Xbox 360 Review: Gears of War 2 Dark Corners DLC

Is this DLC as dark as it sounds?

Before I delve into the multiplayer component of the Dark Corners DLC, let’s get the Deleted Scene out of the way first…just be aware that Gears 2 spoilers lay ahead if you haven’t played it yet.
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Road to Ruin takes place just Dom finds Maria and “did what he had to do”. Dom is quite pissed and then you are presented with a choice, to either go through the stronghold disguised as a Theron Guard or to go in all guns blazing. The first choice turns the game into quite a stealthy approach, which is quite fun and changes the gameplay well. The latter is typical Gears, but nonetheless still fun. Both paths have the same outcome other than a few differences in how you get there. It’s not the longest scene I’ve come across…but it is a good one.

Dark Corners comes with 7 new multiplayer maps. I took part in a match with some other press and a few members of Epic to test them out in modes like Meatflag, Annex, King of the Hill and Wingman. Some maps are remakes of Gears 1’s and are a welcome return. The pictures included in this review were taken directly from the matches I took part in last night.

Here is a quick summary of the maps in the Dark Corners DLC:

Allfathers Garden

Don’t get caught up in the beauty—the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders can be a tremendously deadly place. Powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.

Memorial

It’s all about the heavy weaponry in Memorial, set near the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Take a moment to remember your fallen comrades before using your flanking and evasive skills to take control of the Boomshot and the battle.

Sanctuary

Tight paths, blind corners, and an arsenal of weapons—the Locust-ravaged temple in Sanctuary is no longer the haven of reflection and remembrance it once was. (From Gears 1)

War Machine

In this abandoned train station, players need to master the Longshot, Mulcher, and Boomshot to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above. (From Gears 1)

Highway

Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system. Stick together, separate the enemy, and have an exit strategy ready, or it’ll be a one-way trip.

Way Station

In the limbo between death and “processing,” you’ll find Locust way stations like this one, filled with COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience—it’s best to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.

Nowhere

Set in the middle of the desert, Nowhere is exactly how it sounds: barren and devoid of life. The open air and long lines of sight prove useful for Longshot devotees, but expect some fierce, close combat in the stairwell.

Each of these maps is brilliant. The Nowhere map is like an old western level, it even has a bar area and I had a blast playing it. There’s even a mortar cannon on the roof, which I used during Wingman to kill the last 2 rivals coming for me. I must admit, I was never a huge fan of the Gears 1 multiplayer…but in Gears 2, it’s got a better feel to it and the Dark Corners DLC cements it even further.
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My personal favourite map has to still be War Machine as the new weapons from Gears 2 makes it even more fast-paced than usual, and it looks a lot better than in Gears 1. The DLC also comes with a whole new bunch of achievements which takes the total overall gamerscore you can earn to 1750. I’ve only just starting playing Gears 2 on my second gamertag, so getting all those is going to take quite some time!

Some might think that 1200 (or 1600 for All Fronts Collection) is quite pricey for some maps and a quick single player deleted scene, but I can say its value for money…not just because the achievements will take you ages to earn, but because the new maps are well designed and make games even more fun to play. Trying to play these modes on the new maps is just great; I guarantee you will enjoy yourself with these latest additions.

The Verdict

To sum it up, Dark Corners is a great piece of DLC. Each map is fun and unique, the deleted scene is short but good and it’d be nice to see more DLC in the future…

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