Gears of War has some truly great moments in its 6+ hour campaign, but therein lies the problem: it is too short! I think the game would have greatly benefited from a longer, more in-depth story and characterizations. Consequently, GoW's presentation cannot stand up to the greats like Halo or Half-Life. It may sound like I don't like the game much, I do, but it is just a bit disappointing.
The graphics are just as good, if not better, as you have probably heard. The art style is well realized and it excels in communicating the overall bleakness of a war torn world. The textures are especially detailed and the animations are very well done. The only drawback is the variance (or lack thereof) in the environments and enemy designs.
The gameplay is what really makes this shooter standout from the myriad of other TPS and FPS games. The "stop-and-pop" mechanic is very well done. Another thing that differentiates this title from other shooters are the dismembarment and blood effects; without them the headshots wouldn't be as satisfying, nor would a well placed shot from a shotgun that rips a player's torso in half be as cool.
An important facet in today's shooters is the multiplayer. In my opinion, a shooter just isn't worth buying if it doesn't have an in-depth multiplayer aspect to it (Bioshock being an exception.) Thus, I am glad to tell you that Gears of War has a great multiplayer component. The stop-and-pop gameplay is seamlessly integrated into the multiplayer experience, and the gameplay sessions can get really intense thanks to it. The level design is mostly symmetrical, so it's not easy to camp and hold a position for long unless you have good teamwork, and each team has an equal chance to get to the weapons. My only gripe with the multiplayer is the matchmaking system. I don't understand why the developers decided to include a matchmaking system that makes it hard to play with your friends in ranked matches. The multiplayer would have greatly benefited from a Halo 2/3 style matchmaking system, in my opinion.
Overall, I would recommend this game to any adult who is looking for a great shooter with a good single-player campaign and great multiplayer.
Gameplay: 9/10 Graphics: 10/10 Sound: 8/10 Value: 10/10
The graphics are just as good, if not better, as you have probably heard. The art style is well realized and it excels in communicating the overall bleakness of a war torn world. The textures are especially detailed and the animations are very well done. The only drawback is the variance (or lack thereof) in the environments and enemy designs.
The gameplay is what really makes this shooter standout from the myriad of other TPS and FPS games. The "stop-and-pop" mechanic is very well done. Another thing that differentiates this title from other shooters are the dismembarment and blood effects; without them the headshots wouldn't be as satisfying, nor would a well placed shot from a shotgun that rips a player's torso in half be as cool.
An important facet in today's shooters is the multiplayer. In my opinion, a shooter just isn't worth buying if it doesn't have an in-depth multiplayer aspect to it (Bioshock being an exception.) Thus, I am glad to tell you that Gears of War has a great multiplayer component. The stop-and-pop gameplay is seamlessly integrated into the multiplayer experience, and the gameplay sessions can get really intense thanks to it. The level design is mostly symmetrical, so it's not easy to camp and hold a position for long unless you have good teamwork, and each team has an equal chance to get to the weapons. My only gripe with the multiplayer is the matchmaking system. I don't understand why the developers decided to include a matchmaking system that makes it hard to play with your friends in ranked matches. The multiplayer would have greatly benefited from a Halo 2/3 style matchmaking system, in my opinion.
Overall, I would recommend this game to any adult who is looking for a great shooter with a good single-player campaign and great multiplayer.
Gameplay: 9/10 Graphics: 10/10 Sound: 8/10 Value: 10/10