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Posted on: Nov 05, 2007
Gears of War
WORDS BY: Dan Amrich
Reptiles with guns. Chainsaw bayonets. Buckets of gore. Very little hope for humanity. No longer a covert operation, Epic’s sci-fi shooter Gears of War has finally emerged, and it’s pretty much everything we hoped it would be, as well as a few things we didn’t expect.
DEATH FROM BELOW
The planet Sera isn’t all that different than Earth, with two big exceptions: the planet is hollow inside, and homicidal lizards are living down there. Fourteen years before Gears of War takes place, those creatures — dubbed the Locust Horde — burst through the planet’s crust and wiped out one-quarter of humanity. When the Locust breach the last bastion of humanity, Coalition of Ordered Governments soldier Marcus Fenix follows his heart instead of his orders, deserting his post in an attempt to save his father. He fails, doubling the tragedy — and Marcus has plenty of time to reflect in maximum-security prison. When squadmate Dom comes to spring Fenix from the clink, it’s to recall him to active duty for the COG. There’s a war on. Sera needs him now.
Fenix’s world at war is different than the one you’re used to saving. If you approach Gears’ combat sequences like the frothy, frantic battles of Halo or Unreal Tournament, you’ll be shredded in seconds. You’ll need to be aware of your location, quickly size up the terrain, pick a spot, and pick your shots. But you’re also doomed if you mistake Gears for an overly tactical squad-based shooter, since the Locust don’t sit around waiting to be killed. They’ll flank you, actively hunting you like the intelligent, heavily armed creatures they are. The closest gameplay paradigm is Counter-Strike, where soldiers square off in battleground skirmishes, skillfully removing the opposition and using the varied terrain to their advantage. But even that doesn’t do Gears of War justice; it’s far more visceral and engaging.
CHESS WITH GUNS
The gauntlet Gears throws down is clear: behave like a soldier or die like a dog. Rule #1: You’re required to use cover. Approach a chunk of debris in the street, press A and push the left analog stick forward, and SLAM! You drive your shoulder into the short wall, grunting and kicking up dust. From here, you can fire from three different positions (including a no-aim “blind fire”) or execute one of a handful of military moves, such as mantling over the top or ducking into an evasive roll out to the side. Because enemies possess the same options, combat feels a bit like chess…if the chessboard were made of shattered granite and new pieces suddenly and violently drilled through the bottom of the board in an attempt to eat your face.
But as with chess, all moves and counter-moves must be considered. We don’t want to call it a “thinking man’s shooter,” but Gears does require a certain intention of action. There’s a definite rhythm to the gameplay — hitting your reloads (see sidebar, page 42), managing cover, pacing your attacks — and it’s fantastic when you’re in the zone. Master the techniques, and you’ll gain the satisfaction of not just playing the game but actively owning each victory.
SERA NEWS NETWORK
This calculated combat doesn’t strip away any speed from the action. Gears of War is as fast as a first-person shooter even though the camera has been firmly planted over Fenix’s shoulder. Well, maybe not “firmly planted” — much of Gears of War looks like it was shot on location in Iraq. Break into a crouched “roadie run” by holding the A button, and the camera wobbles at your heels, desperately trying to keep up with your sprint. This kind of realism is the ironic goal of the Unreal Engine.
The squalid surroundings play their part, too. Gray, brown, rust, ash...all the shades of destruction are here. Sickening yellow and green hazes complement the deep red pools of blood, but occasional glimpses of blue are the only signs of life, reflected in the Coalition armor. Sera’s a detailed, tactile world, full of rubble and scorched remnants of previous lives. Picture Condemned, only with underground monsters popping out instead of homicidal junkies. No characters with sunken eyes or plastic skin here — you won’t doubt that the Deltas are fighting for their lives because, well, they look lifelike, down to accurate lip-sync in the middle of a firefight. All this, and you’ll never spot a drop in framerate. Somehow, Gears’ landmark-setting graphics really do live up to their screenshot previews.
Sun, 10/18/2009 - 04:43
Posted by wickland
Looks like a fun and enjoyable experience. Gears of War is great.
Mon, 07/27/2009 - 15:21
Posted by gameguruu
I love
pools of blood and weapon kgs
Thu, 02/05/2009 - 02:46
Posted by shweet117
This game is better than the sequal in my opinion
[url=http://profile.mygamercard.net/shweet117][img]http://card.mygamercard.net/lastgame/shweet117.png[/img][/url]
Wed, 10/29/2008 - 22:35
Posted by ReaperXD
Dam good score but Im way better
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 23:33
Posted by EarlessDiablo
Can't wait till number 2!
Tue, 10/14/2008 - 23:07
Posted by EarlessDiablo
Good game but can get boring depending on who you are
Wed, 09/17/2008 - 14:45
Posted by yangsin200
used to love the game it was great at first then it got boring when i got online oy it was horrible glithing just for rank i hope they get banned those glicthers thats why i play halo3 and cod 4
Sat, 07/26/2008 - 22:43
Posted by j93afi
okay this game is whack!!!
i hate it COD4 is way better this game sucks its too slow!
and all you do u is cover shoot cover shoot!
its really boring!
halo3 and cod4 are way better than this i give it 3/10
Fri, 06/20/2008 - 20:10
Posted by Confirm4Crit
This game is amazing, and there is a "Refresh" Coming out 6/25, which includes both map packs, 4 $39.99
Pick it up!
Mon, 05/26/2008 - 14:49
Posted by matt96
best game eva
Sun, 04/20/2008 - 13:47
Posted by tayjhdoh
the chainsaw is bloody good
Fri, 04/11/2008 - 13:32
Posted by geek24
i love you cliffy b
Thu, 03/27/2008 - 22:48
Posted by RHumphries
Best game ever no matter what any one says.
Sun, 03/23/2008 - 16:23
Posted by gamerfreakh
Best shooting game ever its soooo much fun BUY IT TODAY seriously BUY IT its the best game of the year and the BEST GAME EVER!!!!
Thu, 03/13/2008 - 00:41
Posted by killer_rabbit20
This game is amazing. Just go buy it. Definatly one of the must haves for the 360 along with Assassins Creed and Condemned 2: Bloodshot.
Thu, 03/06/2008 - 13:55
Posted by D EVIL
Lol @ gears is just like killswitch
i don't think so man....only thing somewhat similair is the type of game i suppose.....nothing else
gears is tripple times better than KS....in every single aspect
KS is a complete insult to the masterpiece that is GOW
nuff said.
Tue, 03/04/2008 - 21:15
Posted by gokanhan56
MLGangster, you make a few good points, but you seem to be forgetting (or ignoring) the fact that Halo 3 is still sixty dollars. I, personally like Halo better, but Gears is still great.
And, besides, a little mindless fun never hurt anybody.
Sat, 02/16/2008 - 12:58
Posted by 666norton420
THIS GAME BLOWS HARD!!
WTF do people like it?
personally, i like halo2/3 MUCH better!
now, that's not cause i don't like thinking, as some would say is the reason i would like H3 over gears, but i'm an avid RTS fan as well!
H3 simply allows for more varied game play.
MLGangster:"Halo 3 requires about as much brainpower as screwing in a lightbulb. u jump, you shoot, you die. boring."
personally, i have about a 10-1 kill/death ratio; it's about tactics, not just shooting!
this is what i hear about gears, yet it's just slow and boring at most times!
don't even get me started on campaign!
WHY WOULD I PLAY CO-OP WITH A BUDDY, JUST TO HAVE THE RETARDED COMP COVER MY ASS HALF THE MISSIONS??!?
...
games are all about payoff!!
with gears, the little bit of intense action is not enough of offset the slow, boring pace of most of the game!
i bought it a week after it launched...
played it for 2 weeks with my friend and alone....
haven't put it back into my 360 yet!
it really isn't that much better than the ps2/xbox original game it ripped off, killswitch!
cliffy b deserves a kick in the nuts for this mess!!
;d
Tue, 01/29/2008 - 22:07
Posted by MLGangster
I dont care what u guys think about halo 3, the fact is gears is the defining 360 game. Halo 3 requires about as much brainpower as screwing in a lightbulb. u jump, you shoot, you die. boring. gears is so much more than that i worship epic and cliff for this. i constantly hear people saying " oh halo is so much better cause it looks better and its fuuun. it is not either of those in any way. it has the LOWEST average frame rate of the three, and is the EXACT SAME THING as halo 2. The only promising things left in the franchise are Halo Wars and the Peter Jakson thing. Anyway, If Gears wasn't the best, then why would it still be $60? Oblivion was amazing too and is now $30. If you buy a 360 and don't get Gears, you are a stone cold freakin idiot.
Sat, 01/26/2008 - 17:57
Posted by dudster
Still one of the best and fastest paced online games ive played (except when you get into a sniper war, those suck and slow the game down). I would still play this game over halo and comes into a tie with COD4 though I consider them diffrent catogories.
Thu, 01/17/2008 - 01:39
Posted by richarde_2001
NHLfanaticSQ...Come play some Gears in the mansion!!...Good fun for all!!!It really doesnt matter what new games come out....or what you play...YOU ALWAYS COME BACK TO GEARS!!...I loved Call of Duty 4...but after 3 hours of online gameplay....I had a frickin headache!!...So much to keep up with in COD4....I mean its a GREAT game....BUT!!!...I always come back to Gears....I am awaiting Gears 2....Imagine the NEXT Gears game!!....
See ya in the mansion...
NHLfanaticSQ...(Rich)
Wed, 12/12/2007 - 08:32
Posted by NASP22
I JUST HOPE EPIC LETS US HAVE A SHOT AT THE P.C VERSION ON THE 360, NOT EVERY ONE HAS THE MONEY TO DROP ON A NEW P.C JUST TO BE UP TO DATE WITH WHAT EVRE OUT THERE. OR BUYING A NEW G-CARD SO THE GAME PLAY CAN BE INJOYED. LIKE THE HDMI CAME OUT FOR THE ELITE THAT WAS A SLAP TO THE FACE FOR ME. NOW SO I CAN GET THE FULL EFFECT OF THE GAME I NEED TO GO TRADE IN MY OLD 360 OR BUY A NEW ONE. THAT SUCK, SO THEY SOULD THINK ABOUT THERE BUYER THEN FROM GOING FROM 360 TO P.C WORLD. THERE DOING GOOD DONT MESS IT UP.
Sun, 11/25/2007 - 20:27
Posted by fug32
this was a great stepping stone for x-box 360 to make awsome games like cod4 and assassin's creed
Sat, 11/24/2007 - 19:13
Posted by FirelanderX
I love the single-player, hate the multiplayer (only reason I don't play this game a lot). It's a good game if you just want to chainsaw someone, but my final verdict would be an 8.5/10
Thu, 11/22/2007 - 18:07
Posted by xAce of Sp4desx
This game is what made me want to get a 360 in the first place. Awesome gameplay and "gore"gess graphics. THe chainsaw was a big part of the game and to my surprised no one has copied that on anyother game. Now some people might hate for this, but I like this game more than I like all the halo games put together (which they are all the same). GoW is probbly one the 360's top 10 best games ever since the launch until December 31st 07.
I give this game "UA" for Unlike Any other