‘sup and welcome. This guide details the location of every collectible item in Gears of War 2; COG tags, journals, newspapers and so on.
In addition to a written description of each item’s location, I’ve also provided video walkthrough, below.
Contents
About Collectibles
Collectibles are items that you can pick up or investigate throughout Gears of War 2. Doing so earns the following achievements:
Collector – Recover 5 collectibles (any difficulty) – 5 gamerscore
Pack Rat – Recover 20 collectibles (any difficulty) – 15 gamerscore
Completionist – Recover all 41 collectibles (any difficulty) – 30 gamerscore
Collectibles can be obtained on any difficulty level. It doesn’t matter if you miss some during a single play through the game, you can load whatever chapter you want, in any difficulty level, and any missed collectibles will always be there.
Collectible Locations
Act 1: Tip of the Spear
Chapter 1: Welcome to Delta
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#1 and #2)
Collectible 01: The Eagle Newspaper
When you start the game, be sure to take the Training option. Right after you begin, head down the alley and keep an eye out on the floor for The Eagle Newspaper, it’s in the middle of the street.
Collectible 02: Ambulance Driver’s Log
Once you drop down the ladder at the end of the Training section, go right and enter the garage to find the Ambulance Driver’s Log.
Chapter 2: Desperation
Collectibles in this chapter: 5 (#3, #4, #5, #6 and #7)
Collectible 03: Doctor’s Journal
After your first encounter with locusts in the hospital, you’ll be in a long room overlooking the floor below you. Head to the left of the room and into a small adjacent room to find the Doctor’s Journal.
Collectible 04: Jacinto Medical Center File
A few rooms ahead you’ll find a large, enclosed reception desk in the center of the room. Check the floor inside to find the Jacinto Medical Center File.
Collectible 05: COG Letterhead
Right beside the cafeteria is a small room with a desk and a computer. Inside this room is the COG Letterhead. You should unlock the “Collector” achievement at this point, if you’re getting all of the collectibles in order.
Collectible 06: COG Proclamation
The COG Proclamation is on the second floor of the hospital’s lobby, near some ammo just as you enter the room.
Collectible 07: COG Tags: Private Dylan Murphy
As soon as you exit the hospital turn right and you’ll find these tags behind a pillar.
Chapter 3: Rolling Thunder
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#8 and #9)
Collectible 08: Grindlift Notice
The notice is right behind you as you start, on the wall.
Collectible 09: Munitions Requisition Form
When you get off the rig to defend Dizzy, check to the left of the rig. It’s near some bushes and ammo.
Chapter 4: The Big Push
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Chapter 5: Roadblocks
Collectibles in this chapter: 4 (#10, #11, #12 and #13)
Collectible 10: Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper
In the first building you enter in this chapter, check upstairs. The Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper is near some grenades.
Collectible 11: Memorial Inscription
After getting rid of the Tickers, check the wall of the war memorial to find the Memorial Inscription. This is after you chainsaw through some debris, and before the Nemacysts.
Collectible 12: Landown Delivery Driver’s Note
This collectible can be found on the floor at the back of the imulsion station. After Cole and the Centaur show up and take out the Troika on the left, enter the imulsion station and it’s on the floor of the back room.
Collectible 13: COG Tags: Private Samuel Lee
About half way through the tunnel, your way is blocked by wrecked cars. BEFORE you go up the short set of steps to the left of these cars, check to the left of them and you’ll find a room with the tags inside.
Chapter 6: Digging In
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Act 2: Denizens
Chapter 1: Scattered
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Chapter 2: Indigenous Creatures
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#14 and #15)
Collectible 14: Gear Journal
After you find the Rockworm, keep an eye out to the left and cut through the vines. You’ll find a Grindlift, some ammo, and the journal here.
Collectible 15: Kantus Scroll
After you reach the top of this area, where you’ll find a couple of Troikas and a Reaver that appears, you can find the Kantus scroll behind the Troika at the back of the platform.
Chapter 3: Disturbing Revelations
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#16)
Collectible 16: Locust Emblem
After your first encounter in this chapter with Drones, Wretches and Kantus, go through the doors and you’ll find the emblem near some ammo.
Chapter 4: Sinking Feeling
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#17 and #18)
Collectible 17: Ilima Help Wanted Ad
Up the path, right of the Bloodmounts. It’s on the overlook that faces the snipers, near a Gorgon pistol. Basically after the Stranded runs towards you shouting that Locust are killing everybody, follow the right hand wall and you’ll see a wrecked car. It’s behind the car.
Collectible 18: COG Tags: Hank Bissell
Right after Cole saves you, the tags can be found just inside the building, to the left, before you leave.
Chapter 5: Captivity
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#19)
Collectible 19: Stranded Journal (Jennifer)
After releasing Baird from his cell, proceed around the next corner and then turn right and head down the short path to find the journal.
Chapter 6: Intestinal Fortitude
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#20 and #21)
Collectible 20: Car Gold Magazine
Head left as soon as you start the chapter and you’ll find the magazine on the floor. If you’re getting the collectibles in order, you’ll get the second Collectible achievement, Pack Rat, here.
Collectible 21: COG Tags
These can be a little hard to see. After you find Carmine, but before you turn the corner, look around on the floor to the left. It’s against the left wall, and because of the color and dark, it’s a bit hard to see.
Act 3: Gathering Storm
Chapter 1: Dirty Little Secret
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Chapter 2: Origins
Collectibles in this chapter: 3 (#22, #23 and #24)
Collectible 22: Interoffice Memo
After blowing up the door, check in the small office to the right as you enter the new room. The journal is near a Boltok pistol.
Collectible 23: Memo (Dr Doug Sato)
After you use the security system to kill the wretches, this can be found in a small room on the right side of the main hallway. You have to kick down a door in this room to reach the memo.
Collectible 24: New Hope Medical File
Later in the chapter, you’ll come across a room with a few turrets on the ceiling, with a switch at the back of the room to deactivate them. In the small room behind the switch you can find the New Hope Medical File.
Chapter 3: Rude Awakening
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#25 and #26)
Collectible 25: Doctor’s Journal
After exiting the facility, DO NOT get on the train. Go right instead and go inside the small building. The Doctor’s Journal is on the floor at the back.
Collectible 26: Captivity Marks
Before boarding the final train, turn around and go inside the building behind you. In here you’ll find the Captivity Marks scratched on a wall.
Chapter 4: Ascension
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Chapter 5: Displacement
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#27)
Collectible 27: Stranded’s Journal
At the point where you have to destroy the gunboat, check in the middle of the area and go all the way to the top of the stairs here. The Stranded’s Journal is at the top of them.
Chapter 6: Brackish Waters
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Act 4: Hive
Chapter 1: Priorities
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#28)
Collectible 28: Locust Terminal
The Locust Terminal is in the same room where you have to activate a terminal to search for Maria. DO NOT activate the first terminal yet. Instead, check the second terminal and you’ll get this collectible.
Chapter 2: Answers
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#29)
Collectible 29: Locust Prisoner’s Journal
When the Mauler, Theron Guard and Drones have left or been dealt with, before checking the terminal, look to the left of it near the cavern wall to find the Locust Prisoner’s Journal.
Chapter 3: Hornet’s Nest
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#30 and #31)
Collectible 30: Locust Jailer Document
Just downstairs from where you enter, turn right and head down the small corridor. You’ll find the Locust Jailer Document on the floor.
Collectible 31: Human Finger Necklace
This one can be easy to miss. After you defeat the pair of Grinders which come out of the large doors, you’ll need to roadie run to enter the small room with the Troika before the door closes. As soon as you kill the Grinders, roadie run straight past them and follow the path until you see a door closing in front of you. Turn right, head up the stairs and if you’re fast enough you’ll make it in just before the second door closes. The necklace is on the floor to the right inside the door.
Chapter 4: No Turning Back
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#32 and #33)
Collectible 32: Locust Calendar
Up the stairs shortly after you start the chapter. It’s the round thing with glowing orange lights on it, against the left wall.
Collectible 33: Locust Defensive Plans
You’ll come across an area where you’re on some stairs, looking down on a Kantus and one of the large locust. Head down to the left, then pull the lever to extend the bridge pstairs. Run across it and turn left. The Locust Defensive Plans are at the end of the room.
Chapter 5: The Best-Laid Plans
Collectibles in this chapter: 2: (#34 and #35)
Collectible 34: Locust Invasion Map
Before getting on the lift, proceed to the right and you’ll find the map in one of the doorways on the right hand side.
Collectible 35: Trinity of Worms
Before heading down the spiral staircase, climb the staircase behind you (where the Grinder was). This collectible is a pattern on the floor at the end of the corridor, at the bottom of the stairs.
Chapter 6: Royal Inquisition
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#36)
Collectible 36: Locust Tablets
Near the start of the chapter, the tablets are on the floor between two pillars at the end of the room. This is the room just after the computer room.
Act 5: Aftermath
Chapter 1: Escape
Collectibles in this chapter: None.
Chapter 2: Desperate Stand
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#37 and #38)
Collectible 37: COG Recon Report
After the Raven clears the locust off the platform for you, head right and go down the stairs to the lower platform. The recon report is here, near some ammo.
Collectible 38: COG Tags: Sergeant Devon Jackson
During the final encounter with Brumaks here, head to the far end of the platform and go down the steps. You’ll find the tags near a Longshot.
Chapter 3: Free Parking
Collectibles in this chapter: 2 (#39 and #40)
Collectible 39: Jacinto Sentinel Newspaper
Shortly after the fight in the courtyard (against Wretches and Maulers with a Troika in the center), proceed to the next area and you should find yourself facing a Grinder in the center, to the right. The newspaper is behind the wall to the right of the Grinder. This is just before Marcus and Dom split up.
Collectible 40: COG Tags
The tags are at the end of the level, inside a ruined building on the left hand side of the street, just after you defeat the Reaver. Yes, I know the War Journal says this is in the Tenuous Footing chapter, but it’s not. However, if you want to get this tag quickly, you can reload the Tenuous Footing chapter, and turn around and run back for a while to find the building.
Chapter 4: Tenuous Footing
Collectibles in this chapter: 1 (#41)
Collectible 41: Stranded’s Journal
After you fall down several floors, jump out into the next area and check in the far right corner behind a desk to find the Stranded’s Journal.
And that’s it. Congratulations, you should now have every collectible item in Gears of War 2, and all three achievements.
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