by B. Ender

Created on: July 25, 2008

How should I start!? Gears of War is a very good blend of graphics, game play, and yes, suspense. Based on the Unreal Engine 3, this game pumps out graphics of a quality seen rarely in games. Even more interesting is the "gritty" look the game has, versus the more colorful and bright Halo games. Personally, I prefer the gritty look, it just seems to make it much more real and also makes the post-apocalyptic world of Sera more believable.

The game actually takes place over a decade after the Locust Horde, the alien creatures that are the "bad guys" emerge from their burrows deep under the planet's surface. Marcus Fenix, the protagonist in this game, is broken out of a prison and off you go! What is really neat about this game is the suspense at just about all points of the game. While I was playing co-op storyline with my cousin, we actually FEARED of going inside the dark building in front of us. The game has a lot of immersion, making you feel like you are truly there. One way they do this is the health meter. Unlike in other games where you have a heads-up display that shows your health, in Gears of War the screen turns red and eventually shows a symbol showing a Gear with a skull inside it. This symbol starts to appear when you take damage, and if it is fully formed you die. This method is intended to make the game feel more real, because there is nothing like a health bar obstructing your vision. When you die in co-op, you actually have about a minute for your friend to save you. If he reaches your "dead" body in time, he can revive you and the two of you are back in action.

Gears of War also lives up to its Mature rating. Your main weapon is basically an automatic rifle with a chainsaw attached to it. Although it might sound weird reading about it, it is really neat when you get your first "chainsaw kill". The chainsaw kill acts as a one-shot kill, and turns your enemy into a bloody, mutilated pulp (game not for the squeamish and especially not the young!) Although it is very gory and not appropriate for children, I can honestly say it does improve the realism of the game. I mean without the gore, Gears of War just wouldn't seem real enough, even with all the great graphics.

The game also certainly gets your heart pounding. After a particularly difficult part of the game, I had to pause the game, so I could rest and stop my hands from shaking! There certainly is a lot of suspense and fast-paced action, and I love every second of it! One really neat thing about the game and its combat is the cover system. You can duck behind debris, hide behind pillars, and roll to safety, along with the occasional roadie run. The system is really easy to use on the Xbox 360, all you have to do is press A and point the left stick to wherever you want to go. The game also challenges you to use this cover. The game will make a players who's used to just running and shooting at the enemy point blank die quickly (and, of course, gorily). Although some might be disappointed at that style of combat, I prefer it, once again because it adds realism (Halo combat seems like a jumping/shooting fest rather than actual battle).

The game is certainly fun, beautiful, and bloody. It is also one of the best selling 360 games, having only Halo 3 beat it in total sales. I love the game and hope you do to!

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