In Gears 2 co-op, we've got some cool puzzles that take advantage of co-op. The crane you saw at E3, in the real version of that level, Dom gets in the crane and Marcus pilots it to maneuver Dom around. It's a bit like the spotlight levels from Gears 1. There's another part where Dom and Marcus have to carry a huge bomb between them, and it's like watching two guys wearing a donkey suit -- in co-op, if one players goes the wrong way it messes things up, and both players are blasting at Wretches with pistols. There are some co-op driving moments, and there's another vehicle scenario where Marcus and Dom each ride Reavers. That's a co-op experience, not this [makes the alley-oop gesture].

Speaking of the campaign, who's your favorite new enemy?

I like the Tickers. I like enemies who give you a bigger reward if you take a bigger risk. If you get close to a Ticker and melee it, it'll flip onto its back and become, essentially, an exploding barrel. If you're good, you can make it blow up in your enemy's faces. There are Locust who carry Scorcher flamethrowers, too, and you can pop their tank to wipe out everyone nearby. It's all part of a positive feedback loop.

Driveable vehicles, how big of an emphasis will they have in Gears of War 2?

You only ride on the Derrick, but you can drive the Centaur tank, which works like a monster truck. The Centaur level is fun: you're driving up a mountain wall, across frozen lakes where you can hear the ice creaking and cracking, and powersliding through Locust crowds. And then the Centaur goes underground. You also get to ride the Reavers, and there's a great chase sequence there in the campaign. And of course, later in the game, you get to ride the Brumack. It's a big middle finger to the Locust when you do that. You can watch the crowds just running and screaming from you.