Gears of War

Only on Xbox 360

Gears of War is a high energy, well detailed sci fi/horror shooter set in a dismal future of the beautiful, albeit destroyed World of Sera. You are a muscular, well trained soldier wearing pounds of gear, armour and weapons - and it'll barely be enough to keep you alive.

This game is compared frequently to Halo, but if Halo is the light hearted ease of Star Wars, Gears of War is the non-stop assault and clinging to life of Alien. You're not jumping around like a kangaroo here, blasting at foes. You are heavily laden crouching behind anything you can find to shield you, trying your best to stay alive for five more minutes. You have to work strategically with your fellow soldiers to climb forward every inch.

The graphics in Gears of War are very impressive, the best looking game i have ever seen i think you will agree (Especially on a large screen LCD/Plasma tv and in High definition). The game is done in a palatte of browns, greys and reds. The dismal skies above, the swarms of black birds called Kryll, the dented and dingy equipment - this is a world on the verge of despair and hell. Enemies don't stand out with brightly coloured costumes. You have to really pay attention to know where they are and to take them out.

The sounds really help drive home the urgency of your mission. Voices cry out on all sides for help. The hammering of the machine guns and rapid fire weapons ring in your ears. The soundtrack is pounding and epic. If anything this is all TOO pounding - after playing this for weeks, I really can get a headache :) I'd turn it down, but then I wouldn't be able to tell where the enemies were sniping me from sometimes. Anyway you have to play this with the volume full blast because you get to hear some truly disturbing sounds, the gunfire is perfect and the almighty crunch of the machine gun/chainsaw making contact with Locust flesh and bone is truly satisfying.

The storyline really helps involve you in what is going on although it doesn’t really give much away it’s just enough to immerse you in this forbidden world. It's like being at the centre of a high power action movie. There are decisions you can make along the way to help guide the story. I really enjoy the "fight for every inch of soil" way it has you feel like you are involved in a real challenge. It might seem TOO challenging for some new gamers. Stick with it - it's well worth it.

I do wish, with all of their emphasis on taking cover and being cautious - that you could CROUCH. I understand not being able to jump - you're wearing hundreds of pounds of gear! However, you can crouch behind cover. Why can't you crouch when you're not near cover, to lower your profile a bit? I think that would help out in some situations. I love the way shooters are going with the player having to take cover at every possible moment because that’s what it is like in real life, if you run around just shooting you will die quickly. Take cover, pop out, take aim BANG headshot and then move up to the next doorway or car wreck for cover. Or why not let your team mates keep the bad guys busy while you sneak up the left flank and take them out with a carefully placed grenade, they'll never know what hit them.

This game is for the more mature and hardcore gamer (there's a fair amount of blood here) that enjoys shooters. You may not own this game but believe me you've already bought it!

RRRRR

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