Single Player Complaints
I do have some issues with the story campaign, however. When it is at its best, where you are using the “stop and pop” gameplay to it’s fullest, you are experiencing all of the horror elements, and when the game moves along at a good pace, it is very, very fun. But when other elements are introduced, such as a pointless and stupid driving level, or when the A button controls cause you to die ten times in a row, or when a level forces you to walk over a weak floor and fall through into a pit of enemies a dozen times, the game isn’t so fun. Sections like these just bring the pace down to a crawl because you’ll die a lot until you figure things out. It becomes very annoying when you compare it to how fun everything else you get to do is. It also has to be noted that your AI teammates are very, very stupid and will constantly walk into the line of fire (or wander off into the darkness where the kryll birds are) and die. A lot.
Co-Op
One other complaint I have is about co-op. No, not because the co-op is bad, but because playing through the story by yourself is so boring by comparison. You pretty much need to play co-op to really experience Gears of War the way it was meant to be played, and once you play co-op, the single-player seems pretty bland. The co-op allows you and a buddy, either on the same Xbox or over Xbox Live, play through the entire story campaign together. What makes it all so amazing is that now you can fully utilize the fantastic level design. You can flank enemies and use real tactics and it is a ton of fun.
Multiplayer
MicrosoftMultiplayer is another key piece in the Gears of War puzzle, and it is amazingly well done. This is easily the best online multiplayer game since Halo 2. On a single system, you can play one-on-one or jump online to play in the full four-on-four matches. There is no four person splitscreen play, which is disappointing, but it is probably better to only split the screen in half so you can see better. The multiplayer can best be described as cozy as the levels aren’t too huge, and the 4vs4 combat ensures that the fighting remains fast and furious and fun. There are no respawns in multiplayer, and when everyone is dead the round is over. You can, however, revive downed teammates to keep the match going as long as you can, but enemies also have a couple of ways to truly finish off your buddies so they can’t be revived. All in all, the multiplayer is fast and fun, and works remarkably smoothly over Xbox Live.
Graphics and Sound
Visually, Gears of War is easily the best-looking console game yet. Everything is so insanely detailed and the special effects for explosions and blood and everything else are top notch. The animation is silky smooth. The lighting is perfect and beautiful. You can take one look at this game and feel completely justified in your purchase of the Xbox 360.
The sound is also amazingly well done. Great voice work. Great music that switches from triumphant military themes to more subtle sounds more befitting a horror movie soundtrack. And the sound effects for all of the weapons are also very well done. The sounds that your enemies make will also haunt your dreams. They are absolutely blood curdling.
Bottom Line
MicrosoftOverall, Gears of War is everything that was promised to us and more. It looks and plays absolutely phenomenally, and is a fantastic sign of things to come in the next-gen (or, I guess, it is the current-gen now). There are some little annoying issues in the story mode, but you plow through them just to see what is coming up next. Also, I really think that if you don’t have Xbox Live or you don’t have other people to play through the story with, you really aren’t going to get the full Gears of War experience. Co-Op play is absolutely phenomenal, and the multiplayer deathmatches are intense and fun, and you, obviously, won’t get to experience all of this is you are a hermit with no friends. Keep that in mind. Gears of War is an amazing game that is highly recommended.
