2006. The PS3. The Wii. Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Twilight Princess. It might not be an understatement to call 2006 the most important year yet for gaming. But all in 2006 would be for naught without Epic. Epic Games created the Unreal Engine 3, the ultimate middleware engine for the next generation of games. It's posterboy has been hyped so heavily that it inspired not just a Megadeth song but an entire tour, and was likely the sole reason behind the moderate success of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre Sequel. The most anticipated game since Halo 2? Say hello to Gears of War.
By sliding this disc into your Xbox 360, you will lose all control of your daily life. Gears of War will consume you for weeks on end based solely on it's audio/visual power alone. All the screenshots that we drooled over for years were real. Epic pulled no punches making this the best-looking game ever, and the gunfire, voiceovers and musical score all perfectly compliment that. While the underlying mythos isn't fully explained (more on that later), the plot itself is wicked intense and frenetic, and the characters are all the more believable because of it. All the complaints based on Marcus Fenix's overly manly voice should be discounted, because John DiMaggio's performance is awesome in every way. Augustus Cole, a.k.a. "The Cole Train", is a classic character, and Dom makes the perfect buddy to tag along with.
But I'd still give it at least a 9 without all those snazzy graphics and Marcus's general awesomeness. It's the gameplay that counts, and Gears delivers in freakin' spades. Running and gunning is never going to work in this game; you have to think tactical, as every move you make could lead to your demise as much as it could spell your victory. Enemies are tough, smart, and very hard to take down. They flank often, use advantage of cover, and generally make your fight to the death a living hell. Thankfully, you'll have access to the most innovative and accessible cover system ever seen in a video game, and within minutes you will be bobbing and weaving from couch to crumbling pillar like the ruthless killing machine you wished to be in real life. Only in a handful of times did I miss the cover I wanted to take and die a bloody death, and that was in the hands of me, screwing up due to being chased by a half-dozen Locust through a vicious gauntlet of gunfire.
But the Locust Horde bleeds red too, and you will see it by the bucketful in every minute you play. Your selection of weapons, while not as extensive as Resistance: Fall of Man, is impressive in every way. From the eviscerating shotgun to the precise Longshot sniper rifle, you'll love every weapon you come by, save the obnoxious submachine gun you start with. Every weapon has a vicious melee attack, including the Torque Bow, which slices your foes into ribbons with extended blades, and even the Bolo Grenades, which you stick to your enemies then run for your life from (self-explanatory; they're grenades). The only disappointment in the bunch is the Hammer of Dawn; it's by no means the architecture-crippling beast that it was hyped to be in the previews. It still has place in some really cool setpieces (think: my love for you is like a truck), but it's a letdown nonetheless.
The Lancer Assault Rifle is my favorite weapon of the bunch. A powerful little beast, it can cripple even the most fearsome Locust with just under a half clip. But that chainsaw... it just has to be seen to be believed. So much blood is strewn about in this scene; it puts the whole Crazy 88 scene in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 to shame in just 3 or 4 seconds. And it never gets old.
I don't play multiplayer much, but Gears packs a serious punch in that department. Gametypes like Warzone, Assassination and Execution keep you coming back for more, and maps are unbelievably well-balanced. Every match is special. And at this time of writing, it shouldn't be too hard to find a match; nobody's playing anything else on Xbox Live at the moment. Gears of War is why.
Not much else can be said about Gears's solo campaign, but with Dom at your side constantly, you'd need to seek another hobby if the words "Co-" and "op" don't spell themselves out to you. This game was made for co-op play. In fact, many of the "COG tags" in the game aren't accessible without a buddy (most notably moving a spotlight on a friendly so that he can reach a hidden tag at the corner of a shadowy alleyway; without the light, he'd be liquefied by the Kryll, reminiscent of Pitch Black's carnivorous small bats).
In short (or very, very long), buy this game. Buy it fast; if you don't have a 360, buy it too, just so you can play this. There are no excuses in skipping an experience of this caliber. It is now officially in your best interests to play the Game of the Year as soon as possible.
Good job, Epic. You've done me proud. Now, on to Halo 3...
By sliding this disc into your Xbox 360, you will lose all control of your daily life. Gears of War will consume you for weeks on end based solely on it's audio/visual power alone. All the screenshots that we drooled over for years were real. Epic pulled no punches making this the best-looking game ever, and the gunfire, voiceovers and musical score all perfectly compliment that. While the underlying mythos isn't fully explained (more on that later), the plot itself is wicked intense and frenetic, and the characters are all the more believable because of it. All the complaints based on Marcus Fenix's overly manly voice should be discounted, because John DiMaggio's performance is awesome in every way. Augustus Cole, a.k.a. "The Cole Train", is a classic character, and Dom makes the perfect buddy to tag along with.
But I'd still give it at least a 9 without all those snazzy graphics and Marcus's general awesomeness. It's the gameplay that counts, and Gears delivers in freakin' spades. Running and gunning is never going to work in this game; you have to think tactical, as every move you make could lead to your demise as much as it could spell your victory. Enemies are tough, smart, and very hard to take down. They flank often, use advantage of cover, and generally make your fight to the death a living hell. Thankfully, you'll have access to the most innovative and accessible cover system ever seen in a video game, and within minutes you will be bobbing and weaving from couch to crumbling pillar like the ruthless killing machine you wished to be in real life. Only in a handful of times did I miss the cover I wanted to take and die a bloody death, and that was in the hands of me, screwing up due to being chased by a half-dozen Locust through a vicious gauntlet of gunfire.
But the Locust Horde bleeds red too, and you will see it by the bucketful in every minute you play. Your selection of weapons, while not as extensive as Resistance: Fall of Man, is impressive in every way. From the eviscerating shotgun to the precise Longshot sniper rifle, you'll love every weapon you come by, save the obnoxious submachine gun you start with. Every weapon has a vicious melee attack, including the Torque Bow, which slices your foes into ribbons with extended blades, and even the Bolo Grenades, which you stick to your enemies then run for your life from (self-explanatory; they're grenades). The only disappointment in the bunch is the Hammer of Dawn; it's by no means the architecture-crippling beast that it was hyped to be in the previews. It still has place in some really cool setpieces (think: my love for you is like a truck), but it's a letdown nonetheless.
The Lancer Assault Rifle is my favorite weapon of the bunch. A powerful little beast, it can cripple even the most fearsome Locust with just under a half clip. But that chainsaw... it just has to be seen to be believed. So much blood is strewn about in this scene; it puts the whole Crazy 88 scene in Kill Bill, Vol. 1 to shame in just 3 or 4 seconds. And it never gets old.
I don't play multiplayer much, but Gears packs a serious punch in that department. Gametypes like Warzone, Assassination and Execution keep you coming back for more, and maps are unbelievably well-balanced. Every match is special. And at this time of writing, it shouldn't be too hard to find a match; nobody's playing anything else on Xbox Live at the moment. Gears of War is why.
Not much else can be said about Gears's solo campaign, but with Dom at your side constantly, you'd need to seek another hobby if the words "Co-" and "op" don't spell themselves out to you. This game was made for co-op play. In fact, many of the "COG tags" in the game aren't accessible without a buddy (most notably moving a spotlight on a friendly so that he can reach a hidden tag at the corner of a shadowy alleyway; without the light, he'd be liquefied by the Kryll, reminiscent of Pitch Black's carnivorous small bats).
In short (or very, very long), buy this game. Buy it fast; if you don't have a 360, buy it too, just so you can play this. There are no excuses in skipping an experience of this caliber. It is now officially in your best interests to play the Game of the Year as soon as possible.
Good job, Epic. You've done me proud. Now, on to Halo 3...