckiest person on earth for being paid for this drivel.

Online co-op is as solid as it was in the original but some additional attention has been paid to it, all aimed at rewarding the players. Still limited to two, they can now select which difficulty to play independently of each other, which is a nice touch. What isn’t as welcome are some of the strange glitches that raise their heads, especially towards the end of the game. The boss battle with Skorge is a particular niggle which can leave one player standing furiously hammering the B button to engage in a chainsaw duel with the aforementioned boss, only for them to lose for no apparent reason.

Multiplayer has been beefed up, with the usual solo and team Deathmatch modes which seem to be beset with connection problems and glitches such as being able to use some weapons while carrying shields and the like. There are far too many to list in this review, but at the time of writing they still haven’t been addressed which will ultimately harm the community as there are other more stable and consistent experiences out there for people to be involved in.

Fortunately, newcomers such as the superb Horde mode make up for deficiencies elsewhere. Essentially up to five players are holed up on a map as they attempt to dispose of a set amount of Locust of varying shapes and sizes. The twist is that there is barely enough ammo provided to dispatch each wave of Locust, and players have only a small window of opportunity to scavenge for supplies before the next round starts. As a team progresses, the laughter and hilarious moments that ensue are what makes such experiences stay in players’ minds.

So, Gears of War 2 manages to traverse the difficult sequel terrain with aplomb, but for whatever reason leaves the player unsatisfied. Maybe the inevitable sequel will put some of the vim and vigor back into the series.