Gears of War (page 3 of 7)

Shifting Gears
PROTIP: Finding cover is key. Press the A button to

PROTIP: Finding cover is key. Press the A button to "latch on" to any surface or object. From there, you can jump to other cover, blind fire, or lean out to make precise shots.

The story may stink, but the gameplay is stunning. Gears of War isn't quite a full-tilt shooter. It walks a tightrope between games like Resident Evil 4 (the over-the-shoulder precision aiming) and Metal Gear Solid (the stealth and cover dynamic). The resulting witches' brew is hard to label (Xbox Live calls it a "military horror shooter"), but I know this much: it's the best thing to the happen to the shooter genre since Half-Life.

The chief accomplishment is a sleeker, more authentic approach to firefights, which forces you to stake out strategic squat-and-pop cover positions. Each battlefield plays a bit like an organic puzzle, adding considerable strategy and immense replayability. It's no longer about running through corridors, gunning down waves of faceless goons in search of a bigger rocket launcher. No, no: not in Gears of War. In Gears of War, the enemies are out to get you, and you've got to think quickly or pay the consequences. It's an electric experience that makes games like Quake 4 or F.E.A.R. feel like they're from another era of gaming entirely. It's fresh, it's thrilling, and it works.

PROTIP: Curb stomp fallen enemies by running close and tapping the X button. It's the favored way to finish off foes in Execution mode.

PROTIP: Curb stomp fallen enemies by running close and tapping the X button. It's the favored way to finish off foes in Execution mode.

The single-player campaign also throws in some exciting tangents that keep the hide-lean-shoot gameplay from growing too tedious. In one scenario, you must aim a huge spotlight at another character (or a buddy, in online Cooperative mode) to protect him from instant death. In another, you drive down a deserted highway while being pursued by...well, I won't spoil that surprise. Boss battles, too, provide a nice break from the rigors of trench warfare.

Gears of War may capture the adrenaline charge of close-range combat better than any other game out there, but its control scheme still needs a bit more tuning. There's a tricky learning curve to the cover system, so you can expect to spend the first 15 minutes or so watching yourself be blown to smithereens before you learn enough to put up a decent fight. The most confusing part? The way you sometimes "stick" to nearby walls when all you wanted to do was duck behind a handy barricade. The weapon selection system, meanwhile, uses the directional pad to swap between various guns and grenades. It's clunky but serviceable. The shooting and maneuvering, though, is effortless, and the new "active reload" feature is clearly a video game standard-in-the-making.

PROTIP: The Hammer of Dawn can only be used outside. Once activated, move the beam around to sweep up any pesky enemies that try to run away.

PROTIP: The Hammer of Dawn can only be used outside. Once activated, move the beam around to sweep up any pesky enemies that try to run away.

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eyegotskillz

wahoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The very triumphant song of joy that exploded from my lungs after just the first five minutes of playing this game. word

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