Gears has made an impression on me. And that impression is indeed positive. However, the few flaws really stand out.
Gears of war probably is the best third person shooter made, but the multiplayer has some flaws. Just like all TPSs, it isn't really Gears' fault. But it really lowered the score, by maybe .2. The story-mode is just amazing and the creativity Epic Games used with the Beserker and the Corpser. WOW. I was wrong about Gears, but just a little bit right.
Although Gears' combat is sweet, the awareness during firefights gives you an advantage AND a disadvantage. Close combat is ruled by the chainsaw and/or melee. But when you use those components, you are suddenly kinda cornered. The health system is too forgiving, but getting smacked once and a half will put you down for the night. OUCH.
To discuss the components of the game....
Gameplay- The story needed nothing to make it any better. But, the multiplayer and the chainsawing and host advantages and all of these flawtastic features are pretty annoying. However, I'd like to say that the single player really stood out. In an age where multiplayer seems to be the only bit of a game that had any effort put into it, the campaign seemed polished and it remained fresh throughout the experienced.
Graphics (10)- Do I need or need not to discuss this? Easy choice, it beats out the bullet ripples in FEAR's bullet times, it beats out the amazing physics and detail of THP8. And for the most part, actually made me think if this game would be the end of sweet graphics. Graphics make the game more inviting and more playable, and this is a bit plus. The strange blood was...funky, but hey! There's epic for you, they have strange things in all of their unreal games...why not continue it? The detail on the walls of the outsides of houses are unprecedented. I am also impresed with how the game looked exactly like the CGI trailers. The textures have no end to them either, so you never see the same thing twice basically. But it is a short game so there isn't much to be seen.
Sound (8)- The explosions, the locusts yelling, your gun screaming out bullet after bullet. It's all here, but it needs to be broken down so you can understand fully. Because, of how the weapons are unrealistic,so you can't measure that. But what you can measure, are breath-taking but it will get inse your head just like the song that will never end. I actually couldn't sleep that well because of how the souncds echoed over and over. MAjor deductable, because if Epic would've used a TON of sound effects I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it.
Value (8)- You know I have a problem with the multiplayer, but it doesn't really effect how the single player goes. The single player has replay value up the booty. You can go through and collect COG tags to earn achievements. You can go through once again and defeat a beserker, corpser, and general raam for achievements. 3 levels of difficulty, plenty of locusts to kill. They also have an active reload feature that will reward you when you do a perfect reload. It will give you a damage bonus, so you can bring the pain even harder.
I am definitely impressed by gears. More impressed now that I have beat it. I actually could buy this game, but not for a total of 60 bucks. Few games deserve that kind of money.
MY PROBLEM: The game basically revolves around the lackluster multiplayer. Its terrible, not much fun at all. You're better off with counter-strike or battlefield....at least those have good variety and great use of weaponry.