A stunning game, with great gameplay mechanics and some awesome set pieces! Get ready for the best 360 game ever!
It's actually hard to find things to say about Gears of War because you simply need to experience it for yourself. There are so many moments in the game that knock you back in your seat and make you want to instantly re play them that it was hard not to find a moment like that! Gears of War has raised the bar a few notches above every other Xbox 360 title in terms of visuals. It looks absolutely amazing. From the war torn, post apocalyptic environments to the beat up faces of the Gears themselves. Everything is just so detailed that you can't help but be totally wowed every time you play the game. In most cases, high graphic details means lower performance. This is where Gears Of War shines through as there isn't so much as a dropped frame (that you can notice) outside of cut scenes through the entire campaign. There are definitely noticeable slow downs during the cut scenes where there's tight shots of a few of the dudes at once, but that's about it. It runs smooth as butter otherwise. From the moment the menu screen loaded up for the first time, I knew I was going to love the soundtrack. It's moody, eerie, intense and beautiful. A gorgeous orchestral score that fits so well with what's going on in the game. The sound effects are also amazing. Weapons and explosions are big, loud and raw which contrasts quite nicely to the squishing of bullets piercing flesh or a chainsaw cutting through a torso. Putting a chainsaw bayonet on an automatic assault weapon was the best idea for a weapon mod ever. I still get stoked every time I cut through a enemie. His arms flailing as the screen is splattered with blood. It's just awesome! I found the controls so easy to pick up and master. There's basically only one action button, A. Depending on the direction you're indicating with the left thumbstick a different action will be performed. You can slap your body up to just about anything by pressing the A button when you're close by. Once you're behind cover, left and right will make you do a roll out or take cover behind another close by item if there is one. While up allows you to jump over shorted objects and back simply gets you out of cover. If you're at the edge of an object, you can press up and left/right to leave cover and continue moving forward in one smooth motion. To top it off, holding A gets your character sprinting. He hunkers down and bolts in this awesome animation that really adds to the intensity of the battles. Once you've got all the controls down, you can easily strings these motions together and move from cover to cover seamlessly and it looks and feels amazing. While there is a little to be desired when it comes to the story, I really like how it's presented. There is no back story at all. You start the campaign as Marcus Fenix and one of your squad mates has come to break you out of prison. Why you're there, you don't know. What's going on, you have no idea. All you know is that it's 14 years post E Day (Emergence Day) and you're needed to help blow stuff up. You can learn a bit about how things got to the point they're at by watching some of the early trailers or the movie that kicks in if you sit at the menu screen for a few minutes. But progressing through the campaign, you have one objective at a time. Beyond that, you really have no idea what's going to happen. The campaign is broken down into 5 Acts, each with a series of chapters. Each Act has one main objective which usually leads to a couple of secondary objectives along the way. I am onto Act 4. But it's enough to review.
You play the campaign through with at least one squad mate by your side and up to four at the most. Though, they're not overly helpful. Dom (your sidekick) tends to run out of cover at precisely the wrong moments and gets mowed down more than he contributes. Reviving him is a simple matter of pressing the X button when you're close by. Typically, you'll want to let him lie there and think about what he's done before you make your way over. This is where the game's drop in, drop out co op system truly shines. At any moment, you can pause the game and invite a friend to join you, assuming the role of Dom (I found my girlfriend was very useful as Dom). This can be super handy if you're playing solo but find yourself really stuck. But honestly, co op is the way to play Gears of War. I have nearnly finished it on Casual (the lowest of the 3 difficulty levels) mostly on my own. Mostly because I wanted to take my time and really enjoy it. I really can't say enough good things about Gears of War. It's outstanding on every level. If you have been waiting for a good reason to pick up an Xbox 360, it's here!
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Good Points: Jaw dropping visuals that show what the Xbox 360 is truly capable of. Beautiful, intense orchestral score. Sound effects on the whole are extremely well done. Intuitive yet simple combat and maneuvering system lets you go from cover to cover seamlessly. Active reload system is genius. Constant and consistent moments that blow you away your first time through. Drop in, drop out co op. Chainsaw bayonet, need I saw more?
Bad Points: There's not much in the way of story.