Last Updated:
6:10 EST
June 17th

Latest Updates:

• Off-screen footage of ‘Road to Ruin’ from E3
  Click here for the video
• Trailer with all 7 maps and ‘Road To Ruin’ at Gametrailers:
  Click here for the video

Dark Corners DLC & All Fronts DLC FAQ

What?

• Dark Corners contains 7 new maps and the ‘Road to Ruin’ deleted campaign chapter, All Fronts contains all DLC to date (Including Dark Corners) in one compilation package.

When?

• 28th of July, 12:00AM (Midnight) GMT.

Where?

• The Xbox Live Marketplace.

How Much?

• 1200 MS points for Dark Corners, 1600 MS points for All Fronts. 

Dark Corners DLC

Dark Corners consists of 7 new maps and the ‘Road to Ruin’ deleted campaign chapter described below, it will be released on the 28th of July at 12:00AM (Midnight) GMT, and will cost 1200 MS Points.

1200 MS Points converts to approx:

• $15.00 USD

The Maps
 

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.
Screenshot

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.
Gameplay Video | Flythrough Video

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.
Gameplay Video | Screenshot (From Gears of war 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.
Gameplay Video | Map Layout (From Gears of war 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.
Screenshot

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.
No previews as of yet

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.
Gameplay Video 1 | Gameplay Video 2 | Gameplay Video 3 | Screenshot 1 | Screenshot 2 | Screenshot 3

‘Road to Ruin’ Deleted Campaign Chapter
 

Interview with Rod from IGN:

Originally Posted by IGN Interview with Rod Fergusson

IGN: Where in the story does Road to Ruin fit? What questions will it answer?

Rod Fergusson: “Road to Ruin” takes place immediately following the death of Maria. We initially intended to give players the choice to don the Theron armor and sneak around the Locust Hollow, or go in guns blazing. But for pacing reasons, we ended up cutting that chapter last summer. It didn’t feel quite right for the flow we were going after, and since so much of the game was taking place below ground already, we decided to focus on the other chapters. That said, there’s some great gameplay moments in there, and even an old friend to find along the way. We really hope that fans enjoy returning to the campaign, getting a look behind the curtains and seeing what might have been.

IGN: About how long will it take players to complete Road to Ruin?

Rod Fergusson: As with all campaign content, the time it takes to complete it will vary based upon the difficulty setting and the player’s skill. We’re not going to put an hour/minute designation on “Road to Ruin” but it’s on par with other campaign chapters. Also, with two totally different ways to approach the content (both playable in co-op) it should have some great replay value, especially if you want the three Achievements for completing it.

IGN: How will the new stealth mechanics work for the campaign mission?

Rod Fergusson: We can’t share any details just yet, but look for more information to be revealed at E3.

Click here for the entire interview

IGN’s preview from E3:

Originally Posted by IGN

Like in other parts of Gears of War 2, you can choose one of two paths at the beginning of the Road to Ruin chapter. If you choose the option to go in guns blazing, the gameplay proceeds as normal. Marcus and Dom move forward through what appears to be a bridge section flanked by flaming columns and must clear out a number of Locust enemies before reaching a large door. In the middle of the bridge section is a troika gun emplacement, which you can use to help clear out more of the stage.

The more interesting bit of the stage is when you choose the stealth route, something that seems odd simply because being stealthy isn’t something you’d really associate with Marcus and crew. Going this route brings you through the same sections, but Marcus and Dom are dressed up in Theron armor, including a helmet, to conceal their identities. The ensuing gameplay requires the two to weave through patrolling Locust guards without getting too close. If you enter within a certain proximity of the enemy they’ll catch on to your scent and start sniffing around, eventually blowing your cover.

Should you get caught either that way or by accidentally firing your weapon the stage doesn’t end, though. Instead, a fight will just start up between you and all the enemies in the bridge section. You’ll likely be surrounded too considering you’re wading through enemy ranks, meaning it’ll be a tough battle if you want to survive. If you do manage to wipe out all the opposition in that particular bridge section it’ll remain clear as you go up to the next large door. By pulling a lever and opening the way to the next section, the stealth mechanic will reset, as Marcus and Dom will put back on their helmets and you’ll try and sneak through the next section. If you’re able to move all the way through without getting spotted, then you’ll be rewarded with one of the new achievements.

Click here for the entire preview 

All Fronts DLC

All Fronts consists of the 5 Flashback maps, the 3 Combustible Maps, the 4 Snowblind maps, the 7 new Dark Corners maps (Thats 19 maps!), and the ‘Road to Ruin’ deleted campaign chapter described above, it will be released on the 28th of July at 12:00AM (Midnight) GMT, and will cost 1600 MS Points.

1600 MS Points converts to approx:

• $20.00 USD

Title Update 4 & Achievements
 

Title Update 4 has been confirmed to be out before the new DLC (28th of July), along with various fixes, new features, and support for the DLC, it will contain 13 new achievements that add up to 325 Gamerscore (bringing Gears 2’s total to 1,750) to tie in with the Dark Corners DLC:
 

Afraid of the Dark 20G
-Play a multiplayer match on each of the 7 Dark Corners Map Pack maps

Did Not Go Gentle 30G
-Win a multiplayer match on each of the 7 Dark Corners Map Pack maps (any mode)

Blood on the Sand 50G
-Reach level 50 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-50 on the Nowhere map in Horde

Am I Only Dreaming? 40G
-Reach level 40 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-40 on the Memorial map in Horde

Like Father, Like Gun 30G
-Reach level 30 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-30 on the Allfathers Garden map in Horde

Lost in Transition 20G
-Reach level 20 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-20 on the Way Station map in Horde

No, But His Face Rings a Bell 15G
-Reach level 15 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-20 on the Sanctuary map in Horde

Ride It All Night Long 10G
-Reach level 10 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-10 on the Highway map in Horde

Be Careful What You Wish For 10G
-Reach level 5 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-10 on the War Machine map in Horde

Is It Hot or Is That Just You? 25G
-Kill 25 Bloodmounts with a Scorcher while playing Horde on a Dark Corners Map Pack map

Two for the Road 25G
-Complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene in co-op as either Marcus or Dom

Highway to Hell 25G
-Complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene after choosing the blasting option

My Way or the Highway 25G
-Without being detected, complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene after choosing the stealth option 

More info to come in the weeks leading up to the “All Fronts Collection”

Microsoft announced today that this week’s Xbox Live Deal is the Combustible Multiplayer Map Pack for Gears of War 2. Normally priced at 800 points, the Combustible Multiplayer Map Pack is now available for 560 Microsoft Points.

The Combustible Map Pack unleashes three new multiplayer maps: Flood, Gold Rush and Fuel Station.

Flood

Flood is a very tight map that’s made extra snug when the environmental hazard of Imulsion begins creeping up around the edges. As the playing field closes in, the firefight will intensify as combat is forced to the center of the map. Teams skilled at flanking their opponents will have a powerful edge.

Gold Rush

Gold Rush takes place in an old Imulsion refinery that now serves as a hotly contested battleground. Players must survive heavy crossfire as they infiltrate the factory and navigate multiple tiers. Breakable glass allows for a clean shot at those who make a dash for the Longshot rifle while bolder players make their run for the heavy weapon. In the right hands, the Mortar can be devastating on this map, so keep those smoke grenades armed as the concussive effect comes in very handy.

Fuel Station

Fuel Station is situated in a desolate area marked by an abandoned fossil fuel station. The team that secures and controls the station is likely to be the side that wins the match. An especially strategic location on this map is the rooftop, as there are only two points of entry – the main elevator and a staircase on the back side of the building. Heavy weaponry is situated right in front, which presents a high risk to reward ratio in this level. Lugging the Mulcher around, deploying it and revving it up can keep an entire team at bay, and unleashing hell from the rooftops is always an excellent tactic.

On Thursday night Spike TV had a preview of ”Road to Ruins”, plus couple new looks at the maps. Check it out!

IGN reveals in an interview with Epic producer Rod Fergusson that the developer has decided to reduce the cost of the Dark Corners pack for Gears of War 2 after listening to some fan criticism of the original 1600 MS point price tag.

“First, we decided to make Dark Corners available for 1200 points on Xbox LIVE Marketplace, a reduction from 1600. Don’t get me wrong, Dark Corners is the biggest Game Add-on we’ve ever released, and it was a good deal at the old price, but based upon community feedback this just felt like the right thing to do. Also, we’ve decided to release the All Fronts Collection on Xbox LIVE Marketplace in order to make it available to the widest audience possible. The All Fronts Collection will be priced at 1600 Microsoft Points, and both offers will be available July 28th at 12:00 AM GMT in twenty-five countries around the world.”

Read the rest of the informative interview over at IGN.

On Thursday Night’s GTTV, There was a sneak peak at the MEMORIAL map. Take a look!
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

Tonight at 6:30 PM ET, X-Play travels to Seattle to score an interview with Michael Capps, the President of Epic Games, about the upcoming Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection. Capps also details some of the new maps included in the collection, the continuation and expansion of the single-player campaign and the addition of stealth gameplay.

Courtesy of AchievementHunter, we have full achievement titles and descriptions for the new achievements. These were attained at the recent event that showcased Nowhere and the All Fronts package contents. See below for the full list of what’s to come.It should be noted these 13 new achievements bring Gears 2 up to a gamerscore of 1750, the current DLC addon cap, meaning no more achievements can be added. This probably means this is the last DLC for Gears of War 2 also, but who knows?

Afraid of the Dark (20)
Play a multiplayer match on each of the 7 Dark Corners Map Pack maps

Did Not Go Gentle (30)
Win a multiplayer match on each of the 7 Dark Corners Map Pack maps (any mode)

Blood on the Sand (50)
Reach level 50 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-50 on the Nowhere map in Horde

Am I Only Dreaming? (40)
Reach level 40 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-40 on the Memorial map in Horde

Like Father, Like Gun (30)
Reach level 30 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-30 on the Allfathers Garden map in Horde

Lost in Transition (20)
Reach level 20 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-20 on the Way Station map in Horde

No, But His Face Rings a Bell (15)
Reach level 15 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-20 on the Sanctuary map in Horde

Ride It All Night Long (10)
Reach level 10 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-10 on the Highway map in Horde

Be Careful What You Wish For (10)
Reach level 5 in multiplayer and complete waves 1-10 on the War Machine map in Horde

Is It Hot or Is That Just You? (25)
Kill 25 Bloodmounts with a Scorcher while playing Horde on a Dark Corners Map Pack map

Two for the Road (25)
Complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene in co-op as either Marcus or Dom

Highway to Hell (25)
Complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene after choosing the blasting option

My Way or the Highway (25)
Without being detected, complete the “Road to Ruin” deleted scene after choosing the stealth option

[Source]

Microsoft Game Studios has responded to criticism from Ars Technica concerning the price of the upcoming Dark Corners DLC for Gears of War 2, which includes new multiplayer maps and a new single-player chapter.

Guy Welch, the Global Product Manager for Xbox Global Marketing, had this to say on the issue.

“As you report, the a la carte price for the ‘Dark Corners’ content on Xbox LIVE is 1600 points, which includes seven maps and a new campaign chapter,” he told Ars. “If you weigh each component equally, that’s $2.50 each, which is in-line with the Game Add-On prices you see on Xbox LIVE. We think this is a great standalone value.

“In addition, there’s the ‘All Fronts’ collection which is a limited-time retail product for $20, which is intended for new Gears players or people looking to catch up with what they might have missed earlier this year (Flashback was released in November, Combustible was released in December, Snowblind in March, and Dark Corners arrives in July). It’s a great deal.

“I’m an early adopter, and sometimes I pay more in the end than if I would have if I’d waited for special promotions to come along,” he explains. “It’s the same situation here—MS did not set out to ‘royally annoy’ players, and certainly not to scam them, but to give special incentives to attract new players 8 months or so after the game’s initial release.”

The full story Here

Microsoft and Epic Games deliver seven new multiplayer maps to Gears of Wars 2 in July’s retail release of the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, finally answering the question “what is Dark Corners?”

Back in March, rumors flew about a new batch of downloadable content for Gears of Wars 2 called Dark Corners, but Epic denied that such DLC existed. Turns out that they were telling the truth(kinda). Dark Corners is not DLC. It’s a new map pack being included in the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, available exclusively at retail worldwide on July 28th. The collection includes all of the Gears 2 DLC to date, along with Dark Corners, a collection of seven new multiplayer maps which you can find detailed below. The collection will be priced at $19.99.

“Dark Corners” will also sport a “deleted scene from the game’s campaign that takes you deep into the bowels of the Locust hollow.” This segment, called “Road to Ruin” will also introduce a new stealth element, giving the player the option to get their Solid Snake on with Marcus Fenix. Or, you can just go in guns blazing.

In order to make the pack worthwhile to those who’ve already downloaded the majority of the Gears 2 DLC, the package also contains an introduction from Cliff Bleszinski for “Road to Ruin”, a collectible poster, a strategy guide, and a custom Xbox Live theme.For those of you already rocking the previously released Gears 2 map packs, Gears of War 2: Dark Corners will also be available for individual purchase and download from the Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 1,600 Microsoft Points.

DLC Map “Nowhere”

The seven new multiplayer maps in the “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners” Game Add-on are:

-Allfathers Garden: Honor the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
- Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting their flank formation and evasive skills to the test, players will fight to control the Boomshot.
- Sanctuary: Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.
- War Machine: In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, players will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
- Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it’ll be a one-way trip.
- Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and “processing” are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it’s better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
- Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.