Make no mistake about it; Gears of War is the next generation action game Xbox 360 owners have been waiting for. It's an impressive achievement that manages to up the ante on nearly every aspect of an action game; it's stunning looking, has some of the best audio you will ever hear and is easily the best online game currently available on Microsoft's year-old console. Regardless of what you think of action games, third-person shooters or online multiplayer games, Gears of War is the game to get this holiday season.
But despite the fact that it's one of the best games of the year, Gears of War is not perfect. It has a few design flaws, features a short campaign and doesn't have the variety one would hope for in an online experience. That shouldn't keep you from having a great time with it, but before you head out and buy this game you should definitely know that it is not the perfect game some other game critics may have you believe. It's still a must-own title for your Xbox 360, but if you're expecting it to be a ten out of ten (or in this case, a 100% out of 100%) you will probably be somewhat disappointed.
Gears of War is a balls-to-the-wall action game the likes you have never seen before; it features action sequences you only see in the movies. Much of the game play centers around you hiding behind walls, rocks, ledges and other obstacles peaking your head out to shoot on-coming aliens. If this sounds simplistic then it's because it is. This is not a game about solving puzzles or using tactical skills to take out your attackers, it's more about getting them before they get you. On paper that may not sound like a lot of fun, but in practice this game is all sorts of fun.
A lot of the reason the game works so well is because it's just so much fun to kill your enemies. The feeling you get from pumping 30 plus bullets into an enemy running right at you cannot be measured, there's a visceral excitement you get from just laying into an enemy and taking him down. Perhaps it's because the enemies you face are huge beasts that look like they require an army to kill, or maybe it's the fact that the game looks so good that you want to see the effects over and over again until you get sick of them. Either way Gears of War ends up as one of the greatest action games released in some time, the type of game you show your friends when you're trying to convince them to upgrade to a next generation console.
The game starts with a group of soldiers breaking your character (Marcus) out of prison. From that moment on Marcus will be forced to go head to head against hundreds of ugly, stone-like bad guys who want him dead. The game really doesn't have much of a story; the set up is more of an excuse to get you into untenable situations that will require you to blow a lot of stuff up. And trust me; you'll be using your guns, missile launchers and grenades a lot in this game. The ultimate goal of the game (from what I can tell) is to bomb a few of the aliens (Locusts) strongholds and then escape. As you might imagine, this is easier said than done.
What the game lacks in storytelling it more than makes up for in all out action. This game is non-stop action, to the point where you may grow tired of the bullets and explosions by the end of the campaign. The good news is that you're constantly being transported to brand new locations. At first you're running through blown out city buildings, but soon you'll be exploring the underground caverns, trudging through a scary old mansion and even riding a high speed train. And just when you think you've seen it all, all of a sudden you (and your teammate, Dom) jump into a mine cart for even more crazy fun. While the game play may not change much over the course of the campaign, at least your environments will. Take my word for it; you will always want to know what happens next.
The game is great at creating memorable situations that you will want to go and play again and again. I've been through the single-player campaign at least three times now and I still want to go back and play through a few of the epic battles Marcus and his crew get themselves into. For example, you will never forget the first time you have to engage the Berserker, a blind character who will charge at anything it hears. Mid way through the second level you find yourself surrounded by an absurd amount of Locusts while you are in a gas station. And there are few bosses as exciting as the Corpser, a large spider-like creature that is hinted at early in the game and fully realized by the end of the third stage. These battles (among others I won't get into here) are just as exciting as anything you've seen in the Halo series, and are on par with some of the greatest action movies ever made.
While it's true that the game play doesn't really change as you progress through the game, Epic does do a good job of throwing a few diversions your way in hopes of making you forget that you're basically just hiding and shooting the entire time. At one point in the game you will have to drive a vehicle through the broken streets, all while you dodge debris and shoot a light cannon at incoming bats. Speaking of bats, there's an entire level where you have to figure out how to get through the darkness without being blown to bits by a swarm of these creatures. And then there's the Berserker, a creature that requires you to actually think about how you're going to kill it rather than just rushing in and unloading all of your bullets on the beast. These diversions are few and far between, but they do help to give you a break from all of the shooting you're doing throughout the rest of the game.
The entire game is filled with memorable sequences that will excite and amaze, this is the type of game that manages to feel different while still offering you a traditional game experience. While the game is certainly rooted in the style of a first-person/third-person shooter, the characters don't feel like any game you've played recently. Those going into Gears of War expecting it to play like Halo, Half-Life or SOCOM are going to be disappointed. Fortunately they won't be disappointed for long, because Gears of War manages to carve out its own unique style of game play that is easy to pick up and wholly addictive.
As I said earlier, Gears of War is not the longest game you will play this year. This is a six hour experience that will take you through five lengthy levels and several large bosses. You shouldn't go into this game expecting something the size of The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess or Oblivion, this just isn't that type of game. Instead you get six solid hours of amazing visuals, intense action, and stupid one-liners. Generally I'm the type of person who wants their game as long as possible, but there's something about Gears of War's bite size length that appeals to me. I like that I can sit down and experience the whole game in one sitting. I like that I can show a friend all five levels without them getting bored of hanging out at my house. I like that the game doesn't drag the story out so long that it feels like there's too much filler. Everything in this game feels like it belongs, there is nothing in this game that I would want cut from the finished product, it all fits perfectly.
Had this game gone on another four hours I could see the whole experience getting old. As it is the game ends around the time you're getting tired of performing the same moves from one level to the next. Another few levels and some of the game's flaws would have been highlighted, a sixth or seventh level would have felt like overkill. As it is the game ends at a perfect spot, you don't get too sick of killing these huge creatures and it leaves you wanting more. Hopefully when Epic releases the sequel (which is all but certain to come out) they are able to take what made this first installment so good and add a little more depth to the overall game play.
Another reason the game's campaign is fun is because you can go through the whole thing with a buddy online or off. Gears of War is definitely the best co-op experience I've had in years, the game works flawlessly with a friend. This is not one of those games where you feel like the second player is tacked on for the sake of cooperative play (like Resistance: Fall of Man), instead this is a game that feels like it was created with co-op play in mind. The second player always controls Dom, a character that is with you whether you play this by yourself or with a friend. While the game mostly centers around Marcus and Dom (and two other soldiers) fighting side by side, there are several moments in the game where the two characters get separated and must fend for themselves. Some of these segments have the two characters in completely different parts of the levels, fighting off enough bad guys to meet back with the team and go on as one tight unit. But that's not where it ends, the two players will also run into sections of levels where one person takes the high road and the other takes the low, so that the two people can work together from afar. It's these sections that are the most inspired, there's just something about sniping a bad guy that is about to sneak up and kill your teammate, it's the type of thing I want to see more of in future co-op games.
On some difficulties a second player becomes imperative. The game does not give you health kits, so when you're running low on life it's up to you to get out of the battle and rest. If one of your teammates dies you can run over to their fallen body and revive them, which becomes one of the most important aspects of Gears of War. What's worth noting is that in the two-player co-op game you will be able to revive the other player, which can be the difference between winning a battle and starting over at the nearest checkpoint. It's this type of dynamic that sets Gears of War apart, just as long as your real-life buddy is still alive he will be able to bring you back to live and continue the battle.
Gears of War is hardly the first game to give players the option of bringing a second person along for the ride. But while it's not the first, it is definitely one of the best. Perhaps it's the game's size, but there's something about the experience that makes you want to go through it with as many people as possible. I've gone through the campaign three different times with the same person, and believe it or not I'm excited to go through it again with another few people. Best of all, it will only take you a day or two to play through the whole thing, so you won't be spending all your time trying to hook up with your buddy just to play through the story mode. I can only hope that when Gears of War 2 is released they find a way of allowing three or four players to go through the game at once, it would make this experience that much sweeter.
The game comes with a number of impressive looking weapons, each with their own powers and melee attacks. Some of the weapons are self explanatory (like the pistol and the shotgun), but there are a few that really set this game apart. One of the weapons is called the Hammer of Dawn, you use the gun to paint your target with a red laser, and then when you've held down the trigger long enough a massive stream of energy comes rushing down from a satellite in the sky. This laser attack will annihilate everything in its path, and you can even move it around to clear out a lot of enemies at the same time. This is one of the most impressive weapons in the game, the type of thing you just don't see enough in modern action games.
The gun you will be using the most in Gears of War is this crazy machine gun with a chainsaw attached. On first inspection the gun is like everything else, it allows you to shoot a steady flow of bullets at whatever enemy is in your sights. But your impressions of the gun will change instantly when you get close enough to use the chainsaw part of the weapon. Some games let you walk up to an enemy and pistol whip them, Gears of War allows you to rev up your chainsaw and literally cut the enemy into pieces. The animation of you getting up close and personal with one of those aliens and sawing him in half is one of the most gruesome moments in video game history, you will see blood spewing from him like it was an outtake in a Quentin Tarantino movie. There's so much blood and gore that you will need to wipe off your screen after each assault. The first time sawed somebody in half I nearly dropped my control; it is simply one of the most awesome visuals I have ever seen in an action video game. The game is almost worth $60 just to be able to show your friends what it's like to cut somebody in half.
And you don't have to stop there. The game actually gives you a few different ways of finishing off your enemies. Once you've brought your foes to their knees it's time for you to walk up to them and put them out of their misery. Sure you can do this by sawing them in half, but you can also do it by performing a curb stomp. This allows you to flatten their head with your giant boots, something that not only looks cool but is very effective. If you're the type that wants to avoid all of the blood and guts, you can simply shoot them to death or get up close and pump a shotgun blast into their body and blow them into several different parts.
Finishing a character in the campaign mode isn't always that cool or satisfying, but take the game online and you'll find that there's nothing better than sawing your friend in half or showing them the bottom of your boot. In some online modes the only way you can kill a character is to finish them off, so it's important to practice your kill moves so that you don't look like a fool when it's your turn to suck the life out of their body. I don't care how many times I will see it, I simply won't get sick of watching people get torn up with the chainsaw, it's fun every time I unleash it.
While the story mode is exciting and well worth going through, most people will be spending most of their time playing the game online. Gears of War supports four on four battles, with one side playing the humans (the Cogs) and the other side playing the aliens (the Locusts). Most of the online modes are pretty standard stuff, you'll be playing a of the deathmatch variety. What sets Gears of War apart from a lot of the other shooters on the consoles is the ability to raise your dead (just as long as nobody has finished them off). This means that you will need to work as a team so nobody is left by himself, somebody who is all alone is a ripe target for a sniper, chainsaw or grenade. This is one game that rewards players that work as a team, if you can plan out your attacks and keep an eye on your teammates, then chances are you will win every time.
There are a few problems associated with the online portion, things that could be conceivably fixed in the future (if there's a big enough outcry). For one thing there just isn't enough of a variety to the types of play modes. Deathmatch is fun, but where's capture the flag or a variation of a bomb drop? And why can't I take my friends into a ranked room? For a game that stresses teamwork, the fact that you have to work with three complete strangers every time you want to play a ranked game seems ridiculous. This is something that Halo 2 has been doing for two years, is there a reason why Microsoft is so afraid to use the same kind of system in their second biggest action series?
And while we're complaining about the game's faults, it would be nice if this game had some kind of story. The game comes with a few paragraphs in the instruction manual (and a cinema before you even load up the menu screen), but outside of that you really don't know what you're doing and why you are there. You don't know what the aliens are all about nor why you are fighting them. You don't know who you are bombing, how you got the bomb, and why it's going to work. It's all a big mystery. The characters don't help much, they tend to talk about inane things that have absolutely nothing to do with the story. A few cinemas with flashbacks would have helped, but Epic doesn't seem interested in telling a coherent story ... or any story for that matter. Also, is it just me or does this game have a serious lack of boss characters? I counted three bosses, only one of which was really impressive.
There are a few other minor gripes I have throughout the game, but ultimately Gears of War lives up to the hype. When the action is this good it's hard to complain too much about minor design flaws, especially when they don't diminish the fun you will have with the game. I'm sure that by the time Gears of War 2 is released Epic will have ironed out some of the game's problems and added more meat to the game play. But even if they don't, I'm sure there are a lot of people who would love to go back into this world and just shoot more huge bad guys.
But the game is more than just action, chainsaws and ultra violence ... it's also one of the best looking games ever made. From the stunning level designs to the teeny tiny details on the characters themselves, there is not a game out there that can touch the graphics in Gears of War. This is one game that just does everything right, the rain looks amazing, the enemies look amazing, the buildings look amazing, and even the smoke coming out of the guns after a big firefight look amazing. This is a new high water mark, the type of game that seems impossible to top. If you've been wishy washy on the power of the Xbox 360 then Gears of War will change your mind.
The game is more than just amazing graphics, though. Gears of War also has an outstanding art direction that is second to none. The more you play this game the more you will appreciate the architecture, the look of the enemies and the way everything just fits together. By the time you make it to the end of the game you will have seen some of the best visuals ever created on a console (or computer, for that matter). It's hard not to just slow down and look at how stunning all of the detail is, it feels like every inch of the game was given top priority, there are no rough edges in this game. Best of all, the game will look good no matter what kind of TV you own, so people still living with standard definition TV sets will have no problem seeing what all the fuss is about.
Along with amazing visuals you get a remarkable soundtrack. The music in Gears of War sounds like they could have come from a big budget movie. The score really pumps you up at the right moments; it definitely brings out the full emotion of the game. It's also hard not to be impressed by the amazing sound effects, everything from the guns to the footsteps of your enemies all sound perfect. If you have a nice surround sound set up then you will be able to tell where you're enemies are just from their breathing, the sound is that good.
Are there games so good that they make you buy a whole system just to play them? If so then Gears of War is certainly one of those games. If you're the type of person who has been waiting for the PlayStation 3 then Gears of War may be enough to give you some serious doubts. Not only is it the best looking action game ever made, but it's also a stunning example of how exciting a game can be. If you already own an Xbox 360 then you have no excuse not to buy Gears of War, it's an amazing experience that everybody should go through at least once. It's not without a few minor flaws, but there's no question that Microsoft's biggest action game of the year is also one of the best games of the year.
