This November, Epic Games will release Gears of War 2 exclusively on Xbox 360, sequel to the 4.5 million selling super hit original. Even amidst a slew of potentially triple A exclusives released on 360 over the notoriously busy winter period, including such heavyweights as Fable 2 and Halo Wars, it will be down to Gears of War 2 to spearhead Microsoft's charge for Christmas sales success. If anything, this is testament to just how important a franchise Gears of War has become to Microsoft - surely the console's second biggest name, falling only slightly short of the mighty Halo.

While expectations were high for Epic Games' behemoth back in 2006, the fact that it was a totally new IP gave it some breathing ground, with ample opportunity to surpass those expectations by releasing a game that not only pushed the then relatively young hardware to new heights - arguably heights that have yet to be surpassed - but to also deliver a fresh new take on run and gun gameplay. Of course, as we all now know, Epic Games gladly surpassed those expectations with quite some room to spare, delivering one of the 360's finest releases to date in the process. Of course, thanks to that success, Gears of War 2 will not share a similar luxury; for the majority of gamers, nothing less than excellence will suffice, as expectations rise dangerously near to the levels usually reserved for a new Halo or GTA release.

Although information on Gears of War 2 is still being drip fed to the masses, an in-game demo of the second level has given us a glimpse into what we can expect to see in the eagerly anticipated sequel. If expectations weren't already high enough, you can always rely on the unwavering confidence of the loose-lipped Cliffy B to help tip the scales. "Bigger, better and more badass" is what he has promised the masses, and from what has been shown so far, it would be hard to argue with the main man's early assessment of the next chapter in the Gears of War franchise.

Although the guided demo begins with very little exposition, we have learned that the war torn lands of Sera are in even worse shape than they were in the original Gears, with humanity literally pushed back into the last corner available to them as they fight to defend the only remaining major city of Sera. Gears 2 is set six months after the original, and the humans are left with little choice other than to take the fight directly to the Locust hordes before they have nothing left to defend. To achieve this, Marcus Fenix and his Delta squad teammates, along with new kid on the block, Dizzy, are accompanying a convoy of huge derriks that can smash through terrain with ease and get COG soldiers, along with the all important 'grind-lifts', right to the centre of the most heavily Locust-infested areas of Sera. It is these grind-lifts that will essentially allow COG forces to excavate down into Locust strongholds before they get a chance to emerge, thus reversing the tide of battle. These 'express elevators to hell' as Cliffy B so mildly puts it are the reason that we find Marcus Fenix and co. defending the heavy duty derriks as they are attacked from all sides in the kind of battle that Gears fans have been dreaming of since Gears of War 2 was announced.

The first thing that is immediately noticeable from our brief time with Gears 2 is just how epic this encounter is. Riding atop the huge derriks gives the level an immediate sense of scale, with the accompanying attack helicopters and inevitable full-scale assault giving the demo a truly cinematic feel. As the derriks crash through the idyllic countryside setting, Locust attacks suddenly come from every possible angle as your Delta teammates are tasked with fighting off heavy mortar fire, an array of Locust ground troops, the always troublesome Reavers and even a Brumak. If that isn't enough, the level ends with a glimpse of the all powerful Corpser, surely readying itself for a more extended appearance later in the game.

Although the core cover and fire mechanics from the first game seem largely unchanged, with even the weapons appearing all but the same for the sequel, the demo did give a glimpse of some of the new abilities available to players this time around. While defending your derrik as Dizzy tries frantically to fix the damage taken from the Reaver attack, the second derrik becomes overrun with Locust troops that use grappling hooks to hoist themselves up onto the derrik platforms for a bit of traditional, up close and personal Gears of War action. From here we get our first glimpse at the long touted chainsaw duelling; much like the traditional chainsaw kill, these are encountered when both you and an enemy use the same attack simultaneously. The screen cuts to a close up of the action as you are asked to smash the attack button for all it's worth in a quick fire kill or be killed battle. There was also a glimpse of one of the new finishing moves as Marcus flipped his Lancer and tore through his enemy from the crotch upwards (ouch!). Epic Games have promised a selection of all new finishers, but for the time being they're keeping them under lock and key. Although both were inevitably cool to see in this brief glimpse at the campaign mode, it will surely be in the online multiplayer arena where these new manoeuvres will really get a chance to shine.

Along with the aforementioned chainsaw duelling, there was also just enough time to show off the new, fittingly named, 'meat shield' mechanic. Rather than simply taking a chainsaw to unsuspecting Locust troops at every opportunity, you can now grab them by the neck and use them as a human (or alien to be technically correct) shield. As enemy attacks rain down unabated, the body of your unfortunate enemy is ripped to shreds before either the enemy is completely blown apart by gunfire or you snap its neck and toss its body to the ground. Again, it looks like another brilliantly implemented mechanic that will surely add an extra tactical depth to both the campaign and online modes of play.

Everything from this tantalising glimpse of what Gears of War 2 has to offer is shaping up brilliantly, the sheer quality of the game highlighted throughout the entirety of the demo's massive scale battle before culminating in a high intensity shoot out with an extremely heavily armed Brumak. However, for all large scale warfare at hand, we have also been promised a more affecting, fleshed out story for the colourful characters of Delta squad, with the tale of new boy Dizzy being forced to fight so that his family can take refuge in Jacinto, the last human city, and a search for Dom's wife heading up the more personalized strands to coincide with the grand scale tale of the humans' desperate battle for survival against the evil Locust hordes. With improved online multiplayer all but guaranteed and a campaign set to deliver on both large scale and intimate conflicts, Gears of War 2 is shaping up to be the 360's biggest game of 2008. Will it turn out to be the game we're all hoping for? It's probably too early to tell right now, but all the early signs are very promising. Bigger, better and more badass? It sure looks that way.

Previewed by Liam Pritchard for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).