According to the report, Gears of War 2 picks up six months after the original. Along with several new characters, including the wife of co-op partner Dom, the game will pack drop-in and drop-out co-op play, new weapons, and new enemies.

A new difficulty setting has been added for more casual gamers, with Epic noting that it wants the game to be accessible to everyone. The title is said to automatically adjust its difficulty when players of different settings battle together, though specifics were not disclosed.

Other tweaks involve a refined cover system that provides a bit more protection and the removal of the forced walking sections that hid the load times of the Xbox 360 and PC original. In place of the walking conversations are actual conversation cinematics, which can be ended early care of a "SHUT UP" button.

"There's a certain percentage of the audience that wants to skip all that, and they just want to shoot some s---, and we're more than willing to cater to that," noted creator Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski.

Among the new foes are the Kantus, which have the ability to revive enemies from across the battlefield. To make matters worse, the Kantus typically reside towards the rear of a Locust squadron.

"We have creatures that make the Brumak look like a baby panda bear," Bleszinski bragged.

Lastly, one of the new weapons in the COG arsenal is the Centaur, which is said to mix a monster truck with a military tank. Much like the first game, there will be at least one dedicated vehicle driving level.

An Xbox 360 exclusive, Gears of War 2 is slated to arrive this November.