Gears of War is a stunning game in every way that every 360 owner should purchase.
The singleplayer is about the war between the COG (coalation of organized governments / the good guys) and the Locust (a mutated looking race / the bad guys). You take control of Marcus Fenix, who is a ex-COG soldier. He was imprisoned, (for a reason I won't tell you because I consider it a spoiler) and soon finds himself back in the fight when the Locust overtake the prison. The singleplayer gets intense after a very brief tutorial as you will find yourself in some fairly challenging firefights (depending on the difficulty). As you progress through the game, you will find they get even harder and more intense. When you fire your gun, it actually feels like you are doing so. The controller vibrates accordingly and the bullets have various effects depending on what they hit (which is a very nice touch). They also sound very realistic which adds even more to the great gameplay. This game also has great boss battles which don't occur a lot in modern shooters. Without giving to much away, the bosses are varied and all of them are interesting. If you find yourself getting stuck on part of the game, why not play with a friend? Gears of War supports not only split-screen co-op, but online co-op over XBL as well. Even if you can beat the game by yourself on insane, it's worth playing through on co-op as well for another amazing experience. While playing co-op you don't have to worry about your partner (who plays as Dominic Santiago, a longtime friend of Fenix) dying as much (unless he / she is terrible) and you'll find the game even more entertaining.
Beat the game 15 times already? Take it online via Xbox live for a terrific multiplayer match. The game features player matches, ranked matches, and leaderboards. All of the games online are hosted by players so you'll be able to pick the maps and invite your friends.
There are 3 multiplayer modes: Warzone (standard deathmatch), Execution (a deathmatch mode where you must eliminate the enemies when down by doing one of the executions), and Assassination (where you must defeat the other team's leader before they defeat your's). The combat is all round based and you only get 1 life per round. This may not sound very fun, but it truly is and makes you work with your team in order to succeed. This is the best (possibly second best) multiplayer in any console game available.
The gameplay is simple and consists of you hitting "A" a lot to get behond cover and perform other various moves. The reloading in the game can be done regularly by hitting the "Right bumper" or you can hit the button again when a line is going across in the top right corner of the screen. If timed right you will reload faster and if it is perfect, you will also cause more damage. If it isn't timed right, you will temporarily jam you gun causing you to reload slower than the normal method. The other controls are normal for the genre and shouldn't take very long to get used to. The game also has a great story of mankind against a mutant race (sounds like it has been done before), but it really is good so check it out.
The graphics, which are the main thing everybody talks about, have yet to be mentioned in this review. Well I have saved the best for last. Gears of War is the best looking game of all time. I suppose you could argue with me over that, but I have played some very good looking games and it blows them all away. The character models are amazing as are the textures. The game has great particle effects and the shadows are also really good. In addition, the water is really something (my friends and I stopped playing to look at it online lol)
Gears of War is the best game to come out in several years. The singleplayer, multiplayer, and co-op are all terrific. If you are looking for a game to add to your collection, look no further than Gears of War.