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Your Fellow Soldiers are Counting on You.
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Best looking XBOX360 game
| Best looking XBOX360 game |
| Description: |
Published by: Microsoft
Developed by: Epic Games
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Number of Players: 1-8
Release Date:
US: November 7, 2006
Japan: January 18, 2007
Europe: November 17, 2006
Australia: November 23, 2006
MSRP: $59.99
ESRB Content Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language
Features: 16:9 Support, 480p Support, 720p Support, Dolby Digital 5.1, Xbox Live, Memory Unit, Custom Soundtrack, Downloadable Content
Media Size: 1 DVD
Hype is an interesting part of the game industry. It seems like every time there's a big game on the horizon, its hype train gains momentum, and gamers somehow think that they can determine whether or not a game is good before they even get their hands on it. This was the case with Halo 2, the last game in the Xbox canon that was actually able to live up to the hype surrounding it. Now, as we enter the second year of the Xbox 360's life cycle, the hype has reached critical mass for another shooter, this one from the folks at Epic Studios, creators of the Unreal franchise. We've been hearing about this one for a long time now, ever since we first saw a tech demo of the vaunted Unreal Engine 3. Now, after having our way with the game for over a week, we can finally answer the question that everyone's dying to know. Is Gears of War "the Next Big Thing," or is it just another game that'll be crushed under the considerable weight of its own hype?
Gears of War takes place on Sera, an Earth-like planet that's under siege from the Locust, horrific monsters that emerged from underground to decimate humanity. The action kicks off with a jailbreak of sorts, as disgraced solider Marcus Fenix is broken out of prison by a former squadmate to take part in a dangerous mission to (hopefully) wipe out the Locust for good. While Gears' story is perfectly serviceable, one can't help but feel like it could have been beefed up quite a bit. There are plenty of off-hand references to what had happened in the years leading up to the game, and we would have liked to have seen more exposition on everything from Marcus' personal background to the war that had been waged for nearly 14 years. Since this is probably going to be the first game in a mega-series, it's not that surprising that the developers are holding some stuff back, but we kept finding ourselves wanting more.
If you've been following the game's development at all, you probably already know that the team at Epic has eschewed the familiar run 'n gun style of play for a "pop 'n stop" mechanic. You'll have to use cover wisely as you progress through the game's five acts, something that the game's third-person presentation makes it extremely easy to do. Essentially, you can take cover against any object or structure with a simple press of the A button. Your character will slam his back into a wall or against a pillar, and he can pull off a number of context sensitive moves (like a SWAT turn or hurdle) just by pushing the analog stick in the correct direction and pressing A again. Before long, you'll become adept at quickly moving from one cover location to another, stopping just long enough to fire your weapon into your foes.
Interestingly, the game doesn't feature a traditional reticule until you zoom in using the left trigger. Zooming will bring the camera in tight, right above the character's shoulder, and it can be utilized while taking cover (you can also blind fire when you're behind cover, although it's far from accurate). Naturally, zooming also makes your character less mobile, so you'll constantly be zooming in and firing off a few rounds before returning to the regular view and moving around. There are definitely times when this switching can be disorienting, particularly when you're dealing with quick enemies. As you get more comfortable with the game, you'll know where your gun is pointing, and you'll be able to blast away at many nearby baddies without even zooming.
Since your foes are using the same cover system that you do, you'll be able to exploit their weaknesses in a number of ways. For instance, tossing a smoke grenade into their midst is a great way to get the drop on them, as you'll be able to circle around and flank them for an easy kill. The grenade can be blind tossed from cover, while holding down the left trigger will bring up a trajectory view, allowing you to put the grenade wherever you want, even bouncing it off walls to take out enemies positioned around corners. Once you get used to the grenades, you'll probably be able to use them well without even aiming, particularly if you're tossing them down the emergence holes that open up to spawn new enemies.
If you're a graphics whore, you absolutely, positively need to pick this game up. To say that Gears of War features "next-gen graphics is a gross understatement. It's got the most impressive graphics ever seen in a video game, and the stellar art direction only makes it more beautiful. Characters move smoothly and realistically, and we're huge fans of the "roadie run," in which your character will run low to the ground while the camera bounces behind him. There are a few framerate and texture pop-in issues here and there, but you'll be so busy admiring the gorgeous environments that you won't even notice. This is one hell of a great looking game, and we're already excited to see what else the new Unreal Engine is capable of producing.
Not to be overshadowed by the visuals, the audio team at Epic succeeded in making a game that sounds as good as it looks. The weapons sound powerful and dangerous, and it's impossible not to crap your pants when you hear the Hammer of Dawn warming up during multiplayer games. The sweeping, orchestral score is excellent, too, kicking in at just the right time to get your blood boiling. The game features some solid voiceover work (although Marcus is a bit too gruff at times), with Lester "Mighty Rasta" Speight standing out from the crowd. Terry "Office Linebacker" Tate is back, baby! Wooooo wooooooooo!!
Unlike many "event" games that come and go, Gears of War lives up to the hype surrounding it, and while it's not perfect, it's impossible not to want more. While the storyline is lacking in a few areas, the gameplay itself is exciting and intense, although hardcore players might want to up the difficulty a bit. For many, the game's strength lays in its multiplayer options, both cooperatively and competitively. If you can keep from letting out a whoop after you curb stomp a buddy, you're a stronger man than I. Finally, the Xbox 360 has the killer app that everyone's been waiting for, a game that should be shown to anyone who doubts the system's power. OK, now that that's out of the way, let's talk about Halo 3...
The stop 'n pop mechanic works well, although hardcore shooter fans might want to up the difficulty for more of a challenge. The action is intense and very well-paced.
This is by far the best looking video game we've ever seen.
Crank up your surround sound, rev your buzz saw, and feel the adrenaline pumping through your veins.
The intense, brutal multiplayer modes will keep you coming back for a long time. Online co-op is lot of fun.
While there are some cool weapons, most of them fall into the "old standby" category. The active reload and roadie run mechanics are nice touches.
source: reviews.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/1247/Gears-of-War/p1/ |
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| Date: |
30.01.2007 23:03 |
| Hits: |
1709 |
| Downloads: |
135 |
| Rating: |
3.67 (3 Vote(s)) |
| File size: |
133.6 KB |
| Added by: |
Kyomaster |
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