"Gears of War" for the XBOX 360 has been the most highly anticipated 360
game for this holiday season. From EPIC, the makers of Unreal, and
boasting to have truly next gen graphics, Microsoft has positioned this
game as a killer app for this Christmas. It has garnered rave reviews
across the board for its visceral gameplay and astounding graphics.
And I just don't get it.
To put this in perspective, Gears is one of the few games I have managed
to play prior to reading any reviews (Half-life 2 is one as well) so
beyond pre-release hype I didn't really know what to expect from the
game. Almost any other game, including the fantastic but not
earth-shaking Splinter Cell Double Agent, I have made my renting or
buying decision based on reviews and my own personal tastes. Knowing
that the true cusp of next-gen hardware was at hand with this second
generation 360 game alongside the release of the PS3 and the WII I
wanted to see for myself what the big deal was about.
Now don't get me wrong, the graphics are beautiful, but it took until
the end of the first "act" of the game for me to be truly astounded.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, perhaps it's the lack of a high
def tv, or over a decade of staring at computer screens, playing games
at high resolutions that is the problem.
The gameplay itself is entertaining but I find it lacking in immersion.
I never feel I am part of the story, because there doesn't appear to be
one. Behind the flash and sizzle of the graphics, there is essentially a
duck and cover repetition to the game, wherein the onslaught of "smart"
enemies (who bellow out when they are vulnerable, most conveniently)
forces the player to duckwalk from cover to cover, popping up
frantically to fire back. While this forced used of cover is
interesting, but not entirely innovative, it is the cornerstone of the
gameplay. This, in and of itself, would not be a bad thing was there
anything else to hang one's hat on, but there isn't. Enemies spawn in
wave after wave, like FPS's of old (something both Quake 4 and Doom 3
were derided for), and meander back and forth in scripted patterns and
animations. Both FEAR and Half-life 2 on PC demonstrate the same kind of
linear run and gun gameplay, but with far more organic and reactive AI
enemies, leading to more immersive gameplay and greater tension.
Rather than an organic world that leverages the power of the 360 to its
hilt, this is an old-school shooter wrapped in a prettier package.
game for this holiday season. From EPIC, the makers of Unreal, and
boasting to have truly next gen graphics, Microsoft has positioned this
game as a killer app for this Christmas. It has garnered rave reviews
across the board for its visceral gameplay and astounding graphics.
And I just don't get it.
To put this in perspective, Gears is one of the few games I have managed
to play prior to reading any reviews (Half-life 2 is one as well) so
beyond pre-release hype I didn't really know what to expect from the
game. Almost any other game, including the fantastic but not
earth-shaking Splinter Cell Double Agent, I have made my renting or
buying decision based on reviews and my own personal tastes. Knowing
that the true cusp of next-gen hardware was at hand with this second
generation 360 game alongside the release of the PS3 and the WII I
wanted to see for myself what the big deal was about.
Now don't get me wrong, the graphics are beautiful, but it took until
the end of the first "act" of the game for me to be truly astounded.
Perhaps my expectations were too high, perhaps it's the lack of a high
def tv, or over a decade of staring at computer screens, playing games
at high resolutions that is the problem.
The gameplay itself is entertaining but I find it lacking in immersion.
I never feel I am part of the story, because there doesn't appear to be
one. Behind the flash and sizzle of the graphics, there is essentially a
duck and cover repetition to the game, wherein the onslaught of "smart"
enemies (who bellow out when they are vulnerable, most conveniently)
forces the player to duckwalk from cover to cover, popping up
frantically to fire back. While this forced used of cover is
interesting, but not entirely innovative, it is the cornerstone of the
gameplay. This, in and of itself, would not be a bad thing was there
anything else to hang one's hat on, but there isn't. Enemies spawn in
wave after wave, like FPS's of old (something both Quake 4 and Doom 3
were derided for), and meander back and forth in scripted patterns and
animations. Both FEAR and Half-life 2 on PC demonstrate the same kind of
linear run and gun gameplay, but with far more organic and reactive AI
enemies, leading to more immersive gameplay and greater tension.
Rather than an organic world that leverages the power of the 360 to its
hilt, this is an old-school shooter wrapped in a prettier package.
