Gears of War has been called the best reason to get an Xbox 360. Aside from the stunning visuals that demonstrate the Xbox’s capabilities, the game packs thrills, sharp gameplay, beautiful music, and sound effects that heighten the gaming experience. It feels as if you’re in an action movie, not just playing a game. No wonder Gears of War rates consistently high with critics and gamers alike.
The story doesn’t go very deep, and not much background information is provided. But you might not even notice this as the action will keep you occupied enough. There are five acts, each with a set of objectives leading up to one main objective. At least one squad mate and at most four will help along the way.
The game puts you in the center of the action as Marcus Fenix, an ex-soldier for the Coalition of Organized Governments, or COG. You’ve been locked up as a traitor, but at the beginning of the game, you are being busted out of prison by a fellow soldier named Dom. Once free, you have to get back to the rest of Delta Squad. In the middle of helping to fight the war against an enemy force called the Locust, you must also find the Alpha Squad. Not only have they mysteriously disappeared, but they’re supposed to have a device that will help fight the Locust.
The enemy will take on many forms throughout the game. They are basically humanoids with one aim—to blow your head off each chance they get. Most of the time, though, it will take more than one shot to end the game for you and “recharging” is quick. But this doesn’t mean you should be less cautious. The trick is to duck and take cover. Staying down and behind a wall, a column, a pile of cars—anything—is a big part of Gears of War. It’s easy to master the controls and use them to move seamlessly from cover to cover. Or take cover, pop up to open fire, then duck back down..
The game starts with two levels of difficulty—casual and hardcore. A third one, insane, will unlock when you beat the game. Towards the end, however, the action becomes even become more intense. Luckily, you can choose your difficulty level every time you play. And if you need to get out of some rough spots you can always switch between levels while playing.
You can also switch between single play to co-op, where a buddy can play as Dom—or to multi-player mode, where up to eight people can team up in groups of four. Playing in co-op or multi-player mode gives you the ability to “revive” your buddies if they get hit. The only downside is that if you’re playing online in co-op mode and your buddy drops out of the game, you’re forced back to the main menu. If playing in multi-player mode via LAN, you’re limited to two players locally.
Overall, Gears of War stands out from other games because of its cinematic visuals and scoring, seamless effects, and thoughtful pluses, including the scoring system and choice of weapons. A campaign can be completed in 10 to 12 hours, and replayed over and over as a different experience each time.
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I’ve beat this game 3 times on casual,hardcore,and insane and have only foung 27 COG tages.
Comment by justin — February 23, 2007 @ 1:53 pm