Gears of War (page 5 of 7)

Big Gears Keep on Turnin'
PROTIP: The classic shotgun is fantastic in tight corridors and against Wretches, but keep to melee range for maximum impact.

PROTIP: The classic shotgun is fantastic in tight corridors and against Wretches, but keep to melee range for maximum impact.

A key complaint with the game lies with the single-player campaign. It's just too short. Newbies will be able to blow through the whole thing on Casual mode in under eight hours, and veterans will smash through it in an afternoon. That sucks. But then again, Gears is, um, geared towards online multiplayer. And here it shines brightly, coming within striking distance of Halo 2's benchmark-setting Xbox Live interface. If you're an Xbox Live warrior, put Gears at the top of your shopping list.

Rather than trudge through the game single-handedly, why not bring a buddy? That's the premise behind Gears' cooperative mode, which has appeared in a few other console games but hasn't been done justice until now. When playing with a friend, the entire experience changes: you'll split up to conquer separate paths, collaborate to wipe out bosses, and perhaps most importantly, voice chat over the dull cinematics. It's a fantastic experience made all the better by a smart hosting system that allows other players to "drop in" on your single player game without missing a beat.

PROTIP: Theron Guards tote Torque Bows and heavy armor. The Torque Bow is a devastating tool, and will kill you in one shot on Hardcore mode and higher.

PROTIP: Theron Guards tote Torque Bows and heavy armor. The Torque Bow is a devastating tool, and will kill you in one shot on Hardcore mode and higher.

But it doesn't end at co-op. Gears of War packs in three tense team multiplayer modes, including a few twists on some tired old formulas (we particularly liked Assassination). The stealthy gameplay and lack of respawns makes for some incredibly high-strung matches, and should keep Gears in the Xbox Live spotlight for months, if not years, to come.

Then there's the issue of downloadable content. We've already seen test download markers appearing on our pre-retail copy of Gears of War. By all accounts, Epic and Microsoft are likely to keep fresh content coming. We're hoping for a few extra chapters for the stingy single-player campaign, but new multiplayer modes, maps, and weapons seem like a sure bet.

Wargasm

Gears of War may be big and dumb, but it's fun - the video game equivalent of a Jerry Bruckheimer film, maybe. Even calling Gears "fun" doesn't quite seem to do it justice. The game glows in a revelatory way we haven't seen since God of War and Resident Evil 4. If nothing else, it's infinitely more engaging and suspenseful than this year's crop of by-the-books FPS games, and is likely to sell more than a few consoles for Microsoft.

It's enough to make you wonder whether Epic's other big shooter, Unreal Tournament 2007, has been rendered obsolete before it's even been released. Wouldn't that be a hoot?

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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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