Cliffy B and the super-hype machine
Gameplay:
The basic mechanic that drives Gears of War is the idea of finding cover and taking out the enemy from your secure position. GoW aims to put forth stark realism in its gameplay. GoW has been able to accomplish one of the best cover systems in recent years. To duck behind cover you simply press the A button along with the corresponding direction in which you wish to duck for cover. It often works very seamlessly and helps maintain the high octane pace of the game. Of course there are several instances where you might get stuck in environment, since the A button is also used masterfully to provide a ducking run, that helps you avoid fire and get from one location to another rather quickly. Though this will rarely be a concern for players as there is much shooting to be had in GoW. The weapons all have their own unique flair and provide devastating gore when used in close range. Head shots have not been this good since Resident Evil 4. But the weapon that steals the show is the Lancer Assault Rifle, which is equipped with a chainsaw at the end to extreme melee carnage. Never has melee been so fun in a game since the implementation of this chainsaw rifle, which when revved up literally slices your foe into fleshy pieces of meat, reminiscent of Soldier of Fortune Gold. The aiming is spot on and everything comes together into one solid action packed orgy of gore. The different components work well both online and offline, and have no fear the clunky D-Pad on the Xbox-360 controller never gets in the way of the fun. Now the flaws of GoW lay in the main story which is fairly weak and doesn’t do much in the character development department. Basically all you’re given is that you’re a group of big beefy guys fighting an army of big beefy monsters in order to take back your world. And luckily this is all you really need to know as the action is so amazing that it will only really run through your mind during parts of the story where you might ask yourself “shouldn’t I be told something here?”. As for the ever popular achievements, they are divided fairly evenly among the single player component, the cooperative component and the multiplayer.
Graphics:
Gears of War has some of the most impressive graphics I have ever seen. Explosions, rain, bloody bits are all given justice in this game and are never wrongly represented. Epic has used the latest Unreal Engine to expertly map the environments and the characters, in what is the best looking game on the Xbox 360. The graphics also do not falter on multiplayer either, all in all GoW packs a punch in the graphics department. With support up to 1080i when Gows is hooked up to an HDTV, it’ll be an expericen like no other.
Audio:
Along with the weak story the audio in Gears of War falters for not being dramatic enough. The music doesn’t really stand out at all, meanwhile the guns do not pack the audio power they should. The only gratifying sound in the game is the sound of your Lancer Rifle chopping up your enemy. The main character Marcus Fenix sounds too cliché, and the overall voice work isn’t really too good. What really got me was the awful song at the end of game when the credits were rolling; it was simply a joke! Though the sound of the game is a bit lack luster, you can rock to Gears of War on Dolby Pro Logic 2, which again provides an exciting experience through surround sound.
Modes:
Gears of War features three different modes, the single player campaign with three varying difficulties, as well as a coop mode which can be played on the same three difficulties. You can play coop on the same system through split screen, through a LAN connection hooked up to another 360, or through xbox live. By hosting a game you’ll play as Marcus and your friend will team up with you as the trusty Domingo Santiago. What’s very cool is that you or your friend can jump in at any time to kick some Locust ass. There are no hiccups and no graphical problems when playing coop online. After much talk about the single player component where Gears really shines is in its spectacular multiplayer. With three different modes War zone, Execution and Assassination you’ll be on for hours with your friends. With a max of eight players, four on four can be pitted against each other as the Locust and the COGs (Coalition of Organized Governments). GoW implements online teamwork like no other game on the 360. Not one mechanic from the single player is useless, which makes GoW online a fun installment in the 360 library of games. The only problem I find with the multiplayer is the constant problems with connecting to ranked games online (something found in many of the 360’s games). Epic will most likely fix this problem in the future in the form of a downloadable patch. Though the modes aren’t very different it simply does not matter, as it is such a fun experience, and who doesn’t like to chainsaw people into bloody bits online huh?
Final Verdict:
Gears of War has come and it is every bit as fun as everyone imagined, though with a lack luster single player campaign who can complain with such an impressive multiplayer. As to any future downloadable content only time will tell, but expect to receive something at your local xbox live market place. Gears of War presents a spectacular blend of high octane action and adventure and one of the most exciting multiplayer components in years. Though it is a bit late Gears of War has ushered the in the true age of Next Generation gaming, what ever that may mean to you. No matter where you’re from or who you are, Gears of war is for you, it is a must have game for the Xbox 360.