Gears of War ( GoW ) for XBOX 360 is a very famous game as it overtook Halo 2. After winning a big list of awards from top gaming sites and magazines, Microsoft ported Gears of War to the PC platform. So does the PC version of this award-winning title live up to its expectations? Here is a quick review on game play and features of Gears of War..
Plot
GoW is set on the human-inhabited planet of Sera, where humans battle over a low viscous liquid ‘Imulsion’. These wars ended with the ‘Emergence Day’, when creatures from the feared ‘Locust’ horde sprung up from the ground. The Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) eventually fell, and was forced to retreat to a safe haven known as Jacinto Plateau.Fourteen years after this incident, you fill the shoes of Marcus Fenix, a no-holds-barred soldier of the elite Delta Force, imprisoned for treason.
Your friend and fellow soldier Dominic Santiago has freed you because the planet needs a rough and tough warrior! Your mission is to retrieve the resonator, a device which can map the entire Locust tunnel system and then deploy the ‘Light mass Bomb’ which will destroy the Locust dwellings.
Game Play and Graphics
Getting cover is a major part of the gameplay. The maps are designed to give you loads of places to hide. The advanced controls allow you to either show your head a bit to aim, or fire blind to avoid damage. The player can also use short bursts of speed, rolls and over-the-wall jumps to escape enemy fire. This is probably the best part of Gears of War. The camera angle complements this gameplay feature. In normal mode the camera is ‘over the shoulder’. While aiming (using the right mouse button), the lens zooms in and a crosshair is displayed.
A special feature of GoW is the Active Reload system which is much like perfect shifting in the drag races of Need for Speed. If you tap the reload button perfectly, you will speed up the reload process. Tap it slowly and you just might jam your gun, rendering you weaponless and vulnerable.
GoW uses the Crimson Omen instead of a regular health bar. When the Omen is filled up in single player mode, the player dies, but in multiplayer mode, a teammate can try to revive him. Thankfully, GoW looks as good on the PC as it did on the Xbox 360. Textures are sharper than ever and shade well. Although you will need a high-end rig to play this game smoothly, it is worth the upgrade.
Criticisms
Gears of War disappointed me in more ways than one. Don’t get me wrong, the gameplay elements are superb and the game looks brilliant, but minor peeves are irritating. The voice acting could have been better, as all Fenix seems to say throughout the game is “sweet” or “nice”.
The controls can be a little confusing at first, though once you get the hang of it, it’s quite simple. Due to the monotone color filter, special items such as ammo packs, weapons and solider tags can be hard to find on the ground. GoW also had a frustratingly long install time, over 25 minutes! It also ate 14 GB on my hard disk.
Verdict
Gears of War defnitely lives up to its expectations and delivers a little bit more than the console version, with five extra levels. It also manages to look as good, if not better than on the console. Add to that the superb gameplay and this title is a winner.
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