Gears of War Review
A Journalistic Review by DefiantParrot
Originally Written: 12/17/2018
*Spoilers May Be Ahead*
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Release: November 7, 2006
Ahh here it is the 'killer app' for Microsoft and one of the main reasons to buy an Xbox 360 back in the day. Now let's be clear here why am I reviewing the original version of this game and not the Ultimate Edition on Xbox One? Because of Silent Hill HD Collection that's why. The Ultimate Edition will get its own review one day but this game is going to stand on its own here.
Secondly I won't be talking about the multiplayer here, why you may ask. Because there's four sequels and a remake that people are most likely playing instead. I'll play and speak on the multiplayer when I get to the remake, now what's my history with Gears of War?
Been playing since the original I didn't get it day one I picked it up a year after its release when I was finally done playing Mass Effect for the first fifty times. I still have memories of when I first played this game all those years ago, but let's push nostalgia aside, how is this game today? Well here's my review of Gears of War.
On the planet Sera there's a war going on between the Coalition of Ordered Governments and the Locust Horde. You play as Marcus Fenix a man who wears a refrigerator as armor and is broken out of prison by his best friend Dominic Santiago because they need another gun.
That's the bulk of the story here, why are the COG at war with the Locust? Never explained, Why was Marcus in prison? Aside from a line of dialogue never explained. Hell I don't even remember the name of the planet being mentioned in this first game.
The plot here is almost nonexistent is what I'm saying.
One of the best things about this game is that you can play Co-Op all the way through the game with Split screen also being an option. So I decided to recruit some help for this review, While I filled the boots of gruff and angry ol' Fenix boy, The role of Dom was filled by my brother HandGun Moses, the crazy fuck.
I'd like to speak on the characters in this game, but you really don't know much about them. Sometimes you can get a laugh from them with them being smartasses, Cole being a giant kid, and Baird being a little bitch. But there's really no connection with these guys in this game.
My brother and I took it to the horde alright, and had a blast all the way through. The gameplay here is still solid. The 'stop and pop' gameplay of diving into chest high walls for cover and firing the various weapons at these ugly fucks are still fun.
It's been years since I last played a Gears game but once I had the controller in my hand it was like I never put the armor down, I was at home again.
Moses felt the same way too, whatever I wasn't chainsawing with the Lancer he was blowing up with a Boomshot.
The game still looks pretty good today, if you can get past all the grays and browns and admire where there's actually some damn color of course. It's aged obviously and the Ultimate Edition blows this out of the water so I've heard, but still not a bad looking game at all.
The game can be a challenge obviously Moses and I played through on Hardcore and had a blast, and that's what I'd recommend playing all of these games on. Because Casual is too much of a walk in the park, whereas Insane is a real ball flicker, especially in this game.
The variety of weapons here is a bit lacking I feel, at least compared to later games. I rocked the Lancer and Gnasher Shotgun when I could, and Moses would alternate between that Boomshot I mentioned and the Longshot sniper rifle.
Now notice I said 'when I could' because at certain points the game requires you to use the Hammer of Dawn weapon which can call lasers from the sky to obliterate certain enemies. While it is fun to use, you only have two weapons slots for these main weapons, and this happens enough to where it feels like the game doesn't want you to really experiment with your own loadout.
The atmosphere is one thing I hear this game and series praised for as a whole, and I tend to agree. It's certainly no Resident Evil but playing through this again I was right back on the battlefield kicking the shit out of these nasty grubs.
The music is a bit lacking in that the only thing I really remember is the music during the final boss fight against General RAAM. But... man was it good and that whole fight was pretty damn fun too. That music just added to the experience of Moses and I fucking that son of a bitch up.
There aren't many boss fights here now that I think about it. There's RAAM and a giant Corpser fight. There is an extra fight in the PC version of this game against a hulking Brumak and it was added back in for the Ultimate Edition but it's not in this game which is sorely missed I'll tell ya.
The game can get pretty repetitive to be fair, if you want more than just cover based third-person shooting constantly over and over again for 7 hours don't bother here. The gameplay was so much fun and it didn't overstay it's welcome that it never really bothered us, but it is something to bring up.
The game does try to spice it up with certain sections, like the Kryll level where you must stay and navigate through the light or you'll be instantly swarmed and killed by these monsters.
Very Pitch Black I'm aware, in fact I'm pretty sure that's what these little fuckers are based on. But the level is fun if a bit nerve racking on higher difficulties. I didn't mind this.
What I did mind was that big fucking junker I had to drive not long after that. This vehicle controlled like absolute shit and wasn't fun to drive. We're not at the worst of it yet, I shudder to think of that section in Gears 2, but we're not there yet and this part sucked. Plain and simple.
All in all this was alot of fun revisiting. My brother and I had a blast all the way through, the game isn't perfect and this might not even be the best version of the game to play but the gameplay is solid, the game looks good still, and the Co-Op is great. But of course the repetition can set in, that Hammer of Dawn issue can get annoying and the story man. I down played it until now, but I love storytelling in video games as I've said before and this games plot, I repeat THIS games plot is laughable in how it's executed.
Gears of War receives my Silver Seal of Recommendation.
I did enjoy rejoining with Delta Squad here and Moses is already wanting to play through the rest soon, and we will eventually but for now adios Fenix. see you soon old friend.
Originally Written: 12/17/2018
*Spoilers May Be Ahead*
 |
| I remember the hype for this |
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Third-Person Shooter
Release: November 7, 2006
Ahh here it is the 'killer app' for Microsoft and one of the main reasons to buy an Xbox 360 back in the day. Now let's be clear here why am I reviewing the original version of this game and not the Ultimate Edition on Xbox One? Because of Silent Hill HD Collection that's why. The Ultimate Edition will get its own review one day but this game is going to stand on its own here.
Secondly I won't be talking about the multiplayer here, why you may ask. Because there's four sequels and a remake that people are most likely playing instead. I'll play and speak on the multiplayer when I get to the remake, now what's my history with Gears of War?
 |
| He's a manly man |
On the planet Sera there's a war going on between the Coalition of Ordered Governments and the Locust Horde. You play as Marcus Fenix a man who wears a refrigerator as armor and is broken out of prison by his best friend Dominic Santiago because they need another gun.
That's the bulk of the story here, why are the COG at war with the Locust? Never explained, Why was Marcus in prison? Aside from a line of dialogue never explained. Hell I don't even remember the name of the planet being mentioned in this first game.
One of the best things about this game is that you can play Co-Op all the way through the game with Split screen also being an option. So I decided to recruit some help for this review, While I filled the boots of gruff and angry ol' Fenix boy, The role of Dom was filled by my brother HandGun Moses, the crazy fuck.
I'd like to speak on the characters in this game, but you really don't know much about them. Sometimes you can get a laugh from them with them being smartasses, Cole being a giant kid, and Baird being a little bitch. But there's really no connection with these guys in this game.
 |
| Scratch one Grub! |
It's been years since I last played a Gears game but once I had the controller in my hand it was like I never put the armor down, I was at home again.
Moses felt the same way too, whatever I wasn't chainsawing with the Lancer he was blowing up with a Boomshot.
The game still looks pretty good today, if you can get past all the grays and browns and admire where there's actually some damn color of course. It's aged obviously and the Ultimate Edition blows this out of the water so I've heard, but still not a bad looking game at all.
The game can be a challenge obviously Moses and I played through on Hardcore and had a blast, and that's what I'd recommend playing all of these games on. Because Casual is too much of a walk in the park, whereas Insane is a real ball flicker, especially in this game.
The variety of weapons here is a bit lacking I feel, at least compared to later games. I rocked the Lancer and Gnasher Shotgun when I could, and Moses would alternate between that Boomshot I mentioned and the Longshot sniper rifle.
 |
| Face up it's a fetish, face down it's a hate crime |
The atmosphere is one thing I hear this game and series praised for as a whole, and I tend to agree. It's certainly no Resident Evil but playing through this again I was right back on the battlefield kicking the shit out of these nasty grubs.
 |
| Aww he's kinda cute! |
There aren't many boss fights here now that I think about it. There's RAAM and a giant Corpser fight. There is an extra fight in the PC version of this game against a hulking Brumak and it was added back in for the Ultimate Edition but it's not in this game which is sorely missed I'll tell ya.
The game can get pretty repetitive to be fair, if you want more than just cover based third-person shooting constantly over and over again for 7 hours don't bother here. The gameplay was so much fun and it didn't overstay it's welcome that it never really bothered us, but it is something to bring up.
The game does try to spice it up with certain sections, like the Kryll level where you must stay and navigate through the light or you'll be instantly swarmed and killed by these monsters.
Very Pitch Black I'm aware, in fact I'm pretty sure that's what these little fuckers are based on. But the level is fun if a bit nerve racking on higher difficulties. I didn't mind this.
What I did mind was that big fucking junker I had to drive not long after that. This vehicle controlled like absolute shit and wasn't fun to drive. We're not at the worst of it yet, I shudder to think of that section in Gears 2, but we're not there yet and this part sucked. Plain and simple.
 |
| Well... Shit |
Gears of War receives my Silver Seal of Recommendation.
 |
| For when you're all the shades of brown |
I did enjoy rejoining with Delta Squad here and Moses is already wanting to play through the rest soon, and we will eventually but for now adios Fenix. see you soon old friend.
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