Gears of War

You may have noticed I'm starting this review site with as many successful games as possible. So I'll continue by reviewing Gears of War, the multi-time 'Most Played Game on Xbox Live' and the game which turned the 360 from the 'newer Xbox' into a fanbase spawning MACHINE.

Blood. It's pretty much what defines Gears, and hell there is a lot of it. You shotgun a Locust enemy. They explode into a flurry of blood and body parts. You snipe a Locust between the eyes. Its head shatters into an explosion of blood, brains and skull. You chainsaw an approaching Wretch, and your screen is stained red as you hear the battlecry of your player and the tortured screams of your enemy. Nothing on any console has been so gorily satisfying.

After that somewhat graphic intro, I'll explain what EPIC Games' blockbuster title is about. Despite many people's first impressions of it taking place on Earth, it is about the human population of the planet of Sera being almost exterminated by an army of pointlessly angry aliens called the Locust Horde which dig tunnels and burst from the ground at any moment. You are Marcus Fenix, once a prisoner for what was said to be desertion, now set with your squad the task of taking down the Locust 'once and for all'. This plan involves using a device called the Resonator to map out the enemy tunnels for a superbomb to blow them all to hell.

Having explained this, it leads me on unfortunately to the game's main bad point: the lack of real storyline. Yes, it's good idea, but you never really feel that you're carrying it out and because the whole campaign is set in just one 24 hour day of Marcus Fenix's life it seems that every mission is nothing more than a continuation of the last. Well, it's a good thing then that every level is brought to life with great coordinated AI, fantastic weaponry (despite there only being about 7 different types) and sound effect that will put you right in the blood-spattered boots of Fenix. As you rev your chainsaw and charge for the nearest Theron Guard you're sure to be sweating and panting for more, more blood.

The online is so well put together with its game types and excellent maps, many of them similar to places visited in the campaign, that it is a great shame that it is riddled with problems. Two words: BULLET LAG. Funny, seeing as bullets travel faster than the speed of sound, you would think that it would take them at least under a second to leave the barrell of your gun right after you've pulled the trigger. Unfortunately this is not the case, and hitting anyone with bullets is so unlikely that I seldom bother. Chainsawing and Boomshotting are the only things I've found to be successful. Also, the waiting times are rediculous, and I could do my RS homework in the time it takes to gather enough players for a game.

Gears is a great game, and a must-have for any 360 player, unless you're really that squeamish. 8/10 is my rating, and worth it if you're not a solely online player. My purchase has been completely justified from the campaign, but if that isn't your thing, then I would probably not bother.