Originally Published: August 7, 2009, on Examiner.com and 1050ESPN.com (now ESPNNewYork.com)

Xbox 360 is in the middle of its second annual summer push of original downloadable content. Later in the month we’ll look at some of the new and revamped games being released on Xbox Live’s Arcade, but we can’t forget the great add-ons being released for some of the already established hits for the Xbox 360.

In that vein we look at the latest and greatest map pack for the 11-time platinum Gears of War 2. A total of seven new maps with 13 new achievements which would award 325 more Gamerscore points, the Dark Corners map pack also includes a very special addition to the story mode campaign.

Originally a part of Act IV the new scene, “Road to Ruin”, was a level that took Marcus and Dom along a Locust highway deep in the hive. Of course, this level never made it into the final cut of the game…until now. After a brief intro movie from Lead Game Designer Cliff Blezinski, the level starts off giving you the choice to go in guns blazing or to sneak around in Locust armor to avoid an enemy confrontation. This new level helps to expand on one of the most powerful scenes in video game history (Dom finding his wife a shell of her former self and putting her out of her misery) and adds to the lore of Gears of War by giving you the chance to meet up with an old friend from Gears 1 along the way and that alone is worth picking up the Dark Corners add-on.

One of the greatest aspects of Gears of War, though, is the multiplayer so I am sure that more people will be looking at what they can do with the seven brand new maps. After a week of non-stop multi-player mayhem, I feel I can now paint you an accurate picture as to how great these maps are.

The first map of note at is Allfathers Garden. A COG landmark that honors the long gone founders of the Coalition, this sacred ground is great for all kinds of matches, but provides fast, heart-thumping action best in Warzone, Execution, or Submission game modes because its small size provides for lots of quick confrontations. Add-in a plethora of heavy weapons and you have all the pieces in place for some explosive combat situations.

Next, we look at the Memorial map. Set in a landmark dedicated to the soldiers who have fallen in battle against the Locust, this map is another great Warzone or Execution map, but also does well in Guardian mode because it forces the leader to constantly be on the move due to the most secure areas are also re-spawn points. Nothing worse than settling into a corner of the map to have someone you just picked off appear behind you and cut you to ribbons. This, again, makes quick confrontations a constant, especially when everyone realizes the Boomshot (grenade launcher) in the center of the building is up for grabs…

Similar in tone to the first two maps, Sanctuary is set in a temple whose walls have long since been abandoned after being battered by Locust attacks, the stench of death its only inhabitant now (I would assume considering video games haven’t become THAT realistic yet). Tight, narrow hallways and mostly blind corners makes this an ideal Annex and King of the Hill battleground as you can regroup with your squad mates and easily flank different positions.

Stepping away from the monuments, we head indoors to an abandoned train station for War Machine. Blank terminals line the walls of the once bustling travel hub as sandbags line the rails now instead of train cars to provide extra cover during frequent firefights. Probably the smallest of all the new maps, it is one of the two easiest Horde maps due to being able to easily hunker down in one of the four corners and pick off the unsuspecting Locust as they wander in front of your crosshairs. It also has a plethora of powerful weapons scattered about that makes the scramble in Execution and Warzone modes a joy as you see the indecision as newbies don’t know if they should secure the high ground or pick up a Boomshot.

Keeping up with the travel theme, we head deep into Locust territory in Highway. A complex system of hallways and passages for moving enemy supplies, the screams of chained Brumaks echo in the background as you try to maneuver through this Locust maze. This is the other great map for Horde for the same reason as War Machine. This is a larger map that would make you a little more likely to wander out and search for you prey, but it has some great areas to hunker down with your teammates and pick off Locust. Another great Annex and King of the Hill map due to its maze-like tendencies providing many ways to sneak up on unsuspecting foes.

Even deeper in the Locust stronghold is the Way Station where captured Stranded and COG soldiers sit in limbo between “processing” and death for whatever nefarious purposes the Locust are using them. A great map for Guardian because, much like Memorial, the leader has to be on the move. It does have a couple of areas that a leader could settle into and make a valiant defense if necessary, but otherwise scrambling for the grenades and Torque Bows and taking the fight to your enemies is probably the best way to go here.

The last map is truly unique from any map in this or any other map pack. Nowhere was once considered an oasis, now long abandoned and reclaimed by the desert as you maneuver down the main street and work your way through boarded up stores and hotels. This is a great map for Execution and Warzone as you have plenty of options. You can either take up a defensive position inside the stores or try to go on the offensive and snipe your enemies with heavy weapons on the roof of the hotel. Either way, fast paced action makes this a great, quick way to build up experience if you can decide on a winning strategy.

It goes without mention that this is a must have download for Gearheads. If you haven’t been keeping up with all that is Gears of War though, there is also the All Fronts Collection that has been released along with Dark Corners that includes ALL previous map packs, which makes this a perfect time to get back into the chainsaw swing of things.

All Fronts is now available for 1600 Microsoft points (roughly $20 American dollars) and Dark Corners is available by itself for 1200 Microsoft points (roughly $15 American dollars).

-Ray Carsillo