Gears of War 2 was announced at this years GDC, and with it came a promise entailing to game would be more awesome, epic, and badass. The May 2008 issue of Game Informer has a world exclusive first look at the game, revealing why CliffyB used such words to describe the sequel.

When the new Unreal Engine was first shown, it was obvious that some of the new abilities of this engine would be showcased in Gears of War 2. There will be hundreds of Locust on screen and Game Informer heard hints that there will be dramatically expanded co-op modes to multiplayer content that takes advantage of the engine’s new ability to deliver huge numbers of Locusts at one time.

Xbox 360 owners have been complaining for a while that they missed out on fighting the Brumak, who PC gamers got to take on. Xbox 360 owners will have a new reason to smile because CliffyB told Game Informer that Gears 2 “will have creatures that make the Brumak look like a baby panda bear."

Four new characters have also been revealed: Tai Kaliso, a spiritual and meditative warrior with a badass tattooed face; Chairman Prescott, the leader of the COG forces; Dizzy, the driver of the Derrick, a new massive vehicle; and Maria Santiago, Dom’s wife, will appear in the sequel and help push the storyline along.

Game Informer also revealed that the game will feature multiple save files and multiple difficulty settings on a single co-op session. For example, one player can play on easy while the other plays on hardcore.

Lastly, the article confirmed what was suggested in the teaser trailer of the game. There will be new chainsaw duels that cut down on the cheap tactic and raise the level of ’epicness’ that reigned over the first itteration.