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Stopping Power is the term used by game developer Epic Games to describe the "stopping" effect of bullets on enemies featured in Gears of War 2. Stopping Power is present in all of the weapons in the Gears of War 2, whether or not they fire bullets, explosives, etc.

The idea of Stopping Power was inspired by a popular tactic in Gears of War, which consisted of rushing up to an enemy with a Gnasher Shotgun, doing a combat roll, and then firing into the enemy at point-blank range. Multiplayer games usually degenerated into matches of such tactics, as players abandoned the use of cover and ranged weapons in favor of shotguns. Stopping Power was developed by Epic Games to prevent the use of this tactic in Gears of War 2, as now players attempting to use this tactic will be slowed down and killed before coming into shotgun range.

Gameplay Edit

Stopping Power is achieved by shooting at an approaching enemy, which will slow down the movement of the enemy (even if moving by Roadie Run or a combat roll). Stopping Power has no effect on an enemy from behind or the side, and is only in effect so long as the enemy is being damaged. Enemies slowed down by Stopping Power can recover their movement speed if the player stops shooting at them. A player attempting to use the Chainsaw Bayonet while affected by Stopping Power will be temporarily stunned.

Constant fire on the enemy is needed for maximum effect. Weapons with relatively slow rates of fire, such as the Gnasher Shotgun and Longshot Sniper Rifle, have a negligible Stopping Power effect. The Lancer and the Hammerburst II are examples of weapons that have significant Stopping Power due to fast rates of fire.