35 reviews
In GEARS OF WAR you control Marcus Fenix, a disgraced squad leader of the forces of the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG). After his cohorts help him to escape from prison, he takes his squad to attempt to thwart the onslaught of the Locust Horde and to destroy their network of tunnels within Planet Sera. An optional second player can join in and control comrade Dominic.
In this third-person shooter, you must make judicious use of all available cover in order to succeed without being wiped out very quickly. When under cover you can shoot from behind it either by poking your head out to have a look at what you're shooting, or you can blind- fire (meaning that you can just poke your gun out without having to look, which is safer but lacks the accuracy of viewed firing). You can also roll to one side or the other to hopefully get to the next bit of cover quicker, if you are on one side of a door you can quickly spin to the other side, or you can jump over your cover (if it's low enough). There is even an option to run lower and more quickly towards the next bit of cover (provided that it's not too far away), which can be advisable if you are in the open too long as being lower and quicker makes you harder to hit.
You have a multitude of weapons at your disposal, most of which have limited ammunition (which can be picked up if it's lying on the ground, or you can top up a lot of weapons for which you do not have full ammo). There are various kinds of pistols and other handguns, although really these are only advisable if you don't have a bigger gun to use. Bigger guns come in a variety of sorts, with possibly the most well-known one being the Lancer, which has the much-talked-about chainsaw bayonet for close-quarters combat. Whereas with some of the other weapons you can strike with the butt of the gun, with the chainsaw bayonet you can rev it up and enjoy something of a guilty pleasure as your character swings the blade into the foe, ripping its skin apart and sending dark red blood jetting upwards, even spraying your screen! (Don't worry, you can still see through it and it does quickly fade). There is quite a bit of gore in GOW, but by far the chainsaw bayonet is among the goriest imagery in the game.
Other bigger guns include (but are not limited to) the shotgun and the sniper rifle, although its chamber can only accommodate one bullet, so you have to reload after every shot.
Reloading presents an extra facet which, when mastered, will allow quicker reloading and more powerful shots. When you start to reload a reload bar appears, with a meter running from left to right; when it reaches the right of the bar your gun will be reloaded. However, if you can stop the meter when it's within a small marked section of the bar which is about a third of the way across you will gain the aforementioned quicker reload and the accompanying benefits.
Also available are frag grenades, although you can only have up to four of these. When you use these you can either just throw them or you can aim using an on-screen arc that shows where your grenade will bounce and where it will explode.
There are also some other more powerful weapons, which I won't give away, but these should understandably be saved for the more troublesome foes.
When you take a hit you start to see a red cog appear on the screen; the more complete it is the closer you are to dying, so get under cover quickly! If it turns into a fully intact cog with a skull in the middle the screen goes bright red and you are dead (unless you're in multiplayer mode, where another player can go up to you and revive you).
Graphics are dark and moody, sometimes genuinely scary and very gory. There are bits later on where a small swarm of creatures known as Kryll will kill anyone who strays into shadowy areas for too long. Sound is equally cool, although some of the dialogue has voices that aren't quite up to the same standard.
Gameplay is simple enough to pick up, and all the various actions are well thought-out, with one button being a context-sensitive button, where your character might flick a switch, kick open a door or turn a valve. Before too long you will be ducking under cover and taking pot- shots at the foes like a seasoned COG war veteran.
If I did have one minor complaint, the scenes in rocky sections (e.g. caves) seem too artificial, almost as if they had been designed to contain cover (I know they have, but it still seems artificial). In the building-related scenes the cover is justified and logical (e.g. church pews in churches, fountains outside, pillars, bits of broken walls, windows etc), but when you see conveniently-placed rocky outcroppings to hide behind it somehow detracts slightly from the immersive experience that GOW otherwise offers. Another complaint involves the grenades in multiplayer mode; some details of the aiming arc can be off-screen if playing using two-player split-screen, which can make them harder to use than normal.
However, GOW stands out as a brilliant game in its own right, and is probably the main reason for investing in an XBox 360, especially in multiplayer mode.
In this third-person shooter, you must make judicious use of all available cover in order to succeed without being wiped out very quickly. When under cover you can shoot from behind it either by poking your head out to have a look at what you're shooting, or you can blind- fire (meaning that you can just poke your gun out without having to look, which is safer but lacks the accuracy of viewed firing). You can also roll to one side or the other to hopefully get to the next bit of cover quicker, if you are on one side of a door you can quickly spin to the other side, or you can jump over your cover (if it's low enough). There is even an option to run lower and more quickly towards the next bit of cover (provided that it's not too far away), which can be advisable if you are in the open too long as being lower and quicker makes you harder to hit.
You have a multitude of weapons at your disposal, most of which have limited ammunition (which can be picked up if it's lying on the ground, or you can top up a lot of weapons for which you do not have full ammo). There are various kinds of pistols and other handguns, although really these are only advisable if you don't have a bigger gun to use. Bigger guns come in a variety of sorts, with possibly the most well-known one being the Lancer, which has the much-talked-about chainsaw bayonet for close-quarters combat. Whereas with some of the other weapons you can strike with the butt of the gun, with the chainsaw bayonet you can rev it up and enjoy something of a guilty pleasure as your character swings the blade into the foe, ripping its skin apart and sending dark red blood jetting upwards, even spraying your screen! (Don't worry, you can still see through it and it does quickly fade). There is quite a bit of gore in GOW, but by far the chainsaw bayonet is among the goriest imagery in the game.
Other bigger guns include (but are not limited to) the shotgun and the sniper rifle, although its chamber can only accommodate one bullet, so you have to reload after every shot.
Reloading presents an extra facet which, when mastered, will allow quicker reloading and more powerful shots. When you start to reload a reload bar appears, with a meter running from left to right; when it reaches the right of the bar your gun will be reloaded. However, if you can stop the meter when it's within a small marked section of the bar which is about a third of the way across you will gain the aforementioned quicker reload and the accompanying benefits.
Also available are frag grenades, although you can only have up to four of these. When you use these you can either just throw them or you can aim using an on-screen arc that shows where your grenade will bounce and where it will explode.
There are also some other more powerful weapons, which I won't give away, but these should understandably be saved for the more troublesome foes.
When you take a hit you start to see a red cog appear on the screen; the more complete it is the closer you are to dying, so get under cover quickly! If it turns into a fully intact cog with a skull in the middle the screen goes bright red and you are dead (unless you're in multiplayer mode, where another player can go up to you and revive you).
Graphics are dark and moody, sometimes genuinely scary and very gory. There are bits later on where a small swarm of creatures known as Kryll will kill anyone who strays into shadowy areas for too long. Sound is equally cool, although some of the dialogue has voices that aren't quite up to the same standard.
Gameplay is simple enough to pick up, and all the various actions are well thought-out, with one button being a context-sensitive button, where your character might flick a switch, kick open a door or turn a valve. Before too long you will be ducking under cover and taking pot- shots at the foes like a seasoned COG war veteran.
If I did have one minor complaint, the scenes in rocky sections (e.g. caves) seem too artificial, almost as if they had been designed to contain cover (I know they have, but it still seems artificial). In the building-related scenes the cover is justified and logical (e.g. church pews in churches, fountains outside, pillars, bits of broken walls, windows etc), but when you see conveniently-placed rocky outcroppings to hide behind it somehow detracts slightly from the immersive experience that GOW otherwise offers. Another complaint involves the grenades in multiplayer mode; some details of the aiming arc can be off-screen if playing using two-player split-screen, which can make them harder to use than normal.
However, GOW stands out as a brilliant game in its own right, and is probably the main reason for investing in an XBox 360, especially in multiplayer mode.
This is a game that is beyond good, even beyond great, even beyond awesome.
this awesome is derived from the unbelievably addictive online play that is worth the 14.99 price tag. this game is a must by simply because of the graphic brilliance in multi-player crisp controls AND THE LASHINGS OF GORE the game scores points for the story mode but just a few. it isn't really all that good and the story is the same as many other games but it is still fun.
get this game for the single player and be entertained, play the multi-player and be astonished
this awesome is derived from the unbelievably addictive online play that is worth the 14.99 price tag. this game is a must by simply because of the graphic brilliance in multi-player crisp controls AND THE LASHINGS OF GORE the game scores points for the story mode but just a few. it isn't really all that good and the story is the same as many other games but it is still fun.
get this game for the single player and be entertained, play the multi-player and be astonished
Wow. Gears of War is an astounding game. Top to bottom, the game never ceases to amaze me. The single player, while the story wasn't exactly amazing, and the campaign wasn't exactly that long, the game play is amazing. AMAZING! "Stop and pop" is the way to play this game, as once said by Cliffy B.
The campaign is relatively easy on the lower difficulty, but when you ramp up the difficulty to Hardcore or Insane once you've unlocked it, this game will make you tear your hair out in frustration. I've beaten the game on Insane, it was difficult. Very difficult.
The multi-player is better. I don't even know how that's possible. But it is. The thrill of pulling off that head-shot with the sniper rifle or killing three people from the same blast from the Hammer of Dawn, it never gets old.
Oh, the Hammer of Dawn is a giant space laser.
The only complaint is that you can't break the chainsawing animation, so when you clearly could've dodged the blade in real life, you aren't allowed to move, unless it glitches, and even then, you die when they're not near you.
Overall this game will make you tear your hair out. In a good way. 10/10.
The campaign is relatively easy on the lower difficulty, but when you ramp up the difficulty to Hardcore or Insane once you've unlocked it, this game will make you tear your hair out in frustration. I've beaten the game on Insane, it was difficult. Very difficult.
The multi-player is better. I don't even know how that's possible. But it is. The thrill of pulling off that head-shot with the sniper rifle or killing three people from the same blast from the Hammer of Dawn, it never gets old.
Oh, the Hammer of Dawn is a giant space laser.
The only complaint is that you can't break the chainsawing animation, so when you clearly could've dodged the blade in real life, you aren't allowed to move, unless it glitches, and even then, you die when they're not near you.
Overall this game will make you tear your hair out. In a good way. 10/10.
"Gears Of War" seriously smashes any other War-Action video game from the new millennium. This is probably the most spectacular game of it's kind when it comes to unlimited action, gore, visuals, sound, and even dialogs. The weak point is the plot because it doesn't let you explore more of it but oh! who cares when it's all about action?! This game started a revolution in video games because it creates a whole new world based on not-so real humans battling aliens in an Apocalyptic scenario.
The visuals are just impressive and you won't get better. The sound is impressive and I would compare it to any action movie from the likes of "Independence Day" or even the almighty "Terminator 2: Judgment Day".
This is the prime example of the XBOX 360's power. It's a must have for any video game lover. The online mode is just as addictive and spectacular.
Please get this game and be part of the new history of video games.
The visuals are just impressive and you won't get better. The sound is impressive and I would compare it to any action movie from the likes of "Independence Day" or even the almighty "Terminator 2: Judgment Day".
This is the prime example of the XBOX 360's power. It's a must have for any video game lover. The online mode is just as addictive and spectacular.
Please get this game and be part of the new history of video games.
- insomniac_rod
- Jul 23, 2009
- Permalink
I knew from the start Gears would be a great game. I didn't doubt it for one second.
Graphics- On non HD T.V.s it looks amazing. So much detail went into almost everything. But on HD you will be blown away. Either way, it looks great.
Sound- Probably the only bad thing. The sounds and everything are great its just the voice work is a bit caveman.
Violence- Had to bring it up because when I first chainsawed an enemy I was like "Whoah!". Definitely a gory game.
Gameplay- Sort of like Resident Evil 4. The controls may take a bit time getting used to but once you figure them out aiming and shooting will be simple.
Overall- Great game. A must buy for 360 owners.
10/10
Graphics- On non HD T.V.s it looks amazing. So much detail went into almost everything. But on HD you will be blown away. Either way, it looks great.
Sound- Probably the only bad thing. The sounds and everything are great its just the voice work is a bit caveman.
Violence- Had to bring it up because when I first chainsawed an enemy I was like "Whoah!". Definitely a gory game.
Gameplay- Sort of like Resident Evil 4. The controls may take a bit time getting used to but once you figure them out aiming and shooting will be simple.
Overall- Great game. A must buy for 360 owners.
10/10
- Movie_reaper
- Nov 18, 2006
- Permalink
For anyone who owns a Xbox360 and is not playing Gears of War right now, it is imperative that you do so. Gears of War is an epic game created by.. well.. Epic Games. It is a 3rd person shooter that utilizes a somewhat tactical feel. You fight an alien/monster horde called the Locusts, and old-school shooter style, there are large bosses you must kill every so often. The online is more team based than the campaign mode, because you can revive your teammates (if you can reach them in time), and four guns always wins against one.
If you are questioning purchasing this game, you will regret it if you don't. Go out and buy Gears NOW!
If you are questioning purchasing this game, you will regret it if you don't. Go out and buy Gears NOW!
- registrationday
- Nov 12, 2006
- Permalink
Firstly i would just like to state a simple instruction, -BUY THIS GAME-. anyway now that is out of the way onto the game-play. the game-play itself is deeply entertaining, although some may find it a little repetitive, they will also tell you it is fun! the only reason for not liking this is if you are a girl who hates action games, sad i know.... the average player will not be impressed with the opening events in the game, but then again, you have choice's of which paths to take, and the range of decision making is outstanding!
The graphics are no less than great, but then again this is on the Xbox 360. one of the best games and a well spent £37.97 GET THIS GAME!!!
The graphics are no less than great, but then again this is on the Xbox 360. one of the best games and a well spent £37.97 GET THIS GAME!!!
- arsenal_4_ever
- Nov 24, 2006
- Permalink
WOW. Just WOW.
This game caused so much hype for avid 360 gamers like myself...and boy did it live up to it's expectations! I bought the limited edition version and got an extra DVD with it and a small hard back book with pretty pictures and nice words. I haven't watched the DVD yet as I wanted to finish the game first.
I am so impressed with this game. The story is admittedley short, but if you play the story in INSANE mode, it's going to last A lot longer than if you play it in CASUAL mode. However, the story itself is really good...you're working towards getting something (A Resonator) to destroy like a second world. It keeps you involved, and I do think that if they made the sotry any longer than it is, it might start to get abit repetitive...so well done to Eipc Games. Even the online version is very good, very fun. Abit like Halo 2 online, in the sense that, EVERYONE wants either the sniper rifle or the grenade launcher. lol. There isn't any lag either! Well, I didn't experience any.
The co-op is awesome! I played the co-op with my boyfriend, and working together as a proper team is exciting! And I must say...The graphics are unbelievable!!! My dad has a Samsung HDTV and oh my god...talk about take your breath away! Every 360 owner should have this game...if not...WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! :)
This game caused so much hype for avid 360 gamers like myself...and boy did it live up to it's expectations! I bought the limited edition version and got an extra DVD with it and a small hard back book with pretty pictures and nice words. I haven't watched the DVD yet as I wanted to finish the game first.
I am so impressed with this game. The story is admittedley short, but if you play the story in INSANE mode, it's going to last A lot longer than if you play it in CASUAL mode. However, the story itself is really good...you're working towards getting something (A Resonator) to destroy like a second world. It keeps you involved, and I do think that if they made the sotry any longer than it is, it might start to get abit repetitive...so well done to Eipc Games. Even the online version is very good, very fun. Abit like Halo 2 online, in the sense that, EVERYONE wants either the sniper rifle or the grenade launcher. lol. There isn't any lag either! Well, I didn't experience any.
The co-op is awesome! I played the co-op with my boyfriend, and working together as a proper team is exciting! And I must say...The graphics are unbelievable!!! My dad has a Samsung HDTV and oh my god...talk about take your breath away! Every 360 owner should have this game...if not...WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU! :)
Gears Of War is the best game on xbox360 maybe even best game I've played all year.With the best graphics i have ever seen on any system.The environments and surrounding ruin of cities looks great like an actual bombed out city.The A.I. in G.O.W is decent not to great though they are kinda dumb all they do is attack and take cover.Sound is awesome on it the guns sound great and the voice acting is really good done by professionals.The story is great just too short for my liking but its well done and when the soldiers talk they talk like real soldiers would by making jokes and trying to keep the morale up.Its a little sad to say but the way the soldiers act in this fictional war game is more real than they act in a real war game(my friend in the army told me thats exactly the way him and his company act).Actual game play of G.O.W is very easy and simple to get into and the firefights you'll be having are amazing just intense fire fights with taking fire and returning fire a decent variety of weapons makes the games fire fights fun.Taking cover is crucial to game play but its not as bad as it may sound you don't have to take cover for minutes at a time there are plenty of chances to run out and gun the Locusts down.All in all this is a great game worth buying if your a shooter fan or want a fun game to play its a most own for any 360 owner if they like action games at all.
- doomster927
- Jan 14, 2007
- Permalink
Some twelve years after its initial release, I've finally found the time to sit down with a copy of "Gears Of War" and give it a playthough. Please note, I'm playing the original 360 version, on an Xbox One via the backwards compatibility, and not the remastered release.
My initial feelings about the campaign weren't, if I am honest, that great. A jumbled back story I soon decided to ignore led to a dull abandoned locations and repetitive encounters as small groups of enemies lumbered from ground to fall fairly quickly. The cover mechanic was cumbersome and fiddly and the game was really buggy, prescribed actions failed to kick in and on one occasional I climbed up a ladder which then glitched me to the middle of the roof and I had to restart. However, the further I got into the game, the more it improved. Generic corridors opened to towns squares and houses that needed to be defended from the (admittedly still pretty recurring) invasions. From there, the enemies and weapon types mix it up and bit, but it's the boss fights that remain the most memorable aspects of the game. I did get a better grip on the controls, although throughout the entire playthrough I kept snapping into cover when I was trying to jump out of the way. The active reload was a good addition though and it's one of the best game mechanics I've experienced - when you get the reload spot on, in the heat of battle and take down an enemy. I never did really get a handle on who the characters were and what we were really supposed to be doing but ignoring all that and just going in the direction it seemed to want me to go, and shooting what crawled from the ground became entertaining enough. And then, almost too quickly, it was over. The campaign was probably around ten hours for me, on the standard difficulty setting and trying to look around as much as possible for the cogtags.
I can only imagine what the experience was like to play the game for the first time in 2006, but in 2018, though it lacks the wow factor to compete with an AAA game now, I don't regret finally catch up.
My initial feelings about the campaign weren't, if I am honest, that great. A jumbled back story I soon decided to ignore led to a dull abandoned locations and repetitive encounters as small groups of enemies lumbered from ground to fall fairly quickly. The cover mechanic was cumbersome and fiddly and the game was really buggy, prescribed actions failed to kick in and on one occasional I climbed up a ladder which then glitched me to the middle of the roof and I had to restart. However, the further I got into the game, the more it improved. Generic corridors opened to towns squares and houses that needed to be defended from the (admittedly still pretty recurring) invasions. From there, the enemies and weapon types mix it up and bit, but it's the boss fights that remain the most memorable aspects of the game. I did get a better grip on the controls, although throughout the entire playthrough I kept snapping into cover when I was trying to jump out of the way. The active reload was a good addition though and it's one of the best game mechanics I've experienced - when you get the reload spot on, in the heat of battle and take down an enemy. I never did really get a handle on who the characters were and what we were really supposed to be doing but ignoring all that and just going in the direction it seemed to want me to go, and shooting what crawled from the ground became entertaining enough. And then, almost too quickly, it was over. The campaign was probably around ten hours for me, on the standard difficulty setting and trying to look around as much as possible for the cogtags.
I can only imagine what the experience was like to play the game for the first time in 2006, but in 2018, though it lacks the wow factor to compete with an AAA game now, I don't regret finally catch up.
- southdavid
- Sep 10, 2018
- Permalink
- stefanjovanovicmelbstorm
- Feb 27, 2009
- Permalink
Don't get me wrong Gears of War is a good game, but its not as good as people say it is, it doesn't live up to the hype, the graphics however are beautiful and are a joy to watch, the cinematic scenes are cool to,but the game play gets a bit boring, you find yourself doing the same through out most of the game, ducking covering, shooting,walking, ducking covering ,shooting, walking. if u never get bored of shooting the same enemy through out then this is the game for you.Its not a terrible game though, I would call it good, but at times boring.Some of the weapons are really cool and great to use like the hammer of dawn, some of it is really artistic and creative to,once again it is a good game, not a great game.
- badger-tierney
- Sep 29, 2009
- Permalink
I am not a major gamer, but when I heard about Gears of War and that it is better than the Halo series, I bought it. The graphics were superb, the music was outstanding and matched the game-play. WOWOWOWOW the game-play! Freakin' amazing weapons.... the chainsaw gun..... the Hammer of Dawn! Gears of War is a game that will be a classic. The actual storyline is a bit too short, but the nice thing is that once you beat the game, you can play again on harder levels. Gears is the most addictive game i have ever played other than Guitar Hero II. Even if you die in the game, you'll want to jump back into the action.
I would give this game 9 1/5 out of 10 and if you would like more information or help please look at my comment board
I would give this game 9 1/5 out of 10 and if you would like more information or help please look at my comment board
- Bronfmania
- Dec 31, 2006
- Permalink
This is a classic game. This spectactular shooter became an award winning game that totally lived up to the hype. So good that they made two sequels, one prequel and a spin of (Gears 4). Gears 5 is also in progress and four novels have been written. Television series/documentaries exists about this game. In our gaming history GoW is piece of art and history. Gears is one of the most memorable and and celebrated series/sagas in the world of gaming in our history.
Gears is the father and the invention of the cover based shooters. Gears of War was the start of a new era of gaming mechanics.
Gameplay: Shooting have never felt better. Tons of kick-ass shooting and tactical military-content. As I said the invention of the cover system. This game is built up by cover, you can hide behind everything. Quickly jump from one place to another. Or run while crouching to avoid bullets. This running and the fast swap between covers are very useful and fun to use. Controls are easy but very useful and good. I mean gameplay is the best part of this game. Gunplay runs smooth and feels great together with some heavy cool weapons. The gore and the chainsaw kill are amazing. Gameplay is so fun and i still return today to play this game. Bosses are nothing special, but it brings variety and joy to the game. This game is meant for co-op which is much better and funnier. Especially the split-screen which is nice to see. If you have a lovely sibling, parent, boy/girlfriend or just a friend at your home it's feels good to be able to bring up a game and socially play together at one couch. 10/10.
Graphics: 2006 this was the best looking game and it still holds up. The graphics looks promising. Detailed environments and character models. A dark and gritty atmosphere lies over this game and I love it. It is fitting to the world we play in and the story. Cut scenes are also very cinematic which is nice to see. When you're not enjoying the gameplay you can enjoy the cutscenes which looks good. For being 2006 and still holds up today there's nothing you can complain on. 10/10.
Story: Well there's not much going on in the plot. The game starts up pretty quick and rushed without any explanation of what's really going on. I mean Marcus prison sentence could be explained a lot more. I know the sequels, the books and the remaster fixed this criticism so I'm not seeing this as a huge problem but it made me confused when I first played it. This game was gameplay-focused after all. The story that exists is interesting I must say. The trailer really made me buy this game. Marcu Fenix is breaken out of prison and sent on a mission to destroy the Locust stronghold. This is a dark tale of humanity struggle and a desperate fight for survival and peace. Gears of War brings a depressing tone to a dark bitter story. Running around in a city were civilisation and lives are gone is scary and they made it so well done. Marcus and his team feels real and believable. The humor is fun but not too comic or excessive. I know that fellow soldiers talk like that in real life to hide the fear. But running around and listen to their small dialogues is enjoyable. Their adventure and the problems they face on the way makes this little "road movie"-feeling and the heroic ending gave me goosebumps. The final train mission was the best. 9/10.
Multiplayer is super fun.
This game is a masterpiece and one of my all time favorites!
Gameplay: Shooting have never felt better. Tons of kick-ass shooting and tactical military-content. As I said the invention of the cover system. This game is built up by cover, you can hide behind everything. Quickly jump from one place to another. Or run while crouching to avoid bullets. This running and the fast swap between covers are very useful and fun to use. Controls are easy but very useful and good. I mean gameplay is the best part of this game. Gunplay runs smooth and feels great together with some heavy cool weapons. The gore and the chainsaw kill are amazing. Gameplay is so fun and i still return today to play this game. Bosses are nothing special, but it brings variety and joy to the game. This game is meant for co-op which is much better and funnier. Especially the split-screen which is nice to see. If you have a lovely sibling, parent, boy/girlfriend or just a friend at your home it's feels good to be able to bring up a game and socially play together at one couch. 10/10.
Graphics: 2006 this was the best looking game and it still holds up. The graphics looks promising. Detailed environments and character models. A dark and gritty atmosphere lies over this game and I love it. It is fitting to the world we play in and the story. Cut scenes are also very cinematic which is nice to see. When you're not enjoying the gameplay you can enjoy the cutscenes which looks good. For being 2006 and still holds up today there's nothing you can complain on. 10/10.
Story: Well there's not much going on in the plot. The game starts up pretty quick and rushed without any explanation of what's really going on. I mean Marcus prison sentence could be explained a lot more. I know the sequels, the books and the remaster fixed this criticism so I'm not seeing this as a huge problem but it made me confused when I first played it. This game was gameplay-focused after all. The story that exists is interesting I must say. The trailer really made me buy this game. Marcu Fenix is breaken out of prison and sent on a mission to destroy the Locust stronghold. This is a dark tale of humanity struggle and a desperate fight for survival and peace. Gears of War brings a depressing tone to a dark bitter story. Running around in a city were civilisation and lives are gone is scary and they made it so well done. Marcus and his team feels real and believable. The humor is fun but not too comic or excessive. I know that fellow soldiers talk like that in real life to hide the fear. But running around and listen to their small dialogues is enjoyable. Their adventure and the problems they face on the way makes this little "road movie"-feeling and the heroic ending gave me goosebumps. The final train mission was the best. 9/10.
Multiplayer is super fun.
This game is a masterpiece and one of my all time favorites!
- HowlingRabbit334
- Oct 1, 2008
- Permalink
Gears of War's biggest weakness is a interesting but bare bones plot but what it makes up for it is it's addictive and (very)gory intensely fun shooting action.
What Epic Games has done is nothing short of brilliant and although not really original, the core gameplay mechanics are very well-done. Besides the critically-acclaimed Halo series, the focus on cover makes for some really exciting and strategically intense firefights. The graphics are really nice, detailed, and has a dark, gritty, medieval-industrial/Gothic hybrid feel that fits really well with the atmosphere. The voice acting is a little cheesy but it's supposed to be this way. It feels like the action flicks of the '80s and '90s.
However, Gear's major flaw is the story. Nothing is even remotely explained; not even the real reason for why the bad guys want to destroy humanity. None of the characters are developed, even the Locust Horde and their leader, General Raam. The lack of any real development sucks what little life remains from the characters and it makes it a little depressing.
Gears of War is a great action game marred only by a weak, paint by numbers plot with emotionally devoid characters.
What Epic Games has done is nothing short of brilliant and although not really original, the core gameplay mechanics are very well-done. Besides the critically-acclaimed Halo series, the focus on cover makes for some really exciting and strategically intense firefights. The graphics are really nice, detailed, and has a dark, gritty, medieval-industrial/Gothic hybrid feel that fits really well with the atmosphere. The voice acting is a little cheesy but it's supposed to be this way. It feels like the action flicks of the '80s and '90s.
However, Gear's major flaw is the story. Nothing is even remotely explained; not even the real reason for why the bad guys want to destroy humanity. None of the characters are developed, even the Locust Horde and their leader, General Raam. The lack of any real development sucks what little life remains from the characters and it makes it a little depressing.
Gears of War is a great action game marred only by a weak, paint by numbers plot with emotionally devoid characters.
- johnnymacbest
- Jan 20, 2010
- Permalink
I do not usually care for this type of game unless there is something interesting going on. In the case of this game it is the fact you are going against an army of monsters that are coming from within the earth. So that right there means it will not be the typical shooter or bland army game. So you have your super tough soldier you control, released from a prison because at this stage in the conflict the military needs all the help they can get. So you now must battle your way through the locust horde to reach various mission objectives all with the sole purpose of destroying the opposition. Fear not, though as you have other soldiers on your side, helping you with their firepower as well. You also get a vehicle to drive and plenty of weapons, though I really loved the default weapon best. A machine gun with a chainsaw bayonet. The sniper rifle was also cool. Plenty of monsters to shoot too, as you have your basic foot soldiers, your giant nearly indestructible monsters, bat type creatures that avoid light and others. So even though usually this type of game is not for me, this one was rather fun and exciting.
This game probably shows one of the best graphics ever for a video game. Sound effects makes the game-play intense. But the best part of the game is online gaming and best of all CO-op. Gears of war is also the best 2 player game I've ever played. If u have trouble with a level, ask a friend and both of u can kick ass. Here are the pros and cons
Pros: Graphics are absolutely gorgeous and one of the best i have ever seen -Sound effects are great -reloading is fun -chainsaw is hilarious -Best co-op ever -Great voice acting and cast
Cons: Gameplay is very mediocre -Not that fun with 1 player -story isn't well presented
Pros: Graphics are absolutely gorgeous and one of the best i have ever seen -Sound effects are great -reloading is fun -chainsaw is hilarious -Best co-op ever -Great voice acting and cast
Cons: Gameplay is very mediocre -Not that fun with 1 player -story isn't well presented
- soccerdragon128
- Aug 8, 2007
- Permalink
- Rob_Taylor
- Nov 16, 2013
- Permalink
Gears of War has some truly great moments in its 6+ hour campaign, but therein lies the problem: it is too short! I think the game would have greatly benefited from a longer, more in-depth story and characterizations. Consequently, GoW's presentation cannot stand up to the greats like Halo or Half-Life. It may sound like I don't like the game much, I do, but it is just a bit disappointing.
The graphics are just as good, if not better, as you have probably heard. The art style is well realized and it excels in communicating the overall bleakness of a war torn world. The textures are especially detailed and the animations are very well done. The only drawback is the variance (or lack thereof) in the environments and enemy designs.
The gameplay is what really makes this shooter standout from the myriad of other TPS and FPS games. The "stop-and-pop" mechanic is very well done. Another thing that differentiates this title from other shooters are the dismembarment and blood effects; without them the headshots wouldn't be as satisfying, nor would a well placed shot from a shotgun that rips a player's torso in half be as cool.
An important facet in today's shooters is the multiplayer. In my opinion, a shooter just isn't worth buying if it doesn't have an in-depth multiplayer aspect to it (Bioshock being an exception.) Thus, I am glad to tell you that Gears of War has a great multiplayer component. The stop-and-pop gameplay is seamlessly integrated into the multiplayer experience, and the gameplay sessions can get really intense thanks to it. The level design is mostly symmetrical, so it's not easy to camp and hold a position for long unless you have good teamwork, and each team has an equal chance to get to the weapons. My only gripe with the multiplayer is the matchmaking system. I don't understand why the developers decided to include a matchmaking system that makes it hard to play with your friends in ranked matches. The multiplayer would have greatly benefited from a Halo 2/3 style matchmaking system, in my opinion.
Overall, I would recommend this game to any adult who is looking for a great shooter with a good single-player campaign and great multiplayer.
Gameplay: 9/10 Graphics: 10/10 Sound: 8/10 Value: 10/10
The graphics are just as good, if not better, as you have probably heard. The art style is well realized and it excels in communicating the overall bleakness of a war torn world. The textures are especially detailed and the animations are very well done. The only drawback is the variance (or lack thereof) in the environments and enemy designs.
The gameplay is what really makes this shooter standout from the myriad of other TPS and FPS games. The "stop-and-pop" mechanic is very well done. Another thing that differentiates this title from other shooters are the dismembarment and blood effects; without them the headshots wouldn't be as satisfying, nor would a well placed shot from a shotgun that rips a player's torso in half be as cool.
An important facet in today's shooters is the multiplayer. In my opinion, a shooter just isn't worth buying if it doesn't have an in-depth multiplayer aspect to it (Bioshock being an exception.) Thus, I am glad to tell you that Gears of War has a great multiplayer component. The stop-and-pop gameplay is seamlessly integrated into the multiplayer experience, and the gameplay sessions can get really intense thanks to it. The level design is mostly symmetrical, so it's not easy to camp and hold a position for long unless you have good teamwork, and each team has an equal chance to get to the weapons. My only gripe with the multiplayer is the matchmaking system. I don't understand why the developers decided to include a matchmaking system that makes it hard to play with your friends in ranked matches. The multiplayer would have greatly benefited from a Halo 2/3 style matchmaking system, in my opinion.
Overall, I would recommend this game to any adult who is looking for a great shooter with a good single-player campaign and great multiplayer.
Gameplay: 9/10 Graphics: 10/10 Sound: 8/10 Value: 10/10
- CelorElderOne
- Feb 10, 2008
- Permalink