By now there’s hardly a reason for us to not be excited about Gears of War 2. It’s just something about chainsaws and meat shields that gets our spines all nice and tingly. In case there are any doubters out there, you should know there is a special bonus only for players who pick up a brand new copy of Gears 2 (sorry, no used copies).

Upon opening the case containing Gears 2, we will see a little voucher with a code that can be redeemed over at Xbox LIVE for the Flashback map pack. The maps are from the the original Gears of War, but they’ve been beefed up in the visual department so they won’t necessarily feel like we’re playing the first game again. The pack contains enhanced maps for Canals, Gridlock, Mansion, Subway, and Tyro Station.

But wait, there’s more! Speaking with Gamepro, Epic has announced that a Hammerburst assault rifle dipped in gold will be unlockable in the game. The only way to get this gun is to attend the Gears of War 2 Midnight Madness events on November 6. Epic also said it has no plans to make this weapon available through DLC, so only the truly dedicated will be able to drop Locusts in style.