Gears of War

Gears of War did for the Xbox 360 what Halo did for the original Xbox, put it on the map. It promised to be a flagship action game for the console and provide the best reason to buy the Xbox 360, but it did so much more than that. Like it or not, Gears of War changed the genre and has influenced gaming since its release in 2006. It brought fantastic online multiplayer to consoles in a way that only Halo 2 really did before it and it gets a lot of blame for bringing about the plethora of brown dominated games that we have today. With the impending release of Gears of War 3 and the undeniable success of this series, I think it is worth looking to see how well the first game in the series holds up nearly 5 years after its release. The answer is brilliantly.  
 

 
Gears of War has a very basic story that has an interesting outline but unfortunately the details are never filled in by the game. The game is set on the planet of Sera which was devastated 14 years before the start of the game when a brutal and savage race of aliens called the Locust emerged from below the surface to attack and destroy humanity. A total war was raged that has left human society and civilisation in ruins yet the locust are as strong as ever. You play Marcus Fenix, a former soldier imprisoned for abandoning your post to attempt to save your father from a Locust attack. You are freed at the start of the game to rejoin the army, and the action begins. The story is really left bare in the game, serving merely as an excuse for the mighty delta squad to do manly things. Its a shame because I feel that the underlying setting here is potentially as strong as something like Halo if done properly. Marcus and his squad mates Dom, Baird and Cole are all likeable but they could have been a lot better in this game. There are few cutscenes and the back story is all told in the game manual, an awkward story telling method to say the least. It also lacks strong attachment to the characters or drama, but it does lay an interesting basis for the franchise, and certainly makes Marcus Fenix into a hardened veteran.
 
 
The graphics of Gears of War are fantastic today, and were jaw-dropping at its release. The environments are well detailed, diverse and spacious. The details to buildings like statues and columns really bring life to the world of desolated Sera.   No structure looks the same, there are no repetitive environments, no cheap double-backing, you really do feel like you are fighting in the ruins of a city in an authentic way. Greek-Roman style architecture is all over the game, and the lighting really does make the aspects of the environment that need to be seen stand out. Character models look great with detailed armour and faces. The Locust look really distinctive and revolting, making them great enemies to face. The major draw back to the visuals is that the colour of the game is dominated by brown and that texture pop in is rife, but in a game that looks this good these are small issues. 
 

 
The game also sounds great. There is booming military style music that really sets the mood for combat and gets the blood pumping during the action sequences. The voice acting is gruff and curse ridden, pretty damn perfect for the soldiers being presented to us. The locust also sound great, with their gibbering growls and hisses. Weapons sound design is astonishingly good. Heads are blown off people, chainsaws are riveted and dismember bodies and in general all the violent excess of the game sounds fantastic and this really does add to the games sense of frantic action, and action is what Gears of War does best. 
 
 
The gameplay of Gears of War has been emulated by most other 3rd person shooters since, but few have gotten anywhere near the same level of quality.  You control Marcus from an over-the-shoulder camera angle, much inspired by Resident Evil 4. However there are fully integrated cover controls that easily allow you to take cover and move from one position of cover to another. It allows for really tactical combat in a way that Halo or Call of Duty do not. The controls are very fluid and accurate, resulting in a really satisfying experience. The weapon selection is not exactly vast but all the weapons have a distinct role that keeps them all viable and interesting to use. There is an active reload mechanic in the game that adds even more tactics to the combat.  When you press the right bumper to reload, a meter will appear with a sliding reticule. If you press the right bumper at the correct point you will reload faster. If you hit the perfect spot, your ammo will get a small damage boost. If you miss, you will jam your gun and it will take even longer to reload. Its a great reward/punishment mechanic that can make all the difference, and you will need every advantage you can get because Gears of War is a tough game. There are 3 difficulty levels for the single player campaign but they are all challenging. You will be flanked, engaged in melee and teamed up upon by intelligent AI. Neither can you take much damage so you will need to make smart use of cover and of the weapons you have at hand.  
 
 
The game runs really well, with only the odd frame rate issue when there is a lot of constant shooting going on, and the already mentioned texture pop-in being the biggest visual hiccup. The game has short load times between chapters and overall is a technical show piece for the Xbox 360. The combat works really well and the way you move around a level really matters as smart movement and avoidance can allow you to take an opponent in combat when you probably shouldn't have been able to. Nowhere is this more true than in the games impressive multiplayer helping. The maps are generally small in scope and perfect for 4v4 combat. You can revive downed allies and most levels will have some power weapons strategically located for the teams to vie over. The maps are really well laid out and give plenty of tactical options to players. There are really only variations of team death match in the game, but they are all fun and intense to play, especially with friends. 
 
 

You can sink dozens of hours into the multiplayer if you want, though I have to say that the game has very poor matchmaking and has been close to a ghost town since the release of Gears of War 2. The campaign runs at around 10 hours on the mid level difficulty and it can be played entirely with a co-op partner. This is a fantastic addition to the game and really helps if you fancy playing it on insane difficulty which is...well insane. There are some boss fights though they are generally only mediocre. The campaign also has some pacing problems, with a mid-game detour to a dank sewer like area with a lot of melee focused opponents that really do not make use of the games best mechanics and really do show the games age. However it is still a really strong campaign and absolutely worth playing through. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pros: 

• Great graphics and environments
• Deep and tactical cover mechanics
• Good weapon options
• Challenging difficulty 
• Co-op campaign 
• Multiplayer is fun and tactical with great maps
• Sound design for the weapons and combat is fantastic 

 
Cons: 

• Poorly told story despite its potential 
• Serious texture pop-in at times
• Campaign has pacing issues, with a poor middle chapter
• Multiplayer only has four modes and they are all variations of deathmatch 
• Matchmaking issues for online play

 
Wtf: 

•  If the locust live underground how do they make guns and other industrially constructed items 

 Score: 

• 8/10

Gears of War still stands up as an incredible game with deep mechanics, challenging gameplay and an overall fun experience. The story is a major let down and the campaign does have some serious pacing issues in the middle chapter.