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No Longer Left Hanging: Left 4 Dead Content is Free.

Ryan Fulton — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 14:25:52 -0600

In a move that is seemingly solely intended to alleviate some of my (mostly) irrational anger towards Gabe Newell, Valve has announced their plans for pricing on both the PC and Xbox formats, free. While it could be, rightfully, argued that the two additional versus mode maps were already paid for in the initial asking price, the freebie pricetag is a welcome sight nontheless. Additionally, they are including a new mode dubbed, "Survival" with 12 maps; it is not known whether these maps are entirely new or simply segmented maps from the four existing campaigns. The new mode is said to be something like an extended siege/assault. Players can look forward to both updates on the same day... at some point in the, hopefully, near future.

Epic Releases Patch for Gears of War PC

Zach Lott — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:23:01 -0600

If you're still playing Gears of War on the PC, then you should head over to the game's official website, where Epic has released a mandatory patch update that fixes a digital signature error.

You can download the patch here.

New Gears of War 2 Update Goes Live

Solomon Lee — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:03:12 -0600

Epic has released a new patch for Gears of War 2 that fixes various multiplayer glitches and gameplay bugs. Included with the update is a list of new achievements involving the Combustible and Flashback map packs. They are listed below as follows:

Skeletons in your Closet (20G) - Complete waves 1 through 10 on all Flashback Map Pack maps in Horde (any difficulty)
More Mystery, Less History (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
Bound by a Shared Past (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 5 Flashback Map Pack maps
Trial by, and on, Fire (20G) - Survive first 10 Horde waves on Combustible Map Pack maps as a team
The Roof! The Roof! The Roof... (15G) - Win a multiplayer match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps (any mode except Wingman)
Forged in the Fire (15G) - Win a Wingman match on each of the 3 Combustible Map Pack maps
Annex: Now With Execution Rules (75G) - Win an Annex match on each Flashback and Combustible Map Pack map (public only)

GB Review: Gears of War 2 (360)

Solomon Lee — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:43:07 -0600

Gears of War 2 is the highly anticipated sequel to Gears; the title that gathered quite a following with its impressive visuals, intuitive run-and-cover gameplay, and engaging characters. The game doesn't mess with its own formula of success but rather, it focuses on what it does best -- delivering an intense, visceral, adrenaline-pumping experience. The sinister violence and gore is a trademark of this game that has been well received by fans and one that Epic doesn't shy away from. Although it fails to revolutionize the genre, Gears 2 delivers on all fronts and surpasses the original with more weapons, deadlier monsters, larger campaigns, more multiplayer maps and an incredibly addictive Horde mode. Gears of War 2 is this year's game to own on the Xbox 360.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Gears of War was quite the blockbuster when it first arrived on Xbox 360. The game offered solid controls, great visuals, intuitive third person camera and chainsaws. Though the plot wasn't the main focus, Gears effectively brought us the memorable, wisecracking Delta squad members: Marcus, Dom, Cole and Baird. Fast forward to Gears 2 -- the game takes everything that made the original Gears a solid shooter and takes it a step further on the epic scale. To quote Epic Lead Designer, Cliff Bleszinski, Gears of War 2 is definitely "bigger, better and more badass."

Gears 2 continue right after the original shooter; following General RAAM's defeat and the light mass bombing. Marcus and Dom fight with fellow COG soldiers fatally wounded defending the city after subsequent Locust attacks. It is there on the hospital grounds we meet the rook, Benjamin, brother to his sibling Carmine who died from an infamous sniper shot and Tai, a militaristic but calm leader. They quickly learn that the Locusts have quietly regrouped underground and have launched attacks in endless numbers. Entire cities have been sunk underground as the Horde employs powerful forces and tactical equipment and that's not all; they've brought grotesque and far deadlier creatures this time around. Epic has placed a strong emphasis on the story behind the war that sheds light on Marcus Fenix's history and Dom's continued search for his missing wife, Maria.

As expected, the returning weapons are the Lancer, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, Torque Bow, Pistol and the Hammer of Dawn. New weapons added to your arsenal include the Hammerburst Rifle (enemy weapon), Gorgon Pistol, Ink Grenade (emits poison), Mortar (distance artillery weapon), Mulcher (turret gun) and the fan-favorite, the Scorcher Flamethrower. Grenades can be stuck to walls and used as proximity mines to destroy enemies lurking around. If you are pinned in battle, you can crawl while bleeding to try to reach your teammates to be revived. The new weapons are available in the latter half of the game and can be found by looting Locust corpses. Each weapon is distinct and allows you to perform unique executions on fallen enemies crawling away. You can also grab a dying Locust for use as a meat shield to flank your enemies. Be warned that using the corpse for cover lasts for a very short time -- limiting you to the use of a pistol. The shield will either explode into bits under heavy gunfire or be disposed of after breaking the Locust's neck.

The original Gears saw players destroying their opponents with a chainsaw attack; granting them temporary invulnerability to gunfire or melee attacks. Pulling the attack off was often based on luck between two players with the one who revved up his chainsaw just a split second earlier winning the fight; which was infuriating. Epic has addressed the Chainsaw attack complaints with a new Chainsaw duel feature. Two players that rush one another with the Lancer will be thrown into a mini-game; quickly mashing the B button ensures victory. If a third player approaches two people engaged in a Chainsaw duel, the poor guy or gal on the receiving end will instantly be overpowered.

Both single player and coop campaigns allow you to finish the game by yourself or with a friend. The option to play at your own pace is simplified as campaigns can be played with two separate difficulty settings. An extra difficulty setting Normal can be selected with the Insane difficulty unlocked after the game has been completed. You can invite your friends with the "What's Up" feature that lets you see the status and progress of your Gears' friends online. Personally, I found the friendly menu list to be useful in keeping tabs with other online players.

The all new Horde mode is one of the highlights of Gears 2. In Horde mode, you join a team of five players collaborating to destroy Locusts waves on various maps. Eventually, your enemies grow stronger with more health, better weapons and increased numbers. A total of 50 waves are featured in Horde mode for which the difficulty level rises considerably after the tenth wave. Fighting together in groups, reviving teammates, giving cover fire and using key vantage points is crucial for your survival. Linked achievements play a big role in the Horde and multiplayer modes. Gears fans will be happy to hear that specific achievements (completed from the original) unlock new playable characters such as Anthony Carmine, Minh Young Kim (former Delta squad leader) and General RAAM. Your progress ultimately dictates your rank; which is used for matchmaking purposes. Horde mode is tough as nails but is easily the most satisfying and rewarding to play with everyone.

A War Journal is a handy tool that tracks your listed achievements, unlocked characters, and collectables. Rather than using COG tags, Epic has placed hidden files, newspapers, memos and personal letters throughout the game. They comprise a total of 41 collectables that provides a side story to the events surrounding the war. A magnifying glass signifies the item is found and is easily picked up by pressing the X button. You don't need to guess how close you are to an achievement as the journal displays your progress towards obtaining it. This is a welcome change for fans wishing to complete the game in its entirety.

Multiplayer modes feature seven maps: Warzone, Execution, Annex, King of the Hill, Guardian, Submission and Wingman. Epic's gift to its fans is a code for the Flashback Map Pack for those with preorders and for those buying Gears 2 at launch. This map pack includes five maps: Subway, Canals, Tyro Station, Gridlock and Mansion. While it doesn't sound like much, each map is considerably different from the original Gears. The Subway is less dreary, Canals have been hit by a frozen icy spell, Tyro Station is more industrialized, Gridlock is filled with foliage and the Mansion has better lighting. A new Training Ground mode gives casual, novice and veteran players a brief tutorial on the basics of multiplayer controls and combat.

Gears 2 is a graphically intense game. Buildings, air-borne dust, the underground caverns and the city landscapes are very polished. Special effects ranging from hailing fire on your enemies with the Mortar to poisoning the enemy with Ink grenades are visually gratifying. The frame rate takes a severe hit at numerous checkpoint locations that could have used some tweaking. There is also a tendency for Locust corpses and weapon spoils to fall and to defy natural physics in its environment. Otherwise, Gears 2 is a game detailed to the core that manages to exceed the best visuals of the original Gears. With respect to audio, the soundtrack is top-notch and a great accompaniment.

Many of the flaws from the original Gears have sadly crept into Gears 2. The A.I. teammates tend to block your shots, run straight into enemy territory without cover, and get hopelessly pinned in a far corner amongst a group of Locusts. Regrettably, the vehicle stages are the most irritating part of many campaigns; especially on the higher difficulty settings. Despite its shortcomings, Gears 2 is an exciting game full of blood, action and suspense for anyone that enjoys a solid third person shooter.

Gears of War 2 Sweepstakes Details

Tim Grube — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 12:43:00 -0600

On behalf of Lionsgate, you can now win some cool Gears of War 2 swag thanks to the movie Transporter 3.

How to enter:

Register your gamertag now and get ready for a whole weekend of fun and competition! From 12:01 A.M. (ET) on Friday, November 7 until 11:59 P.M. (ET) on Sunday November 9, you'll get an entry into the sweepstakes when you play a multiplayer Gears of War 2 match.

Prize Information
After the entry period, will conduct a prize drawing for the following nine winners from among all eligible entries:

Two Grand Prizes: A custom Gears of War 2 Xbox 360 console
Two Second Prizes: A Gears of War 2 Special Edition Zune 120 GB digital media player
Five Third Prizes: A Gears of War 2 Limited Edition game

Get more details on the Play & Win Sweepstakes.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open only to legal residents of the 50 United States (includes the District of Columbia) 18+. Game ends November 9, 2008. For details including free, alternate method of entry, see the Official Rules.

Clifford, Not a Huge Fan of DS3 Controller.

Ryan Fulton — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 20:29:43 -0500

Epic's outspoken Clifford Bleszinski is a man of refined tastes. When something suits him, he's all about it, like say the PS3's Blu-ray drive, but when something displeases him... Well let's just say you don't want to displease him, or he may call you out in the middle of a London press conference. The subject of his ire this time? Why none other than Sony's DualShock 3 bluetooth interface device for the PlayStation 3.

Quoted as having said, "I hate the [rough consensual sex between adults]ing controller" it's pretty safe to say that he's not a huge fan.

While the sentiment is seemingly widespread, many people consider the DS3 to be a great controller. Personally, my "40-foot hard on" tends to lean towards the SIXAXIS controller, but I prefer my controllers to feel light, as if they're not even there.

Any opinions from you guys?

Image: bliffyc.com

No Gears of War 2 For PC

Solomon Lee — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:35:31 -0500

With Gears of War 2 coming in November, fans hoping for a PC version are out of luck. Cliff Bleszinski, Epic Lead Designer, has reiterated the company's focus on the Xbox 360 by declaring the issue of piracy to be a deterrent for a PC version.

"The person who is savvy enough to want to have a good PC to upgrade their video card, is a person who is savvy enough to know bittorent to know all the elements so they can pirate software. Therefore, high-end videogames are suffering very much on the PC." states Cliff Bleszinski.

Gears of War 2 is set for release on November 7 on the Xbox 360.

E3 2008: 5 New Gears of War 2 Screenshots

Aaron Dunlap — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 01:45:26 -0500

Launch Gallery: Gears of War 2 E308

(5 images)

E3 2008: Gears 2 November 7 Release Date Confirmed

Aaron Dunlap — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:00:38 -0500

Today at the Microsoft E3 2008 Press Conference it was confirmed that Gears of War 2 will release on the Xbox 360 November 7th, 2008.

Launch Gallery: Gears of War 2

(10 images)

New Gears of War 2 Imagery

Solomon Lee — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:56:19 -0500

Microsoft has published new screens for the highly anticipated Gears of War 2. The game features an enhanced multiplayer mode and a chainsaw duelling mini-game. Gears of War 2 is set for a November release for Xbox 360.

Hit the link to view more images.

Gears of War Movie In Full Effect

Tim Grube — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 08:34:49 -0500

It's about time all of these rumors get laid to rest. Len Wiseman, the director behind Die Hard 4 and Underworld will now take on the role of directing Gears of War based upon the popular videogame for Xbox 360.

According to Variety, Chris Morgan will be assisting Wiseman on creating the script. Previously, Stuart Beattie (Pirates of the Caribbean) first wrote the original script. But we are told that this script will be discarded.

Cliffy B, or should we say, Cliff Bleszinski, will have much involvement in the movie. He is said to be the executive producer on the movie. Movie distributor, New Line, is trying to push out the film in late 2009. Expect more details as it is uncovered.

Len Wiseman

Gears of War To Be Re-Released

Zach Lott — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:40:00 -0500

Microsoft has made the announcement over at the Gamerscore Blog that they will release a deluxe edition of Gears of War on June 24. This version of the game will retail for $39.99 and will contain a second disc packed with content like map packs in addition to trailers for the game's upcoming sequel.

Hit the jump for a full list of content and additional details.

Disc One

Gears of War (game disc)

Disc Two

Gears of War - Map Packs 1 & 2
Gears of War - Theme - 'Emergence Day'
Gears of War - Gamer Pics - 'Gears of War,' 'Emergence Day'
Gears of War 2 - Trailers - 'Duel,' 'Assault'
Gears of War 2 - Theme - 'Bare Your Teeth'
Gears of War 2 - Gamer Pics - 'Crimson Omen'

Microsoft also announced that this version will include the Annex mode as well as 250 new achievement points. The PC-exclusive content will not be present on the disc.

Gears of War 2 Announced

Solomon Lee — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:51:07 -0600

Microsoft and Epic Games has officially announced, in their keynote speech at this year's GDC event, that Gears of War 2 is slated for a November 2008 release for the Xbox 360.

Check out the teaser trailer after the jump.

Epic Dismisses Gears of War 2 Reports

Solomon Lee — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:53:09 -0600

Following the latest issue of GamePro magazine displaying a customized Gears 2 logo, Epic Games VP, Mark Rein has shot down rumors of an expected Gears of War 2 announcement by declaring the reports to be "complete nonsense."

Mark Rein has issued this comment in the official forums:

"We have not announced a sequel to Gears of War to GamePro or anyone else for that matter."

Much speculation has arisen regarding the possibility of the unannounced sequel making an appearance at this year's Game Developers Conference.

Gears of War Franchise Heading to PlayStation 3?

Shiva Stella — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 10:20:42 -0600

According to industry analyst Michael Pachter, Epic's widely popular Gears of War franchise (currently an Xbox 360 exclusive, with allowed PC ports) is probably headed to the PlayStation 3... eventually.

Pachter recently stated to Game Trailers that "we ('we' apparently meaning Patcher and his analyst pals) pretty much know that Gears of War 3 is probably gonna' come out on PS3." Pretty much, eh? Sounds scientific.

Pachter assumes that Microsoft has a two-game deal with Epic Games and that, barring any extension of that deal, afterward Epic is free to release GoW games on any platform it chooses. Considering the PS3's current lackluster offering of online titles (with the exception of Call of Duty 4 and Resistance: Fall of Man), a Gears of War game on Sony's catch-up console might definitely get some units sold - especially if it were a PS3 exclusive.

Meanwhile the rest of us anxiously await Gears of War 2.

GB Review: Gears of War (PC)

Solomon Lee — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:27:22 -0600

Can you handle this masterpiece?

Overall, this game improves and fares just as well as the 360 version released a year ago. Despite its flaws, the characters, striking environments, special weapons and the inclusion of a game editor, longer single player campaign, additional achievements and new multiplayer maps makes Gears of War an exciting game that should not be missed. For those eager to experience an interactive and engaging PC shooter, look no further than Gears of War this holiday season.

Click here for an explanation of our review and scoring format.

Gears of War, originally released on the Xbox 360, was an extraordinary game. It featured gorgeous visuals, interactive gameplay (contributed largely to its run and cover system), and an engaging third person perspective on the narrative side. The game spurred the sale of many systems and persuaded prospective gamers who sat on the fence to join the Xbox 360 camp. After the story mode was finished, fans happily spent hours on multiplayer matches killing and chain-sawing their friends online. PC gamers now have the chance to experience Gears of War in addition to all the downloadable content from Xbox Live in one neat package.

The story begins with your role as Marcus Fenix, a soldier charged with war crimes and treason who is left to die alone in the prison barracks. A deadly mutant race known as the Locusts has invaded and destroyed major cities across the globe relentlessly. As the death toll escalates to untold figures, the Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) grants a pardon to all their war criminals, Marcus being amongst them, and enlists them in a fight to defend the earth against the Locust Horde. He is joined by his fellow Delta squad comrades and others from Alpha squad, including Dominic Santiago, Damon Baird and the comical Augustus Cole, known as "Cole Train". The storyline in Gears is quite linear in length with occasional decision points that allow you to choose different paths to reach your intended destination. The path you choose will dictate the weapons and ammo spoils found as certain items are only available on your treaded pathway.

Gameplay mechanics remain the same as the 360 version with the traditional "duck and cover" tactics in battle. Buildings, boxes, wooden furniture, cars, stone pillars, road barriers and more can be effectively used to shield Marcus from heavy enemy gunfire. The game continually pressures you to hone your skills by not only interacting with your environment, but also to keep a sharp eye on your active reload meter when your gun is empty. When timed perfectly, your reload time drops and you temporarily gain a boost to the damage dealt to the Locust enemy. Weapons and grenades can be swapped with ease by selecting numerical keys 1 through 4 at any given time. If you miss the mark on the meter, Marcus will curse as he spends more time reloading his weapon than needed. The roadie run maneuver, which allows you to stay low and speed through the area, is executed by holding the spacebar. Though it is useful in the game, holding the spacebar key to run feels awkward and takes a bit of time to get accustomed to.

The arsenal of weapons available includes the Snub Pistol, Gnasher Shotgun, Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Grenades and the Hammer of Dawn. The Assault Rifle is a favored weapon as you can gun down your enemies or brutally sever them with a bloody chainsaw attack. Regarding the shotgun and sniper rifle, they are vital for close combat and for eliminating the Locust threat from a safe distance. One big issue I have with using grenades is the time required to toss a single grenade. Thats right. Rather than simply throwing it, you must direct a blue trajectory line indicating where and how high to throw it. There is a tendency for the camera to direct the view upwards making it hard to throw one accurately. Compared to games like Call of Duty, its a chore to toss a grenade at the enemy as you make yourself vulnerable for far too long in an open gunfight. The Hammer of Dawn is a powerful weapon that burns and devours the enemy but can only be used outside when a satellite connection is established.

Regarding the AI aspect of the game, the presence of your squad mates draws out mixed reactions. My comrades have saved me on many counts from Locusts that would have killed me. However, the duck and cover tactics easily throw them off as a Locust could be standing behind a road barrier with his shoulder and head clearly visible. Dominic, Baird and Cole dont seem to notice this and continually shoot the center of the stone barrier already protecting the enemys torso, missing their target entirely in open sight. Consequently, the Locusts were able to pin down half my squad leaving me to revive two teammates used as bait to lure me out from cover. The most frustrating scenario was watching them run right by a Locust standing a few feet away without even turning around! Thus, issuing squad-based commands to regroup, cease fire, or attack is a "hit or miss" affair as more often than not, you must rely on your wits and skills to survive. There are two difficulty settings at the start: Casual and Hardcore with the Insane difficulty unlocked once the campaign mode has been completed.

Rather than giving gamers only a straight port, Epic has provided extra content that includes five new game chapters, three new multiplayer maps, game editor, 50 additional achievements and a new multiplayer game mode. Youll find the five extra game chapters in the latter half of the game that shed light on the events involving an enemy boss encounter and the details of the teams escape. The multiplayer modes featured are Warzone, Execution, Assassination, Annex and the all new mode, King of the Hill. Warzone pits the COG soldiers against the Locusts in a deathmatch while the Execution mode, though similar, requires you to kill your opponents at close range, either by chainsaw attack or stomping their corpse. Assassination assigns the COG soldiers and Locusts to kill the opposition leader and to hold leadership for that team whereas Annex mode is a race to complete objectives and achieve a targeted score first before the other team. Finally, the new King of the Hill is a territorial challenge in which you must control and defend fixed territory against the opposing team for a specified period of time. This mode shares the same objective as the Execution mode in that you must kill your enemies with special close range attacks. For those who engage in online matches and stats, take note that a Gold subscription may be needed in the Games For Windows Live membership. As for the game editor, you can create customized level designs but it remains unsupported by Epic and Microsoft.

Gears is a stunning game that exceeds the boasted graphics of its 360 predecessor. I was privileged to be able to play the game on an HP Blackbird setup and I was blown away. Breathtaking visuals, solid framerate, smooth animation and polished character designs all contributed to making the game a visceral experience. Not surprisingly, my computer was gasping for dear life trying to run the game on the lowest settings. Make no mistake, Gears is graphically intensive and is meant to be played on a powerful rig at maximum resolution. On the audio side, the sound effects, voice acting and soundtrack fit well within the games context in building its dark and sinister atmosphere.

Also available on: 360
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Developer: Epic
Release: Nov 6, 2007
MSRP: $49.99
Mature | Online

Gears of War (PC) Scores In

Shiva Stella — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:35:00 -0600

Scores for the PC version of quite possibly the most popular Xbox 360 title - Gears of War - are officially going up today. As usual, we've got a convenient listing below for your viewing and mathematical pleasure.

Current average as of 11/06: 88%

93 - GameZone: "Gears of War on the PC is still the same ground breaking game it was a year ago just now on the PC." (now that's genius)
90 - GameSpot: "The PC version of Gears of War is everything the 360 version was and more." (video review link)
90 - PC Zone UK: "The PC version of Gears of War is a welcome reminder of how much better PC gaming can be, and that it can do big, stupid action way better than the consoles that took stupid to the masses." (sounds like somebody's jealous)
85 - GamerNode
80 - GameDaily
80 - GameTap

I don't know - seems a little jaded to me. Any of you considering a purchase of the PC version?

New Gears of War Multiplayer Achievements Unveiled

Solomon Lee — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 08:20:00 -0500

This article was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Certain formatting, imaged, and embedded content may have been lost in the transition process.

Epic Games has announced eight new achievements for its futuristic sci-fi shooter, Gears of War. They are valued at 250 points total and will be featured in the Annex mode and Hidden Fronts multiplayer map pack. In addition, Epic has included a new fix that improves the Roadie Run manuever giving players better control in the game. The Achievement details can be found here.

GH Review: Gears of War (360)

Aaron Dunlap — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 21:33:00 -0600

This review was originally published on Gaming Horizon, GameBump's predecessor. Its format does not match our own but we support its content.

Gears of War! Gears of War! Gears of War!

It's the game that first got us excited about the Xbox 360 a few years ago; it's the game everybody's talking about; it's the game that could be the next Halo.

The game takes place in the future, where a breed of insect-like aliens known as Locusts have attacked Earth and mostly wiped out civilization. You play as Marcus Fenix, a member of the small- but well-armed resistance army trying to fight back.

Is it the next Halo? Probably not, but it's definitely one hell of a game. A game so polished that I feel slippery just thinking about it. If anyone has been waiting for a reason to buy an Xbox 360, this is it.

Very seldom there comes a game that not only pushes its genre forward, but the entire gaming world as well. Think of Mario 64, where the chains of dimensional-bondage were cut loose and we finally had full run of an environment; at long last you could go anywhere in a game world. Think also of Half-Life 2, a game that changed the way we think about level design, physics, immersion, and storytelling. I believe Gears of War will find its way to that short list, and all games released from now on will at some level be compared with this game in the arenas of gameplay, graphics, design, and just outright originality. Look past all the Holiday-release console war BS, this is a truly amazing game.

Does it have its problems? Of course, every game does, but the most amazing thing about Gears of War is how little you care about the nitpickery.

The game is a third-person tactical shooter in the vein of the overlooked PS2 game Kill.Switch, where instead of the run-and-gun action you get in a Halo-type shooter you're forced to be more skillful with your assault. Very heavy focus is placed on finding and maintaining cover -- be it walls, broken concrete, trash dumpsters, or boulders. Context-sensitive actions allow you to very fluidly move from cover to cover and fire while under cover. Enemies typically head for cover the same as you, and often very heavy gunfights take place with you and a small fleet of badguys trying to edge around eachother, looking for the best cover and trying to pop off the most shots while the other isn't looking.

This is an interesting premise, but that only goes so far. The problem with Kill.Switch is that once you got a hang of the "stop and pop" gameplay, that was it; just keep finding cover and shooting people around corners for hours until the game ends. This problem is common of most games, if you think about it, games are typically built around a gameplay element and once you've figured all the moves out there's nothing to do but repeat them over and over. Think of the first few Splinter Cell games, for another example, once you figured out everything Sam could do it seemed like you just kept repeating those moves over and over. Sneak around, hide in the dark, shoot some guys in the head, be real sneaky. This problem is so age-old that most people don't even consider it a "problem" anymore but rather just a component of videogames.

You must understand this in order to understand how truly unique Gears of War is. While some games try to spice up the gameplay by throwing in a puzzle here or there and a few boss battles, Gears of War somehow manages to surprise you at every turn. It's almost as if the gameplay itself changes continually, just as a matter of dealing with the environment.

Take, for example, a large section in the second of the game's five "Acts". You and a squadmate are out forging through enemy territory when the sun goes down and a new enemy emerges: small bat-like creatures called Kryll. The Kryll are harmed by light so they can only lurk in the shadows, but any creature who finds himself in the darkness will be instantly attacked and killed by the savage little beasts. This section is really what sold me on the game when it was demonstrated at E3 in 2005, and it's one of the most engaging of the whole game. To continue forward, you have to either find light or create it by shooting propane tanks until they explode. This might sound like a straightforward environmental puzzle, but it feels so organic nonetheless. One of the best parts is that the Kryll will attack even the enemy Locusts, so one of the coolest things you can do when you find yourself in a gunfight is to lure enemies into the dark so they'll be attacked. One section has you pinned down a long alleyway with enemies sniping you from buildings; you could just shoot at them and hope you hit, or you could just shoot out the lights in the room. There's even a very cool section where you have to help a squadmate cross a darkened street by tracking him with a large spotlight in order to keep him in the light.

Gameplay keeps changing like this, and hour after hour you never feel bored. Some areas are thrilling, some are downright scary, and all throughout you actually want to keep pressing forward just to see what else you'll get to do.

Combat feels very tightly-tuned as well. The guns, while unrealistic, are very satisfying. Unlike in many games where you start out with little pooter guns and continually trade up for newer and cooler weapons, the gun you start out with is probably the coolest. Nicknamed the "chainsaw gun", the heavy machine gun features a small spiked chainsaw for a bayonet, so while other guns allow you to smash attackers as a melee attack, the chainsaw gun allows you to saw them in half. This is a little hard to pull off, but it's so gruesome and sickly satisfying that it's worth the effort. You're allowed to carry three guns total (two heavy and one pistol), so as you do encounter other weapons like shotguns and sniper rifles you have to make some accounting decisions to decide which gun you want to keep and which to drop.

The only thing I need to say about the graphics is that they're perfect. Character models, vehicles, environments, weather, it's all spectacular but not overwhelming to the point of distraction. Whenever I just stopped and spun the camera around to take in the sights I was always pretty awestruck, especially anywhere with water or rain.

Multiplayer fans should already have the modes of this game memorized. Besides the very-cool co-opperative levels you can play either split-screen with a real friend or online with a virtual one, there are a handful of deathmatch style modes to keep people busy. While there's not a Halo 2-size library of modes and levels, Epic is reportedly working on adding new online features you'll be able to download.

If anyone cares, John DiMaggio (the voice of Bender from Futurama) does a pretty nice job providing the voice of not one but two main characters and several accessory characters.

There's so many good features here I could go on forever, I could list all the cool little things like how whatever guns you're carrying are visible strapped to your back or interesting quirks like "active reloading" where proper timing of hitting the reload button will not only double the reload speed but increase the damage done by that clip, or entire gameplay elements like different paths you can choose or the ability to command squadmates; alas, there's only so much time in a day. All that needs to be said is that this game is truly refreshing and good not based on simple elements like "awesome graphics" or "cool guns" which are often what make games good. This game is good on principle; the way it keeps evolving is just awe-inspiring.

There are a few problems here and there with connecting to online servers. This seems to be common with Xbox Live for some reason. Updates are probably on the way.

The only faults in single-player that really stick out are these:

1. The grenades. They take far too long to aim and are pretty weak. I usually don't even bother with grenades in videogames, but when they're done well like in Call of Duty they can be extremely useful. Gears of War seems to want you to use the grenades, but they're just too much work.

2. Using the chainsaw bayonet can be frustrating at times. While other weapons' melee attacks only require that you tap the B button, to use the chainsaw attack you have to be holding it and possibly pulling the right trigger, and even then it seems to be random whether or not it'll connect. In times when I really needed to rely on a melee attack (such as when Wretches, four legged creatures that charge at you, start attacking) I had to switch to another weapon because the chainsaw was too risky.

3. The location of checkpoint saves can be a bit brutal at time, occasionally making you see the same cutscenes and walk through the same halls in order to get back to the gunfight where you died the last time.

Three problems. That's it.

Unless you're some kind of compulsive run-and-gun gameplay freak and can't take any other kind of game, you probably should own this game already. It's almost a universal truth now that the games that really validate the purchase of a new game console come out at least a year after the system. Here we are now, a year after the Xbox 360 has launched, and the game that should sell systems is here.

Gears of War is the best game on the Xbox 360. There, I said it.

The game itself is a riot, the truly amazing thing is how it keeps getting better and better

If you thought GRAW was as good as it gets, prepare to eat crow.

Music comes and goes and is pretty effective, sound effects are spot-on.

Relentless fun

The multiplayer is good and will get better with updates