Dominating the Locust Horde

Published November 6, 2008

Sera in Gears of War® 2 is a harsh and dangerous world, what with nearly every human city sunk and destroyed, and a furious Locust Horde that seems to have only gained in strength and ferocity since the Lightmass bombing. With the following tips, you should find yourself better prepared to face the challenges ahead in both the single-player campaign and in multiplayer matches.

It's been a rough time since the Lightmass bombing.

Achievement Reload
You can earn progress toward every cumulative achievement in Gears of War 2 whether you die before the next checkpoint or not. This means if you find a great spot for, say, the Said the Spider to the Fly achievement, which requires you to kill ten enemies with planted grenades, you can take out a few enemies and then immediately reload the checkpoint and repeat the process to quickly earn the achievement.

Avoid the Duel
Chainsaw duels are fun, and winning them brings with it a special kind of gory satisfaction, but any time you engage in a duel you also run the risk of losing. With the new backstab chainsaw attack, you can take this possibility out of the equation. Focus more on sneaking up behind enemies rather than charging them.

Jumping Active Reload
Rather than wait around for an enemy to fire at so you can execute a perfect active reload and gain a damage boost, try emptying your clip ahead of battle and performing the perfect active reload then. That way, when the bullets start to fly, you'll already be firing back with more devastating ammo. This is particularly useful in multiplayer when the match begins.

Reaver Belly
Reavers were seen but largely not heard from in the original Gears, but in Gears of War 2 these frightful enemies consistently join the fray. Luckily, they can be handily defeated if you exploit their weakness.

Melee tickers to knock them back, but not with the Lancer.

Rather than duke it out with a Reaver at long range, sprint under them where neither their melee nor ranged attacks can reach you. Then, use blind-fire to rip into their belly with your weapon of choice. You can aim if you want, but there's no need to, and doing so will just make it more difficult to stay under the Reaver as it moves about.

Mine the Entrances
Using grenades as proximity mines (tap B when next to a wall or cover to plant the grenade) is a massively useful new tool in Gears of War 2. Whenever you're guarding an objective or simply pinned down, try planting grenades near the entrances of the area you're guarding. However, try avoiding planting them right on the corner. If you do, it will make it easier for your opponent to spot them.

By the same token, you should exercise a bit more caution yourself when navigating a multiplayer match. Anytime you approach a corner or run near a bit of cover, look carefully to see if there's a planted grenade waiting to do you mischief. If you spot one, aim and fire at the grenade to trigger it from a safe distance.

Two Tools, Two Uses
Try carrying two weapons with different strengths. For example, if you pick up the flamethrower, use it to replace your shotgun as both work best at close range. If you're already carrying a torque bow, there's really no need to grab the sniper rifle as well. Combat in Gears of War 2 is very fluid, so make sure you've got the tools you need to engage at both close and long range.

Pistol Time
It's not uncommon in Gears of War 2, especially on Insane difficulty, to find yourself having to ration bullets. In order to avoid ammo shortages, try taking down easier enemies like wretches, tickers, and low-level grubs with the rarely used pistol. Keep your more powerful weapons in reserve for the tougher creatures.

Having a tough time? Co-op makes Gears 2 a whole lot easier.

Area Scan
When combat ratchets up well beyond the standard courtyard battles, chances are there's a powerful weapon lying nearby to help give you an edge. Always take a few seconds to scan the area before any major battle.

Collectibles
The achievement-based collectibles littered throughout Gears of War 2 are much harder to spot than the first game's COG tags. For one, you can't count on a nearby COG symbol to clue you in that a collectible is nearby, but they do glow with the same sheen as other items. Make sure to comb through the environment looking for that tell-tale glint of light to lead you to their location. Also, retrace your steps to look for side-paths you didn't take on your way through the area.

Use the War Journal (accessible from the main menu) to see how many collectibles you have missed in each chapter. This way, you can skip over the chapters where you've already found every collectible, and head straight back to the checkpoints where you know you missed some.

Covered Objectives
Whenever you're holding an objective, always use mobile cover when possible. If there's a boomshield available, use that. If you or an ally downs an enemy, avoid executing them so you can grab hold of them and use them as a meatshield.

With mobile cover, you can consistently view all sides of an objective while staying well protected. This is a huge improvement over committing to immobile cover, where you have only a narrow view of the battlefield, leaving you open to flanking attacks.

Armed with these tips, you should be better prepared to face the trademark mix of swift-paced action and deliberately-paced tactics in Gears of War 2. Good luck, soldier!

Article by Ryan Treit