Review: Gears of War (360)

Graphics- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Gameplay- 10/10
Replay Value- 10/10
Overall- 10/10

Gears of War... more like Game of the Year. Intense, challenging, stunning- these are only a few of the words that can describe Gears of War. Get ready for one wild ride.

A game as highly anticipated as Gears of War will naturally come with plenty of skeptics. The gameplay quickly came into question when it was revealed that the game would use a "stop and pop" formula. This simply means that you go through the levels dodging bullets, jumping for cover, and then blowing away your enemies from said cover. This works out perfectly. The rush for cover as bullets, grenades, and rockets fly literally over your head is INTENSE. A single well-placed shot will kill you, and a burst of a rifle to your gut will tear you apart. Oh yeah, this game is gory. Limbs literally fly through some of the battles. Even your own. But that's where your arsenal comes in. You're a COG soldier. A monster made of muscle and armor. You're armed with rifles with chainsaw bayonets, shotguns, spiked grenades, snipers that tear through enemies, and the torque bow. The torque bow is basically a bow that revs up, sticks a guy with a metal bolt, and blows him away. The rifle is pretty good, but it's main feature is the chainsaw attachment, which, when revved up, can tear a guy in half. Although there are a few more weapons such as pistols, the arsenal is kind of small. But that doesn't make it useless, it packs quite a punch in fact. When you do shoot (which there is A LOT of), you either shoot "from the hip" which is pretty inaccurate, or you can aim more accurately over the shoulder by holding the left trigger, but this slows you down. These options make you make choices that can have heavy consequences in split seconds. The challenge in the game is near excellent, although it can feel like a bit too much in some parts. In this game, you're constantly on the edge of your seat. The gameplay is simply perfect.

The most noted thing about Gears of War are its graphics. And yes, they are some of the best available on any console. The details are superb. There is no way to really explain it except to say that the graphics are crisp, clean, and perfect. Although, sometimes the graphics are a bit blurry when you load the game, but this fixes itself within seconds and the overall quality makes up for it. The lighting is done wonderfully. The lighting does a great job of creating a deep, dark, war ravaged mood. And the design is very original. It really fits the game and makes the game very enjoyable to watch. The sound, too, is done very well. The music in the game is placed perfectly at the right moments and the sounds of screeching bullets and ear popping explosions make for a very memorable and exciting experience.

The replay value is quite good in this game as once you finish the game on hardcore difficulty, the insane difficulty opens up. Also, through the game are many spots where your team has to split up, letting you choose which path you want to go. This nice feature adds the chance to have a bit of a different experience when playing through the game more than once. Also, the multiplayer is a nice change from the regular multiplayer shooter experience with the "stop and pop" formula. The chainsaw on the Lancer rifle also opens a new way of pwnage in multiplayer games. Overall, this game is excellent. It easily takes the place as one of the best games ever and can easily take on Halo. High quality graphics and sound with some of the best and most exciting gameplay ever make one great game.

Pros: Exciting gameplay, crisp visuals, and great sound.
Cons: Nothing really.

Review: Vedran