The future is here
User Rating: 10 | Gears of War X360
Having just beaten Gears of War, having just watched a special effects masterpiece on par with Hollywood, and having just played the game of the century, I understandably came away in total awe. Let us be very clear: This is a game to end all games. Honestly, after beating Gears I have no desire, and no need to play another game. Which is to say I wont, but all of my gaming desires have been pretty much met with this glorious 20 hour experience. First off, the graphics. Personally, I find them flawless. The enviroments look fantastic, gorgeous...every other adjective you could use. The character models, and specifically the enemies, are on par with Pixar. They look simply stunning. Honestly, play this game and you will find that you will not blink...the enviroments are simply so majestic that they demand every second of attention. The gameplay is a close second. This is not Quake. It is not even Unreal or Counterstrike. Gears is a new game, one that requires strategy not firepower for victory. As Marcus Fenix, you'll need to hopscotch through the enviroments using every shred of cover as well, cover, to survive. Your squadmates are very responsive and helpful (especially with suppression) but in a few cases (Especially Act 4) I found that Dom tends to lag pretty far behind. But its a moot point. This game is so beautiful and so fun, you'll want every enemy for yourself. In addition to being helpful, your squadmates are not only personable...but completely believeable as well. They arent just sidekick to the Hero, but full Heroes in their own right. Also, there are some great dialouge exchanges that brought me fond memories of Han Solo and his wisecracks. The sound is great, and at times, chilling. When you encounter Teron (pardon if that is not the correct spelling) Guards, they give bloodthirsty roars that are more than enough to raise the hair on your neck. The Locust scream, yell, roar and rage all with excellent effects. Lastly is the story, and it is awesome. I've heard complaints about the story being fragmented but Gears simply follows in the direction of all the great trilogies before it by letting you figure out the backstory. Its a great step. Some people say that they wish they could listen to their favorite albums for the first time again, just to relive the greatness. I wish I could do the same for Gears. Its a masterpiece. It rocks. Its the game of all time. 
