You might be surprised that the real hook here is not action, it's innovation.

User Rating: 9.5 | Gears of War X360
Gears is already a classic game, no doubt, but I was surprised to find that it was more than just another shooter. It creates a memorable world, characters that you love to love because they are so bad-A, and keeps a fresh feel throughout the game. The enemy AI is great, and there is a good variety of them, so you don't always feel monotonous with another shootout. The environments are wonderfully crafted, both aesthetically, and functionally using the brilliant duck and cover mechanics that have been crafted to near perfection in this title. I can't quite give a game this short (maybe 7 hours?) a 10, but the extra effort they put into designing environments, AI, and making sure that the creative parts of the game didn't get rehashed over and over make you feel less robbed by the length. Great voice acting, epic bosses, and gaming moments you will always remember add a depth to this game that only a few ever get to boast. And ultimately, shooters are just good multiplayer, and this is no different, so there is always more fun to be had. What an effort here for Epic Games, and it paid off. I can't wait to play Gears 2 now.