Bravo, Epic... not bad at all.
This past year and a half has been rather interesting what with the launch of the 360, PS3, and the Wii. I'll have to admitt... I usually do swing in M$'s favor. But that's more nationalism than fan boy loyalty. And I usually don't take part in these console wars. I'll have to admitt I was a late comer to the hysteria (came in Jan. 04 when I got an Xbox), but when I did I really got into it. So when I heard that there was going to be a 360, I was kind of worried if it would fly. I mean, come on. Sure there were many Xbox only games out there and some were pretty good. But do I really need to metion the name of the game that sigle-handedly picked up the Box, leap- frogged it over the Gameube and blew the Playstation 2 off the top selling console seat? Let's face it guys, Halo is synonymous with Xbox and there aren't many other exclusive games that people can think of when you mention it. Of course what was the one thing them die-hard anti-M$ Sony fanboys loved to say whenever you and they got into an arguement!? "So what, that's the only good game it has!" Yea, still stings for me to hear it too. That was probably my biggest concern for the 360. Everyone wanted to go head to head with "under the hood" specs but I knew that, just like in the last generation, it would all boil down to the number of exclusives in their libraries. Well now with two Christmas seasons under its belt I can finally relax. I own a 360 and it rocks! I couldn't have hoped for things to have gone as well as they have. It's like there was a total turn around as far as gaming libraries go. There are so many great games out there. But I would have to say that the final nail in Sony's coffin had to be Gears of War. This game is just amazing on so many levels that I can't even begin to fathom it's awsomeness. Now that I've bored you all to tears with that ridiculously long info, let's get down to why this game works so well (if my fingers last that long).
Gameplay: 9
Believe it or not, this game isn't perfect; but I've seen few come so close. First off, it's a shooter game. INSTANT 8! Ok, so there are some shooter games out there that aren't so good but hey, it's killing people; it's kinda hard to screw up such an inheritly awsome formula. It's like sex. When it's good it's great and when it's bad... it's still ok! Secondly, the weapons are just astounding. Even down the pistols, they are all just so much fun to use. Especially the assault rifle. There's nothing like the rush of running up to a locust and carving on his head! Aside from the grenades, which I had a hard time throwing, Epic nailed everything with the weapons. I thought the reloading system was kind of awkward at first but it grew on me. The only other problem I had was this "A button does all" concept. I died a lot of times accidentaly pushing it. Other than that, the gameplay runs flawlessly.
Graphics: 10
Graphics aren't my biggest concern for a game provided that they aren't totally subpar. But when a game just totally nails the graphics bit, it can enhance the gameplay tenfold. It blows my mind how awsome some of these new games like GRAW and Vegas look. Gears of War has to be the epitome of next gen graphics. When you hook this game up to a hi-def tv, it will just blow you away. That first cutscene started and I felt a little tear fall down the side of my face. It was so beautiful! It captured that gringy gray feeling of war perfectly!
Sound: 10
I usually give most games a high score in this category, because I usually don't pay much attention to it unless it has really good music. That's one thing I really want in games. Take Halo for example. The way the music sets in at the right time and just helps emphasize the moments of action and nails the drama is (in my opinion) one of Halo's crowning acievements. GoW... it had good sound to it. I don't think I heard much of any great music. I'm not sure; I'll have to play through it again. I didn't hear any of that "Halo" calibre music that just pulls you into a game. But the rest was great and since this is such an awsome game, I'm willing to give it a 10. Value: 9
What can I say... you've heard me rant. This game kicks a**! To anyone who has a 360 and likes shooter games, I would highly recommend it. I don't think I played Halo once for the first two weeks I had this game. The online is good. The campaign rocks. Don't wait any longer than you have to. If shooters are your thing, I can't see how you wouldn't like this Gears of War.
Tilt: 9
I had a blast with GoW. It just nailed so many things perfectly. That's the reason for the huge intro I wrote. I just wanted to emphasize and put to words what Gears of War has done for the 360. When it's all said and done, It isn't my most favorite game of all times. But look at how many people love it. I haven't met one person who hasn't enjoyed this game. I can understand if shooters aren't your cup of tea, but you have to admitt that this game struck a chord and I can totally see how it won game of the year. If you love shooters, buy it. And even if you're the kind of person that maybe isn't big on shooters but think there ok, go ahead and rent it. In all seariousness, this could be the game that really gets you into them. Games like that are out there. I wanted nothing to do with FPS games untill I played Halo and now I'm crazy about them. Gears of War is the same way. It is truely the kind of game that can hit something for everyone and make people who have no interest in a particular genre cross that line into a new world of gaming that they never knew existed! No matter what you like, there can be no doubt that this is an superb game.