To say that the hype that built up in the weeks and months before this
game was released was ridiculous is most definitely an understatement.
It really was the game to have for Christmas 2006, and I know I was
among the thousands of fans who couldn’t wait to get their hands on
this game. Gears of War had to, like it or not, live up to huge
expectations. For the most part though, the reviews praised and
worshiped the game, calling it the “Best Game Ever”, among other lofty
titles. And I must say that when I began playing, I was not
disappointed.
As soon as I started playing the game, I was impressed with the
different gameplay style. I came from a world of First Person Shooters,
a world of strafe, shoot, jump, strafe, shoot, repeat. Taking cover
behind a bullet-strewn pillar while shells scream past on either side
really is a new experience, and is a vital part of survival in the
game. Although it has been done before, the whole getting into cover,
moving, getting cover again system has never had such a big emphasis
since “kill.switch“, and has never been done this well.
I was impressed with the single-player gameplay mechanics, but nothing
could have prepared me for my unhealthy addiction to the multi-player
game mode that followed. The ingenious 4 vs. 4 games are nothing short
of revolutionary. Online, the game has a heavy emphasis on teamwork and
strategy, and less on pure skill. Communication is a must in order to
succeed, and the 8 player maximum means that each and every player is a
vital part of either Coalition or Locust teams. The online achievements
only fueled the aforementioned addiction further, and it wasn’t long
before I was completely hooked.
Graphically, the game blew me away. My first Xbox 360 game, and boy was
it one to be proud of. From the opening scenes in the prison onwards, I
just marveled at the amazing level of detail on both character models
and the game environments. The games presentation really is fantastic,
and players will most definitely not be disappointed with the
breathtaking spectacle on offer here. Simply stunning.
The game’s sound is similarly impressive. Along with an impressive
score, the games sound effects and voice-overs are superb. The voice
acting in particular deserves a special mention, as colourful
characters are brought fully to life with superb scriptwriting and
dialogue. Who could forget the enthusiastic hoots of the “Cole Train”,
or the sarcastic quips of Baird, the squad’s know-it-all wise guy? It
is clear that Epic Games focused hugely on delivering not only a superb
gameplay experience, but a graphical marvel, and fantastic audio.
Unfortunately, there are a few problems. Most noticeable and annoying
is the games strangely disappointing ending, an abrupt and surprisingly
short encounter. The game putters out after 5 short acts, and does not
last more than 3 or 4 hours. The difficulty levels are also a strange
selection, offering three choices. Firstly, “Casual”, which is almost
insultingly easy. Then “Hardcore”, which as the name suggests is
moderately difficult. Of course there is “Insane” difficulty, which
offers a difficult but very satisfying game experience. Most gamers
shouldn’t have trouble completing each of the game modes, and overall
the game is not all that difficult. This leaves doubts in this
reviewers mind as to whether the game fulfills the “value for money”
criteria a great game must have.
After finishing the brief story mode, the remaining hours and hours
spent playing this game come from the excellent online mode. Gamers
that are not Live Enabled should probably avoid this game, as the
single player game alone is definitely not worth the price tag. That
said, if you want an immersive, exciting and enjoyable gaming
experience, look no further than Gears of War.
