Insanely Awe-dical

This was one of the games that I had on my list of "Games to get when I get a Xbox360" I've had the 360 since Christmas (Thanks Kate!) and had not yet picked it up (the reasons for this, I can't recall them clearly).

Either way, the cheap price tag at Gamestop and having the idea of playing co-op with a friend that's in town was tempting, and I picked it up this weekend. One thing I remember reading about Gears of War is that it constantly topped lists of "Games to play to show off your HDTV." I was excited to see the visuals, and I know that the 5.1 sound on FPS games never disappoint. I'm reserving my opinions and curbing my excitement because Call of Duty 4 blew me away so much, that I almost feel like I can't be that impressed anymore.

The game has a dark tone, but hardly has any exposition - you start controlling your character within a minute of starting the campaign and you're moving around. You have a chance for a quick tutorial with the controls - using weapons and finding cover, and you're in the battle very quickly.

As opposed to standard FPS, this uses an over-the-shoulder perspective. Technically, it's a TPS (third-person shooter), but unlike Stranglehold and Max Payne where the character is centered, this character is situated to the left at about 1/4th of the screen. This prevents your character from getting in the way of your target, and I feel is a good choice.

What this perspective also creates is a sense that you're right there in the battle. The in-battle intensity is unmatch and distinctly different from other FPS games. The fray is intense with the emphasis on finding cover (a rock slab, a broken car, the edge of a fountain). With your enemies finding cover as well, your forced to flank your enemies. The cover system shines here, giving you commands to allow you to slide to a adjacent wall, jump over a wall and dash to the next wall, and other transitions to get you in flanking position. I want to pay special attention to the dash, which is really like a crouching run, but the camera gets set low and shaky, giving it the feeling you're watching a documentary.

Sometimes you get to flank your enemies - but sometimes you're both hiding behind opposite sides of the same wall. This is a great time to rev up your chainsaw bayonet and get in there melee-style. The chainsaw on your machine gun has a satisfying effect, with blood spattering on the screen and the enemy being horrificly sawed.

There isn't much to say about the visual and the sound other than it's an amazing experience and the in-battle intensity is fantastic.

Like Call of Duty 4, it's fairly short, but it's very satisfying. Call of Duty 4 did an excellent job of putting me in the battle and feeling the fear of the gunfire, grenades and artillery. Gears of War has a much more raw intensity about it through it's use of cover, camera angles and amazing visuals.

Labels: games reviews