One of the bigger disappointments in the first Gears of War title was the fact that it lacked a proper party system, where you can drag your friends into a rousing multiplayer match of epic proportions. Fortunately, Epic Games' Gears of War 2 lead designer Cliff Bleszinski (CliffyB) has all the right answers for that particular issue in the latest iteration in the series.

CliffyB explains all the new features they were able to sneak into Gears of War 2's multiplayer mode. During a video interview with GamesVideo.com, he talks about everything from new game mode features to subtle gameplay balances added to make the latest iteration more fun for everyone.

One of the more interesting new game modes in the upcoming title would have to be the Meatflag mode. It's essentially a standard capture the flag type of game, except that your flag is a gun-toting Stranded which arbitrarily shoots anything in sight. Once you subdue the "flag" you can then take it back to your team's home base. This doesn't stop the other team from knocking the Stranded from your possession, which can get up and start its shooting spree all over again.

Another game mode that will be making a comeback is a modification of the previous iteration's Assassination mode - now called Guardian. Other game modes include the tag team Wingman mode, the standard deathmatch Warzone, Gridlock, and much more.

The developers also made it a point to round out and balance the previous tactics Gears of War veterans used to employ in the first game. Some weapons will now have "stopping power", which can effectively halt kamikaze players from recklessly charging up to an enemy and pumping them full of shotgun lead or carving them up like a holiday turkey with your chainsaw.

High class weapons will also be rotated regularly on the map, so that players don't simultaneously rush to the same point upon spawning. In addition, a new, dynamic battle cam mode has also been included in multiplayer matches for players watching on the sidelines. The devs mentioned that the game gives you points based on the quality of the screenshots taken, which can then be put up on the leaderboards with other wartime photojounalists.

If you want to find out more about Gears of War 2's multiplayer aspect, you can listen to CliffyB himself as he talks about how bigger and badder it is now. Enjoy the video!