A great game with outstanding graphics and gameplay make this the defining title of the Xbox 360.
Gears of War is a game that many were praising to be revolutionary, and the next big step in gaming. Gears of War met and even surpassed expectations. running on the Unreal Engine it was able to produce amazing graphics with tons of visual effects. The entire thing was one big piece of eye candy. I'd have to say they were the best graphics I've ever seen in console gaming. It does take a few seconds to load in the textures though. this may be a bit of a letdown but the graphics still make this a small inconvenience.
The single player portion of the game pits you as the leader of a rag tag group of COG soldiers in their fight against the locust menace. The single player was nothing short of amazing and had its memorable moments. It was just a pleasure to play the entire way through and had its frightening moments too. The entire story just seemed epic as well. I would love to go more in depth but I don't want to spoil anything. The problem however is that the single player is over in a flash. Before you know it, the game is over and you're sitting there wanting more.
The multiplayer satisfies the players thirst for more Gears. With Xbox Live you can have over a year of fun (trust me, I've played this game longer than that). There are only 3 game modes (4 with one of the internet updates) but they never really get stale. These game modes are like your traditional deathmatch but you don't respawn when you die. Warzone means that once you're down you're pretty much out, unless saved by a team mate. Execution allows you to save yourself up to 3 times then you're out. Assassination requires you kill the leader of each team to win. Annex is like a territory game mode but you do respawn. Multiplayer makes up for the bulk of the game as it is very entertaining.
Bottom line: This game is an absolute thrill but is not for the faint of heart. If you're lacking Xbox Live it may not last you as long but the exciting campaign is still worth the money. It's an absolute must for any Xbox 360 collection. Besides, what could be more fun than chainsawing someone?