A fine prequel to Gears of War 2.
I suppose that the game's story is not its main draw, however. The allure of the game is top-notch graphics and angry-sounding weapons that shred alien scum like so much rancid butter. And on that level, it succeeds.
The controls take a little getting used to and are far from flawless, but they work once you've gotten the hang of it. Little additions like the skill-based reload minigame add a new dimension the gameplay that works. The roadie-run is a clever new way of moving from once place to another, though you may find yourself reaching for the aspirin if it's used too often. My main issue with the gameplay is the much ballyhooed cover system which falls short. This is a big problem considering you'll spend roughly 80% of the game ducking behind something. The problem with the cover system is that everything is based off of the "A" button and it just doesn't work as well as games like Rainbow Six: Vegas, which I believe has set the standard for all cover-based shooters to come.
The graphics have been a rallying point for the game's die-hard supporters, but as with all games, whether or not you appreciate the visuals is mostly subjective. Gears of War, despite its heavy textures and high resolution, suffers from a lack of depth and contrast. The art director for this game clearly called for a pallette of grays and nothing more. Though the color scheme does set the mood, it also makes it difficult to separate objects and characters at a distance and gives the entire game a feeling of....flatitudeness?
The sound is good. Not great, but good. Guns sound a bit like light for my taste, but the music is fitting and provides a worthy score for the action onscreen. I'll play the devil's advocate as far as the voice acting is concerned. The characters have a very one-dimensional feel as a result of the voices. Now, of course, I don't expect an academy award winning vocal performance, but it seems a bit too easy and expected that each character be reduced to a gravely, gruff war veteran grumbling throughout the game.
All in all, Gears of War feels like a solid start to what could be a great franchise with a few tweaks and a few more interesting decisions by the art department and directors in the future.