Disappointing. Overrated. Clichéd. These are three things that will never cross your mind when playing Gears of W
Ask no more because the collective talent at Epic Games has the answer, and it’s in the form of a little gem they like to call Gears of War.
In Gears of War, mankind is deadlocked in an endless war on planet Sera against the looming threat of the burrowing Locust Horde. As the war wages throughout the years, humans are desperately losing ground against their hideous bug-like enemies, and decide it best to enlist any able bodies that can hold a gun and squeeze the trigger. This is where gamers are introduced to Gears of War’s main protagonist, Marcus Fenix. Once a proud soldier of the COG military, Marcus now finds himself a dishonored shadow of his former self that has spent more than his fair share of time in prison for unjust war crimes, and has the attitude to match it. But now with the Locust Horde tightening the noose on mankind’s neck, previously tainted soldiers like Marcus Fenix are now being broken out of prison to unite in the good fight. As Marcus is freed from prison by other soldiers in the COG military, he joins up with them and immediately begins his fight to help them retake the planet of Sera.
Despite the slightly clichéd back-story, Gears of War is a truly epic gaming experience that keeps the ball continually rolling with its characters and intense action. Just make sure not to confuse it with an everyday run-and-gun shooter.
Unlike typical third-person-shooters that hardly require the use of cover and seem to be biased as to how fast a player can empty their gun’s ammo supply, Gears of War is a breath of fresh air at how it approaches firefights with enemies. Gamers that run out in the open expecting to mow down three or four enemies with one clip will quickly find themselves with a virtual body riddled with Locust ammo. This game is all about finding cover, squeezing off a few rounds, and ultimately outsmarting the terrifyingly intelligent Locust Horde with smart maneuvers like flanking and diving.
With this type of action, the controls for the game are a perfect fit. After becoming acquainted to the creative cover system, gamers will be performing perfectly executed rolls, spins, and slides to reach the next designated cover spot, and then effectively neutralizing enemies with either accurately aimed shots or around-the-corner, no looking shots with their neat futuristic weapons.
Keeping with the more realistic tone of the game, players are not allowed to pick up and carry every weapon they come across in-game, but rather only four weapons at one time. This includes a spot for grenades, a handgun, and 2 larger guns like rifles or rocket launchers. This may seem like a downer with the weapons usually being the biggest draw for shooting games, but it really adds an extra amount of strategy when playing.
Every weapon in the game is good for a certain condition, but not knowing what condition is coming up keeps gamers on their toes when selecting which gun to keep and which to toss. The sniper rifle is obviously the best choice for those hard to reach enemies, while the rocket launcher is perfect for the bulkier Locust enemies that can take their fair share of bullets. While these weapons are great to use, it’s without a doubt the less iconic weapons in Gears of War that really bring out the fun.
Weapons like the Hammer of Dawn and Torque Bow are perfect for massive amounts of damage against Horde enemies. The Hammer of Dawn is great for those stubborn enemies behind cover as it’s technically a targeting device that rains down a powerful laser from a satellite to wipe out any hidden bogeys, while the Torque Bow is best described as a direct nod to what Sylvester Stallone uses in his Rambo films.
With the inclusion of interesting characters, intense action, and amazingly original weapons, it is hard to believe that there are a few negative aspects in Gears of War.
Despite the game being one of the most fun experiences a gamer could have on his or her X-Box 360, a handful of bugs can occasionally break the flow of the game as players can find themselves permanently stuck in the Locust’s holes, walls, or objects. However, the biggest complaint is that the single player is over entirely too quickly. The game is split up into five amazing acts, but all five of these acts can be completed within ten hours or less, and the worst part being no additional bonus missions or content to rummage through.
Even though a short single-player campaign may sour more than a few gamers’ grapes, Epic Games is not without offline and online multiplayer modes, but once again it has its own set of ups and downs. Being able to blast through the single-player campaign with a buddy in Online Co-Op is positively one of the best features, but the online multiplayer’s limited game type selection leaves a bit more to be desired.
As gamers unavoidably search for the next handful of games to satisfy their hungry gamer appetite until the hopeful release of Halo 3, Gears of War should without a doubt be on their list to pick up and play. The single-player may be a short play-through, but with three varying levels of difficulty and an overall rewarding multiplayer experience, gamers will be continually challenged and entertained for months to come with this irresistible game.