After almost a week of waiting and playing nothing but arcade games, demos and marketing ploys, I finally have some real, non-arcade games for the 360.

Amazon delivered an extra wireless controller, the play and charge kit, Project Gotham Racing 3, Burnout Revenge and the game that finally forced me to buy a 360, Gears of War.

While I have been really enjoying my new console, I've been dying to get the games I ordered to see what the 360 can really do. Part of me is glad that I had the last week to explore the marketplace because I played, and really enjoyed games which I probably wouldn't have gotten into for a while, if ever, if I had Gears to dive right into on Day 1. Uno, Geometry Wars, even Hexic have all been great experiences, but it's time for the main event.

I haven't played much of Gears, but the game doesn't require much exposure to it in order to be extremely impressed. The controls are well executed and make this a must have title as much as the eye popping visuals. The cover mechanic is a nice change of pace from the normal "run and gun" style that most action/shooters employ these days. There is something very satisfying about hiding behind a wall, peering around the corner and squeezing off a few shots at a filthy Locust before retreating back to safety. It is definitely truer to what I imagine an actual firefight is like, forces you to pick your spots and turns up the feeling of intensity as you make your way through the shattered streets cutting your way through the waves of enemies coming at you.

The "mini-game" for reloading your weapons is also something unique. Instead of just making reloading your weapon a dead time while a canned animation plays, it becomes somewhat interactive. Getting that timing down becomes a critical part of the game. Either get better at it, or leave yourself exposed to enemies with a jammed gun.

Speaking of the weapons, those are also an enjoyable part of the Gears experience. Everyone talks about the chainsaw, but the Hammer of Dawn is just as fun to use. Painting those giant spider creatures or the Berzerker with the laser and raining hellfire from above might be my favorite part of the game so far.

Needless to say, I couldn't be happier with my decision to add the 360 to my collection. I just hope I'm not too late to the Gears party. I've seen people say they are already "over" Gears which I think is crazy to say about a game that is barely out a month. I haven't tried the on-line multiplayer or co-op yet so I hope there are some cool people still playing when I do.. I think I should at least play through the campaign on casual so I'm 100% comfortable with the controls before mixing it up with real people. All the horror stories I read about the jerks that populate the ranked matches make me a little hesitant to join in as well. Hopefully I'll make a few friends along the way that'll help me get into it because this is a game that I really want to get the most I can out of.

If anyone wants to do co-op sometime or needs someone to fill out a match, my friends list is wide open :)