The latest Gears of War 2 DLC not only brings seven new multiplayer maps, but also something that’s a first for Gears of War; single player DLC. Since Gears of War 2 is a widely popular game, there’s no need to explain everything, we’ll just dive straight to the single player DLC:
The single player part of the DLC, called “Road to Ruin”, is a part of the single player campaign for the retail version of that game that was eventually cut out. Luckily, you’ll get a chance to play it now. It’s basically a part of a standalone single player content that sees Marcus and Dom navigate through Locust territory. However, they can chose from going the usual way: run and gun, destroying all enemies in the process, clearing room after room. Or they can chose the second option: stealth. This is the first time you can actually use stealth and sneak in the game, however, one can easily see what this portion of the retail game was cut out: there’s nothing much to the stealth action. Basically, you grab a pair of Locust suits and walk through the entire part — some 15 minutes of walking — and that’s it. There’s no challenge, as the Locust will simply ignore you the whole way. You don’t have to hide, don’t have to pull any tricks of any kind. Just walk. Which is kinda boring, even in the rather interesting Gears universe. The alternative route, the one most will prefer, is the action filled good-ol-Gears-of-War-combat. Which works as you expect it. It’s clear that the single player part wasn’t meant as a selling point of the game, which brings us to the real stuff, the multiplayer maps…
The seven new maps include War Machine, a remake of the Gears 1 map; Allfathers Garden, a heavy-weapons battle at a COG landmark; Highway, a fight deep in the Locust Hollow; Memorial, a battle at the Tomb of the Unknowns; Nowhere, a firefight in an old motel; Way Station, an unpredictable battlefield with parallel paths; and Sanctuary, a reimagined favorite from Gears for PC. The last map is particularly interested, especially if you played Gears 1 for the PC. The other maps are up to standard when it comes to the game; they’re all polished, balanced and can tolerate hours and hours of play without getting boring. Essentially, the maps will satisfy any Gears addict and will offer hours of new gameplay.
Technically, there isn’t much to say; it’s good ‘ol Gears of War 2; with stunning graphics, environments and combat. 
The DLC pretty much continues all of that. In all, if you’re thinking of getting the new DLC solely for the single player part, you’ll be disappointed. The single player part is just something Epic threw in as an extra, the multiplayer maps are the real reason to get this pack.
Gears of War 2: Dark Corners is priced at 1200 MS points, or $15. However, you can get a better deal if you buy the recently released “All Fronts” DLC, which includes Dark Corners and all the previous content released for Gears of War 2. It’s a great deal if you haven’t checked out any Gears 2 DLC yet.
The Good:
7 great multiplayer maps
Up to the Gears of War standard
Includes single player content
The Bad:
Single player could be better
A bit too expensive ($15) for what it is.
Overall score: 7/10
The upcoming Gears of War book, Gears of War: Jacinto’s Remnant, written by Karen Traviss, A New York Times bestselling author (and hack), continues the story where Gears of War 2 left off. We won’t go into details and spoil it for you if you haven’t played the game, but the book is out on July 28th. 