Gears of War 2: Too violent for some?

Could Microsoft's newest action game have gone too far?

Gears of War was famously banned in Germany, after the country's ratings organization declined to issue the game an age certificate. Gears 2 covers much of the same ground, but adds in more realistic visuals, a deeper plot, and battles that concentrate more on mobility and dynamic combat than the original, which some decried as a prettier version of the old "whack-a-mole" parlor game.