What I liked best about this game is that it surpassed my expectations so greatly that upon playing it for the first time (which was with SilkyBob), I went to the nearest store and bought it for myself.
The campaign never gets old, no matter how many times you play the levels over.
The weapons, the graphics, the gameplay itself; all of it is top-notch stuff.
Death animations are very cool, primarily consisting of ragdoll falls when it comes to the enemies. A new idea I've never seen so well-executed before involves the curb stomp, a way to finish off 'downed' enemies with your boot. Enemies can be downed if you shoot them in the knees; it's almost always what happens to players instead of dying (that way they can be revived by teammates or attempt to get up on their own).
Combat in this game is really cool. The controls seem complicated at first, but it's amazing how quickly you get used to them.
Once that's out of the way, the firefights are very intriguing and keep you yelling at your TV set the whole time. Yeah... I yelled at my TV a bunch of times... but let's not get into that.
Enemies are very brutal and scary, causing you to hate them and actually take pleasure in blowing them apart. They can be taken down using many different guns and melee attacks, including a chainsaw!
Blood and gore is maxed out, and the ground seems to be covered in red and orange pools by the end of the day.
Now to the best part of the game: the campaign. I have played the campaign quite a few times over (on different difficulties) and have not gotten bored even though I'm at the point where I can predict what the characters will say, and that's saying something!
You play as either Marcus Fenix or Dominic Santiago, both of whom are elite COG soldiers in a futile struggle against a strange alien swarm. This band of human brutes is one of the last human defenses against the Locusts, the strange aliens that live underground and emerged fourteen years ago. The Locusts are committing a terrible genocide against the human race, and the COGs have a plan to stop them. During the few days that follow, you will fight alongside other soldiers named Baird and Cole, and form a funny little team together. There are parts that are cool, parts that are funny, and parts that are downright scary, as the Locusts have an exotic arsenal of beasts that they will throw at you.
The multiplayer aspect of this game isn't that interesting (excluding the co-op campaign), mostly because games are small (about six people each) and rely more on squad tactics than insane killfests.
The game modes consist of things like deathmatches, 'protect the leader,' and a couple other that alltogether aren't that great.
If you get this game, it's definitely going to be for the campaign aspect.
Media > Games > Xbox 360 > Gears of War > All Reviews
My Review - 14 April 2007
overall: 9
My Review - 7 December 2006
overall: 9
Now this, folks, is how you make a game. From the graphics, to the storyline, to the multiplayer, everything is so close to perfection that I almost gave it a ten. Almost. Let's start with campaign mode. The opening cutscene puts you in the role of Marcus Fenix, a former COG soldier who was imprisoned for failure to obey orders. On a side note, although the cutscenes in this game are sometimes long, they are all well-worth watching. Anyways, a Delta-Squad solider by the name of Dominic Santiago comes to your rescue and the game begins. The first thing I noticed was that it's not a first-person shooter! The game actually proceeds from the third person view, which, as it turns out, is a welcomed change. The new point of view makes for some interesting fights later on. As the first level progresses, Santiago teaches you the new tricks of being solider, which brings me to another major positive in this game: the duck-and-cover system. Using only the A-button [on the Xbox 360], a player can sprint, duck, roll, dive, and take cover. It seems complicated, but is actually quite simple once you start playing. As the game progresses, you are thrust into a war against an underground alien horde known as Locusts. Again, I cannot stress enough that the graphics in this game are superb. The levels are all intricately designed, the aliens look realistic, and the firefights are stunning. There is a reason that I gave this game a 9; it seems to end rather abruptly, almost Halo 2-esque. The plusses definitely override this weakness, though. Another great advantage to this game is that cooperative mode can be initiated online. You can have the whole screen to yourself while playing with someone (this is for you Tusserte, you whiner). Online multiplayer is definitely a must-have for Gears of War. Team death match is the one standard variant that has been provided with this game, and I must admit that they are all fun. While it may not be Halo, Gears of War is definitely a great shoot-'em-up game. I recommend it for anyone who as a 360.
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