Gears 2 Stealth Missions and Retail Pricing: Explained

by sweep

After hearing the befuddled account on the Bombcast, it seems nobody really knows what the fuck is going on with this upcoming Gears Of War 2 DLC coming out this summer (despite my blog which explained it all very clearly). There was confusion over if the DLC would be released on disk at retail, also over the "Hidden Chapters". Well, using the power vested in me by absolutely nobody at all, her...

EXHIBIT A

The Box Art

Please note the smallprint at the top of the box:

"REQUIRES FULL VERSION OF THE GAME TO PLAY"

and

"NO DISK INCLUDED, DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT ONLY"

Thats right kids, even if you go out to the store and buy the retail copy with the cloth map equivalent in all it's glory - you still have to plug it into to the world wide web and download DLC the old (new?) fashioned way. I guess the only real benefits to doing it retail as well is to raise public awareness about the DLC for the technologically befuddled, and for people who don't have credit cards and are stuck in the 70's trying to pay for DLC by cheque. Put the pen down, you crazy old bastards.

EXHIBIT B

The "Hidden Chapters" with "Stealth Mode"

The only people who are going to get this DLC are people who already played Gears Of War 2. So, if you didn't pick up on the fact that after

DOM SHOOTS MARIA IN THE HEAD WITH A MAGNUM

Marcus tentatively asks if he would like to sneak at the Hollow, suggesting a "plan" and Holding a Theron Helmet. Dom goes a bit glossy eyed and says he wants to "Kill em all". Game continues at usual pace, locust are chainsawed, etc. You aren't offered a choice. Well, here it is.
The more astute amongst you may also remember that prior to the aformentioned big SPOILER Marcus and Dom have the option of trailing some Locust through the Prison Pens without engaging them. Stealthy.

So yeah, that's almost guaranteed to be the part in the story where you get the option to go all Sam Fisher. I don't have this from a reliable source who works for EPIC, I have this on "common sense". Believe what you want.

Hope that helped clear things up.
Love Sweep