The Gears Of War 2 campaign is remembered as one of the most innovative and exciting campaigns in video game history. It took the unique world of the first Gears Of War game and managed to propel it to the next level. After that, the franchise was able to cement itself as a fan-favorite. The game also happened to have some particularly cool weapons scattered around for players to use.
Whether it’s the most common COG starting weapon, a random Locust firearm, or an incredibly rare piece of high-end equipment, we’ve ranked it below, based on everything from accuracy to power.
11 Snub (Pistol)
The Sub pistol is the most basic weapon in Gears Of War 2. It is the standard sidearm for COGs and has a long history with the COG military. It is a semi-automatic pistol that is incredibly reliable, quick to switch to, easy to reload, and rather accurate. As such, it’s a pretty good weapon to have with you. However, its weakness in comparison to a variety of other weapons that COGs can pick up means it is almost always the first gun to be swapped out.
10 Gorgon (Submachine Gun)
The Gorgon is a Locust weapon that sits somewhere between submachine gun and pistol. It’s small and compact but is able to deliver a quick burst of fire which isn’t particularly damaging. Like the Snub, it is quick, nimble, and reliable, which makes it a good gun to carry with you for emergency situations. However, as soon as a more interesting and powerful gun shows up, you’re always going to swap.
9 Hammerburst (Assault Rifle)
The version of the Hammerburst we get to use in Gears Of War 2 is the Mark II. This is, like the Gorgon above, another Locust-built semi-automatic assault rifle, capable of shooting high powered bursts of fire.
It’s accurate and powerful, but its nearest competitor (the Lancer, which we’ll get to soon) is just worlds away in terms of quality, so we can’t allow the Hammerburst a higher place on the list.
8 Scorcher (Flamethrower)
The Scorcher, just like any flamethrower, is a fun one to use. It doesn’t pop up particularly often in the campaign, but it’s hard not to love wandering through dark corridors lighting up enemies with a barrage of flame. Limited ammo, range, and practicality leave this one in the bottom half of the list, though.
7 Gnasher (Shotgun)
Up close, the Gnasher shotgun is basically unbeatable. If you’re standing directly in front of the Locust and you pull the trigger, they’re going to die; it’s very simple. However, the issue with the Gnasher is its range. If you aren’t close, then the Gnasher isn’t going to be of much help in your fight.
6 Boomshot (Grenade Launcher)
Much like the Gnasher, the Boomshot is incredibly useful in a select few situations. If you’re far away from a large group of Locust and you can get a clean shot with one of these huge grenade launchers, then you’ll be able to take out a massive threat with one simple pull of the trigger. However, shoot from close range and all you’ll do is blow yourself up. The Boomshot also has very limited ammo, which could make it a bit of a wasted weapon slot.
5 Boltok (Pistol)
Despite being the Locust equivalent to the COG Snub pistol, the Boltok sees itself take pride in placing at the start of our top five. Its slower fire rate is no issue when you remember how brutal one of these things can be when fired directly into the face of an enemy. Plus they’re pretty good with ammo.
4 Torque Bow (Explosive Bow)
One of the most famous novelty weapons in Gears Of War is the Torque Bow. It combines the ancient idea of the bow and arrow with the very modern, very explosive grenade that sits on the end of the arrow.
While very powerful and probably the most fun weapon to use in the game, the learning curve to actually use the bow makes it a little hard to pick up quickly.
3 Hammer Of Dawn (Airstrike)
The Hammer Of Dawn sits a little too close to the turrets and grenades that we aren’t including in this list, but as it is so iconic, it had to make an appearance somewhere. This weapon is effectively the laser pen that tells a huge satellite where to dump a beam of high-powered energy in order to wreak havoc on everything below. It might be pretty rare, but it’s just so satisfying.
2 Lancer (Assault Rifle)
The Lancer is the most famous gun to come out of Gears Of War. It’s the standard-issue weapon for COGs and tends to get an upgrade in just about every Gears game. This variant is the classic, however. Powerful assault rifle bullets are your main source of firepower here, but the chainsaw bayonet is in equal parts brutal and effective.
1 Longshot (Sniper)
Of course, it’s hard to top off any list of the best weapon in any game without handing the crown to the sniper. It’s an even easier decision to make when the sniper in question is the Gears Of War 2 Longshot, a weapon capable of blowing the heads straight off of Locust soldiers.