The Dark Corners DLC pack hits Xbox Live on July 29 for 1600 Microsoft Points. The chief attraction is multiplayer, thanks to the introduction of seven new maps, as revealed back in May.

But there’s also a “deleted scene” from the campaign called Road To Ruin. This is a short chapter apparently chopped from the final game, as Cliff Bleszinski explains in a quick video just before you start playing. Like the rest of the campaign, Road To Ruin can be played solo or cooperatively. It takes place after you learn of Maria’s fate and details the brief journey Marcus and Dom take to Nexus.

What’s a little different about it is the option you have right up front to play it stealthily or go in guns blazing as the Cogs always do. Opting for the latter rewards you with a level consisting of half a dozen typical Gears skirmishes leading up to a fittingly larger scale finale.

It plays out like Act 4 from the original campaign, albeit condensed to just one level. Early sections are open lengths of underground highway, dotted with all the bits of cover you’d expect, and deliver a really satisfying mix of long and close range combat. Later sections bring in those toggleable barriers you’ll remember seeing in the original campaign the closer you got to the palace, culminating in a frantic final battle that has you using them to defend a spot under siege on several fronts.

So, go in guns blazing and it’s the same Gears of War 2 you know – and possibly love – only slightly more of it. I completed the scene in around 30 minutes on Normal difficulty, flying solo.

But what happens when you choose stealth?

Here, Marcus and Dom don Locust clothing and try to bluff their way through. You traverse (mostly) the same route through the level, but instead of fighting your way, you’re walking. The locust goons won’t recognise you in disguise, but they will be smell your humanity should you get too close.

It sounds interesting, particularly to a fan of stealth games like me. But Gears of War 2 was never built for stealth. Sadly, it simply boils down to waiting for the patrolling Locust to move out of the way and then jogging past them. Occasionally you’ll need to “distract them” by flicking a lever somewhere to send a crate crashing down nearby.

Stealth doesn’t factor into the AI at all; you’re either at a safe distance in plain sight or you’re too close and they’ll start shooting you. It’s all highly scripted and offers no room for trying your own thing. It’s even scripted in that at a certain point you’ll be forced to start shooting anyway.

As lame as the stealth approach may be, it’s just about worth doing to see the couple of different areas the path eventually takes. It also nearly doubles the play time you’ll get out of this. Which is nice. Still, you’ll have seen everything on offer in under an hour.

Of course, as mentioned up top, the Dark Corners DLC is really a multiplayer map pack with bonus campaign content. If you don’t play online, there’s nothing here worth your 1600 MS Points. And it’s worth even less if the idea of Gears 2 played stealthily was what had you interested in the first place.

While the retail edition bundles all previous DLC plus the seven new multiplayer maps on a disc called Gears of War 2: All Fronts, the DLC will deliver just the new content in a pack called Dark Corners.

As well as the multiplayer maps, Dark Corners also comes with a “deleted campaign chapter” called Road To Ruin. According to Microsoft, this chapter sees “Marcus and Dom return to the Locust Hollow in a scene that can be played two ways, guns blazing or in all-new stealth mode.”

Dark Corners will release on July 29 and cost you 1600 Microsoft Points. No word yet on when the All Fronts disc release will be available in Australia, nor how much it will cost. UPDATE: Microsoft has confirmed with us that there will be no retail disc release in Australia. Looks like we just get Dark Corners, not All Fronts.

Wait… stealth?

Back in March, rumours flew about a new batch of downloadable content for Gears of Wars 2 called Dark Corners, but Epic denied that such DLC existed. Turns out that they were absolutely correct. Dark Corners is not DLC. It’s a new map pack being included in the Gears of War 2: All Fronts Collection, available exclusively at retail worldwide on July 28th. The collection includes all of the Gears 2 DLC to date, along with Dark Fronts, a collection of seven new multiplayer maps which you can find detailed below.

In order to make the pack worthwhile to those who’ve already downloaded the majority of the Gears 2 DLC, the package also contains an introduction from Cliff Bleszinski for “Road to Ruin”, a collectible poster, a strategy guide, and a custom Xbox Live theme.

And the price? $US19.99, £14.99, or €19.99, depending on who you’re paying for the privilege of taking the package home. A great value for those who’ve yet to download map one for the game, though things get a bit sketchy the more you’ve already purchased. Extras aside, is $US20 too much for seven new maps? Perhaps the map descriptions will help you decide.

The seven new multiplayer maps in the “Gears of War 2: Dark Corners” Game Add-on are:

* Allfathers Garden: honour the sacred grounds of the Coalition founders in this explosive map, where powerful weapons catalyze fast and furious action at this COG landmark.
* Memorial: Set near the Eternal Flame, which pays tribute to the fallen soldiers on the battlefield, a hard-fought battle ensues at the Tomb of Unknowns. Putting their flank formation and evasive skills to the test, players will fight to control the Boomshot.
* Sanctuary: Once a peaceful ground for reflection and remembrance, all that remains of the Sanctuary is the chill of death. Feast your eyes on the arsenal of weapons available as you make your way through the tight paths and blind corners of the Locust-damaged temple corridors.
* War Machine: In the abandoned train station that once served as a hub for travel, players will need to master the Longshot, Mulcher and Boomshot weapons to advance the fight while evading fire from the platforms above.
* Highway: Take the fight deep into the Locust Hollow in the complex passages of this underground highway system brimming with enemy vermin. Stick together, separate the enemy and have an exit strategy ready or it’ll be a one-way trip.
* Way Station: Sitting in limbo between death and “processing” are Locust way stations filled with fallen COG soldiers. Tread lightly and practice patience as it’s better to sacrifice firepower for stealth while navigating this minefield of hidden grenades.
* Nowhere: Set in the middle of what was once a destination for weary desert travellers, the land is now barren and devoid of life. Pick off your enemies with the Longshot sniper rifle and make your way to the stairwell with a well-fortified team during this intense firefight.